Soccer Stars

i really love watching soccer, thankfully my girls love playing soccer. here are some pics of last fall season.

Short and Sassy

Last Sunday night Ellie got out of the shower, came in my room and asked "Mommy, will you cut my hair? I want it to be short like yours?" Now I am by no means qualified to cut hair, especially curly hair but I said Sure. She brought me the scissors and now she has a short haircut that she "loves". She has gotten many compliments. I think it matches her fiesty personality. Don't look to close or you will see the uneven parts!!

Playing Hooky

I am not advocating playing hooky from school, I am a school teacher you know. Here are some pics from a "family vacation" to Portland that just happened to be on a school day.

We took the girls to Powell's book store, they each had $10 to spend. Here is the book that Maddie choose.

Then the girls are just posing in front of the "big buildings" in downtown Portland.

We then took the girls to Grant Park where there are some statues dedicated to the author Beverly Cleary (Maddie loves her books). They are posing with Ramona Quimby.

We ended our afternoon by eating at this cute little restaurant called PB and Ellie's. Ellie loved seeing her name all over the menu. Like I said I don't advocate playing hooky, but we sure did have a good day!!

I am still learning about adding photos, sorry about the unorganization of this post :)

Saturday Fun

Usually on Saturdays i can look forward to at least a little bit of sleeping in...not anymore because indoor soccer has begun. Maddie's last two games (including this a.m.) have been at 8am. So at 6:48 I rolled out of bed to get ready. It was a good game, I enjoy watching them improve with each week. Then it was off to my church's monthly Clothes Closet. We open up our gym, filled with tables and tables of donated clothes, household goods etc. to the neighborhood so they can go shopping. It is like Goodwill but FREE!!! I enjoy being an organizer of this event. If anyone has anything to donate let me know and I can come and pick it up. Then we (the girls and I) rounded out the evening by going and watching one of my friend's daughter's high school gymnastics meet. Maddie and Ellie had fun and now they want to do gymnastics :) How did you spend your Saturday?

My Girls

Here is a picture of my beauties. Maddie is now 7 (and 1/2, very important). Actually she will be 8 in less than 2 weeks. Ellie is 5. This is a picture of them a couple of weeks before Christmas at their play for church. Aren't they adorable? As I look at them I am in total amazement that God has entrusted them to me. I do not feel worthy. I like to look at these pics when they look so sweet and loving towards each other during the times when they are not being so nice to each other and remember that "this too shall pass". Thank you God for giving me these great girls. Help me to be the mother that they need. They bring me such joy.

Tornado Central....

..is how I answered the phone at our house yesterday afternoon. Unless you live in a cave I am sure you heard the news of our Winter Tornado 2008 that occurred yesterday. This is a picture that Ty took of a building that is about 3 blocks from our house. My school (and the whole district for that matter) was in a weather lockdown Thursday afternoon for about an hour. My students thought all the hail was "cool but very loud". Ty said the whole experience was very surreal. It truly shows the power of God and how He has the whole world in His Hands. Thanks you Lord for keeping my family safe through the whole experience.

PS. I actually put a photo on my blog. This is also a first for me!!

Oh so cute!!!

Well Christmas break is almost over. Our family had a great break but I think my kids are ready to see their friends again. As I look back here are a few of the highlights:
1) Ellie learned how to take a shower "all by myself".
2) Maddie can now jump on her Pogo stick 14 times in a row. A big improvement from the one jump she could do on Christmas Day.
3) We went to the Zoo.
4) Mommy and Daddy went out to dinner to a nice restaurant (The Indian Oven on Hawthorne-I recommend it, if you like spicy food).
5) We tried a few new recipes from our newest Rachael Ray cookbook.

Hope you all have a great rest of the weekend!

Also, Ellie said a funny thing while at the Zoo.
Ellie: "Mommy, do you know what my mouth is?"
Mommy: "What?"
Ellie: "It is a little house for my tongue!"
Out of the mouths of babes!!