Life is Good!!!

I mean... Really Really GOOD!!  The kids are all doing great in school.  I am able to volunteer at Knoles regularly.  I even volunteered a bit at Sinagua.  I have been running a lot and have already really improved my speed!!!  I am running at about a 9.4 minute mile pace!!!  My inspections have been really flowing well and I never feel overwhelmed with them!!!  I have been able to keep up on the house and chores so that when the kids get home I have had time to visit with them, do homework with them and just ENJOY them!!  They are also older now and able to entertain themselves without needing my constant attention!!  They do still go at it with each other from time to time, but hey... that's life!!

The other day Samone and Kendall spent the entire afternoon in the office teaching themselves how to "knit"  It's not perfect knitting, but they are able to make pretty cool scarves!!  Adrien is just soaring academically!! He is so smart.  I really want to spend some time working with him and Kendall more to get them really ahead in math!! They are all three so so so smart!!  They just amaze me.

And my wonderful husband!! Oh how I adore him.  Yes, he can drive me nuts occasionally.  But I also drive him nuts, too!!!  But he takes such good care of all of us and we are just blessed to have him! I could not imagine my life without him!!!

So, that's it for now.... Just that LIFE IS GOOD!!!

FOOTBALL!!!!

So, Adrien is playing football!!!  I know, some people think we are totally crazy for letting our 6 year old play tackle football....  But they don't know Adrien!!!

Practice started the frist week of August.  Then they had their draft pick.  Adrien was picked for the RAMS!!!!  WooHoo!!  He was super excited.  Then we started practicing with the RAMS!!!!  For the first two weeks practices were 4 days a week for 2 hours.  WHEW!!!  This is not for the weak at heart!! This is some intense stuff.  The first 10 hours are all conditioning.... then they get into the good stuff!!!!  And Adrien has just LOVED it.  He is only one of two 6 year olds on his team.  He only plays defense, on the line.  He doesnt get tackled, his job is to tackle.  Over the past several weeks, he has really been picking it up!!  He has been doing great!!!  Now we practice 3 nights a week (T, TH, F) and have games every Saturday.  We have had some home games and some traveling games.  This weekend we travel to Prescott Valley. It'll just be me Adrien and Kendall.  David and Samone are going to her tournament in Phx!!!  We are now having to split up with everyone's schedules!!!  It does get a little crazy, but we love it!!!

GO RAMS!!!

Fall is Here!!!

Adrien didn't have practice this Friday.... very unusual!!!  So we decided to do something as a family.  The kids all voted for swimming, since it's been so hot this past week!!!  Well, about noonish, clouds started rolling in, thunder lightening and then the rain!!  It poured!!!  It was cold and wet and gray outside.  So it was perfect movie weather.  We all cozied up in the living room and watched RIO.  I got our fall decorations out and we decorated the house.  After dinner we hopped in the car and headed to Yogurt U, and new self-serve yogurt shoppe in town!!!  Yum Yum!!!  We got home and played some Wii bowling before sending everyone off to bed!!!

Then we all actually got to sleep in on Saturday!!!  Samone made everyone pancakes for breakfast!!!  We got ready and headed off to Samone's soccer game!!  The game was stressful, as always!!! But Samone ROCKED IT, as always!!!  We ended up tieing the game 1-1.  After the game, our little family headed downtown the Oktobefest!!!  It was fun, we stayed for about an hour.  We got the kids a pizza and brought them home.  We left them at home and headed down the street to Jotini's to meet Mike and Tami!!!

After awhile, we decided to drop Lauren off at our house with the kids and we all headed to the Muesum Club.  We actually ended up at the bowling alley and bowled two games!!!  It was so much fun!!!  Sunday was cold and rainy all day long.  Kendall's soccer game got cancelled, so we just hung out at home all day Sunday getting stuff done around the house and watched football!!!!  Fall is here!!! I love it!!!!

Camp Colton

Well, the big week finally came.  I have heard about it around town for years.  All the 6th graders in Flagstaff go to Camp Colton for 4 days and 3 nights!! AND... they have NO contact with their families during that time!!!!  Samone's turn finally came this past week!!!  We spent Sunday afternoon getting her all packed up.  She was excited and nervous all wrapped up into one!!!  Monday morning she got ready, we double checked her stuff, and off we went to drop her off at school!!

Now, I really thought it was going to be a lot harder for me than it really was.  I was actually super excited for her, to get out on her own and be a little independent!!!!  And I knew she would be fine!!  She has never done ANYTHING like this before... especially the "no contact" thing!!!

She did text me before they left, once they were on the buses on their way up and (suprisingly) once after they had gotten their and eaten lunch!!!  But that was my last contact with her until about 10:30am on Thursday.  She texted me that they were on the buses and heading out.  Then she called me once they got to the school.  I couldn't wait to see her.  I will say that I did pick up on dirty, smelly tired little girl!!!!    She was a little upset with me for being a little late..... (like 10 minutes late, but I think she was just over tired).

We got home and chatted a bit about her experience!!!! She had so much fun!!! I knew she would. She took a shower and I started her laundry.  Then we went to Freddie's for a burger and fries. We shared a custard and headed back home.  She was exhausted, so I let her just lay around and be lazy the rest of the day!!!!

But it was a great experience for her, one she will remember forever!!!!  I am so proud of her!!!  Though, I do have to report - for the record - that our house was a totally different place without her here!! We love her to bits and pieces and missed her like crazy, but it was just so calm here!!!  There was no fighting, no arguing!! It was nice!!!

But what is even nicer is having all of my kiddos home with me, safe and sound!!  I am so blessed!!!!

LITTLE LEAGUE!!!

Well... we did it!!  I must admit, I was a little nervous... But somehow we did it!!!  All three kids played Little League, and somehow it all worked out.  David and I both got to watch everyone play several games, and somehow ALL WORKED OUT!!!  And what a BLAST it was!!!


First of all, Samone!!  We tried talking her into playing, but she refused!!! So we let it go.  After a few days  of going to the park and practicing, Samone deciding she wanted to give it a try!! So, tryouts were already over and teams were formed and had even started practicing. But I decided to get in touch with the registration and see if they could get her on a team!! Well, THEY COULD!!  She joined the Angels... and it turned out to be the most amazing experience we could have asked for!!!  Her coach, Eddie Agular, was amazing.  The team was a group of amazing and sweet girls and Samone really had an amazing experience with them.  And she was so good!!  After her first practice Eddie told me he wasn't worried about her at all and that he saw a lot of potential in her.  Throughout the course of the season, she went from playing half the game and playing out field to playing 2nd base the entire game!!!!  She was making plays, getting outs, making base hits, stealing bases and sliding into bases!!!  WOW!!  It was so much fun to watch.  And she was the youngest one on the team!!!  All the parents of the really good players came up to me at some point throughout the season to comment to me about Samone.  None of them could believe it was her first time playing.  Her coach even recommended her for All-Stars.  She would have done it, but it conflicted with soccer!!! It was just an absolutely amazing experience!!  I am so proud of her!!!


Adrien!!!  I can not wait to see what becomes of his baseball "career".  He is just so good!!! I mean, so good!!!  On the Rockhounds again, with Caden and Hunter and with Coach Chris, Coach Logan and Coach David!!  David amazes me out there!! He really is so good with those boys!!! And Adrien, I just love to watch him play.  He just knows the game, his instincts are unbelievable!!  This was the last year of Tball!!  I can't wait for next year in AAA!!!


And my little Kendall Shae!!  This could be her thing!!  She really had an AMAZING season!!  And she really loves it.  And she totally has the look!!!  She looks so dang cute out there!!!  And she also really gets the game, making playing, making outs, and really hitting that ball!!!  I really think she could do great with this sport!!  I really hope she sticks with it cuz I know she can be really really good!!!  


So, it was a great Little League season!!!  I really enjoyed every minute of it!!  The Sunflower seeds, iced tea and watching my amazing kiddos have amazing seasons!!!!

Juanima and David's first run together!!!

That was a tough one. Uphill the first half of the run! Holy moly! But we did it! Our first run together. David at 56 minutes and me at 61 minutes! Woo hoo! 

Next American Idol???

Today we went to Lyna and Dustin's "Celebration of Life" shower!!  It was a PT's in Winslow.  They had a DJ and let me tell you... Kendall STOLE THE SHOW!!!

It was a fun night with family celebrating our newest family soon to make his/her entrance into the world.