Easter...

Here are a few pics of our Easter day celebration!

Update - finally!

Lame, I know! So long since I've updated. Since I joined Facebook and post there, it's hard to keep up on the blog. So here are some photos for the non-FBers. We are in full-swing with Ellie & Michaela in softball, Sami & Michaela in indoor soccer (only 2 more weeks), Michaela in spring league (outdoor) soccer and Sami & Michaela starting school track today. About one more month of *really* crazies and then it'll settle in somewhat...or at least I can tell myself that!

Willie Wonka!

This was quite a production! Not what I was expecting for a 5th/6th grade elementary school musical. These kids were great! The program was almost a full hour and a half of non-stop acting, singing and dancing. Sami was Veruca Salt (snotty girl) and Michaela got to be a squirrel in the Nut Room. It was fun because Sam was able to interact a bit with her sis on stage. :) So after three performances and the final one being last night, I think the let down happened today. Sami has the acting bug. The two things I never, ever have to get on Sami about are going to soccer practice or drama practice. Anyhow, my parents came from Arizona and Brian's dad and stepmom came down from Modesto to see her. I think she made us all very proud!

Christmas at the Cabin!

What a fabulous Christmas! My parents rented a cabin in Shaver Lake (about 1 hour from Fresno in the Sierra Moutains) and it snowed, snowed, snowed! I don't think the girls have actually ever had a white Christmas. We drove in on Christmas eve with my parents (a few mis-adventures on the way, including a wrong turn and getting stuck in the snow) and dad and Brian spent about 2 hours shoveling snow for a place to park -- side note: I think every picture I have of Brian is of shoveling snow or working outside. Mom and Dad brought a tree and we decorated it. Steph, Joel and boys (now 18, 16 & 12) joined us Christmas morning. It snowed all throughout the day. We probably had 1-2 feet of fresh snow. It really was perfect. We spent four nights up there, with Christy & Todd joining us on the last night.

The kids had NO clue as to how much work it was to get there (packing our food in, bringing all the gifts, tree, linens, snowclothes, etc) and it was bunches of work for the adults, but it was worth it! We have a wealth of memories, including daddy's sled run from the top of the cabin to the bottom, which was great fun (I even have a few bruises which serve to remind me that I am in my 40's, not my teens!)! Here are a few pictures from our Winter Wonderland.

Sami's game

Yes, this was the same weekend...we had 7 games to go to this weekend. The coldest weekend of the year (we are actually supposed to get snow sometime between Mon-Wed this week!). Sami played well and scored a great goal as an outside midfielder! Too bad mom didn't get it on film. Anyhow, they took 3rd in the tournament and she got her first trophy. :) They are preparing for their State Cup in Jan. Congrats to our Sami girl!

KK Season Finale

I can't believe it. Michaela's first club soccer season is officially over. After tryouts in Feb, beginning practice in March, spring league, summer tournaments/practice, fall league, State cup and multiple fall tournaments...it was over today with our last home tournament. The girls finished strong. It was ridiculously cold today (33 deg when I left home at 8am) and it got colder through the day. KK took a very hard ball to the face (see pic with big red mark on her face) where they stopped the game to let her recoup during her the first game -- she actually cried, which doesn't happen very often -- and the second game she rolled on the ball and a player clocked her again (see the photo where she is in white jersey diving for the ball). Sigh. She sort of lives for those moments, since she doesn't always get action. Call me a sicko, but I'm sad to see the season end. Truth is, I don't like goodbyes and this is the end of a wonderful season, with great parents and awesome kids. I hope it's the first of many fun seasons for KK. She has been invited to guest play with a neighboring club for some tournament down in SoCal (maybe Anaheim) during Jan, so we'll see...

"I Want it Now!"