Grace's Soccer Season

Yesterday was Grace's last soccer game. She actually has one more game next Saturday, but we'll be missing it (Hawaii, here we come!). Overall, most of the games were tie scores, but the Kickers are ending their season on a positive note- they have won the last two games. Grace scored one goal a few weeks ago and she has improved over the season, but we'll have to wait until next year to see if she still wants to play. We have always wanted her to try out different things- so far, she's taken swimming (a few times), gymnastics, dance, and soccer... Hmm... wonder what she wants to try next?

Grace and Her Bike

Grace learned how to ride her bike with no training wheels today! Our neighborhood's roads are pretty bumpy, but there's a church near our house that has a big parking lot, so we decided to have her try out there. It was exciting to watch- I was nervous that she would get hurt and then be discouraged. Luckily, on her first shot, she started off with Jason holding onto the back, and she kept going after he let go. I almost started crying! She needs some practice pushing off and stopping, but I'm sure it won't be long before we'll be able to go on family bike trips around the neighborhood. Yay, Grace!

Halloween

Our family enjoyed a wonderful evening tonight. For us, it began with pumpkin carving. Grace and Jason carved the two pumpkins Grace got on her two trips to the pumpkin patch earlier in the week. It was cute that she drew a picture of what she wanted one of the jack-o-lanterns to look like. Next, the kids got into their costumes and we headed to our church's carnival where the kids played on the inflatables, played some carnival games, we ate dinner, and chatted with friends. Grace dressed as Tinkerbell this year (or depending on who you ask, a fairy or a princess), and Jeremy was supposed to match as Peter Pan (or some people guessed Robin Hood). Jeremy lasted in his costume for about 20 minutes- he undid his belt, the hat was thrown on the ground, and he bent his sword soon after that. Grace didn't want to wear her wings or carry around her wand, so Jason and I ended up carrying around all of their accessories.You might be surprised to know that Grace has never been trick-or-treating before. She discovered this year through classmates at school what it is, so of course she has been asking all week if she could go this year. Before heading home, we went with the Wiens and Lee families to a few houses near the church. I am surprised to admit that it was fun watching their excitement. Since tomorrow is Daylight Savings, we decided to take advantage of having an extra hour by having the Mack family come over to hang out after we went trick-or-treating. I'd say that tonight was a pretty Happy Halloween- the kids had a great time and we got to spend time with many good friends! (more pictures in the photo album on the right)

Halloween at School

Very few schools in Fresno allow kids to dress up for Halloween anymore. Grace's school is one of the few that still do. The principal was actually hinting that this might be the last year of dressing up! Well, Grace will have at least one memory of participating in a school-wide costume parade. This year, Grace asked to dress up as Tinkerbell. I was able to go and help in Grace's class this morning (a huge thanks to Jamie for her willingness to watch Jeremy!), so it was neat to be there to see all of the kids' costumes in their school's parade. The atmosphere was a lot of fun. The fun continued during her class's learning centers, and of course on through the party. Grace and her classmates got to decorate pumpkin-shaped cookies and then eat them afterwards. She had a wonderful day at school!

October 27

Oct. 27 is Grace's actual birthday. It's an Isaac family tradition to visit the pumpkin patch every year on her birthday. This year, Jeremy got into the excitement, and both kids enjoyed exploring and finding the perfect pumpkin.

After the pumpkin patch, we headed home for Grace's special birthday dinner. She had requested macaroni and cheese, and since I wanted to make it "special," I decided to make it from scratch, rather than from the box. Unfortunately, she really had wanted the kind from the box! Well, now I know! After dinner and Grace's soccer practice, we headed to Coldstone for ice cream (she chose a berry yogurt ice cream with gummy bears).

To finish off the day, Grace got to open up a few more gifts. Since her shining debut as a rockstar at her preschool's Open House performance last spring, Grace has been wanting a guitar.

Happy 5th Birthday, Grace! (pictures are in the slideshow on the right side of the blog)

Grace's Baking Party

For several weeks, Grace has been asking for a baking party to celebrate her 5th birthday. Now that we have a bigger kitchen, we thought, "Sure, why not!?" We invited all of the girls in her class (there's only 8 of them). Each girl arrived to find an apron, chef hat, and rolling pin ready for them . They rolled out dough for sugar cookies and decorated them, rolled out dough for pizzas and topped them, played a game, opened presents, and ate a "pizza cake." For party favors, the girls took home their cookie creations, and in addition to their hat, apron, and rolling pin, they also got a cookie cutter. I was amazed that the kitchen wasn't messier than it was after everyone left! We are soooo grateful for Jill & Adam, and De for all of their help during the party. We wouldn't have been able to make it through the night without them!

We feel so blessed to have so many people in our lives that shower our kids with love and attention. Today, Mrs. Karen and Mr. Darrell (we consider them to be the kids's adopted grandparents) took Grace home from church for a special birthday afternoon. Even with that, there's still so much in store for Grace's birthday this week- treats for the class on Tuesday, our family's annual trip to the pumpkin patch, Grandma's going with Grace and her class to the pumpkin patch on Wednesday, and a family get-together with Grandma, Auntie Jen, and the cousins on Sunday. So many celebrations for our special sweetheart! More pictures in the slideshow on the right side of this blog!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have been talking about it for many years, but we finally did it! We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving this past week here in Fresno! We planned the get-together with the Bergens, who we also celebrated Canada Day with this past July. Some other Canadians from church were able to join us- Vern and Hedy Pletz, John and Lotti Dick, Jed Carpentier, and Deanna Lenzmann. Marcy, Jed, and Jason were honorary Canadians for the night. It was great to share a meal and spend time together. It wasn't a traditional meal, but it was wonderful- we had ham, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, sweet potato dish, salad, and rolls. For dessert, Hedy made 2 delicious pies (apple pie and pumpkin pie), and some treats for the kids. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, everyone!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Jeremy!

Jeremy's birthday is actually October 11, but we had a small party for him today. We were so glad that Grandma, the Wiens family, and McCreary family were able to join us (we missed you guys, Micah and Jackson). Jeremy is completely obsessed with anything that has wheels, so it was easy to go with a "Cars, Planes, and Trains" theme. We met at Roeding Park for lunch, ate cupcakes, and opened presents before walking over to Storyland. From there, we took the train to Playland where the kids got to ride the Cars and Helicopter rides. Jeremy had a lot of fun, though I don't think he fully understood that everything was about him today. Below are a few pictures from today. There are some more in the slideshow on the right side of this blog.
We are so glad to have Jeremy as our son. We love everything about him- his jibberish babbling, his sweetness, his curious personality, his laughter, his hugs and kisses, his sparkle when he smiles, his playfulness, even the fact that he can be high maintenance- the list could go on and on... We just love this kid so much! Happy Birthday, Bear!

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!

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!

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?!

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.