Soccer Practice

Guess who's starting indoor soccer?!  (Because we don't have enough time in the summer to have outdoor soccer.)  :(

Shordy McGoo is old enough to do Boys and Girls Club indoor soccer!  We are excited for him and so is he.  He's probably the youngest kid on his team, so we'll see how he does.  He wasn't the most coordinated doing some of the exercises...but for being his first time doing any of this stuff I think he did pretty darn good!  He's very good at paying attention and listening to his coach and following instructions.  Can't wait to see how he does during an actual game.  :)

For right now, he LOVES  it and that's what we want.

Tiny was a monster during practice.  I was by myself and had to keep her from running out onto the floor the entire time.  I finally had to take an extra ball out into the foyer of this church we were practicing at to play with her.  Even that didn't last very long b/c she knew where the boys were playing.  She wants to be doing anything her big brother is doing.

Headed Outside

Love how Shordy's boots come to her mid-thigh...not sure how she was walking in them.  :)

So annoyed with that darn jacket!

Tiny loves to be outside.  Have I mentioned we've been dealing with some serious cabin fever lately.  So ready for winter to be OVER!

I'm not the only one feeling this way.  Today, Tiny found her hat, jacket, and Shordy's boots and was headed outside!!

Darn that jacket though...only thing that kept her from success.  :)

Love this little girl and her tenacity.

Sunday Drive to Captain Cook State Park

Trying to get a decent pic of the new oil platform in the Inlet...can you see it?

It's the dark spot in the middle of the mountain range...at the base.  All the ice in front of it is Cook Inlet...part of the Pacific Ocean.

Mt. Redoubt...steaming.

Leave it to this child to NOT walk on the "beaten" path...

To go on her own...

And need to be rescued by Dad.  (Notice her hands NOT touching the snow, which is why she needed rescued)

Chewing on dirty ice...Yum!

Thanks Dad for taking the camera and getting pics of me with my kiddos.  LOVE IT!

We've had a little cabin fever, which is normal in the month of March. You are just DONE with winter, but there's still a lot of snow and winter left, unfortunately.

So, this particular Sunday we decided to go for a little drive after Tiny's nap.  We drove out past Nikiski to the end of the road, which is in Captain Cook State Park.  We pulled into a campground/overlook into the Cook Inlet and then went for a little walk along the beach.

It's not my idea of the perfect beach to hang out on...but it'll do.  I guess if you are going to be walking on snow and ice it may as well be beautiful...and beautiful it is.

I got pics of the new oil rig platform that's in the inlet...there are actually a couple of them.  They fly the guys in and out on a helicopter each week.  I also just enjoyed my new lens and getting pics of my kids, their Dad, and the dogs.  I love it when Shayne takes the camera from me and takes pics of me with my kids...it doesn't happen often and I want them to know I was with them too.  :)

Over all it was a nice day and a good drive.  I love days like this when we get to spend time as a family outside.

Daddy Time

My kids LOVE it when Dad gets home from work.  LOVE IT!!

I however, think I LOVE it more.

They get quality time with Dad, while playing outside and getting some much needed fresh air.

I get some quiet and a chance to cook dinner without Tiny pulling on my leg wanting to be held, or Shordy asking me to watch another one of his toy animals do a super cool trick.

Thank heavens for more sunlight and slightly warmer temperatures.  This way they can play on the swingset...in their snow gear of course...and have fun playing with Dad.

I LOVE...I mean...my kids LOVE it when Dad gets home from work.  LOVE IT!!

Signing Time...in a box. :)

Frequently I must put on some sort of entertainment for my children while I'm cooking breakfast, b/c they might be a "little" bit like me and aren't very nice when they are hungry.  So...this particular morning it was "Signing Time"...which I might refer to AGAIN as "Crack for babies/kids".

It must be like crack, if you are willing to squeeze yourself into a little canvas box, meant for toys, to watch the show.  Seriously...Cracked.  Me.  Up.

But hey...they aren't bugging me with their whining and fighting...and they are learning something valuable and educational...it's a second language!

Win-Win!

New Lens!...And Spring Fever

Shordy is so annoyed his bike isn't working so well in the snow.  So he abandoned it for the swing set.

Tiny however, decided to try it out herself...

But it didn't work for her either...so she abandoned it again.

Yeah for Grammy Pond who shoveled the snow from the bottom of the slide while she was here watching kids.  Makes sliding down to the bottom much easier.  :)

I got a new camera lens and I LOVE it!  It's a Nikkor 18-200mm lens for my Nikon camera.  It's amazing!  It zooms in way farther than my previous lens, so I don't have to switch out lenses like I did before.  I'm in love with it.  It's a used lens off Ebay...but I'm hoping to someday upgrade my camera and lens.  For now it works great!

I had to try it out so I bundled up kids and we went outside, b/c we are tired of being in the house.  And after being in Ft. Lauderdale, I was ready for some fresh air...even if it was cold and there was way too much snow!

So what do you do when you have spring fever?  You attempt to ride bikes in the slushy, not quite frozen snow...and play on the swing set when the bike riding doesn't work.  :)

For the record...the swing set is way more fun than bike riding in the snow.

Ta-da!!

Ta-Da!!  It's her newest word, and it accompanies all her little "tricks".  :)  Then of course, Shordy has to try it out, b/c Mom thought it was so cute I took a pic of Tiny, I might take one of him too.  Of course I would!

She then found the duster.  Shordy has been given some chores to do to earn some money to buy the toys he keeps asking for...and to teach him about tithing and saving money for a mission.  So, he dusted the house today, and left the duster out.  Of course, our little Tiny doesn't miss a thing.  She found it quick and proceeded to help dust.

Hope she still thinks its fun when she turns five.  :)