Soccer Season - Fall 2011

This soccer season should be interesting this time around.  We have 3 of the 4 kids playing!  And what makes it even better is that Gary and I have been suckered into coaching Kallies team.  Luckily these kids are just in it for fun, because we are learning as we go.  Should be a lot of fun though.  Shantel finally got on her team with all her friends from school.  I can't tell you how excited she is (and me too...yeah mothers for me to talk to!).  And Keegan should be fun to watch, because what 4 year old chasing a ball around is not fun.

2011 Soccer Schedule

Shantel - Pink Pirates
8/20   2:00
8/27   12:45
9/3    No Games
9/10   2:00
9/17   2:00
9/24   2:00
10/1   12:45
10/8   2:00
10/15  3:15 - I think we play cousin Ella!!!

Kallie - Blue Blueberries
8/20    10:15

8/27    10:15
9/3 No Games
9/10    10:15
9/17    10:15
9/24    09:00
10/1    10:15
10/8    10:15
10/15  10:15

Keegan - Green Sharks
8/20   11:00
8/27   1:00 9/3 No Games
9/10    11:00
9/17    11:00
9/24    1:00
10/1    2:00
10/8    11:00
10/15   12:00

There have been changes in the location of games this year. 

The girls will be playing at Lone Peak Park

10140 South 700 East

Keegan will play at Flat Iron Mesa Park

8600  South 1700 East

As you can see our Saturdays will be fun filled and spent at the parks.  We will even be dividing our time between kids.  So please help us cheer them on!! 

Happy Birthday Kallie Sue!

Here is my Beautiful Birthday Girl!

I can't believe it has been 6 years already.

I swear she was just this big

All she wanted this year for her birthday was Barbies.  Because the 10 she already had was not enough.

As soon as she woke up and scoped out her gifts, she spotted this package and just KNEW it was the shape of a Barbie box.

Being at the lovely age of 6 you just HAVE to have a friend party.  She was so excited to have some friends come over and help celebrate!  The party theme she picked this year was ladybug.  I had a lot of fun planning this party.  You can't really tell by the photo, but I had black and red streamers across the room, red balloons hanging everywhere and of course ladybugs and little green leaves placed on the walls throughout the kitchen.

Google became my best friend as I was planning this shin dig.  I wanted to do fun ladybug cupcakes.  There were so many ideas and designs out there I just kind of mixed and matched my ideas.

I took a dozen of this simple strawberry cupcake.

And turned it into a lush green field, where ladybugs could play.

Now comes the fun part!  For the games/activities I bought some cute little pots and painted them red.  I bought black sequence for the girls to glue onto the pots to make little ladybugs.  This would then become their good pot to put all their prizes. 

What is a party without games? Musical leaves..a form of musical chairs, but instead of sitting on a chair our little "ladies" flew around and landed on a leaf!

 We also played Pin the ladybug on the leaf!

It was a small little gathering with only 4 friends

 (due to the fact it is summer and most were out of town)

But we had a good time

We also had a family BBQ/party the next day. why not keep the celebration going.  My mom (aka Grammy) brought over a swimming pool for the kids to play in.  As you can see it is plenty big and kept the kids entertained all day. 

Although the 2 biggest kids chose the tiny pool to play in.  They said it was their hot tub! 

Kallie was so excited to open yet some more gifts!

As you can see, she was spoiled rotten!

And another cake.  I took the easy route and bought this one.

Soccer Gals

Spring soccer this year started out rough.  We had rain out days and yes even snow out days.  This season has gone on through June...the longest season ever.  Luckily the last few games have been great weather.  And with all the rain outs, Finn got a chance to get a little older before we had to drag him out in the cold.  Shantel has always played with cousin Ella, until this season. We have been trying to get Shantel on the Pink team with her friends from school.  We something happened and we were not able to be on either team :(

Shantel was such a good sport and decided to stay on the Blue team (The Blueberries) and meet new girls.

It was very strange to have her on a team with all new people and against everyone one we knew..I mean who do you cheer for.  I think I was the only one to cheer for both teams at the same time!

Kallie got in on the soccer action this year too.  She is on the Red Dragons and even has a friend on the team who is in her Kindergarten class.

She loves to run around after the ball and eventually get a kick in.  Hey she even came an inch from scoring a goal this season.  And it is amazing this girl even ate something healthy!  Oranges are the popular mid game snack, so watching all the other girls gobble them up, oh she had to join in.

And every great player needs a break too!

Mother's Day

I had a great Mother's Day!  It started out with French toast, bacon and coffee in bed (my favorite breakfast). Then I was showered with a bunch of handmade gifts.  I have the best kids and husband around. 

Kallie made me a ceramic hand print.  You should have seen her face when I opened it..she was just as surprised as I was.  Her teacher must have wrapped it when they finished drying and Kallie forgot about it.

Keegan got me a bunch of cute/funny sayings from his preschool class and the reason he loves me.

Shantel got me chore sticks.  I pick out a decorated stick and she does the chore on it.  Hmmm, I have everything from making breakfast to vacuuming!!!

Mr. Finn (and Daddy) got me  Barnes and Noble and Starbucks gift cards.  Now I can sip some good java with a good book!

Yes, we all ate in bed!

Later that afternoon we had our mommies over for a dinner of ribs and other scrumptious items.  Mmmm.

Gary and his mommy

Me and my mommy

Moab

My Uncle Pat, Aunt Rachelle and cute cousin Maggie were in town, from Michigan, for a few days. While they were here they wanted to SEE Utah.  A trip to Moab was in order.  What a better place to see the beauty, right next door to Canyonlands and Arches.  It was only a quick over night trip so our journey was jam packed. We packed up and headed down with my mom and brothers, aunt Lori.

I decided to go spur of the moment (the night before), and unfortunately Gary had to work and the girls had school so it was an over nighter just me and my boys. I know call me crazy for taking the 2 youngest, or mean for not taking the girls, but I figure it was such a quick trip.  Besides I want to do the real exploring with my family. 

Warning:  For those of you who have been here before, you know these pictures, just do not do this place juctice



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A view just right of  Mesa Arch. You can't even imagine the 2,000 foot drop.



I started backwards with the pictures.  Canyonlands was the last place on our stop.  We didn't do a lot of hiking it was mostly driving to the scenic overlooks since our time was limited and having 3 small children.

Dead Horse Point

wow what a name huh?  Despite the horrific name, this place is amazingly beautiful. Legend has it that this very point I am standing on was once a corral for wild horses.  It is said that cowboys corralled certain horses here and left them to die.  2000 feet above the Colorado River.







Of course I have to show Keegan and his new cousin Maggie. 
He fell in love with this little girl and was showing her how to play DS.

hours of driving with 2 little boys.
We made it!

The most famous Arch.  Delicate Arch...No we did not hike this close, but from a mile away my zoom lense takes a pretty good picture!

Me and my boys.

Grammy and my Little Brothers

I have to say thank you to my brothers for hanging out with Keegan.  Helping him climb on rocks and go hinking with the big boys.  He sure felt like one of the guys.  But this kids has no fear, he was climbing on rocks higher than I could.

Don't you just love the peaceful nothingness in the background?

 

 

Windows Arch.  This was the very first hike/arch we saw.  When you ask Keegan what arches we saw, this is the Arch he remembers.  It was a nice little hike after such a long drive. 

This trip was absolutely amazing and I am so glad I got to share the beauty with my family from out of town, who may have never seen this place.  I can't wait to bring Gary and the girls to explore the real beauty. It is a shame I have only been here, now twice, and I am 30 and it is virtually my backyard.  Shame Shame.







Happy Easter!

 Happy Easter!  We had so much fun coloring eggs this year.  And not ONE egg fatality! The kids (except for Finn) are finally getting to the age that they can color and decorate eggs without me hovering over them like an over protected mother.  This year the egg theme was monsters.

Here is a picture of Keeg with his monster...hmmm oddly resembles someone!

And what is Egg art without signing your name?

Kallie showing off her work.

Mine...an egg head.

Gary and our family egg.  He wrote all our names on the egg.

And we can't forget Finn and his first Easter egg!

We had a blast finding eggs all over the house.  Next year will be even better when we have another little one crawling (or possibly walking) all over to gather candy...I mean eggs :)

Shantel showing of her loot!

pure smiles and this was even before she had candy

Keeg unloaded and reloaded his basket for the pictures 

And don't think the Easter Bunny forgot Finn. 

Not as much candy, but enough to share with mom.

Here is a shot of ALL the kids and their baskets.

I know I am a slacker and didn't do your typical new Easter outfit.  In my mind, why buy a nice outfit my kids will only wear one time. and besides it would be dirty before I even got them all dressed and ready for a picture.  I did, however, have this really cute outfit left over from Keegan.  Finn had to celebrate his first Easter in style!  He was all smiles. What a handsome little boy!