Soccer

Nicole and Hannah both get to participate on their first ever sports team...Soccer!  Although this is not the sport of choice for Jeremy or I, it is convenient and rather inexpensive, so we gave in and signed them up. 

Their first practice was last week.  Hannah is on a team for 3 & 4 year olds, and Nicole is on a team for 5&6 year olds.  It's amazing the difference between the two teams.

Hannah's team had at least one (but usually two or three) children crying at any given time (it was never Hannah though!).  The kids looks like a swarm of birds all following whoever was in front at any given moment.  However - Hannah scored a goal! YAY!!!!  She ran with her tongue hanging out the entire time and a huge smile on her face.  She was very excited and had a lot of fun!

Hannah getting ready to kick the ball (all of Hannah's pictures are on Jeremy's phone)

Nicole's team (no one cried), was more competitive.  She got the best coach for her (besides her daddy)...a father who had been preparing for this day since his oldest child was born (this was quite obvious).  Nicole's coach came out and did running and dribbling drills and really practiced the kids hard (I didn't see any other teams do that).  They played a scrimmage game where the kids still looked like a flock of birds headed no where, except for this one boy.  There is a super star on Nicole's team - we'll have to get his name.  This kid would explode from inside the "flock" with the ball at his feet and score a goal almost every time.  Nicole tried to stay out of the "flock" and wait for a ball to get kicked near here, when she would then study the ball and prepare a big windup of a kick, just for the superstar to come steal her glory....well, sort of.  I think she got a few good kicks in there, but aggression is certainly something we need to work on.  She is such a sweet young girl, that I think she was more concerned about others getting a turn than scoring a goal herself.

Nicole learning to dribble

Oh, by the way...Nicole has the BEST Assistant Coach Ever! Daddy of course!  Jeremy was asked to lead the stretching routine, which he quickly answered "sign me up".We may not know much about soccer, but we know how to stretch :)

Nicole dribbling the ball

Below are a few videos taken from my phone - these videos are usually less than 30 seconds each. (again...Hannah's videos are on Jeremy's phone). 

In this video, Nicole got a nice little kick in (then the ball go between her legs)

This video starts with Nicole pulling her pant legs up.  She had just got hit in the shins and was excited that it didn't hurt because of her shin guards, so she wanted everyone to see them...then, she changed her mind :)

OK, this time, Nicole got to kick the ball into play....then watch what happens:)

This is Jeremy's favorite.  It's the end of the game and they are clapping each other's hands...then, at the end, the coach has them huddle up and yell "Blue Bombers!"

The Howell Wedding

Last weekend, we had the honor of being involved in the marriage celebrations of one of Jeremy's good friends - Aaron and his new wife, Samantha.  Aaron has been a part of our lives for many years, and through that time, we have gotten to know Samantha as well.

The Howell wedding party

Well, they finally got hitched! :)  Jeremy was a groomsman, and Hannah was a flower girl. 

Jeremy is pretty much a pro at being a groomsman.  I believe he has been in at least 6 weddings.  He is pretty good at escorting mother of the brides and grandmas and bridesmaids down the aisle. 

After the ceremony, Jeremy came back down the aisle to get the bride's mother and the grooms grandmother.  Hannah was upset he didn't also come and get her and walk her down the aisle.  Oh boy....I'm not ready for him to walk Hanney down the aisle!

But, this was Hannah's very first time being a flower girl.  She has been so excited.  Since Nicole had prior experience at Justin and Erica's wedding, she has been helping Hannah practice for a week (complete with a basket and fake flowers).

I SOOOOO wish this wasn't blury!  Precious, precious, precious!

Let me just say that Hannah did amazing!  She was a precious, adorable, you just "want to eat her up" kind of flower girl.  She was slow enough to drop her petals, and fast enough to not bore everyone.  She did a perfect job!  Hopefully, this video works of Hannah's walk down the wedding aisle

Getting ready for her big walk!

She smiled (or at least had a sweet face) through numerous pictures and danced the night away.  She lived in the moment at this wedding and had a total blast doing so.

She was SO excited after the ceremony.  You would have thought She was the bride (but she wasn't!)

I only have a few pictures from my phone, but I should be getting some really good photos from Samantha's camera in a few weeks (I guess I'll let them honeymoon first...although I really want to see the pictures! haha)




Jeremy and Hannah and the groom, Aaron with his sweet daughter Alex

 Both girls got to ride with us in the limousine (although Nicole calls it the "museum")  They had a blast!

Oh, we are BIG time...in the limo! (Actually, we did see someone in another car take a picture of our limo, haha)

Nicole stood up most of the time she didn't have a car seat, haha

Hannah got to participate in rehearsal the night before.  We got some sweet pictures with her.

Aaron and Hannah at rehearsal

I LOVE these picture!

Love, Love, Love!

I don't often get a picture with my little sweetie all by herself.



My Favorite Words

From Hannah (who can not say the "sss" sound at the beginning of words)

Farkely (instead of sparkely)
Sebeegebee (instead of spaghetti)

From Nathan
Doe-doe (instead of donut)

So - How am I? Really??

A few people have asked me that question over the past week or so...."So Michele....How are you?  Really???"

Really???  I'm doing great. 

I really love it up here.
I really love the amount of reduced stress our family is under.
I really love spending so much time with my children.
I really love our free schedules.
I really love our new home.
I really love our new neighborhood.

(OK, right now, I don't really like that it's 5:30am and Nathan is up for the day)

I really love having a homeschool room and using it every day.
I really love our backyard and our beautiful view.
I really love that my husbands likes his job.

(OK, I really don't love his long commute...but this will change, hopefully sooner than later, for his sake!)

Really...I'm doing well...really :)

I think people are expecting me to have a nervous break down after moving from everything I've ever known.  I'm not denying that this may happen...but right now, there are no signs of it.

I think I am still coming down off the stress and chaos of last year.  I am so content to wake up and spend time with my children all day (until about 3:30 when I run out of ideas for things to do :)  I thought I would be going crazy at this point because I am used to having sweet grandma's around to give me breaks, let me  run to the store alone, play with my kids while I clean...you know, things like that.  I will be honest...I miss them (the grandmas) and there are days that I am waiting for Jeremy to get home because I'm about to loose it...but then, he gets home and everything seems ok again.  I do miss my mom and Valerie...but not for the reasons I thought I would miss them.  I miss just seeing them and spending time with them as we run errands.  I don't miss them because of the work they did for me...I miss them because of what they mean to me.  Examples of moms who gave their all to their children (and made it through this early childhood stage :)  I miss their conversations (but we still have the phone and email and facebook).  I know my kids miss them like crazy!

Nicole told me last night that I need to make some friends.  Maybe SHE is the one who will have a nervous breakdown, with a mommy who is always around her, hahaha.  Although it's true...I haven't made one real friend yet, I know that will come.  And, it doesn't bother me to much (yet anyway).  I have a few friends who have kept in really good contact with me, and for them, I am grateful! 

We just went to church last week for the first time, so I am hoping as the weeks go by that I will make friends there.  I don't know...it's weird.  I'm just not that worried about it. 

I honestly feel so content to just hang out at home and spend time playing and learning with my kids.  Really.

I love living up here.  So, how am I?  Really...I'm doing very well :) 

 Really.