Busy Day - Let's Do This!

The To-Do List is about a mile long today. 

Soccer Season Begins

Aaahhhh…. the new soccer season has begun!  Andy is coaching Ewan's team and Uncle Michael is coaching Harrison and Zane.  Alexandra and Isabel are also on the older boys' team, so it is like a mini family reunion every Saturday!

Soccer Season

Soccer season is upon us again.  Harrison and Zane are on the same team, coached by their uncle Michael.  Their cousins, Alexandra and Isabel, are also on the team.  Its a great Saturday/Family Reunion!
Harrison in action

Zane in action.  He hasn't played since he was 4, but decided to try again since he could be on the same team as his brother and cousins.  He is thriving under Uncle Michael's coaching skills and is having a great time.

Ewan in action.  He is coached by his dad this year, along with the rest of his U-6 team. They won their very first game today!

Only in Pennsylvania can you look over to the neighboring elementary school and see little Amish boys sliding on a roof made slick after a night's rainfall.  They were entertaining themselves while their dads did some finishing work inside the school.

Super Soccer Saturday

Sometimes you have a day when the stars align, kismet happens, and the day turns out AWESOME! We began our post-birthday festivities with our second-to last week of soccer games.
Abric and Ewan ate Teddy Grahams while we watched Harrison play.

Don't even think about touching my crackers!

(This is the stink-eye he gave someone who tried.)

Harrison in action.

Right after Harrison's game ended, we picked up our stuff and moved about 3 fields across the park for Ewan's game. Andy has been his coach this season and they have had some great bonding moments. Ewan asks every day, "Do I have soccer today?" He is the little #17 with the great big, white shirt.

Today, of all beautiful days, Ewan scored his very first goal.

On the way home from soccer, we randomly decided to stop at Toys R' Us because Harrison and Zane both had $3 gift cards from the birthday club.

Toys R' Us had a FREE build your own Lego car. Score!

The boys picked out Tech Decks (those tiny skateboards) which are $3.29. Double Score!

Soccer Begins

The soccer season has officially begun! We took the spring season off because of the craziness of moving to a new area. Now that the fall season is here, we decided to jump right back on the soccer train.

Andy is coaching Ewan's U-6 team: Galaxy.
And just look who is wearing my old number….. #17 all the way!
Go Ewan! He just turned 4, so he barely made the cut-off to play this year. He is one of the tiniest on his team, but he still gets in some good touches.
He even takes his turn playing goalie. Here is his 'ready' stance.
Harrison also started playing U-10. He is also on the young and tiny end of his league, but that has never stopped him!

Orange Crush!

l to r back: Karen, Suzanne, Ellen, Susan, Lindsey, Stephanie

l to r front: me, Kathy, Dena

My wonderful sister-in-law, Lindsey, invited me to play on an indoor soccer team this winter. I was so excited and nervous to play! (It had been almost a decade since I had played on an organized women's team. . . which just the thought made me feel really old.)

The first couple games, I was really trying to get my 'game' back and to get my confidence up. I knew I could do this, my body just needed time to remember how to do what my brain was telling it.

By the end of the season, our team really started to click. Soon, we found ourselves in the championship tournament! It was a round-robin tournament when the top 4 teams each played 3 25-minute games against each other. The winner would be based on points and goal differential.

We won the first game against green 5-2. We lost the second game to red 4-3 (grrrr......). We played the blue team for our final game. We were losing. . . until we realized that we did have a chance to win the tournament because blue had beaten red (wahoo!). We had an amazing comeback: the score was 4-1 and we scored 3 unanswered goals to tie it up. With just a couple minutes left in the game, I was subbed back in. I was on fire. My adrenaline was pumping. Boom Boom Pow was playing on the overhead speakers. I was running with the ball down the right side of the field. I had a shot from the outside and decided to take it. With all my old lady strength, which at this point was mostly adrenaline, I ripped the shot right into the goal. In all my excitement of scoring, I suddenly realized that something was not quite right. . . the kind of thing that isn't quite right because you have delivered-4-babies-not-quite-right. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I may just need to invest in some Depends if we have another exciting soccer game like that again.

Either way, WE WON! I'm so pumped for next season to start!

Harrison's Soccer Game

Saturday morning we all went to Harrison's soccer game.

Harrison entertained the crowd with his dribbling, shooting, and scoring.

Ewan entertained those on the sidelines with his yoga moves. . .

. . . and Zane entertained himself.

Life

Abric is 4 weeks old. How did that happen? It seems like he is changing every day.

We went raspberry picking on Monday with my friends Ang, Josi, and our posse. Drew is the little papoose on Josi's back.
Here is the rest of the crew admiring the goats and the donkey.
I made my first ever batch of raspberry freezer jam, but forgot to take a pic of the finished product.
Zane had a soccer game on Wednesday to make up for when Hanna came through. He actually was able to kick the ball a couple times.
He is so small compared to the rest of his team. I asked him if he had fun and he said, "Yes", so I hope he is. It isn't easy when you have such a dominating big brother, but I'm sure Zane will find his niche in life.

Flashback Photo Friday

Andy-he's ready to play some soccer! (I think he is 5 here.)

Millions of Peaches...

The boys and I went peach picking today with a group of moms from church. The weather was a little too humid for my liking, but the peaches were big, beautiful, juicy, and ripe! Last year I only picked one basket, but I couldn't resist picking two this year. (Plus, I am trying to stay busy to (A) forget that I am just waiting for this baby to come and (B) if I stay really active, maybe it will move things along.)
I had great success freezing the peaches last year, so planned on doing it again. (I need your help to can, Mom!) I got the info from a GREAT website called Pick Your Own. It has so much info on picking, freezing, or canning your own fruits and vegetables. It even has recipes. Check it out! It gives detailed directions with photos. To freeze these peaches, I slipped the skins and pitted them, then chopped them up. Added 1/4 cup lemon juice. Put them in a freezer bag, then added 1 cup of white grape juice to cover them so they wouldn't get freezer burn. I love how there is no added sugar and to thaw them I just put them in the fridge the day before, drain the juice and use just like fresh peaches. (They also taste like fresh peaches. So yummy!)
I was only able to get through one basket this afternoon because Zane had soccer practice at 5:30. Andy helped me get Zane and Ewan ready to go, then he had to get ready for Harrison's practice at 6:00.
This is Zane's first year playing soccer. He looks so tiny out there compared to the other kids! He barely reaches their shoulders. I found out that most of them are already 6 years old. (I think, if they are 6, then they should be on a U-8 team!) Zane is only 4 and won't be 5 until the end of October. I'm so worried he won't have a good experience. We don't expect all of our kids to play soccer, but this is Zane's first time doing any kind of team sport. The other kids are so much bigger. They played the "magic box" game where you try to kick your teammates ball out of the box while still keeping control of yours. His was kicked out first every time. He ran over to me crying. It broke my heart! (Insert Vent: I think that exercise is too advanced for U-6 age group. They just need to be working on the most basic skills. These kids still aren't even sure which goal to score at!) I had to walk out on the field to help him finish practice. He refused to go out there. I came home, as a frustrated mother, and vented to Andy about it.
After the end of practices, we bathed the kids, gave them a snack, then put them in bed. Since the Olympics are over, Andy and I had a free evening. He read while I scrapped a page in honor of my sweet little soccer-playing, ball-dribbling Zane. I love you, Zaner-Baner!

Conference Weekend

I was really looking forward to this weekend. It was the first conference weekend that we didn't have to be anywhere. I was so excited to be able to sit home and watch General Conference as a family. I was also excited because we would have a chance to sustain President Monson as the next president of the church.

We started off the morning with a traditional Gibbs breakfast of Ebleskivers. They are a Danish pancake and look like little pancake balls. They are so yummy!
I had not made them for a long time, but the boys loved them. Harrison and Zane both had seconds. Ewan was on his way to get seconds, when he slipped off of his chair and fell down head first into his plate of syrup. He was perfectly fine, the boys just thought that he was bleeding because he had syrup all over his head and hair. Poor Ewan. (Although I wish I had a picture of it.)
Harrison had a soccer game at 11AM, so we leisurely cleaned up breakfast and then headed out the door. It was a LOT colder outside than I thought it was going to be! We had even looked at our little weather-boy to see the temp outside and to see what he was wearing. I guess "Oscar Outlook" doesn't factor in windchill. I felt like a horrible mom dressing Harrison in shorts.
Harrison played well during his game and scored one goal. The coolest thing is that he has finally started to understand the concept of passing the ball. Andy and I ended up taking shifts with Zane and Ewan in the van because it was just too windy and cold for them to be sit in the cold. Andy and I have also been suffering from a major cold from Hades. Being outside didn't help much, either. I seriously wanted to collapse when we got home.

Conference is so relaxing. (Notice Andy in the background cocooned inside the Cuddlebag. ) The boys were actually really good for the first hour. (Each session is two hours long and there are two on both Saturday and Sunday.) I had gotten a conference packet via e-mail (thank you, whoever created it!). It kept the boys busy and quiet during the morning session.
Ewan was just happy to be a part of coloring with his brothers.
Zane was busy drawing a picture of himself with the Twelve Apostles.
Harrison was meticulously coloring President Uchtdorf's tie.

Before Dawn

Yes, it's that time again! The Women's World Cup started yesterday in China. Andy got up this morning at 5AM to watch the United States vs. North Korea . I followed later at 6AM for the second half. . . I knew I wouldn't make it through the day if I had woken up at 5! Turns out, I didn't miss much since no one scored until the second half anyway.

The game did not disappoint! My adrenaline was rushing. It was amazing and made me totally homesick for soccer. I haven't been able to play on a team for four years.

My small recap: Abby Wambach scored in the beginning of the second half. Shortly after, she went up for a header and collided with another player. She was bleeding, so she had to go off the field. They did not sub her because, in the World Cup, once you are subbed off you can't come back in that game.

While she was out, North Korea scored two goals. AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!! It was too intense! The U.S. is ranked number 1 and North Korea is ranked number 5.

Finally, Heather O'Reilly scored a goal to tie it up. Please look at my link for the video clips of the game. You will feel the intensity!

Click on this link for some video highlights of the game: Click Here

GO U.S.A!!!!!

First Game of the Season

Harrison had his first soccer game of the fall season today. It is like pulling teeth to get him to practices because he is on a new team and doesn't know anyone yet. I told him it will just take time. When it comes to game day, though, he is super excited!
I love how he always has this grin on his face when he plays. We can tell he is enjoying himself out there, which is as it should be. He scored one goal today. Good job, Harrison!
I had to edit this picture to more of a close-up to show the determination on his face. He was sprinting to get the ball away from someone.
The traditional after-game high-five. Ewan kept walking toward Harrison and his team. Now that Ewan is walking, I think he is starting to realize there is a whole new world out there and he wants to be a part of it.

Quotes section:

I was almost late to the game. I had to turn around 4 different times due to either road construction, making a wrong turn, or being barricaded in the parking lot by a big chain across the road. GGRRR!!! (I get so frustrated with myself. I have lived here for almost 7 years and I am still always making wrong turns. It is like my brain just can't get off the Utah Grid system for roads.)

Me: Ugh! I can't believe I have to turn around again!

Harrison: Mom, is something wrong with your brain?