Cutest Soccer Player Ever

We do soccer year round in our family. We pay tons of money, schlep our boys to countless practices and then feel the pressure of high intensity games. I wouldn't change much, though. The life lessons sports teaches our kids are fantastic.

Having said that, there's something wonderful about the 1st grade games where the kids feel like winners for simply kicking the ball. It's a fun stage of life.  It's even more fun when your soccer player is in pig tails and wearing watermelon socks.  Loved watching my Avery play yesterday. She didn't score a goal but she did control the ball more in this 1st game than she did all season last year.

ps- Avery's team won, even though they didn't keep score. And Scott and Jake's teams both lost in some hard games. You live and learn, I guess.

Ben's Jr. Prom

Loved taking pictures of Ben and his favorite girl- along with his baseball buddies and their dates. It was a great prom for a fun group of kids.

Bless You, La Fiesta Schedulers

So, instead of scheduling La Fiesta at the end of the year, during the craziness that comes with that time, some genius at the school held it in March. The beginning of March when there isn't really anything else going one, even. Bless you, smart La Fiesta scheduler. You've made late April/early May so much easier. :)
Without further ado, here are the pictures from the night. This is Scott's last year in elementary school and Spanish Immersion. It's also Mr. Bowman's last year as principal. So it was special in a couple of ways.

Scott came directly from a brutal looking soccer practice and had to change in the car.

Mr. Bowman chatting with Scott and some of his 6th grade friends. When he retires, he might want to get a Santa gig.

Me: Jake, are you sure you can wear khaki pants? I'm pretty sure you shouldn't.
Jake: Yeah, I'm sure. Lots of kids wore them.
Said the only boy in the khaki pants.:)

 Scott sheepishly smiling after he heard his soccer buddies cheer for him from the audience.


This is the whole Spanish Immersion Program. Pretty impressive.

1st Grade Program

You know how you have crazy memories from decades before that pop up randomly in your head- but you can't seem to remember to get milk at the store even though you've put it on your list? I have one of those whacked out brains. Here's my memory for the day:

I was a little girl, no older than 6 (since I moved from El Paso at age 6). My dad and I were on the side of our house on Bill Hill Dr. in El Paso and he was attaching a fake license plate that we got out of a Honey Combs box onto my sister's bicycle. He told me he was going to put a brick on my head so I would stop growing. I thought that was a horrible idea and couldn't imagine him teasing me about that. (Dad's a huge tease, if you didn't know.)

Fast forward to today where that memory keeps popping into my head. Maybe it's because I just watched my baby girl dressed up like a grown up (per her teacher's instructions) performing in her 1st grade program. She was poised and cute all in one. She seemed so grown up as she said her line, "I'm proud to live in America."  Love my little Avery Anne- and I still call her 'little' even though she is so tall she has to be on the top row. :)

Pictures From the Funeral

We had a nice weekend celebrating Grandma's life with people we love. Here are some pics from the funeral.