Soccer Tournament

This weekend was a fun-filled soccer tournament weekend. Both McKenzie and Kelsey played in a tournament in Canby and played very well. Kelsey's team took first place, and McKenzie's team took 4th place. Both girls played their hearts out. McKenzie had 4 great shots on goal today, but the goalkeeper stopped them all! Kelsey scored an exciting goal in today's game, and the picture above is her smile afterwards.

Race for the Cure

Today McKenzie and I did Race for the Cure with a couple of our friends. One of McKenzie's friends at Stoller lost her mother to breast cancer 5 years ago, so she asked if her friends would do the race. It was a very powerful experience to see so many cancer survivors with lots of family and friends joining them. We high fived many women as they were finishing the race in the "Survivors Lane." It was a beautiful day for a walk, and it was wonderful spending time visiting with our very good friends.

Sunday Breakfast

We had our first weekend of trying something a little different. Since I am now working full time, the whole family gets to share the load. Every Sunday we will be having a nice breakfast together, and then divide up to do our chores. Half of the family cleans the house, and the other half does the grocery shopping. The goal is to be done by noon so that we can have the rest of the day free. Peter and I now share the cooking each week which I love, and the kids now make all of their own breakfasts and lunches. So far they are doing a great job...maybe working full time isn't so bad :)

Soccer Season has Begun

This weekend all three kids had their first soccer games, and they all won. Conner is thrilled to play this season, and his foot has not been bothering him. Peter and I get to be creative as we figure out who gets to take which child to each game and who needs to carpool with a friend. It gets interesting, but it's very fun to watch the kids play and have a great time with their friends.

Piano Lessons!

Kelsey had her first piano lesson yesterday. She will be taking lessons every Friday from a woman who lives 5 houses away from us (very convenient!). Her teacher recommended that she practice for 5 minutes each day this week to get in the habit of practicing. Kelsey came home and practiced for 1 hour. She said that she wishes piano lessons could last for 2 hours :)

First (and 2nd) day of school

The kids all made it through their first day of school with some mixed feelings. Conner had a good first day and came home saying that he was going to have a great year. One of his best friends transferred to Stoller this year and is in his homeroom class. McKenzie came home saying that she hated 7th grade because she didn't have enough of her friends in her classes. It's amazing how liking and not liking school is really tied to friends. Kelsey did great at her new school and is happy to have a couple of classroom pets (a snake and fish). She has made two friends already :) When asked if she could choose Rock Creek or Springville, though, she said that she would like to go back to Rock Creek.

The night before school starts

I always remember the night before school started - I remember not being able to sleep very well as I was nervous and excited for school. So I loved being with the kids last night as I put them to bed. It is one of my favorite times of the day because the kids open us and talk about how they're doing and what's going on with their friends. Kelsey headed up for bed at 8:00. She looked tired, so I thought she would fall asleep quickly. She told me that she felt like she was going to "barf" because she was feeling nervous. We talked and prayed about her new school. It will be a big change for her, leaving a school that gave her so much confidence. After I left her room, McKenzie asked if I could paint her nails and braid her hair. While I was doing this, I was thinking about how great it is that she still needs me. Sometimes I want her to grow up, but then other times I want her to stay young. Later, I went into her room and laid on the bed with her. She was busy IM'ing her friends, and I thought I would read my book. We ended up talking about all the messages she was getting from her friends, and I smiled as the girls texted back and forth about what everyone was going to be wearing the first day of school. I'm so glad that I spent that time with her. At 9:00, both Conner and McKenzie went to bed, and Kelsey came out of her room because she couldn't get to sleep. The kids all wanted to sleep in McKenzie's room together, as they did all summer. Kelsey got in her sleeping bag and laid on the floor next to Conner, holding his hand - being with her big brother and sister seemed to be exactly what she needed. I'm looking forward to hearing all about the first day!