Sporting shots

 

I thought I'd take a minute to share some sporting photos since these opportunities have been so much fun for my kids. They go back a few months but have sat here long enough.  :)  Above is a shot of my guys on a dodgeball team.  It was only a one day tournament but they had such a great time I'm sure we'll do it again this year.

 

On a much more regular note, my kids are so thankful to have a home school basketball team to learn and practice with each week.  They all were reluctant to begin playing basketball in previous years but now that they're comfortable, they really even love to compete in the games.  The photo above and below are of the 7th & 8th grade basketball teams.  They had their games in the fall against the local Catholic school.  As we have a limited number of participating kids, we did have some younger kids help out with these teams (including Goose and Spiderman). 

 

 

 The 5th & 6th grade teams played their games in February and March.  You can see there are some similar faces in the photos below.  My kids just love to play and even Boo began learning some skills at practice and she hopes to play on the team next year.

 

This boys team had the added opportunity to play in a tournament with some small town public school teams.  It was fierce competition and they did very well.  They lost to the winning team by only one point but it did light a new fire under their feet.  I loved watching my man coach these boys and relive his own fond basketball memories.  What a great year in sports.

Goose is now 12!

 

 

Look at that smile.  This is my girl who can't wait to grow old so she is pleased as punch to turn 12.  On her birthday she opted to make her own no-bake cookie balls instead of having a birthday cake.  What a change from the years I stayed up til midnight to decorate some elaborate cake in her favorite theme.  I've seen her maturing in many other ways as well and I'm proud of the heart for Jesus and the love for life she shows me every day.

 

Knowing that age 12 is the last big sleepover party, Goose decided to have one this year.  You can see a good group of her friends up above and there was lots of laughing in the house.  I actually thought I might pass out from the fumes of all the nail polish and remover that was so popular that night.  :)  

Below you can see the dessert we attempted.  We recreated Goose's favorite vacation food memory and made fondue.  You can see an assortment of fruit and goodies that we dipped in our chocolate flavor choices.  It was absolutely delicious!! 

 

Our First Teenager

Yep, it's actually happened.  Jaybird turned 13 last month and there is no going back.  We took this opportunity to change the way we celebrate his birthdays, to do it in a more "manly" way.  We took him out for lunch, just Murph and I, and he chose McD's as he loves Big Macs. :)  We had a fun time with him but also had some more meaningful discussions about growing up, what is to come in his responsibilities and expectations, how we saw him maturing and so on.  We really wanted him to be affirmed that we saw his unique giftings and wanted the best for his future. 

That evening we had his special dinner with the rest of the kids and presented him with this"certificate" to place in his room.  It is based on a book called The Blessing and it basically expresses that we are thankful to be his parents, we see his good qualities and we commit to always love and support him.  It also has a scripture passage we turned into our prayer for him and our signatures.  With such a silly and fun loving guy, I wasn't sure if this was too formal for him but he LOVED it!  After dinner, we all prayed specifically for him and it was heartwarming to hear his siblings praying for God's blessing on his future.  Can you see the joy on this guy's face (or the trace of mustache that has been growing there)?

He really is a special guy and we love watching him mature and develop into the man he will become.  What a gift to have him in our home.

final days

Believe it or not we actually went back to Universal Studios for a second day.  They technically have two parks, though they are side by side, and we had to try out the other half.  There really is no point in putting up more park photos, you certainly get the idea by now.  Kids had fun, new favorite rides were experienced, more miles were clocked.  Good times again.  Admittedly, by this day the kids and I seemed to agree that you can only do so many rides before they all seem the same.  We had our fun but we were ready to get home and see Daddy.

 

Our last day we kept it very simple and relaxed at Karen's house for the day.  Don't let the photos below fool you.  It was really too cold to swim but I'm the only sane person who stayed dry. :)  Blue lips and chattering teeth are just not my idea of vacation.  Photographer is a better fit for me.

 

 

This is Karen and with my big sis.  You can tell they go way back in their friendship and that they are very dear to one another.  I can't exactly sum up what a gift Karen was for us, she was SO hospitable!  Not only did she open her home and life to us that week but she did so in the midst of her mother's struggle during her last days on Hospice.  We tried to bow out when we saw this timing play out but she insisted that we stay with her.  What a difficult season in her life and she was loving on her mother so beautifully.  I took the above photo after these two buddies jumped into the pool in a moment of much needed stress relief and just moments later, poor Karen needed to go back in the house - soaking wet - to help the nurses take care of something important.  It was heartbreaking and our prayers have stayed with Karen and her family.

That night we had a final celebration with a Hawaiian luau.  It was again so yummy (I could have eaten an entire pineapple by myself) and then followed up with some amazing entertainment.  I really don't know how humans can even move the way these dancers did but it's obviously not everyone's gift. :)  My girls did brave the crowd though and went up on stage to learn the hula for themselves. It was another special evening and a good way to end our trip.  By the next morning, we packed our bags and headed back to a very cold minivan parked at the airport waiting to take us home.  Now home.... that's a wonderful word.  I do miss my sister but it's so good to be HOME!

Magic Kingdom

Well we finally made it to the place everyone had anticipated, Disney's Magic Kingdom.  Despite the long days and sore feet, everyone was having fun and I was the only complainer as I was cold (no shorts for me).  Boo found this to be her favorite park and it definitely catered to the younger crowd.  I was so relieved that they were all old enough to see there was no real value in waiting 45 minutes to get your photo taken with Mickey, Cinderella or even Buzz Lightyear.  Glancing at them from a distance was enough.

The older kids really loved Space Mountain, probably the most daring ride at the park, while Boo loved Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (below) the best.  It was the easiest roller coaster of the whole week.  I enjoyed seeing the enthusiasm on their faces as they tried new things each day and as the realization sank in that EVERY ride had health warnings, even Winnie the Pooh.  Those signs didn't always mean they were about to be terrorized. :)

That night after the park, Aunt Susie chose to take us out to a Japanese Hibachi dinner, another first for all of us.  It was such a fun  time being entertained while watching our meal being created before our eyes.  Our chef was hysterical and quite the culinary artist - the food was delicious!  I've even had to try and recreate some of that wonderful food at home now.

Epcot & Animal Kingdom

 

Of course we made it to Epcot, the first  of our Disney park visits.  For the older 3 kids, this was their favorite park.  There were plenty of hands-on opportunities to get involved.  One favorite was a ride called Test Track where the kids got to design their own car on a computer screen and then "test" it out on the track.  Very fun.  Another one allowed you to design your own roller coaster and test it out on a simulator.  It was funny to see how boring their first attempt was and how they realized they were up for much bigger and more challenging things by their second try.

 

I was surprised to see how motion simulators and 3D technology were throughout every theme park.  I guess I'm just old but they didn't have those things when I was growing up so it has obviously caught on just recently right? :)  Wearing 3D glasses was pretty common place on this trip.



 



One fun adventure at Epcot was a spy game throughout the different countries.  This little "cell phone" gave the kids clues from Phineas & Ferb and they proceeded to look through the various countries for the solutions.  Once you found them, there would be further instructions.  My kids were impressed.

After seeing these at all the parks, we finally had to try a giant turkey leg.  They aren't kidding about the giant either.  Someone told us they were Emu but apparently that is just a tall tale. :)  Anyway, 50% of us enjoyed the snack and the others weren't at all impressed.  Now we know.

Boo and I sat down for a very artistic parade at Animal kingdom. The "floats" looked like they came out of the Lion King musical (which we know as we got to see that earlier at the park). After walking for miles over this trip, any chance to sit was a treat for our feet.  Another favorite was the Nemo Musical that was performed by some talented individuals that transported us right back to that old classic.

 

At the end of day 5, Susie took us to a very special dinner at the Melting Pot.  An upscale fondue restaurant, the kids had an adventure as well as a gourmet meal.  Being told you can play with your food is just what they needed to hear as the various courses came through.  Everything was delicious and they practically licked their plates clean.  You can see the satisfied faces if you can see through the steam. :)

Day 3 - the Beach

Monday we took our time getting to the beach (that's a major understatement but only my sister and the GPS understand that whole story).  We spent the whole afternoon with sand between our toes.  I absolutely love the ocean, at least if the weather is warm.  Collecting seashells, marveling at the little creatures (like this man-o-war), watching the vastness of the horizon, the sound of the water and knowing I have nothing to do but to soak it in and relax.  Incredible!

As you can see, the older kids had a blast boogie boarding, despite the cold water.  Oh to be young and oblivious to such discomfort. :)  They loved every minute of it.

Boo may not need that same adrenaline rush but enjoyed the ocean in her own sepcial ways.