Soccer........again.

I feel like every 10 posts are about soccer, but it's so much fun and Lea finished another season! Part of the reason I love AZ is the kids can play soccer year round and anything else outside year round without freezing - although that's part of the fun they get to miss out on. Playing with gloves, hats and long sleeves, while fans are wrapped head-to-toe in winter gear and layers upon layers of blankets.

I wish I still had this photo of my family watching my niece play soccer - makes me really appreciate the nice winters we have. Plus that was how I played growing up - in the cold. Every time the ball hit you, it stung and left the occasional ball print on your leg.........that was a lot of fun. :)

Back to Lea: the Sharks - again this season we struggled to get her excited to play and the practices were within walking distance of our house. The first few practices she was sick, but I made her go watch anyway. Another she refused to practice and lucky for her, Grandma and Grandpa and Great-Grandma were coming that weekend or she would have missed a game too - no practice, no game. The last 3 practices, she finally got into it. She loves to play defense and gets quite embarrassed when we cheer overly loud for her, but deep down she loves it! :) Not a winning season - not even sure they won a game, but they did score a few more times this season, than last. A few photo highlights:

 

Abbey loved to run and give Lea a hug and high five when she came off the field.

  

 

 

 Ethan celebrating after scoring a goal (goalie is a friend of Lea's from school - Taite)

 

Check out those mad defensive skills... YEAH!

 

 Playing goalie with Jeff close by to give pointers and to help the inexperienced ref.

  

 SHARKS Team photo: Charlie, Elizabeth, Carson, Lea, Aedan, Coach Elison

Caeden, Madison, Theron, Ethan

Missing: Brisa

  

 

And the pizza party! This time is was Papa Murphy's instead of Duner's - HUGE improvement! Big THANKS to the Laveen Soccer crew - another great season! Next fall, Lucas gets to play so we'll be doing 2 games every Saturday......can't wait! :)

Child #4

So after my rant a few posts down about our rough Sunday morning, I've had time to reflect and there were a few tender mercies to make the day bearable and somewhat enjoyable - in hindsight. It's rare when Jeff gets to attend our ward with us and he was even there before we were. Which he should be because his commute is about 100 steps from the Stake Offices to the chapel.  We were sitting behind the Lisonbees (we are in the babysitting co-op together) and their daughter Laura (she's Lea's age) was turned around with her fingers on top of the bench. Jeff started teasing her trying to get her fingers. Then they switched roles and Jeff was too slow and there was this loud SLAP! She had hit his whole hand! I look up to see Nerissa (Laura's mom) turn around in surprise because it was Jeff! and not Lucas as she had expected.......She jokingly scolded him she was going to send him to the hallway and did he need to be moved.....yes, please! :)  So who knew I had 4 kids.......thought I still had 3........Thankfully Nerissa's husband Darin agreed he was the same way - just made me feel better I didn't have the only disruptive husband in sacrament meeting......love you hubby! :)

I think he gets it from her...... :)

Realization

Another Sunday moment......a harsh realization that I'm getting older and my kids are growing up so fast! In RS there was an announcement for "It's Great to be Eight" for all kids turning eight this coming year. Lea is turning 7! We are only a year away from attending this and a year and a half away from her baptism.......where did the time go?! Seems like yesterday we only had her but at the same time that seems ages ago. I look forward to her going to Activity Days and being baptized. She's excited too as she's been to plenty of Activity day activities in the past 3 years when I was leader. She looks up to those girls and they were good examples for her.

Sunday Highlight

Lucas was asked to give the opening prayer in Primary (unlike his mother at age 3, he can do it by himself!) Jeff and I were both there and in the back row. He stood up to the microphone - a counselor was behind him and I think asked if he needed help. Instead he pointed to the back of the room and said something to her about his dad being on the back row. :) Little shout out for his dad and buddy. He said the prayer and sat down - what a cute kid!

Too soon for terrible two's.....

Who would have thought this cute little thing could cause such problems on Sunday morning.....she slept in, I woke her up in time to get ready for church and out the door, but no such luck. Once dressed, I went to fix her a bottle and as quickly as I could turn around, she had her dress off and was playing with toys. Fine, we'll go to the car in her onsie.....arching back, kicking, screaming, flailing all the way, I finally put her down outside the car and turned the car on. Fear struck and she reluctantly got in the car and I strapped her dress on - a simple jumper thank goodness.

After grumping all the way to church - now 20 minutes late (we have a 20 minute drive and leaving at 9 when church starts at 9.....doesn't exactly bode well for on-time reverent Sunday attendance.....) We made it, fixed her hair in the lobby and Jeff was saving a place for us - this is rare. Sacrament meeting was less than reverent, but I managed to ignore my childrens' chattiness and listened as best I could - what would you know the talks were on missionary work (talking to your neighbors) and the clincher: Forgiveness. I was feeling less than forgiving at this point, but I listened and tried to keep from running to the lobby in tears (did I mention that pretty alison is back and therefore very emotional too - lack of sleep, miserable and the pressure on my sinuses pushes tears right to the brim at all times. It doesn't take much for me to tear up anyway, but now it's just that much closer...)

Happy to leave Sacrament meeting, my kids run to primary, she decided to be happy about leaving the chapel, but once in nursery opted for the "You can't leave me here...." cry. I quickly walked out the door and kept walking as she screamed away. We're finally home, she's taking a nap and I'm not far behind her. She opted out of napping and instead received 3 hours of solitary confinement in her crib while the rest of slept.

Guilty party - it's a good thing she's cute and loves her mommy! She knocked a kid over to get out of nursery!! :)

Presidents of the United States

In honor of Presidents Day: James Carter was President the years Jeff (1978) and I (1979) were born.

I've never been much of a politics person so I couldn't tell you the first thing about any administration, but I love a good human interest story. I remember the Bushes (Dad and W.), the Clintons were.....well, memorable that's for sure.... and now Barack Obama - we'll see what happens. Although I may not agree with everything they say or stand for, I do believe they are great leaders who are here to do great things - not everything will be a success, but at least they're willing to do it. I'm not. :) Happy Presidents Day! Enjoy the Olympics too - GO USA!

The Presidents

18th Century

1. George Washington

2. John Adams

19th Century

3. Thomas Jefferson	15. James Buchanan
4. James Madison	16. Abraham Lincoln
5. James Monroe	17. Andrew Johnson
6. John Quincy Adams	18. Ulysses S. Grant
7. Andrew Jackson	19. Rutherford B. Hayes
8. Martin Van Buren	20. James Garfield
9. William Henry Harrison	21. Chester A. Arthur
10. John Tyler	22. Grover Cleveland
11. James K. Polk	23. Benjamin Harrison
12. Zachary Taylor	24. Grover Cleveland
13. Millard Fillmore	25. William McKinley
14. Franklin Pierce

20th Century

26. Theodore Roosevelt	35. John F. Kennedy
27. William Howard Taft	36. Lyndon B. Johnson
28. Woodrow Wilson	37. Richard M. Nixon
29. Warren G. Harding	38. Gerald R. Ford
30. Calvin Coolidge	39. James Carter
31. Herbert Hoover	40. Ronald Reagan
32. Franklin D. Roosevelt	41. George H. W. Bush
33. Harry S. Truman	42. William J. Clinton
34. Dwight D. Eisenhower

21st Century

43. George W. Bush

44. Barack Obama

Who was President when you were born and what President do you remember most?