Soccer year 2: Judah Rocks the field

So this year we have signed up for Greenville park district Soccer.  It is sponsored by the Greenville College and their students from their Soccer team are the coaches for each of the teams.  I was presently surprised and impressed with these guys.  They are incredibly patient and encouraging to all of the kids.  They are a lot more skilled then parent coaches (as I have been told), and they also give individual praise to each one of the kids -- even on teh first day knew their names!

Judah is doing really well -- in fact most of the parents say they think he is the best on the team-- they describe him as the only kid that seems to know what he is doing.... just wish he would get a goal!  He is a natural and it is fun to watch.  His coaches especially have tapped into his uncanny ability to cover the ball and goal on defense.  It is incredible to watch him track the offense and block their every move...even when they are inches away from scoring, he can just keep up and swipe it away at the last second.  He also doesnt even look like he is kicking the ball when he runs it down the field... it just seems to follow his feet as he runs.  Incredible.  I think I will try to hook him up with some lessons next year as I think with a little more guidance (these 30 min practices with 10 energetic kids does not make way for a lot of fundamentals to be taught)

Drills

Look at that form.... SO CUTE and awesome

Already sick of the Press photos... but here he is rocking his Karate Kid head band

This is a little drill they were doing where the coach was bouncing the ball off of their heads... looked pretty fun for the coach.

I have a few more fun clips I might post or will show when I am in Cbus this weekend.

Spring is in Swing

So the weather has been getting really nice lately -- these pictures were taken this Palm Sunday in our yard.

Hair is getting so long! We are going to get it trimmed up a bit for easter... I love it!

Judah took this one.... nice work!

I guess I dont walk around my house much -- and was very pleased to find that we have these awesome flowers... No idea the name, but they are the really pretty smelling ones like what Aunt Judy has in her back yard....  oh they were so yummy! (to smell, Jesse- i didnt eat them)

Humoring me with all of my picture taking

Almost done with me but still adorable

What are they called?

Our neighbors have this awesome swing that Judah spends a lot of time on.  He showed me how he winds/twists it up until it reaches "my belly button" and then hops on it to spin around

This is to the side of my house and across the street.  I love the hold barn and the budding trees surrounding it.  

You cant handle this

And where would a lazy Sunday afternoon be without a little weaponry.
Seriously-- we have a problem.  Judah has weapons of every kind.  Just that morning he was "hunting" me as I got ready for church.  He would shoot a bow from his bow and arrow set from my closet, or crawling under my bed, he even got the shower curtain when I was singing a way.... sneaky sneaky

Can you find the Cardinal?
My house is surrounded by a bird love fest--seriously.  There are pairs of birds flirting amongst the trees all day long.  I especially find it cool to spot the brightly colored Cardinals.  Judah has learned to spot him and his "ugly" girlfriend as the female is more brown with a hint of red on her head.


So Excited to be heading to Columbus Wednesday after school to visit with the FAM through Monday morning.  

G-rents visit continued

Random Reason you know you're in Greenville when a friend gives you a carton full of just laid eggs from the chickens in their backyard.... chicken poo and funky colors/sizes included.  Extra note: THESE WERE DELICIOUS! seriously better than store bought... brighter truer color and taste.

You know you will always need your Mama: when she has your house clean within the first 3 hours of arriving in town. She even stumbled upon the untapped joy Judah finds in doing dishes... he asked if he could swap me his chore of "getting the mail" for doing dishes.  Deal, dude.

Aw, he's back in the sweet spot-- Gpa's lap.

We packed a lot in to their little 2 day mini visit.  We went to his soccer game, a movie (Rango), dinner at the NEW restaurant (Hibachi Buffet) in Greenville, visit my work, visit Judah's school, Walmart, Highland, etc.  Great visit, BEST BEST present ever!

Oh yeah, and it snowed on their last day

We miss you!!!!!!

Judah turns 7 (without my permission) part 1

Mom helped me make cupcakes to bring to Judah's class on his birthday.  We were able to help him take them in his classroom and he got to show his Grandma around his Kindergarten Krib (its pretty hardcore learning going on up in there)

The kiddies are arriving -- the best way to experience what true chaos feels like...

Judah was called over to his teacher, Ms May so she could crown him Birthday King for the day

Holding back the overwhelming emotions... hehe 

Mom and I were able to hang out a little bit 

Pledge of allegiance -- with the appropriate amount of solemn sincerity.
(extra nugget: this picture if you look closely also shows a random child in the back lining/balancing his entire crayon collection up his arm-- we all show our patriot pride in different ways friends)

After that, a kid got his hand stuck in a bathroom stall door and so we decided it best to leave.... 

Mom and Dad visit -- # 43 best ever events in my life

On a totally ordinary day in the middle of March I received a call in my office from the front desk.  Cassie seemed a little flustered but urgent when she told me I was requested at the front to speak with a personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (otherwise known as the FBI).  I was concerned but having been called in to speak with a super secret special agent before who had a badge and everything (maybe it didnt say "super secret", it was a while ago, details are blurred), I actually believed her.  I walked quickly up to the front thinking what one of my associates could have spurred this inquiry... also quickly thought back to the last time I may have illegally copied or downloaded music (napster of 2000-2002 how I loved you---innocently of course).   

Anyways, I get to the front and open the door to the lobby and this is what happens in the short wires of my head--

Oh look at the woman, she is a bit under dressed for the FBI-- she kind of looks like my mother, who is that man behind her?  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH MYYYYYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODNESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Its my MOM!.... DAD!!!!!

That is from like a 2 second dialogue in my head but I literally had to explain what I was seeing to myself before I could comprehend that my parents, who were kind of cool before, we now THE COOLEST ever!!

Everyone laughed at my terror, scream, and joy, as well as few tears...  See I was kinda stressing about this week because it was Judah's first birthday away from any kind of family or friends and I was struggling to find a way to make it fun and happy instead of sad and depressing what with the giant whole you all have left in us when we are away.

Coolest thing they have ever done! 

I was able to take the next day off (cancelled all my meetings, yeah they are that important!) and so we took Judah to school (see other post about his bday cupcakes) then escaped to 1st--- WALMART, of course.  Then I took them to a little town that has some cute places I had never been.

House of Plenty -- a victorian style house with homemade everything-- the best soups and sandwiches.  The staff are dressed in period outfits.  

Mother- so purty!

faux professional photo moment (they serve sweet tea in mason jars!)

One of the dining rooms

Moms food with fresh sweet potato chips sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar

Dad was commenting on how small his food looked...  Golden Corral has done us wrong

(half) Strawberry Rhubarb!

Mine was the best-- all sandwiches are on homemade bread-- this was a carrot wheat

Fresh baked goods

Mom signing the guestbook

How cute are they? what you cant tell?

Darling!

House of Plenty, Highland, IL

Then we mosey over to the Chocolate Affair (a bed and breakfast in a chocolate shop!)

Aunt Judy.. think I can get you to visit now?? : ) Mom brought home a brochure

A really great day -2/13/2011

Sunday we went to a church family's house for lunch.  Ginny and her family invited us over to make swedish pancakes and hang out.  She is one of the women at my small group and her and her husband have 4 kids (two teenagers and two elementary school age).  They live in this awesome house that is over 150 years old in town and has all of this interesting woodwork, masonry, and secret tunnels!  Judah had a blast playing with her kids while a couple of us others from the small group hung out in the kitchen while her husband, Brian made swedish pancakes.  They are like crepes but a little heavier? but AMAZING! I brough bacon to fry up and we just had a great time talking and getting to know each other better.  As lunch turned into late afternoon we pulled out a lap top and shared our favorite you tube videos including old SNL and Madtv skits.  Here was one of my favorites and me and Amanda have decided to write our own "folk song" and head to taco bell very soon!




  It just was a perfect Sunday afternoon!!  Reminded me a little of Sundays in Ohio hanging with the family--cooking, eating, laughing, and just enjoying company of others.  Could not have asked for a better day!