Sunday, September 27, 2009

Fall Sports

We had a busy day of sports yesterday. First off, Grace played her first game of soccer! She plays for the Kratt Kickers! We really had no idea what to expect of her, whether she'd take off and be a natural, or whether she'd be one of those kids daydreaming on the field as the ball went by. In her league, there are only 3 kids on the field at once and there is no goalie (and there are only 4 kids on her team, so they'll all get plenty of playing time). The coach is also on the field with them, giving directions as they run after the ball so it lessens the chance of kids just standing around. It did take Grace a little while, but when she figured out what to do, she was right there in the mix of kids, trying to get at the ball. The final score was a tie, 2-2. She didn't score either of the goals, but she could definitely be given credit for assisting. Grace played so well, and we're pretty sure it's only going to get better from here. I think it's all going to depend on her coach, who also happens to be Jason! Someone else coached her team yesterday since Jason was busy coaching his girls' volleyball team at Hoover High School's volleyball tournament. This leads to another reason why we were so busy yesterday. Jason's team plays in this annual tournament, and it is a highlight of the volleyball season. This year's team advanced to the championship bracket, and were knocked out in the quarterfinals. I absolutely love watching Jason coach- he is really good at it and I am so proud of him for what he's able to teach his teams. He is patient and passionate, which really helps the kids to enjoy the sports. Thank you so much to Jason's mom for coming to Grace's soccer game, and then watching both kids so I could go help and support Jason. Great job yesterday, Jason and Grace!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Grace's First Field Trip

Grace went on her first field trip today to Storyland. I'm so thankful that Christa watched Jeremy for me so I could help chaperone. I was actually one of 13 parents (for a class of 20) who went- I was kind of surprised by the turn out! It was nice because I was only responsible for Grace and one other girl. They both enjoyed themselves, and I appreciated the chance to get to know some of the other parents. I would have to say that Grace's highlights for this trip were riding on the bus and her juice bar snack!

Friday, September 11, 2009

God Made Dirt and Dirt Don't Hurt

I'm posting these because I think they're hilarious! We went over to the Macks's home a few weeks ago for dinner, and boy did our kids enjoy themselves! While the adults sat and chatted on the patio, the kids played in their backyard. Considering how dirty they got, we actually had to bathe them in the Macks's tub before heading home! Yikes! Who are these kids?!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Family Time

The long weekend officially marks the end of summer, right? Why are triple digits still in the forecast for later this week?!
After church on Sunday, we drove to the family cabin at Shaver Lake to spend time with Jennifer and her kids. I stayed at the cabin with Jeremy while he napped, and Jason took Grace to meet Jennifer at the lake- some of her friends own jet skis and they were kind enough to share. It was Grace's first time on one, and she came back saying how much she loved going "so so fast!" Jason let her sit in front of him, and I guess she got plenty wet. We spent the night up there and relaxed, letting the kids just play. We returned yesterday around noon.
I think it was good for Jason to be with family this weekend, particularly since yesterday would've been his dad's birthday. It's a day we still celebrate! During his stay in the hospital before he passed on, he mentioned to Jason one day about how he wished he could go to "that place where they cook in front of you." Well, over the last few years, it has somewhat become a tradition to go to teppanyaki on his birthday.
Jeremy was with us last year, but he was too young to really react to anything. This year, he insisted on holding Jason's hand the entire time, particularly after the chef lit a fire on the iron plate!
After the meal, we headed back to our house. Each of us released a balloon into the sky, a tradition that started when the kids said years ago that "it's not a party without balloons" and since Grandpa's in heaven, "that's where we should send them". This year, each of the kids drew or wrote something for Grandpa, and we taped them to their balloons. With the extra weight, it took a while for some of the balloons to float off.The evening ended off with dessert from Coldstone. It was great to be able to spend such an important day together. We love our dad and grandpa so much and miss him tremendously.