A sad goodbye :(

On Friday we said goodbye to one of the long time members of our family, our trusty Park Avenue. It has gotten us where we needed to be for the last eight years. It even made the move with us to Alabama. It had served us wonderfully, It was sad to let it go but it was time to say goodbye.


We were able to buy a Kia Sedona. We are really enjoying it. I never thought I would be a minivan owner, but it is sure nice to be able to drive somewhere and not be squished. Ryan was telling me that now I am a true soccer mom, my answer back was I have been one for the last eight years, he replyied back yah but now you have the van. The kids are loving it. We had the van in the garage when the kids got home from school so we could surprise them, and when dad went to pull it out of the garage Ryan asked if someone was here as he walked out the front door and then realized that dad was in the drivers seat, and he ran to the van and jumped in. It was so wonderful to see the kids faces when they first saw it, I am so glad that they are enjoying it. I think Dad is way too excited, he is always wanting to take it for a drive. I am also enjoying it, I don't have to hear so & so is touching me, it is quite nice. So goodbye Park Avenue and hello minivan!!!






Playing Dress up!!!
I also have to add this, one of Emma's friends Grace was wanting to have a make-up party. So yesterday we got together and did their hair and make-up and then went and took pictures at a local cotton field. The girls had a great time getting their hair and make-up done, they even have on some beautiful jewlery. As you can tell by the pictures the girls were having a blast.

Posing for the camera as models, or they think.

Even looking like ladies they are trying to climb the hay bale. They are such characters!!

Aren't they just BeaUtiFul!!!

Hippie Chick!!

Emma was invited to a birthday party where they were to dress up as hippies. I had the hardest time trying to figure out what to dress her in. Yes, I was alive in the 70's but I wasn't too old to remember a whole lot. I had asked around other friends and this is what I came up with, a poncho (made of fleece), a retro headband, patches (peace signs) on her pants and beaded necklaces. She loved it, even though the party wasn't till later this evening she couldn't wait to change into it. Talk about Emma looking like her mother!!!

I had to add these pictures because I think they are priceless. Andrew found something that he decided was better then his own pacifier, a ring pop. Emma was eating one at the game last week and let Andrew have a taste, well that did it he stole it and wouldn't give it back. So needless to say we had to get Emma another one. So here he is trying to give his pacifier to her, even trade he thought.

It was so funny, Andrew went over to visit with his dad in between the games, I looked over and they were both out. Yes, I had to get the camera. Soccer for us starts with 8:00 games through to the 11:00 games being the latest. So yes we are there all morning! But it is so fun to watch them (except for the heat 100 degree weather), I wouldn't change it for the world. Hopefully tomorrow is cooler, we start early both Clark and Emma have 8:00 games and Ryan at 11:00. Wish them luck!!

Great Reads!!

Last week for Enrichment Meeting I was asked to talk about reading and literature and how I get my kids to read. If any of you know Ryan (he doesn't like to read, unless he can get into a great book, He starts them but never finishes because he gets bored with it) I struggle to get him to read, so when I was asked I thought oh ya right and what am I supposed to say. Well needless to say I ended up doing it and basically just talked about books that my kids and I really like and some things I was taught in another ward a couple of years ago (by the wonderful teacher) that helped me out tremendously. I am glad that I did that because it reminded me of some things I had forgotten.

A few years ago I was introduced to these books ("Princess Academy" and "Goosegirl" both by Shannon Hale) while discussing books to read for our book club. I finally read them and I loved them. They are all based on a fairy tale, but aren't your typical fairy tales.

I was telling Emma about "Goosegirl" because she loves anything to do with princesses, especially stories about them. I knew it was above her level of reading so we decided to read it at bedtime, (I try to read to the kids at bedtime if they are ready at a certain time). It took us a while but we finally finished it. It was so funny how interested in the book Emma was, we got towards the end and she would get mad she wanted to know how it ended. I won't tell you anything you will have to read it on your own. Now we are back to reading Junie B. Jones for the meantime.





One book that I don't recall reading as a child is "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". So when Ryan asked me to read it to him before bed I thought great I can do this, I am so enjoying it.

Oh, and by the way, Ryan has finally found a book that he can't put down. Right now he is reading "Percy Jackson, and the Lightning Theif". I catch him reading whenever he thinks he has a free moment. Maybe nagging is good (sometimes)!

Soccer x 3!!

Well I am a slacker as usual and I haven't updated for a while. It seems that when school starts life as we know it goes into overdrive. Between the kids getting home from school, homework, piano, dinner, scouts, achievement days and soccer practice, nights just seem to fly by. With school in session for five weeks already and fall on it's way, it is time for the soccer season to start. Clark, Ryan and Emma are all playing again and they are so excited to get back into it. They had their first game on Saturday and they all did great!!!!

Emma's team lost but they had a lot of fun playing. She was sad about losing but it was only her first game. She is getting so much better with every practice. This year she actually wanted to play volleyball, but with Clark and Ryan at the soccer fields and the YMCA clear across town I talked her into soccer and maybe next year we can try volleyball. Even though she wanted to play volleyball she is still enjoying playing soccer.

Ryan's team won, and the opposing team did not score while he was in the goal box. This is the closest the ball ever got to him while he was goalie. He had some awesome defenders to help keep the ball out of the goal. He did a great job!!! His coach pulled him out of the goal box and had him play defender part of the second half. The funny thing I think this season is that Ryan got Clark's coach from last Spring and Clark got Ryan's coach.

Clark's team also won. They did a great job and played together as a team. Clark played midfielder, he didn't get a goal but he was awesome!!! After his game he was still sitting on the bench and was asked by the high school rec team if he wanted to fill in for them (they had forfeited) because they still wanted to play. He played with them and with no subs he ran and ran for another hour. I don't think he realized how hard they play but he kept up with them. He did comment on Sunday that his legs were tired though. Way to go Clark!!!!

Our little spectator. He loves to watch the kids play. He even walks around kicking his ball around the house, yes, we train them young!!! If you couldn't tell he is even wearing a "Denver Bronco" jersey, I told you we train them young and hope they stick with it.
Just one of the boys! I had to put this on here for the fact he loves his brothers and he loves doing what they are doing.

Andrew as a Jedi! We had just finished watching a movie and one of the boys brought him into the front room dressed like this. He is just so adorable.

Jedi Fighting! He would hit Ryan's light sabor and then laugh. He loves playing with his brothers when they will let him.

Our little/big helper, he loves the vacuum, when it turns on he used to come crawling now he just runs to it and tries to help. Emma was cleaning the front room and Andrew heard the vacuum start and came as fast as he could into the room and had to help, see the grin on his face he was in heaven!!

Andrew has taken over Emma's Princess chair while he watches his Mickey Mouse.