Summer Soccer

 We decided to give soccer another go this summer. Originally it was just going to be Ezra, but with the excitement of Ezra playing Darcy decided she wanted to play again too. I was nervous about that, but she ended up doing really well. She had some nervous moments the first few games. She was finally able to identify that she felt like crying but didn't know why and we helped her figure out that she was just nervous and that once she started playing it was ok. She even started playing a couple times crying, but just kept going until she started feeling better. I was really proud of her.

Ezra kind of surprised us in the opposite way. He started out really excited, and did so awesome his first game. He was going for the ball and having fun out there with his friends, and he even scored a goal! We were pretty excited, but that was short lived. His second game her started off that same way until he got knocked over by another kid. He started crying and came out of the game, and that was pretty much the end of his soccer season. We went to every game and tried everything we could think of to get him to play, but nothing could persuade him. I don't know if we'll try again with him next year. We'll see I guess.

I didn't care to pay for soccer pictures. These pictures make me laugh at my attempt to have a photo shoot like the pros. Up against the house with our little soccer goals is really authentic I think. :)

 These pictures of Ezra are from his first game. This was him going in to score that goal.

 Having fun with his three little buddies on his team during a break

 Darcy always wanted to be the goalie, and loved when it was her turn.

 She tends to be more timid, but she would get in there every once in a while which was always exciting. We were happy to have her happily running around the field. :)

 Drew helped coach her team this year, and Darcy thought that was pretty cool.

This was after the last game of the season. They started out with more players, but little by little their teams dwindled down to these five girls and one boy.

Annual Camping Trip

With lots of bouncing around by us to nail down a weekend that would work, we finally got in our annual camping trip with the Duffins. We realized late in the morning on a Friday that that weekend was the one that would work best, so we threw ourselves together right away and headed out. The weather was pretty nice that first evening, but as it got later the wind started to pick up. It ended up being such a windy night, and it was hard to sleep because of all the noise from the wind. We were worried that we wouldn't get any boating in that Saturday, but miraculously the wind settled down a couple hours after we woke up. It ended up being a really nice, fun day on the water.

 Parks was not a fan of the temperature of the water. I am very familiar with that feeling.

 I love boating in the evening. I love the beautiful light from the sunset on the water.

 I think Allison was missing her binky, and Parks was still trying to recover from the shock of the cold water.

 We went and ate breakfast at the park across the street. The boys chose the yellow boat.

 The girls went for purple.

 It started out so well for these girls on the tube...

 ...but it ended badly. :)

 Ezra was so happy to have Drew take a tube ride with him.

 The boys had a nice long turn.

 Parks and Allison had their first tube ride with their mamas. Parks seemed to have fun, and Allison fell asleep!

 The water level was up, so our favorite little island was under water. The kids wanted to go play on the shore in the sand, but we couldn't get the boat close enough. Andrew kindly volunteered to swim over there with these four in tow.

Darcy's 6th Birthday

Well, Darcy is six. Since her good buddy has been six for quite some time now, she was excited for this day to finally come. We love our girlie and we love all that she adds to our family. She is such a great helper, she is thoughtful and aware of the people around her, she has a great sense of direction (didn't come from me for sure) and an impressive memory. She is an intense lover of her family and friends, and is sensitive to the core. I am beyond grateful that Heavenly Father decided to send this girl to me and to our family.

 Our city just got it's first Krispy Kreme a few months ago. We went and got some doughnuts when it first opened, but then I was planning on laying off for a long time. The problem is that it is on a road we drive on all the time, and every time we pass it Darcy asks if we can get some doughnuts. We decided to surprise her with a Krispy Kreme breakfast when she woke up on her birthday. She was thrilled!

 Another big thrill for her was getting her very own water bottle. She had seen lots of her friends with their own water bottle since she started kindergarten, but I didn't really think that was a necessity. I had the idea that it would be a fun little extra for her birthday, and she was really excited about that little thing.

 This girl is getting so big so fast, and her legs are getting so long. It was time to upgrade from her little green bike. 

 We had our own little family party at our house on her birthday, and then another bigger family get together on Saturday at Drew's parents' house. We had a busy day and a late night the night before, and shockingly she ended up falling asleep right before her party. I woke her up to open presents and have cake and she had a hard time waking up. Her sensitive little soul couldn't handle it when everyone started singing happy birthday and she burst into tears.

After a little while she had recovered a bit and without singing the song again, we let her have another shot at those candles.

Long Beach

Back in July, we went with Drew's whole family (minus his brother Bryce) to Long Beach, WA together. We borrowed his grandparents' motor home and made the trek together. What was supposed to be a four or five hour drive ended up taking ten hours because of crazy traffic through Seattle. We found out later there had been a wreck on the other side of the freeway. It wasn't even on the rode we were on, and it held us up for five hours! Crazy. That was a long drive. We were there over night and until the afternoon the next day before we headed back. The whole reason we went to Long Beach was to go check out the sand sculpture competition. There were some pretty amazing creations there! We took a different route home that took us about six hours I think. The kids fell asleep for the last couple hours and we had fun talking with the other adults until we got home.

 In the R.V.

 

 Parks and Grandpa Neil

 He didn't sleep as much as I had expected, but it was nice to be able to lay him down to take a decent nap while we traveled.

 Kevin drove the whole way there and part of the way back.

 Ezra, Case, and Brayden

 There was such a beautiful sunset on the beach. Drew and I got to go have a little photo shoot with Misty for a class she's taking and I thought it was so fun. It was a nice mini date that resulted in some pictures I absolutely love.

 A mermaid and a shark

 One of the amazing sand sculptures

 Misty is a pretty hardcore photographer!

 Darcy has really been into family pictures lately...

 Parks was so exhausted, but wouldn't fall asleep in the stroller. At one point he just couldn't go anymore, and he laid down in the sand.

 Jamie helped Ezra build a sand castle.

 We stropped and listened to a little calypso band on our way out.

 Darcy liked this fancy sand castle.

This was how we all felt on the way home.