Soccer Season has started!

Practicing head bumps...I don't even know if that is what they are called since we have never been a big soccer family...Dom had the first practice of the season this last week and he had a great time!

We'll have to talk to him and his buddy Pryce-they love to do a lot of horsing around...last year they actually wrestled on the field-hopefully they know not to do that this year!

So happy to be together on the same team again! I wasn't even going to sign Dom up this year since he had told me " I don't want to play soccer again because there is too much running." We had to have a little attitude adjustment conversation, and after this first practice he proclaimed two times how much fun he had!

F.F.U. Corporation Puts on a Fun Night!

Nick, the president of F.F.U. (Fun For U) organized a Family Fun Night...starting off the night was this trail of cards...

When we stopped, as the sign told us to do, this is what we saw...

The PRESIDENT himself! Nick had set up the table with piles of games, markers and paper for coloring, and refreshments! WOW! He thought of this whole idea all by himself, and we had a great family fun night. Vinny and I loved seeing this creative side of Nick. We can't wait for the next FFU Night!

Playtime

Just had to take a picture of this! The other day the kids were trying to make their own boats, and then after a while they just hopped in the "lake" where they were floating all of the boats. They used their real boats as models for the boats they made from tin foil, paper, toothpicks, etc.

Updating...

Grandma and Grandpa came up for a visit-actually to help us with some things around the house! While Grandpa and Vince worked on things in the house Grandma enjoyed riding "Rosie" with the kids.

One of our finished projects...I wish I had a "before" picture. Our laundry closet before did not inspire me to do laundry, and now I love to open the doors and see this!

Gianna is up to....

Our friend Hope passed on all of her My Little Ponies to Gianna, along with a Pony house and some combs. Gianna has been playing non-stop with these ponies. Right here she is making a bed for her sleeping ponies!

This tub of water has provided hours of entertainment for Gianna-she LOVES washing the ponies, drying the ponies, rocking the ponies to sleep after their baths!

Two families passed on all of their dress up clothes and princess dresses to Gianna! She dresses up many times a day...it can be quite tiring for mom! G is at such a fun stage with her pretending right now.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Us 3 couples, surprised our parents with a 40th wedding anniversary party this weekend! What a great thing to celebrate!

Our favorite cake designer once again blew us away! My parent's original wedding was full of yellow daisies and so this is what Mary came up with! It was almost too pretty to eat-but we knew what was waiting inside so it did not take us long to break into it!

Dan and Jody opened up their house for the party...thanks!

Just testing to make sure nothing is poisonous!

3 of my mom's friends (and their husbands) came for the party-they have been friends with my parents for 32 years! What a blessing to have couple friends for that long!

The couple re-enacting their first cake cutting!

Jared and Toni-the film makers!

Everyone getting ready to watch the video that Jared put together in honor of my parents! It was amazing...but of course-Jared is the pro at videos!

The grandkids up close and personal...

Still laughing after all these year!

Thanks mom and dad for both!

Auntie Gail made her beautiful flower arrangements and her delicious cheesecakes! YUMMY!

Longtime friends, lifetime friends

the cousins!

A successful weekend!

A special visitor!

If you can believe it, this was a little girl I taught in second grade 7 years ago on McChord Air Force base! As you can see she is all grown up and way taller than me! Mel always held a special spot in my heart and she wrote me letters and emails over the years, from wherever they moved. Her family came to Sequim yesterday because her dad knew she had been wanting to visit me for a long time! What a sweet dad to plan that for her!

I took my family to their vacation rental and we had a great dinner, talked a bunch and all the kids played really well! She is an amazing girl and I would have to say this is one of the best rewards that comes from teaching-watching the kids grow up and become amazing human beings...and still wanting to keep in touch with their teacher!

This morning...

Here are my hikers! They all packed up their backpacks with the necessities (Axe spray, fake food, high heels, cars, trucks etc.) and went hiking around the house. Nick led the charge. As you can see they all had hiking sticks, and G wore high heels! They were so cute looking for bears and having hiking conversations.

While I was working on the computer I kept hearing giggling, whispers and screeches. I found this when I went into the boy's room. All the kids were in the dark fort, their backpacks lined up beside them and they were laying side by side listening for bears and other such animals.

Happy campers!

Our Fabulously Free Dinner

The 6-Pack out to our free dinner...(doesn't this remind you of a prom picture?)

All we had to do for our free dinner was listen to this fire safety class! HMMM...

The couple responsible for this amazing outing! All she had to do was answer 3 questions on the phone and she got a dinner for 6...oh, and a fire safety presentation!

Wow...fancy!!! (but free!)

The instructor with Kimmie! Thanks Kim for this amazing dining experience!

Had a couple drinks afterwards...and by the way-the bartender had never seen anyone wear a "wrap" in this establishment before. I was the first! What do people do when they are cold?

Can't wait for the next free outing!

Amen!

"Cleaning house when raising children is like shoveling the driveway when it is still snowing!" (found this quote today and connected strongly with it!)