A Saturday to Remember.

Well the kids had their last day of swimming lessons on Thursday and they have really made some progress. Brooklyn was passed on to the next level while Maddux will retake his same class. Not because he didn't pass but because he will not be old enough for the next class when it starts. They will most likely take their next set of lessons during the Winter and will hopefully become a little more independent in the water. Jennie and I are at least a little more comfortable with them in the water now and they seem to really like swimming.

This Saturday may have been Maddux's last soccer game as he has a karate tournament next Saturday at the same time as his game. They did miss one game due to rain but it would not be played until the last Saturday in October and the weather may not cooperate for that game. He did very well in this weeks game despite being sick the whole day before and throwing up at 6:30 in the morning on game day. He went to Liam and Carter's to play on Friday as he usually does before karate but just wasn't the same. He didn't eat any lunch and was lagging behind in everything he did. When they brought him back home he laid down and crashed for the rest of the night. He didn't eat dinner and was a little warm the whole night. We ended up skipping his karate that night as he was wiped out. I was awaken at 6:30 to the sound of him throwing up in his bed and crying. I got up and cleaned him off and he fell right back asleep but was still a little warm. By the time he woke up around 8:30 it was like nothing was ever wrong with him. His fever was gone, he had his appetite back, and was his usual self. We then went to karate and his soccer game right afterward.

He wasn't bad until about the second half when you could tell he didn't have any energy and was spent. He had to take quite a few more rests than normal and was not his usual self running all over the field wreaking havoc. His team did get back on the winning side of things after their first defeat last week and won the game 8 - 4. Maddux had two goals and one was very impressive. Both teams were down the field by his goal and the other team got the ball and started taking off towards their goal. Maddux ran in the kicked the ball all the way down towards the other teams goal, then beat everyone down the field to the ball. He then turned around and kicked the ball half way down the field towards his goal and again beat everyone to the ball. Then with one big kick he kicked the ball from mid field into the goal. I wish I would have gotten it on video. I think he really had a fun time playing soccer this year and I hope that his last game does get rescheduled so he can play one more. With him being old enough to play baseball next year this may have been his one shot at soccer.

The surprise of the day came later as Brooklyn's team took the field for their second to last game. They haven't been within 5 goals of any team this year and were in the cellar for their league. The game was a stalemate through the first three quarters as no one scored a goal. I would like to tell you it was stellar defense but I just think the two worse teams got matched up against each other. Then at the beginning of the fourth quarter Brooklyn's team scored a goal. There was a little controversy surrounding this goal as the ref ruled the goal didn't count because the goalie touched the ball as it went in the goal. I have never heard of this rule before and have not seen it called all year but for some reason they ruled the goal would not count. However, about 2 minutes later her team scored again to officially go up 1 - 0. The other team did score one goal before the game ended but we are counting that as a 2 - 1 win. I have seen Brooklyn get a leg or hand on the ball and the goal has still counted and don't know where this rule came from. This is as close to a win as her team is going to get and that is a bogus way to not count a goal. Despite what the ref says we know that they really won the game. Brooklyn also has one more game left and then one make-up depending on the weather. I know that she has also enjoyed playing this year although I think it has been more for the friendships she has made and the girls that she knows and has been able to play against. We will see if she wants to play again next year. If Maddux does baseball and not soccer she may not want to play.



After the game Jennie and I had a surprise for the kids as we took them to a pumpkin patch.

They had a giant inflatable slide that the kids could climb up and then slide down. It wasn't that fast for some reason but if you look at the picture of Maddux you can see him right before he goes head over heels down. He decided to jump at the top instead of slide and got down a lot quicker than he probably wanted to.



Brooklyn took her time deciding if she really wanted to go up or not. She actually played in the bouncer underneath before deciding to take the journey up and then back down.







Here she is at the top getting ready to go down. I don't know how she could see anything with her hair all in her face. The kids also had their faces painted while waiting in line for the slide. Brooklyn had a pumpkin put on her cheek and Maddux had a baseball put on his arm. There were also other games and crafts that the kids could do. Maddux tried his luck at balloon darts but was unsuccessful at popping any balloons.



Here are some of my favorite pictures of the day. We got a really good one of Brooklyn in this same tube last year but didn't get her in it this year. The boys however took turns and were more than happy to pose for a photo opp.




















Here are the boys perched in a tree house. They have this big tree which they have just built a house around with all the branches poking out of the roof and the windows. The kids can climb up in the house and then climb on most of the branches while in the house. It is really cool and can hold 10 to 15 kids and / or adults. Nolan loved being able to climb on all the branches.














While the boys were climbing trees and riding the pony Brooklyn was over doing some crafts. She is quite the artist and loves to draw, color, and make things. She made a pumpkin on a stick and did quite a good job. I think we are going to have to copy Kathy and Harvey's idea of framing some of the kids art. She is very talented for only being 6 and Jennie and I are constantly amazed at the art work she brings home from school. I guess she does have that running in both sides of the family.

Maddux then took a little ride on the pony they had for the children. Nolan was going to also ride but had second thoughts as I was putting him on the pony. He then decided that he wanted nothing to do with it. I thought for sure that he would like it but maybe another time.






We then decided to take some pictures of the kids in all the pumpkins. The first picture is all 4 of them surrounded by pumpkins.


Next we have Nolan with a pumpkin that is probably as big as he is.












I think we have this same exact picture of Brooklyn from last year. Look at those long legs.












Here is Payton in the middle of a bunch of pumpkins. She is not the happiest camper but I at least had to try. I really wanted a picture of her propped up on her belly lying on a pumpkin but she wasn't having any of that. We did manage to get one decent picture of her. Never mind the belly hanging out.

From the pumpkins we went to the giant corn maze that they have every year although this year the corn was not very high and you could see over the whole field. It is usually at least 6 feet high but not sure what went on this year. They have a bunch of stations set up throughout the field were the kids can play and look for small little prizes. They had to find a pair of binoculars, a snake, a compass, a hat, and a spider ring. The theme was around Indiana Jones and they were given a little map to show them where to go. After they found the five items they came to the finish and got to hunt in sand for dinosaur eggs. By the time we were done with the corn maze the kids were pretty spent and had had enough.


I did manage to get one last picture on the hill on our way back to the car. You have to park at the top of this huge hill and then walk down to where everything is. It is a gorgeous view of the valley from the top as you can see the whole set up. They have a huge apple farm that they also promote throughout the year.

From there we went home took a little nap and went over to Grandma and Grandpa Kerr's. We had our Stake Conference Saturday night and Bill and Connie were gracious enough to get a couple of babysitters to not only watch our kids but also Greg and Tacie's 4 children. I am sure that they had a lot of fun without the parents. Conference was really good as they talked about strengthening your marriage and your families. There were some really good speakers. We were then treated to ice cream sundaes afterward and then called it a night. Thank you Bill and Connie for doing that a giving us a night out without the kids.

Don't Try This at Home.

These pictures are for Grandpa Beard who would be proud.

Here are a couple of pictures of the kids helping me split the firewood this weekend. Saturday we had a guy drop off a truck load of wood. They were in 10 to 12 foot poles which I had to cut up with a chainsaw. I then borrowed the neighbors wood splitter and split the wood for burning. It took all day but the payoff will be huge. Last year we kept our house at a toasty 65 degrees and paid between $200 and $250 a month in gas bills. We had a wood burning stove put in the back room and hope that will help drastically this winter. We were able to benefit from it a little towards the end of last year and boy does it really heat the house. We are excited to be warm this year without paying an arm and a leg to do so.










The kids were a big help as they would load the wheelbarrow with wood and then push it back once it was emptied. It literally took me all day but will be well worth it. We are most likely going to get 1 or 2 more loads to make sure we make it thru the winter. After it was all done we ended up with about 1 1/2 cords, which for $135 is a steal. It seems to be good wood and should do the trick. The kids loved splitting the wood with the splitter and just helping dad.

A Rough Day of Soccer for the Beard Kids.

Today was a rough day for the Beard kids and soccer. We started with Maddux's game at 10:00 and were lucky enough that Grandpa Kerr could come and watch for a little bit. I don't know if it was the pressure or the fact that Maddux seemed tired, but he had a rough game. You could probably put the tired blame on me. Maddux had karate last night and Jennie, Brooklyn, Nolan and Payton went to say bye to Rachel and the kids before they left so it was just Maddux and me. I let him stay up until almost 10:00 watching movies before I put him to bed. I really didn't think he would make it that long without falling asleep and while I was doing other things he just stayed awake.

They also played the best team that they have seen so far and maybe the best in his league. Most teams have one or two good players but this team had 3 or 4 that could play and when you are playing four on four that makes a big difference. Plus Maddux's team kept taking the ball the wrong way down the field and by the time they tried to turn it around it was too late and the other team would score. They started to game by going down 6 - 1 by half time. Their one goal was actually scored by the other team who kicked it in their own goal. Maddux did not want any charity so the next time down the field he kicked a laser into his own goal. That was his loan goal for the day. The team did make it respectable as I think the final score was 9 - 4. This was their first defeat and first real test.

I wish I would have taken this picture a couple seconds earlier. Maddux and the other kid got tangled up going for the ball and at the same time that Maddux went down a kid on the other team came in and kicked the ball into Maddux's face. I think it just dazed him for a second as he got right back up and didn't seem to fazed by it. He also did get into a little bit of a skirmish, with one of the other boys, and actually made him cry. They were both going for the ball and the other boy gave Maddux a little shove and then tried to grab Maddux's arm and hold on to him. Maddux immediately swung his arms around and knock the kid out of the way. I don't think the other kid was expecting that at all and didn't like the retaliation. It was nothing to serious, just enough to let him know that he couldn't do it to Maddux.

Here is Payton all bundled up for the game with her PJ's and little hat. If you look at the next couple of pictures of her you can tell how she felt about the game. She was wide awake at the start of the game but by the end.........











........she was fast asleep. She couldn't take it either.






From Maddux's game we went to Brooklyn's. It was kind of funny because she had three girls playing on her team who I had never seen before. I think the coach must have been called by some of the parents and figured that he wasn't going to have enough so he recruited a couple to play. They were not very good but at least gave them enough to play. As you will see in the following pictures the girls, Brooklyn included, were spent by the end of the game. I guess that is what no subs will do for you. Brooklyn actually started out at goalie for the first quarter and didn't fare to well. Three of the first four shots found their way past her. Every other team will have a coach standing right next to the goal talking to the goalie and telling them what to do. Brooklyn's team only has one coach and he doesn't do that much. He really doesn't say much during the game and doesn't give them a lot of instruction. Plus he has canceled the last three practices so the only time they do anything is on game day. We will try to get her placed on one of her friend's team next year as her dad coaches and actually works with them. Enough of me ranting....she did have a very good play at the end of the quarter that saved a goal even though I still don't think she had any idea of what actually happened. A couple of their girls were coming in to score with no one defending them. The girl kicked the ball pretty hard but did so right at Brooklyn, which is the only reason that it didn't go in. I don't think Brooklyn could have gotten out of the way if she wanted to but she stopped the ball, picked it up before the other girls could get it again, and then booted it all the way down the field. It was really impressive and happened so quick that even though she was just in the right spot at the right time, it looked like a very good play.




This is what Nolan likes to do during the games. He is always off running around somewhere, usually into the woods or somewhere we can't see him. Here he is rolling around in the grass just having a blast by himself. I am glad that he can entertain himself as I get tired of chasing him around.




These next pictures show the energy level of Brooklyn and her team as the game went on. In the beginning everyone was happy and running all over the place.


By about the third quarter they were starting to slow down and do a lot of watching and walking.


And by the fourth quarter there wasn't much running at all. I think all the goals scored in the game where done so in the first half. The other team only had one sub and also got tired quick. It was funny to watch everyone at the end of the game because no one really wanted to do anything. The ball would get between 3 or 4 players and everyone would wait for someone else to get it. Then they would dribble a couple of times and then kick the ball down the field so they could rest. The team Brooklyn played was her coach for last years team. She remembered him right away as did he. To show you the difference in level of play from Brooklyn's team to the rest; I overheard the other coach telling one of the parents that not only was this the first they won but it was also the first game they didn't lose by at least 5. Brooklyn's team did not score and so far has 3 goals total in 6 games. I guess it is good that she doesn't care about winning yet and instead just likes to be around the other girls. I am not a fan but have to remember that she is just 6 and there is still plenty of time for her to dominate.

After the games and some lunch Jennie took Brooklyn to get a haircut as she really needed something done. Nothing to drastic, just knocked a couple inches off and shorten it up. It really looks good and should be a little easier to keep up.








We ended the day by cutting up some firewood that we had delivered in the morning. We had my dad put a wood burning stove in the back room last year in hopes that we could drastically reduce our gas bill in the winter. The last couple of years we have been paying about $250 a month to live in 60 degrees. That gets old quick and the wood stove will be a huge help. We called all around and found most places to be between $235 - $290 for a cord of wood (we will need a couple to get through the winter). We finally found a guy on Craig's List who sells it in the log form for $135 delivered. I then borrowed Bill's chainsaw and cut it myself. It is well worth the extra work to be able to save money every month off the gas bill. I think we will actually probably get a couple more cords just to have.

The kids were a big help in carrying the wood to the back of the house and stacking it. Brooklyn didn't make it too long but Maddux was a trooper and stayed to help. We would put it in the wheelbarrow and then dump it and stack. Maddux loves to push the wheelbarrow and always had to be the one to wheel it back to reload. We also are borrowing a wood splitter from the neighbor for the logs that are a little too big. Most were perfect size for just putting right in but some will need to be split and I am all about not having to split it by hand.


So as you can see we had a very busy day and wore the kids out. They were all in bed by 8:15 and asleep by 8:30. There wasn't any chit chatting at all tonight. I guess if you play hard you also crash hard.

Halloween Sneak Peak

Saturday started with a little soccer and ended with some good Halloween fun. Once again Brooklyn and Maddux played at the same time but I finally got to watch Brooklyn for a whole game and she has really improved. In the last entry I mentioned that Jennie was upset that all Brooklyn played was defense and wouldn't you know if this game she played offense for three quarters and played goalie for the other. Her team actually played very well and had their closest game of the year, losing 4-3. We need to work with Brooklyn on her offensive skills as she will get the ball and start dribbling down the field but once she gets close she will let up and just kick the ball away. She has really improved with her dribbling and can get up and down but just needs to finish the play and try to score. She also did a very good job of taking the ball away from the other players when they got close to her. It is nice to see her gain a little aggressiveness and get in there and mix it up a little.

Here she is playing goalie which she actually likes. She gave up 2 goals but had some really nice saves and has finally figured out that she can pick up the ball with her hands in this position. Now we just need to work or what she does after she picks it up. One time she threw it right to the other team and the girl kicked it right in. I guess the important thing is that she seems to be having a lot of fun. Her best quote of the day, "Dad, I am sweaty again."

I didn't get to watch much of Maddux's game but his team won again and Maddux had 2 goals. I like this picture because most of the kids can't and don't throw the ball in and here is Maddux launching it across the field. You can see him also taking off to go and get it while the other kids stand their and look. He also is having a blast and loves being on a "Team" and being a "Team Player".

From soccer we went straight to Jennie's parents to visit with some of her family. Her sister, Rachel, and her kids, Abe and Tess, are in town from Arizona visiting. Also, her Aunts, Kathy and Karolyn were in town for a couple of days and it was nice to get to see them all. They also surprised the kids with their Halloween costumes, which was very nice and thoughtful of them. They took all the kids out to various stores and let them pick out their Halloween costumes. I know the kids were very excited to be able to do this. We can't thank the both of you enough for your kindness and generosity.

Here is Nolan who just can't wait for the food to get there. He is a big eater and will eat just about anything. We had enchiladas and jello with ice cream sundaes for desert. And yes Connie, I could taste the sour cream in the enchiladas. What was funny was that Brooklyn said she would never touch or eat what was for dinner but after she actually tasted it ended up liking it. She is a very picky eater and if she would just try stuff would find out that she actually likes quite a bit. I think she takes after her father who is also pretty picky.

Kathy and Karolyn painted all the girls fingernails which they absolutely loved. One of the first things that Brooklyn showed me this morning was her fingernails and the polish on them. They all had a blast getting their nails done. That was very nice of them to take the time to do everyone's fingernails and I think they may have even done some toenails.
I think some of the adults may have even tried to get in line but with no luck.

Here is Karolyn doing Brooklyn's fingernails. While the girls were doing nails inside Bill and I were taking Maddux and Cannon on in a game of whiffle ball. I think it was close until Maddux and Cannon had last bats and hit a couple of homers over the fence. Towards the end we got Abe, Nolan, Brynnley, Addysen, and Brooklyn in the game. To mine and Bill's defense I think they got a lot more than 3 outs that last inning. Some of those kids can really hit.

There were also some games of Freeze Tag in the dark. In this picture Jennie is being frozen by Cannon as she can't quite avoid the tag. She blamed it on her shoes but for those of us who have seen her run we know better. This is one of the kids favorite games to plat when they are all together.

This is what Nolan was doing while the other kids were playing outside. He is addicted to The Wiggles. Connie was nice enough to pick up some Wiggles DVD's that she found on sale and keep them at her house for when the kids come over. I don't know if she is regretting that yet as Nolan will watch them over and over. All of our kids have been into the Wiggles but none more than Nolan. He can watch the same one over and over and over again. He doesn't know it yet but I am taking him to their concert at the end of October her in Cleveland. I have taken the other two over the last two years and I think Nolan will absolutely love it. It will be a very big surprise for him. The last two years I have just told the kids that we are going to a surprise and not told them where. Then we show up and they have a blast. The first time the kids were able to shake hands with a couple of the Wiggles as they came by. We have 7th row tickets from the stage and are on the aisle so should be a lot of fun.

These last pictures are a sneak peak of what the kids will be this year for Halloween. It was funny when we were doing the group pictures of all the kids in their costumes because Cannon said, "Maddux and I are lucky because we don't have to smile in our costumes," (They both have masks).

Brooklyn as the Snow Queen.

















Maddux as the Black Spiderman.


















Nolan as a Tiger.



















And the cutest of them all, Payton as a Goldfish.

Thank you again Kathy and Karolyn for taking them all out and buying them their own costumes. I am sure that I speak for all of us when I say that was very nice of you and we greatly appreciate that.

Swimming Lessons

I finally remembered to bring the camera to swimming so I could get some pictures. The lighting isn't all that great so some of the pictures are a little dark. This first one is of both the kids just after getting out. I think Maddux wore his goggles the whole time he was in the Rec center and didn't take them off until we got outside. They are both loving the lessons and love to play in the water. I think Brooklyn is more in it for the fun and talking to all the other girls. She is always goofing off and playing with the other girls instead of paying attention to the instructor.

At the end of Maddux's lessons the instructors let them jump into the water two times before leaving. I think this is Maddux's favorite part as he loves to jump. I know he could stay there all day and jump if they would let him. Notice he still hasn't taken off the goggles.

Here is Brooklyn working on floating on her back while kicking. She is picking up pretty quickly and can keep up with the other kids despite not having any lessons in the past. The kids love their instructor as he is a younger kid and will spike his hair into a mohawk. They constantly have water fights as he lets them all splash him at the same time.

Here is Maddux climbing along the wall waiting for his turn. The instructors are very good with the kids and can get them to do a lot of different things. It is amazing what Maddux can do after just 3 lessons.

Finally here is Nolan. He was so tired and wanted to go to sleep so bad. He would stand up and rest his head on my legs and close his eyes. However, he must have gotten his second wind because he actually made it until about 8:30. After swimming I ran a couple errands thinking he would zonk out from driving. We then went to McDonald's to get some dinner and he made it the whole way. He did however fall right asleep when I laid him down. Usually you can hear him talking and playing for 1/2 hour or so before falling asleep but he didn't make it 5 minutes. Well hope you enjoyed the photos and we'll put up more shortly.

The big 2 months.

Happy Birthday To You...
Happy Birthday To You...
Happy Birthday Dear Payton...
Happy Birthday To You.

Well it is official, Payton has made it to her two month birthday and boy she has been through a lot. She was dropped by Nolan the first day we had her home and has already had plastic surgery on her lip and nose. The first day that we were home Nolan decided he would try to get Payton out of her bassinet and play with her. We didn't lock the door to our room and he was all alone with her. Well Jennie made it into the room and she was lying on the floor just crying. He got her over the edge and must have dropped her. A couple other times he has emptied her bassinet and we were there in time to prevent him from taking her out next. He absolutely loves his little sister and always wants to be around her, holding her, or giving her kisses. If she has any brain damage later on we will know why.

As most of you know she also had some surgery on her top lip and nose to correct a clef lip that she was born with. It didn't include the pallet which is very good and will save her surgeries down the road. I have included before and after pictures to show the difference. It is amazing what a plastic surgeon can do in an hour. Not that she wasn't beautiful before but it is amazing to see the difference. The surgeon said that within a year the redness from the scar with go away and you won't even be able to tell that she ever had anything done. Other than those couple of instances she has had a pretty uneventful life. I guess that is quite a bit to go through in your first two months of life. She is getting so big so fast. She smiles all the time and is starting to make noises when we talk to her. She loves her new swing and taking walks with mama. We are lucky in the fact that she has been a really good sleeper. All of our kids have been really good with this so I guess we are really lucky. Not that I would know (I am a heavy sleeper). Well we just wanted to give a quick update and include some pictures for those of you who don't get to see her, or us, quite as often.

Before.













After.