The Perfect Season is Gone.

The chance of a perfect season ended for Brooklyn yesterday as their team won their first game of the year. After going 0 - 10 last year and 0 - 9 so far this year they headed into the tournament without much hope. They have gotten a lot better over the year thanks to a new coach. The last three games they scored a total of 5 goals which was 2 more than they scored the previous 16 games. Their defense has gotten a lot better and they were not being blown out anymore. So yesterday morning they start off by playing the number 2 team in the league and lose 3 - 0. They then have one more game to try and complete the perfect season. It was a very good game and they pull it out and win 1 - 0 for their first win in two years. It was great to watch as the girls were jumping all over the place and hugging each other when the whistle blew. You would have thought they won the championship. It was great to watch them progress over the season and I am glad that they could go out on a winning note. I know that Brooklyn had a lot of fun and got a lot better over the year. I don't know how many of the girls will stay on the team and how many will move up but I look forward to watching them again in the fall. Maybe they can win a couple more. Here are some pictures from both her games yesterday.


Here she is chasing down her good friend Emily and trying to steal the ball away. Emily is in her class at school and they are good friends.


This is one thing that I need to get Brooklyn and Maddux away from. When they get the ball or take it away form someone they like to take a couple steps back and measure the kick. It works sometimes but most times they don't have enough time to do this and they end up getting the ball taken away by the other team. She was lucky enough to have Grandma, Grandpa and Great Grandma Elaine come watch her game. Not sure why Grandpa is in the back playing with the boys instead of watching Brooklyn.


Brooklyn passing the ball to her teammates trying to score a goal. This is from the first game.


This is a familiar site for Brooklyn. In the middle of a team huddle and she is looking up into the sky while the coach talks. If she is not dancing around the field she is usually looking off into the distance without a care in the world.


Brooklyn has blossomed into a fine defensive player and one of her better spots is goalie. It took her awhile to realize that she could pick up the ball with her hands but once she figured that out she became a shot stopping machine.


Here she is putting the moves on another one of her classmates in the second game. Our next mission is to get Brooklyn aggressive in going after the ball. She is very content on just kicking it once or twice and then stopping.


Here she is turning the ball around right in front of the other teams goal. She did get a good shot off, her first of the year, but it went just left of the goal. Another foot to the right and she would of had her very first goal. I am still not sure how she got the shot considering that she was on defense and not suppose to be up that far in the first place. I was hoping that she would get a goal but it wasn't to be. We will have to practice this summer and wait til next year.


Brooklyn running down the field getting in position to cut the other player off and take the ball away.


Demonstrating the perfect throw in. She does very well with this aspect of the game.

Maddux also played yesterday and has one more game next week and then his season is over. He played against his good friend Lauren and the game ended tied 6 - 6. It was a good game as Maddux had 2 goals and Lauren scored her first goal of the year, thanks to Maddux. He turned the ball around right in front of his goal and kicked it towards his goal where Lauren was standing. All she had to do was kick the ball right in the goal, which she did, and Maddux got an assist. I am kink of glad that soccer is coming to an end for him as I don't want to wear him out this summer. Baseball games start this week and he is now in karate two times a week and with soccer his only free day was Sunday. After his last game Saturday he can concentrate on baseball until the fall.


Maddux chasing down a kid on the other team and taking the ball away from him. This is Maddux's trademark, "the chase-down". He is one of the fastest and best defenders in the league. It happens game after game, where a kid on the other team is breaking away getting ready to score and Maddux catches him from behind and takes the ball away. I don't know how many times he has done this and you see the other kid get frustrated because they thought they had a goal. I can't wait to see him play on a regular size field with all boys, next year.


Maddux in typical fashion, just kicking the ball as hard as he can. Lauren is right in front of him in the pigtails.


An example of Maddux catching a kid from behind and taking the ball away.



After the game Grandpa had a little fun with the kids. He was the horse and all the kids piled on top of his back.


Here he is with Maddux, Nolan and Payton.


Just he boys and Penny.


Again, Grandpa playing around during the game. There was a little hill that they could roll down and Grandpa would hold Maddux and Nolan and roll down the hill with them. They loved this.


It wouldn't be a game without a picture of Payton. Before we know it she will be out there chasing the ball around. She just loves to be outside.

Well yesterday was a very busy day and not much time until baseball starts up. Maddux's first game is this Wednesday and we are both very excited to see how things go. The season should be a lot of fun.

Thomas the Train

We took the kids to see a real life Thomas the Train, this weekend, that they could actually ride. The weather was perfect and the kids had a lot of fun. I guess they have a train that looks just like Thomas and it travels around the US and gives little 30 minute rides. They have a bunch of games and other fun things for the kids to do to make a day of it. It was only about 1/2 an hour away and the kids had no idea what we were doing until we got there. It is funny to tell them we are going to a surprise and listen to the things they think of that could be the surprise. It was a great way to spend the afternoon and enjoy the beautiful weather. I think next year we will skip the ride and just do all the other stuff. The train is the only thing that costs money and is way to expensive for the amount of time you actually spend on the train. You could easily spend the whole day playing and not having to spend any money.


Nolan playing the bean bag toss game, into a toilet.


Nolan standing in line, next to a picture of Thomas, waiting to get his picture next to the real thing. He is in a Thomas phase right now and loves him.


Sir Topham Hat and the kids.


One of the other activities was a magic show and Maddux got to be one of the helpers. He helped join 6 metal rings together and then separate them again.


Jennie with the kids on the actual train. The ride was pretty short and not much A/C. I think the kids just liked being on a train and didn't mind too much.


This is where Payton spent the majority of the day.


Here is the actual train pulling into the station for our ride.


The kids with the train conductors.


Jennie and Payton with the conductors(Payton is already camera shy).

Overall it was a great day and if Thomas ever comes to your neck of the woods I would recommend going and spending some time there. You can ride the train once just so the kids can say they went on it but I would skip that afterwards and just do the rest of the activities.

Micahel Phelps or Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Jennie found this the other day and Nolan was more than happy to take off his diaper and replace it with the speedo. Couldn't decide if he would be a swimmer or a body builder but the pictures are just way to cute. Could not resist putting these up.


Just striking a pose.


Showing some muscles.


I will promise you that this will not be the last you see of this photo. This one will show up again later in his life.

Our Week in Review.

We were grateful to have Grandpa Beard in town for a week and a half and got some little projects done while he was here. The kids love it when he comes to visit and enjoy spending time with their grandpa. I feel bad that we put him to work every time he comes out but he does such good work and there is always something to do. I just hope that he doesn't mind and that he keeps coming. We just wish he didn't live so far away.


Grandpa with all the grandkids and a couple extras.


Nolan riding on top of grandpas shoulders.


Just hanging on to grandpa.


Hanging out playing with Grandpa.


Payton smiling at Grandpa.


Grandpa and Payton.


Grandpa with his girls.

Brooklyn's team has gotten so much better with her new coach and I think the girls are having a lot more fun. They did lose again this weekend but scored three goals and played a close game. It is fun to watch them score goals because everyone on the team jumps up when they score. Brooklyn was playing goalie and jumped up and down dancing after the goals. You can tell that they are having a better time and really enjoying themselves. Brooklyn is turning into quite the defensive player and quite the goalie. She will go and take the ball away from the other player and has become very good at picking up the ball and throwing it to a teammate to get it out of the goalie box. We still have to work on the offensive side but she has progressed very nicely over the last 3 weeks. I am kind of sad because I think they only have 2 more games and it will be over. The season is going to end just as the girls are getting into their groove. Anyways it has been a pleasure watching them grow and get better during the season. I am looking forward to Fall soccer and seeing what Brooklyn and her team can do.


Brooklyn in one of her favorite spots, goalie. I love this picture.


She has been doing a good job of moving while the ball is moving to make sure that she is in position if they try and score. I don't think they scored a goal on her last week.


Here she is tracking a girl down from behind and she gets the ball away and to her teammate. Not quite the chase-down speed that Maddux has but she can hold her own.


She has been working on kicking with the inside of her foot and likes to wind up before the kick.

Maddux skipped his soccer game for his karate tournament this weekend. He was moved up into the advanced class this week and seems to be doing very well. I think he was getting a little bored in the other class and would goof off from time to time so his Shihan moved him up. He is doing some different type of combinations and other moves he wouldn't do in the other class. He has picked up nicely and fit right in. He tested Saturday to move up in rank and received another stripe on his belt. His next test will get him the orange and white belt and he is very excited. It was kind of funny because the only reason he skipped soccer was because he thought he was going to get a different belt. But since they moved him into the advanced class they are going to make him wait until next time to get it. He told Jennie that he would rather have done soccer instead but if he would have changed belts he wanted to do karate. I am hoping that he sticks with karate as I have seen a huge change in him over the last year. I just look at other kids his same age and he is some much more mature and disciplined compared to them. He is my little man.


Maddux waiting for his turn.


Being congratulated by his Shihan (or master).


Here he is working on his self-defense techniques with one of the black belts.


Maddux practicing his cat stance and blocks.

Well as always we stay very busy during the week with all the sports going on but the kids are having a blast and Jennie and I love to watch them. Nolan is very excited and can't wait until he can play and be on a team. We are looking forward to the summer and being able to get outside every day. Baseball games start in a week and I can't wait to see how Maddux does. We are going to have to get Brooklyn into a softball league to see what she has. We did sign her up for a basketball camp in June to see how she likes that. With her being one of the tallest girls in her class we need to see if there is any talent to go with that height. We will keep you posted.

Our Big Girl Turns 7 !!!!

Brooklyn turned 7 on May 7th and had a little party with some of her friends and cousins. It is hard to believe that she is 7 already and going into second grade. The time goes by so fast. She has grown up to be such a big girl and is becoming very helpful with taking care of Payton. She has been such a blessing to our family and we are grateful that she is a part of our life. We were lucky to have Grandpa Beard in town for her day as well as some projects around the house. I started the day by cooking Brooklyn breakfast before school, french toast (her favorite). Then I had lunch with her at school and took her class rice krispy treats with M&M's. We then all went to dinner that night at her favorite pizza place, CiCi's. We then came home opened some presents and just hung out for the rest of the night. The next night we had Brooklyn's party with her friends and some family. I think there were 15 kids total and about 5 adults. We did pizza again, hit the pinata around, played some games (the trampoline got a work out), and then did cake and presents. Some of the girls stayed the night which I know was a lot of fun. They slept out in the living room and watched TV all night. I know that Maddux tried to stay up with them but fell asleep around 10:30. The girls finally went to bed around midnight after coming into our room then and asking if they could have some cupcakes. That is when Jennie said it was time to go to bed. Nothing fancy just spending some good time with friends and family. I know that Brooklyn had a great couple of days and always love spending time with her friends. Here are some pictures from her special days.


Here is Nolan trying to be one of the "girls." It was funny watching him and Maddux try to be part of the crowd.


This is the morning after. They did get up pretty early considering they stayed awake until midnight. I know that 3 of the girls had soccer games that morning so I am sure that was fun.


Brooklyn with Maddie showing off a couple of dolls that she got.


Brooklyn with her cousins and her $20. I think she liked the money better because she could go to the store and buy her own stuff.


Brooklyn and Great Grandma Elaine with Brooklyn's new dress.


The whole gang minus yours truly.


Maddie was the first the break the pinata open. I just love the look on Brooklyn's face.


Grandpa Beard was the mastermind behind the pinata.


Maddux taking his shots.


You have to love Nolan's facial expressions. They are priceless.


Brooklyn getting ready to tee off.


Brooklyn with her new discman. She absolutely loves this thing. She will walk to and from school listening to her new Hannah CD.


Brooklyn with Grandpa Beard and the giant book of animal babies.