Fall is here

Ok so, once again. I've failed the blog.

Oh well

I'm not all that caught up in it. .but I do think about.. oh.. I'll write about that and then when I try to sit down and do it, someone hit someone else.. the baby is crying and someone else is hungry.. or thirsty.

Right now.. everyone is busy so I'll take advantage of it and if they need me.. tough.
haha

Ok, so soccer has begun and yesterday we got poured on.. it was cold and everyone was wet and so we headed back to the van and thankfully.. everyone had one extra jacket to wear to warm up with.

The next game wasn't until 3 hours later so we all went home this time instead of hanging out at the field. How miserable that would have been! By the next game time it had dried up considerably but we still left the rest of the kids home with my parents and just took Kaylyn to her game.

Our whole team showed up but the other team looked a little sparse and it was game time. They needed two players and so Josh decided to send over Kaylyn(thinking it'd only be fair) and the asst coach also sent his daughter over. So it was very odd to cheer for our team.. and your kid.. on the opposite team. Thankfully its only kindergarten ball.. it really doesn't matter who wins. They're still learning and figuring out how to play.. they run in mobs around the ball anyways. .it never gets anywhere. Well.. apparently one little boy on the other team had played before. He knew to get the ball.. take it straight to the goal.. and score. And so he did.. over.. and over.. and over. I think thats great for him.. though 2 things bugged me badly about this..

1. A parent from that team was a couple people down from me and every time the lil guy scored. .the man yelled. GOAL!!! heh heh heh.. in the most annoying fashion that I was tempted to yell SHUT UP heh heh heh
Ok, I would've never actually done that.. I have no spine when it comes to things like that but really.. do you have to do that. .in that annoying voice? cmonnnnnnnnn

and
2. The coach never took the lil guy off of the field or switched him positions. He did eventually tire out and I think thats just too bad for him. He is a great player and he isnt' being nurtured in other positions or seeing that there is a whole team here.. he's not the star. .ok.. he was.. but you know what I mean? Besides the facts that its the rules( and the refs were 9th graders and Josh, although mad, didn't make a big deal of it) to switch the kids and rotate them, its just good sportsmanship to let everybody play, have a chance and when you've creamed the other team in points.. why must you continue to play him?

Ok, so its kindergarten ball and I shouldn't be all that annoyed but I was and this is what annoys me about sports. The need by others to win, at all costs, and pretend to be oblivious to rules or even remotely have good sportsmanship.

enough ranting .. for now. .ha


Soccer is kind of the life right now, we have awana that also fills the week and various other school activities. I can't imagine what it will be like when they are all in school and each having their things to do and go to.

I've been working on a couch to 5k running program. I'm struggling with this week 3 and will be redoing it. There is skepticism on redoing a week but I really feel my body could use a repeat.. I'm not sure I really want to run a 5k.. I haven't enjoyed the running thing at all. But I have to say I'm amazed at how I've progressed. I have so much work to do with my weight that its frustrating but I'm pressing on.. someday I will get ahead of this. I dont' know if I'll ever 'beat it' but I will be working on that for sure.

Last but not least its that time of year.. Aubrey's birthday and figuring out costumes for the 4 children now and I have no idea whatsoever for any of them. I really need to get working on that! I also need to figure out where, what, and who for Aubrey's birthday but that is slow in coming as well. sighhhh.. 4 kids is a LOT of work but I love 'em.

1st day of school 2009

So we have a 1st grader and a kindergartner now.

Aubrey started on Thursday and Kaylyn had her testing on Thursday, but it was not all day. So, Friday was her first day all day. I really thought she'd be the one who would cling to me, cry a bit, be a bit nervous but nope. Just like Aubrey last year.. she marched into her room. Big smile on her face, started talking to whoever was next to her and waved us goodbye.

Ok so I got a little sad that I'm now sending her all day but I'm very grateful that she was equipped with an independance I apparently still don't have.

It was pretty great on the way there, we walked part of the way, since driving and dropping kids off is absolutely crazy. (one of my biggest peeves about this school is how there is nowhere to drop off and the street is jam packed with cars and busses.. its a diaster!) Anyways, my mom wanted to come too and that turned into my sister and brother coming as well..so we had 3 cameras and one video camera going.. a family of paparazzi!

Chicago, Ohio, Virginia, D.C. 2009

July 10th-Friday

We started the morning by getting everyone ready to go and then started to pack the van, get the topper on and what was that in the distance? Oh, thunder... umm.. thunder... and that's about all I thought of until there was a terrential downpour. We thought we'd wait until it slowed and then pack the remainder of our things in the van but when an hour passed and our time to leave was fast in coming we decided to just get wet and get it done.

So we did and we drive over to my parents and had a quick lunch and then we were set to hit the road. My mom and brother are inside their garage(in cover from the rain) and are waving to us as we are all getting buckled in and then there's this.. click click click click click! As Josh (tries) to start the van. I look over at him and we are both thinking.. you gotta be kidding me!! He tries again and the same thing. So my brother pulls his car up and we let it charge for awhile.

No go.

Little bit longer...

Success! And we drove straight to the autoshop that it had just been at the day before, got it hooked up and checked and they could tell something wasn't right but werent' sure what it was. So they changed the battery and yup, that was it. The testing for it was back to normal on everything so we were NOW ready to go.

EVeryone basically did great on the short trip to Chicago, lil bit of crying or whining, which is to be expected.

We hung out at the beach that afternoon/evening and was great to just relax with my brother and let the kids enjoy themselves. .which they really did. Here they are at Lake Michigan.

and here I am with Jaden..

July 11th, Saturday we get up and head out to Ohio to see our friends who moved there about 2 years ago and we really had a great time seeing them and hanging out. They took us to Lake Eerie, the girls just loved being at the beach, and we just enjoyed their company.

July 13th-Monday we started out for Virginia and wow was that a long day. The kids were great for the 9hr stretch and it was fun going through Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. So much history I'd love to go back when the girls are all a bit older and will be learning about that they can see first hand. We hadn't seen our friends in 4 years so it was SO great to see them and meet two of their daughters that they've had since. Our 3 girls and their 3 were all around the same ages.. months apart basically and they got along great. Did some swimming in the Potomac River and they loved that beach too! Our poor Iowa girls have never seen beaches so it was a huge thing for them!

On our way out we stopped in D.C. and went across this giant bridge that freaked me out. I took pictures as best I could since I couldn't stand to look anywhere but forward and just did a point and shoot from the side window and front window.. I'll pass on going over that bridge again.. any day.

Josh and I were pretty excited and talked the hour and a half to D.C. about what we would see etc. and then as we got there, parked, and started walking the crying began. Whining followed and it became so miserable, we only stayed long enough to explore the buildings on "The Hill" and forlornly looked at the Washington Monument in the distance as we dragged our children back to the van to resume our trek home. What a bummer it was, but we are deteremined to make it back there one day, alone, or when the kids are old enough for us to say.. suck it up and drive on soldier!! (haha)

The trek back through Pennsylvania was wet. I got a picture of the tunnel on the way back since the camera died on the way out. Jaden squealed the whole way through it.. I think it was the lights that were entertaining for him.

All in all it was a great trip, great time spent with family and friends and it was great to just get away from the ordinary day to day stuff.

Vacation 2009!

Ok I titled it with the year, even though I have no idea that we'll go on a vacation every year..haha.. high hopes eh?
Anyways
So we leave tomorrow for our trek to Virgina, making two stops before we get there to see Paul(my bro) and then next to Chad and Becky's(our friends) and then we'll get to James and Tori's.(our friends) We're so excited to see all of these people I don't even care if we do nothing other than sit around and catch up after such a long time of not seeing them.
Its been quite the month trying to even prepare for this trip, I used one VERY helpful website :
http://www.momsminivan.com/ check it out if you have need of really great ideas for trips and entertaining the kiddos. So I'm (hopefully) all set and they'll be happy and I'll be happy and it will just be a great trip!
So I'm just waiting for the last load of laundry and then off to bed and get some rest before the trip begins..

So I did it

I didn't think I'd ever blog.. and who knows, I may never be much of a blogger but my mind is so full lately so this seems to be the outlet for the moment.
We are leaving for vacation in 2 days so I may not be on here until after that, but at least. its all set up for when I can get to it