Monuments, Riverfront and Band Concerts

 While Carrson's parents were here he was able to take a day off work and visit a few things here in the area with us.  We decided since the last time tried to go to the First White House of the Confederacy while they were here it was closed we would go there to start off our day.  As I am typing this I realized I should have taken a picture of Andrew on the staircase inside the house, he was in heaven, he kept going up and down and up and down.  Here we don't have stairs and so I haven't had to worry about him falling down them, but I didn't realize how much fun they could be for someone who doesn't remember them from the past summer.  He even thought these stairs were awesome.

Elizabeth

Trying to get a picture of the flag in front of the First White House of the Confederacy.  It didn't want to cooperate very well.  I believe this is the flag (style) that the confederate army flew when this home was occupied by the Jefferson Davis family.

Thumbs up!! 

Andrew had to be one the exact steps dad was. 

The grand piano that is in the home.

After we left the First White House of the Confederacy we hit up one of the pecan stores and headed to the riverfront.  I had only been there once and it wasn't nearly as nice as it is now. 

The boat in the background is a dinner cruise that you can take up the Alabama River.  No, we have not but it looks like a fun boat to travel on.

After we left the riverfront we headed to one of the Confederate Cemeteries here not too far from our house.  It was really cool to see all of the confederate flags flying at each head stone as we drove up.  It has been  fun to learn more about the south and the Civil War as we go around to these monuments.  Being from the west I have a different perspective about the Civil War I never picked up in school.  Now to visit some of the sites from the north and it will all be great.

Beautiful!!

I love the blossoms in the spring time!!  A couple of shots from the drive to the cemetery. 

And last but not least, while grandma, grandpa and Liz were here Ryan had is Spring Band Concert.  We all went and had a long and enjoyable evening.  The only problem with having these are the bleachers we have to sit on.  I can't sit comfortably with out something to lean against or my back  hurts.  But, it was a great concert and I am glad he has the musical talent that ha shows.  He was in the Jazz band also but my camera, in a gym equals not the greatest pictures.  Next year I will have to go on the floor and take some better pictures.  Where Ryan was sitting in the picture are four of the six kids from our ward (sorry one used to be till the ward split).   They all did a great job at the concert!!

Changes

We have had a few changes in our family these last couple of weeks.  Clark turning sixteen and was  ordained a Priest at church last Sunday (April 14, 2013), which is a big deal and I am so proud of him for choosing the right and living the way our Heavenly Father wants him to live.  Then the same day, dad was made a bishop in our ward here in Alabama.  What an awesome day!  Clark's parent's even flew in early Saturday morning so they could be here too.  We had called them to let them what was happening on Tuesday night not expecting them to fly out, we just wanted to let them know.  By Wednesday afternoon they had plane tickets for Friday and were here early early Saturday morning. 

I am so proud of my husband and the willingness he has to serve our Heavenly Father in his new calling.  I am also proud that he is worthy enough to be given the responsibility of a bishop and the growth I have already seen in him.  I am also proud of Clark for living the gospel to the best of his ability and what great joy he brings into my life.  I love both of you!!

Another year older

Emma has had a birthday and is officially another year older.   It seems we have to celebrate her birthday a day early every year.  Last year dad had people in at work and this year we had soccer practice and Ryan had a band concert that usually lasts a couple of hours.  She seems to be okay with it and hasn't complained yet.  I think as long as we celebrate it and don't forget she is good.

This year for dinner she chose to go to Golden Corral to eat.  I think it is a given, we let them choose where to go for their birthday dinner and they seem to always choose Golden Corral.   Even Clark who just had his birthday chose it.

It was a fun night Grandma, Grandpa Draper and Liz had come for a visit and it just happened to be over her birthday.  She was so excited, when they called to say they were coming she had to make sure they were going to be here for her birthday.  She was so excited for all of her gifts.  I wasn't sure what to get her but knowing her and how she love shoes and clothes, that is basically what she got.  I found a killer deal at a shoe store a few weeks ago, they had marked all of their clearance shoes down to $4.90, sweet I got her two pairs of fun sandals and a pair of church sandals with a heel (she thinks she has to have heels for church and no more little girl shoes anymore) all for around $15.  I was so excited to give them to her and when she opened them she loved them, but guess what they were all too small.  I even double checked some of her other shoes to make sure they would fit and the new ones were a bigger size, so I thought great they will work.  Nope, I had to take them all back and I had to get a size seven.  Her little/big feet have grown so much this past year it is crazy.  She hadn't complained of her shoes being too small so I didn't think anything of it and just got the next size up.  I think at the rate she is going she is going to catch me within the year.  She loved all the stuff she got and is still so excited to wear all of her "new" clothes and shoes.  She is a typical "girly girl"!

It all starts again

Yes, it is that time of year when we spend our evenings at the soccer field, and yes I blog about it a lot but it is a part of our life and it kind of defines the kids, so I enjoy doing it. I am also proud of them for wanting to play and watching them get better with each year, I just wish my pictures would reflect that.

Clark helping out one of the other teams, since they were short a player.  He doesn't mind playing i think he would play for all the teams if he could.

Now for his own team.  He and Ryan play on the same team.  Clark was not thrilled with the idea at first, but I think it is growing on him.  Yes, Ryan is probably the youngest player since we bumped him up to the next age group and he has a very late birthday, but I have already seen a lot of improvement on his end.  He has done a great job defending the goal.  I haven't been able to see the end of a game yet,, and they didn't go this last Saturday due to a temple trip, but I don't think he has let a goal by (except for the one that he knocked in, I hear), but we won't dwell on that it happens and that is okay.  We were joking that day both the boys made a goal one for our team and one for the other.  He still claims it was one of the defenders that made the goal and not him.  I am so proud of both Clark and Ryan and I hope they keep progressing in the sport.

  Emma is also loving soccer.  She has played forward, striker and midfield so far this season and is doing a great job.  Earlier in the week (before this actual game) she had hyper-extended her wrist in PE so she was a little worried about falling and hurting it again, so we kept it bandaged and everything worked out great.

I think I mentioned before that even Andrew is playing this time.  He is on a team consisting of mostly older four year olds up to six year olds, and yes he is only three.  I wasn't too worried about it too much since he has been kicking and dribbling a soccer ball since he could basically walk.  He is a little more immature in the people area but he is right with the rest in the soccer knowledge.  Since he is only three and on an older team I had to coach and some times that is good and some times it is not so fun.  They have short attention spans and they just want to goof off and play rather than practice.  I do have a few boys that played in the fall and they stick with it just a little longer then the rest, which is a good thing.

Andrew has also scored a goal in a game this year, the only problem was that it was in the wrong net and for the wrong team.  We were so proud that he dribbled to ball from half the field with the crowd and myself yelling at him to turn it around.  He was so excited that he had scored, he came running back to me with the biggest grin and trying to high five me and all I could do was say great job!!  One of the older boys on the team came up to me and told me that Andrew needed to score for us and to not do that again (I can't remember his exact words, but I thought it was great, I told him because he was older and had played before he could help me teach Andrew how to play properly). 

Emma was my photographer while I coached so we have a wonderful self portrait of her, and I couldn't resist putting it in here.