Art Corner

I am sure I have mentioned the table we got the kids for Christmas at least a few times already. We are still loving it as much as we did when we got it. The kids sit down at least once a day and color or draw something. They started asking me to hang up their pictures, so I bought some sticky tack, and started sticking them on the wall just above their table. Well...we are now running out of wall space. They keep saying things like, "We will hang them on the ceiling next, right mom?" I'm not so sure about that.

She is all about that cheesy grin lately! Silly girl.

Life is good

One the way home from soccer practice Friday, I spotted an abandoned old house. I pulled over, grabbed the camera, and snapped a few pictures of the boys. There was a lot of broken glass and other dangerous things, so I left Estella strapped in the car seat.

Lately, Nicholas has been calling both Heavenly Father and Christ, "Heavenly Jesus." It is so cute when he says it I haven't really corrected him.

First Soccer Game

..for both Thomas and me. It was a blast! I will warn you right now...I took WAY too many pictures. It was fun. Thomas is still talking about how much fun the soccer game was and how he can't wait until the next one. For his age group, they play 3 on 3. That was perfect. They also don't have goalies...which made for an exciting, high scoring game.
Kick off! Thomas is on the right.

Thomas is fairly intense while he is playing. He never jogs...it is always a sprint.

Corner kick. Where do yo kick it? That way.

Half time. Jackson is our team's referee.

Jackson explaining that they change goals after half time. That threw everyone off!

Do you think Jackson is having fun watching Thomas play? I think so!

Wipe out! Thomas is the one laying on his back.

Game's over. Good game handshakes all around.

End of game cheer.

Thomas's coach (his teammate's dad) has the perfect attitude and approach for these little guys. It is all about fun. I'm not even sure the boys knew who won. They were just out there having a blast learning what soccer is all about.

Her grin reminds me of...

...my baby sister Jamie. Every time I see Estella grin like this (with or without the green bandaid) I have flashbacks to when Jamie was a little girl.

Mommy and Nicholas Date

It is hard to spend quality one on one time with each child. Jackson and I just decided to try a new system. Every Saturday we can, one of us will take one boy, and the other will take the other boy and Estella on a "date." That way, at least once or twice a month they will get a date by themselves with either mom or dad. They can choose whatever they want to do, within a few guidelines. 1) It can't cost any money. 2) It needs to be something we can do in close to an hour.

I took Nicholas last Saturday and he chose to go down to the railroad tracks. We walked along the tracks and found some old track nails that were really cool. We watched the train go by and then walked to the nearby Colorado river and threw rocks for a while. We had a fun time.

Thomas's First Soccer Practice

This is Thomas's first year playing official soccer. His team is called the Tigers. He had his first practice yesterday and LOVED it! He is such a go getter. He sprinted everywhere he went was so eager to do anything his coach said. Here's to a soccer season full of fun, fun, fun!

A Few More

Here are a few more of the kiddos.
I love these three of Nicholas because they are 100% Nicholas...he has such a fun, happy, silly personality...I love it.

Estella was being EXTREMELY difficult! She wasn't falling for any of the "get a toddler to sit still" tricks. Out of the blue, Thomas knelt down and she climbed right on his lap. She sat still long enough for me to snap a few pictures. I just wish she would have looked at me!

Then I tried the impossible...three little kids all together...I got what I expected...chaos. It is chaos that I love to look at, though. There is something magical about all of your children together in one picture...it makes my heart warm, even if they aren't smiling.

New backdrop

I bought a new backdrop over a month ago, and took some pictures of the kiddos for practice. I only just started going through them a few days ago. Here are a few favorites.

Essie and I

Once again, I posted these pictures in reverse of what I wanted. These are from close to a month ago. I have decided to try to get more pictures of myself with the kids. I want my kids to see me in their lives when they look back through their childhood pictures.