Go Ninjas!!

This was by far my favorite soccer season!!  We have played with these boys in both fall and spring season and I fell like they are all mine.  Bear coached the team to a very successful year.  These boys were a wild, rambuncious group but so, so much fun!!  We will be sad to see our older group move up to U10 :(

Oh where art thou..........

We are still here........

Things are just so busy.  I was hoping that Summertime would bring us some down time and it has but we have managed to fill that down time in with lots of fun with family and friends.  We have thoroughly enjoyed the long Summer nights.

I could spend pages writing about what we have been doing since January but I will hit a few highlights.  My babies aren't babies anymore.  They have grown up and although it appears that they love each other in these pictures---keep in mind they were heavily bribed :)  However, Cohen hugging Kinson is a HUGE step for her.  Our baby who has always been sweet, also could be stand-offish and avoid physical contact.  We are so proud of how far she has come.

Kinson is ALL boy.  He always needs to be playing.  Thankfully he LOVES to play outside all the time.  He does spend his fair share on a video game but he prefers to outside on the move.  He has become such a social bug with all the neighbors and teammates and we have enjoyed getting to know them and their families.  

Bless this little girl's heart.  She was whacked in the eye by a therapy swing resulting in a HUGE black eye.  At the time there wasn't anything to do about it but her eye has developed a bony prominence on the outer edge and a black ring remains around her eye.  We are going to see a pediatric opthamologist July 31 to determine the next course of action.  Never a dull moment.

Baseball filled a lot of our time this Spring.  We have never been "baseball people" but Kinson had the desire to become one :)  So we set him up with some private lessons (he does better 1:1) and fortunately were selected with a great team and set of coaches.  He had a blast playing with these boys.  Never would I put in my child's mind that you have to be good to play or good to enjoy his time there but unfortunately sports have become so serious to some.  We didn't push for him to be the best but helped him to be on the same level as the others just so he was included.  We could see a dramatic change in his attitude about playing after he got the confidence he needed. 

Eater was a fun time for us.  Too bad I didn't take more pics :)

Hoping to get my new kitchen pics up next!!

Dancing diva

Kimberly 33, Memphis, TN

I am participating in Kelly's Korner Show us your Life to introduce one of my bestest friends, Kimberly!

Here is what I want you to know about my friend, Kimberly:

Kimberly is one of the kindest, most caring, and hands down, most loyal friends that I have.  Between this and our annual Girls Beach Trip with our other 7 besties, is why we have been able to maintain our great 20 year friendship after she moved 4 hours away to pursue a wonderful career in Memphis, TN.  Originally from Jackson, MS, Kimberly is a hard worker but still knows how to have fun and make time for her friends and family.  She enjoys traveling, music, reading, exercising, and all types of sporting events. She is very active in her church and volunteers with the youth.  

Kimberly is a strong, Christian woman who deserves a strong, Christian guy who will appreciate how sweet and special she is and treat her with the same kindness she treats others.  In her words, "a guy who loves Jesus, first and foremost, is honest and has integrity, has a serious side but a good sense of humor, wants a family, enjoys sports, and is ambitious."

She is a girl worth getting to know :) 

Papa killed Rudolph!!

December came fast and furious here!  I am so sad to see the break end and the craziness start back this week :(  I don't have a ton of pics from Christmas-- just never got into it-- I know I will regret it later.  But here are a few that we did take.

While I was out of town, Bear took the kids up to the neighborhood clubhouse to meet Santa.  

Kinson was so shocked that he couldn't remember what he asked for on his list.

On their way home from the gathering, Bear needed to make a quick trip to the grocery store and not 100yds out of the neighborhood, a deer ran out in front of him!  Both the kids were with him but luckily they were all ok.  However, Kinson got real upset since Santa was so close that it might have been one of his reindeers---Rusolph in particular!!  Now everytime we stop, Cohen asks, "Did we just hit a deer?"  

Kinson's class Christmas party!!

Cohen as a cow in Magnolia's Christmas Program-- "Big Story."

She did her part so well and for the first time, she actually sang with the group!!

Still working on that smile :)

Her whole group were the animals in the stable where Jesus was born.  They were all adorable.  We have gotten to see all these kids over the last few years make tremendous progress and I feel like they are all my own and get so emotional during her programs.  

We did complete a BIG project in our house over the last 10 weeks-- we completely remodeled our kitchen!!  Hopefully I can get the before and after pics off my camera and post them soon.

Our new family members....

Meet Starburst and Poppy!

Kinson asked for a fish at the last minute when he wrote out his Christmas list.  So B.B. and GDaddy pulled through and granted him his request.  We are now the proud owners of 2 beta fish.  So far they have been very low maintenance and kind of peaceful to watch---my kind of pets :)  They got them on the Saturday before Christmas.   Kinson loves Post it Notes (note the nametags on their bowls) and left a note for the elves to take back to Santa that said "We already got  fish!"  It is so cute, I have the note hanging in my office :)