How We Spend Our Time!

So, at the beginning of August the girls both began practices for their sports...Payton started soccer and Maci started cheerleading.  Payton has practices 2 days a week and games on Saturday mornings.  Maci has practices 2 days a week and a game either on Wednesday or Saturday.  We are BUSY!!!  Payton is playing her second season of soccer with her daddy as her coach.  She loves going to practice especially when Alan lets them ride bikes over to the soccer field.  She usually comes home beat red from practice because she only knows one speed...hard and fast!  When we ask her what she wants to try next, she always insists on playing soccer again.  She is quite the athlete and is as competitve as they come  She is a feisty little go-getter out there!  She usually scores several goals and is one of the first ones down the field for defense.  She isn't afraid to throw a few elbows, and is a little bit of a ball hog (but that runs in the family, so it was expected! :))  We love watching our little dynamite play!!!

 

The Coach and his Dynamite 

 Payton scoring one of the 4 goals she scored in this particular game!

 This girl has got some hustle!

 Waving to her adoring fans (who faithfully show up at almost every game!!)

 

So, last spring Maci came home from school and asked if she could try cheerleading for the Swenke Dolphins this year.  I thought (although cheer is most definitely NOT my thing) that it would be a great way for her to make some good girlfriends, so we said yes.  Her reason for wanting to join was that the girls got to wear their uniforms to school on game days.  Cute, huh?!?  She made the Dolphins squad and was super excited.  She has done a wonderful job at all her practices.  They have learned probably around 20 or 30 cheers and a very involved half-time dance.  They have acquired quite a uniform get-up complete with bows, pom poms, uniform, chair, bag, megaphone, etc etc etc!!  Alan is having a hard time keeping his wallet in tact with all this!  Ha!  Anyway, she is having a ball!  Yesterday was her first game and she looked like a natural out there!  She knew every move to every cheer and really rocked at her dance!  We are so very proud of Maci!  (Did I mention how completely gorgeous this child looked???) 

 

She let me take some pics before her first game!

Maci is totally gitty before her game!

 She did such a great job!

Both of the girls seem to really enjoy the activities they have picked for this fall.  And, we are a totally busy family!  We are really really proud of them both!!!

School is in session!

So, school has begun!  The girls are having a wonderful time and they love being there.  This is Payton's kindergarten year and Maci is in 2nd grade.  Could time fly by any faster???  I think the girls are becoming even better friends now that they have school in common.  They seem to enjoy having each other there.  That makes me happy.  Blake and I have been having a pretty good time too!  We have a nice routine now that we have to entertain ourselves.  MTTHF we go to the gym after we get the girls on the bus, then we either run errands or go home and have lunch.  On Tuesday's we go to Story time at the library when we finish up at the gym.  On Wednesday's we go to Women's Bible Study and then have lunch and hit up the park.  Its a lot of fun for me getting to hang out with my son so much.  I think he likes it too.  He does miss the girls...he insists on sitting in Payton's lap when she gets home and watches tv with her, or he goes upstairs and wrestles with her...they are more like brothers!!  :-)  He is a willing participant when Maci wants to play "school" and does exactly as she says...that alone tells me he misses her!  Ha!  I miss them both too, but enjoy them when they get home (when they are in the mood to be enjoyed!! :))

 

This is meet the teacher day!  (They still love dressing the same, when does that stop??  I hope not soon!) 

 First Day of school

 Alan hung around to see them off for their first day!!

 Me and my babies!!!  (See, I'm already dressed for the gym membership I am about to go reward myself with!!)

 Sweet girls!

 2nd Grade

 Kindergarten

 Off they go!!!  Notice them holding hands!!!  On day two, Maci asked Payton where she wanted to sit on the bus and she said, "I don't care where we sit, but can you not hold my hand this time?"  Well, well, well, I guess she is already too cool for school!  Poor Maci, she adores getting to be the one who knows the ropes and has loved showing Payton where to go and what to do.  Payton is so over that...too big for her britches! 

We miss them, but they are having a great time and doing a fabulous job!!!



Splash pad!!!

So I looked around the room today at my kiddos all still in jammies and decided a little fun in the sun was in order.  I had them put on swimsuits and I packed our lunches.  We took off on our bikes for a long ride to the splash pad.  Once we got there, we started unpacking our lunch and bragging to daddy with pics about how much fun we were having.  I look over and realize that I am gonna need a key to get into the splash pad and I did NOT bring it!!!  Ugh!!  We hop on our bikes and head all the way back home.  I went in, got the key, and piled everyone into the car!  I'm all about exercise (not really) but we were driving this time!  Anywho, once in, they had a blast and I got called cool mom for the day!  Hooray!  Enjoy the pics!  :-)

 Before we realize we are locked out...bragging to daddy!

 Yummy lunch!

 Crazy boy of mine loves to take pictures of himself while looking at himself...got a lot of his daddy in him!!!  Hahahahaha!!

More Summertime!!!

Playtime outside!  The kids LOVE the new cul-de-sac!

 Teaching Maci to shoot hoops!  Brings back lots of sweet memories of my own days with a basketball in hand!

 Payt on her big bike!

 Off they go!!!

 The dude taking a break!

 Well, you gotta work out after a big ice cream bar, right??

 The 6 weeks we were staying with the Meers' were the busiest I have ever been!  We spent our days in the car on the go, dropping off, picking up, waiting to drop off or pick up!  It was wild!!!  Since being all moved in we've had camps, VBS, and more camps!  The last couple of weeks we have NOTHING planned, so we've enjoyed lazy days in jammies watching tv!

 Blake has really gotten into building with blocks!  He is very good too!  One of his favorite things to do is build out instead of up!  (Notice how well he sorts the blocks too!!)

 Blake and I went out to watch the foundation being poured across the street...he LOVED it!

 The girls spent a couple of days with my parents for the first time ever!  Mom and dad made it so very special for them!  They went to Fiesta Texas the first day, and then to Austin Parks and pizza the next day!  The girls LOVED every minute of it!

 My sumo wrestler!  (He has taken over Payton's Leapster since she took off to Austin!!)

Alan grilled some cedar planked salmon and a lobster tail for dinner one night!  He and Maci devoured it!

 Blake and I had gourmet burgers, and sweet sweet Payton requested peanut butter and jelly!  (I can say nothing, she gets it from me!!)

 Dinner with the Stovall's at Chuy's before watching the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics...he just looked too cool not to take a pic!!