Merry Christmas

From our family to yours.

Merry Christmas!

(Yes I know I am late getting this on here)

A Prayer for Santa

We were getting to say our family prayer tonight, and of course Andrew wanted to say it.  This is how it went

Dad: Please bless
Andrew: Please bless Santa Clause. (And then there was some snickering from the family, what a ham he is!!)

With that said he was done. He is such a joy to have in our home!  I am glad I get to raise him and I hope he stays the happy, silly child he is!!

What we've been up to...

Since soccer ended three or so weeks ago, we have been taking life a little easier or so it seems.  The first few evenings it seemed really weird to be home and not out at the soccer field freezing our back sides off.  It has been nice to be home but I have started to miss it.  I love watching the kids play soccer and be out in the open.  I also miss the friendships I have made with some of the mothers that are up there with their own kids.  We sit and visit and enjoy each others company while the kids practice.  Then when the kids ask if we saw their awesome goal, save or play, my comeback is (if I saw it yes that was great or if I missed it I tell them I visit during practice so I can pay attention during the game).  Even though the season is over, we still visit through emails, facebook, phone or texts, but it just isn't the same.  Well let's get back to what we have been doing since my last post.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it was a wonderful day, except the part where I wasn't feeling well and I had some vertigo issues and had to rest for a little bit.  Dad and the older boys got up and went to the Turkey Bowl while mom, Emma and Andrew stayed home, watched the parade and got dinner started.  The boys enjoyed playing some football and then came home, washed the truck and watched some football.  Isn't that what Thanksgiving is for, football? Just kidding, I am very thankful for all my blessings, my family and the things I have. 

We always try to get our Christmas tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving, and this year Andrew thought he needed to help with the ornaments.  So we let him put a few on the tree.  I don't know if that was a good idea or not, for a couple of days later we kept finding ornaments behind the chair and him trying to hide them from us.  Crossing my fingers he hasn't bothered it for the last little while.



Another thing the kids like to do is go to the Christmas parade.  This year we didn't have any of the kids in it, so Clark stayed home with dad and Ryan, Emma and Andrew went with me to the parade where we met up with some friends.  Ryan had brought a football that he and some of the older kids played while we waited for the parade to start.  Emma and her friend claimed they were bored and sat in the van and played video games.  Andrew on the other hand wanted to run and run.  I have to keep a close eye on him, he thought I wasn't watching him and he took off running down the parking lot.  He is going to drive me crazy!

The group waiting for the parade to start.

Andrew was so excited for the parade to start.  He got so excited when the motorcycle cops came by.

 With Christmas coming it means concerts for both Ryan and Emma.  Emma is in the choir at school and has really been enjoying it.  They have had a couple of concerts already.  This one is from when they went to one of the rest homes in the area and sang for them.  She has a couple more still to go, and she is really excited because she gets to go sing at the mall and the zoo (for Zoo Lights).

If you recall from and earlier post Ryan is taking band again.  This year the second years have to wear a uniform and they have more obligations.  He also made jazz band again this year, and he is playing the bass piano, again.  He was upset at first, he thought he would get to play the piano but the band teachers thought he was best on the bass piano so they preferred that he play there.  I think he is okay with that now. 

What an awesome stud.  He loves to play piano and clarinet as long as I don't remind him to practice.

Something else we have to do is to take a trip to the local Bass Pro Shop to visit with and sit on Santa's lap.  I can't get the older two boys to sit or even stand with Santa.  I wish they would, because as you know Santa brings coal for those who don't tell him what they want.

Andrew and Emma were so excited to see Santa just look at those smiles.

They also have a craft for the kids to do.  This time they had a snowman ornament for them to make.  They also have coloring sheets and a letter you fill out for Santa.

Basketball has started for Clark, and he is excited.  I believe this is his last year to play other then for the high school (if you can get him to try out again).  His dad is his coach, and so far they are 2-0 for the season already.  It is fun to watch him play (when Andrew lets me), he has gotten more aggressive, maybe it's all the practice playing after church during the week.

 Getting a rebound.  This picture doesn't show it well but his vertical jump has improved immensely.

 Dad coaching and Andrew helping.

Clark wants to be a point guard so bad he got his chance the other night.  They were beating the other team so bad I started to feel sorry for them (notice the score).

Oh and by the way a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I have been released from teaching Gospel Doctrine.  I know I have struggled with that calling but I was really sad to be released.  I got thinking today that I hadn't prepared yet but then reality hit and I was releaved.  I think I am going to miss it but then maybe not, we"ll see.  I am still the Cubmaster in the ward so I am not duty free.  I do enjoy being with the cub scouts and watching them get so excited over earning their rank advancement or even just a belt loop.  It makes my day to see these kids enjoying themselves.  I hope they keep enjoying it, I know I do.

Another season ends!

 Instead of going straight to the soccer tournament we went to this past weekend, I wanted to post about Clark's and Ryan's Court of Honor.  We haven't had one in a while and the boys have been working really hard.  Ryan got eight merit badges and a rank advancement (he is now a Star).  Clark received three merit badges.  As I posted before he has got his Eagle project finished and is now just waiting to finish his paper work and get a board of review so he can receive his Eagle Rank.  Now that soccer is finished for the season we can focus on getting that complete.  Hopefully here in the near future we will have a post with him receiving his Eagle, fingers crossed.

 

 Pinning on Mom's Mother's pin.  He was quite nervous to pin it on, he actually handed it to me so I could do it.  He ended up doing a good job pinning.

 Now back to the State Soccer Tournament  *Warning picture overload* (Grandma's want to see pictures lots of pictures, well maybe all of our family back home).  We had an exciting weekend in Dothan, Al.  It didn't start out like it was supposed to.  I set my alarm to go off at 4:00am Saturday morning or so I thought.  At 5:10am I got a text (from a friend that was already down in Dothan) to see if we were on our way yet.  We had planned on being on the road at 5:00am so we could make sure we were there and ready to go.  Well needless to say the text woke me up, I looked at the clock and jumped out of bed.  Got Carrson's attention went and woke the kids up, told them we were late and it was already after five and we needed to get on the road.  Needless to say we left and were on the road within a half an hour and still made it with time to spare.

Like I posted before Clark, Ryan and Emma made the all-star team for their ages, and this was the weekend of the State Tournament.  All the teams were represented well.  I hope they all had fun, because it was fun watching them play, and visiting with all of the soccer parents.

 I am going to start off with Emma since she is the youngest (playing).  They started off great, they won (and no, I don't remember any of the scores, we watched eleven games and I did not write anything down).   You ask how in the world were we able to see all their games, especially when everyone of Clark's and Ryan's games were at the same time and one of those games Emma played too.  Well for the most part we sat at the field Clark played at (more central location) and dad or I would go to the first half of Ryan's game come back and switch with the other one, and when all three were playing I started out at Emma's (shortest time playing), dad started out at Ryan's, and after Em's game ended we walked over to Clark's who still had about twenty minutes left.  Yes, it was a lot of running around but it was worth watching what we could.  I enjoy watching them grow in the sport!

 

Can you tell who just scored??  

Talk about excited!!  She was so pumped about her goal she went and scored in the second game too.  Way to go Emma I am so excited and proud for you.  Emma grew in leaps and bounds in soccer this year.  She had a coach that saw where she worked really well and kept her there instead of moving her around all the time.  Thank you coach for helping her grow!!

 

 

 U11 Girls team.  

Oh and by the way they took second place in State.

 The team trophy.

It is bigger than Emma.

 Emma and her individual trophy.  Andrew wanted her trophy so bad we compromised and said he could hold it and mom would take picture.  He was just as excited for Em's trophy as she was.

 Now on to Ryan.  Ryan's team,  they fought hard but they lost all their games.  I don't remember all the final scores but I know they lost by one in two games,  lost one in a shootout, and another one the opposing team scored five goals.  They struggled but they still played hard.  I am very proud of my goalie, sometimes I just wished he would let us practice with him (he claims he doesn't need to practice).

This is what he looks like when it is cold out.

I wouldn't want to charge on this goalie, sCaRY!!

 Here are some of his AWESOME saves!

 He had quite a few but I think these turned out the best.

 

 

 His team didn't get together after their last game for a team picture, so I will refer you back to the team picture from districts.  I think the kids were very sad that they wanted to hurry and leave the field and go home.  (Personally I wasn't up there dad was, so I am only writing what I heard.)

And now on to Clark's games.  The U15 team also did a great job this weekend. They won two and lost two.  Clark was the second highest scorer on his team with three goals.  Yay for Clark!  I do remember the score from the first game because I thought hopefully they can all be this easy.  They beat the team 10-0.  Wow you say, all the teams beat them like that.  The games seemed to get harder as they progresses throughout the tournament.  They had a great pattern going won, lost, won, lost.  But they were still happy that they did so well.  A lot of the problem is there are two teams that always win and usually the refs watch out for those two (cities) teams, and those two teams were in the championship for the U15.  But I thought there spirits were still up and they were having fun even if us parents were taking tons of team pictures.

 For some reason he really likes to head the ball.

 

 

 

U15 All-Stars

Just look at those smiling faces!

Here is what we (or Andrew) did during and in between games.

 Ryan trying to get Andrew to come over to us.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the two.

 Play video games,

Play in the dirt on the baseball field

(Emma's games were in the outfield of one of the baseball fields),

 Color.

I couldn't get him to come on the grass and color, he wanted to be on the dirt.  Is that a true boy or what?

 Sleep (thank you Jessica).

By this time he was exhausted, and he found Jessica (one of our coaches daughters that has played with Andrew since he was like nine months old).  We couldn't get him to sit let alone sleep and she went and got him to lay down and that was the end of that.

Play in the dugout.

This is another one of my favorites.

 Have lunch and visit.

Andrew fell asleep before I moved over to the group (below)

 Play some more in the dirt

and last but not least watch the games.

We had a great weekend and man am I glad soccer is over for now.  I have a cold now that I blame on allergies and sitting out in the cold for three hours a night three to four nights a week, that I need to get over.  Plus basketball started for Clark last Thursday and dad is his coach so I don't have to be there.

It is weird sitting here trying to figure out what I am going to make for dinner but then I realized I don't have to rush to eat before 5:00pm.  We can actually have a nice sit down dinner and not be eating on our way out the door. Yea!!  What in the world am I going to do at night now?  Maybe, get the kids to bed on time, watch a little television and relax, or maybe I can finish the book I started months ago whatever I do it will feel weird for the first little while not to have to be at the soccer fields. 

I hope this recap was enjoyable and just think no more soccer posts for a few months.  I know we are a soccer family and we enjoy it!!  Love you!  

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving if I don't get on here before then.  It is coming soon, Thursday to be precise.