Soccer!

I never thought I'd be a soccer mom, but after just finishing his first 8 week season, I have a feeling I might be for a little while. : )  I felt pretty confident that Sawyer would like soccer.  I mean, he gets to run outside, kick a ball and people cheer when you score a goal.  What's not to love??  What I wasn't expecting was for him to be on a team with all girls!  Ha!  It didn't bother him at all, and it turned out to be just fine.  Until the end the games usually went something like this:  the coach would let one of the girls kick the ball while holding Sawyer back, and then once let loose, he would run like a tornado to get the ball.  For a while he would just run past everyone kicking the ball, in any and every direction,  until someone stopped him!  : )  In the end, he finally started learning to go towards the goal . . . the correct goal!  All in all, he had fun, learned to run without pushing and to go in the right direction.  In my book that's a successful season!

Here are two of the cute members of the cheering section.  The first game was the coldest day I think we had all winter!

Note the fact that he cares a lot more than the little girls do at this point. : )

 Some of his cute team members!

Note where Sawyer is in reference to the rest of his team. : )

One of the best parts, besides snack, was that all the parents would make a tunnel with their arms for the kids to run through.  They thought it was so great!

Edventure!

Where else in Columbia can you play African drums, pick peaches, milk a cow, drive a skid steerer, grocery shop, drive a fire truck and so much more??  Edventure, of course!  This year Grandma and Grandpa got us an Edventure membership and we have loved it!  We've taken several trips, but over Christmas break we got to take Daddy with us!  He was a great sport and jumped in to play, which of course made the boys day!  Granna kept Libby so she could take a nap, and we got to run around with no stroller or diaper bag! : )  What a fun day!

Tricycles, Trains and Tea Parties

So I realize we've been gone for a while, mostly because my camera died and I haven't mailed it in to Canon yet. : (  I do have some pictures that never made there way to the blog, so we'll use this time to do a little catching up! 
Trains are a huge deal in our house!  The boys love them and Libby likes tearing the track apart playing with them too!

I always ask the kids what kind of birthday cake/cupcakes they want.  This year Sawyer said he wanted, and I quote, "A chocolate cake with choclate icing and a boy with a dog on a leash."  Ok.  So that was my best attempt. : )

Libby is currently in love with tea parties and thankfully, her brothers are willing to join in from time to time. 

Sawyer got a bike for his birthday, which means Jack got the tricycle.  Now the boys beg to go ride all the time!  Sawyer's getting better and better!

Happy Birthday, baby girl!!

So for any of you who keep up with these things, yes I do know that my  daughter's birthday was on January 1st not February 1st.  I have had these pictures loaded for a while, but I just couldn't find the time to sit down and finish . . . ooorrrr maybe I couldn't admit that she's getting further and further away from being a baby (sniff).  The first year of both my second and third have seemed to fly by.  It's so much harder to stop and enjoy the little things when there are two others to keep up with and pay attention to!  I am thankful though for al the fun we had the first year and all the fun to come! 

She was so itty bitty in comparison to the boys and has most definitely stayed that way!



New Years will never be the same again because I will always remember our first new year with you!

You always have a grin on your face when someone you love is in view. 

You smile so big that it sometimes seems like it might stretch right off your face! : )



Your fly away hair, with your grandpa comb over, cracks me up!

I don't think you're going to be shy at all!  You're loud, probably to be heard above the boys, and friendly to almost everyone we see!

Did I also mention messy??



You love to do everything your brothers do!  You hate to be left out and you are very observant.  It's not often that I hide something from you baby girl!

You have very animated facial expressions, to say the least. : )  You are quick to let us know when you like something or hate it!  There is plenty of spunk in that little body!

I'm so glad you've kept your baby blues like your Daddy and Grandaddy.  While you look like your Granna some days, the blue eyes and blonde hair really just give you your own little look.

Libby Lou, Lou Lou Belle and Lou Lou are just a few of the names we call you these days, but you'll always be my baby girl.  I love my boys, don't get me wrong, but there's just something different about a little girl.  You have captured the hearts of everyone in our house, including your brothers who adore you!  Mommy and Daddy love you Elizabeth Caroline and we pray that you will grow up to be a more beautiful girl on the inside than you are on the outside through a relationship with our Savior!   

Happy Birthday!