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Thursday, September 25, 2008

I Spy....

I just had to share a cute story from last night.  As we were driving home from soccer last night, all three kids started playing "I Spy" in the back of the van.  It was darling!  Ashley gave great clues and the twins were really good about guessing what she was looking at.  Cierra did a great one on her turn, too.  She said, "It's red and has tires."  It was our van!  It was so cute.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Soccer Pics

Sorry, the pictures are a little fuzzy because I keep forgetting my "real" camera and I had to use the camera in my phone.  I'll try to remember my camera next week.  The picture above is Ashley on the sideline with her teammate Cassidy.  They usually talk a lot during the game.


Here is Ashley throwing the ball into play!


Ashley is on the far right in the white jersey.


Here she is following the ball down the field.


Isn't she cute in her pink cleats?

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Ashley's Hair


She's not happy in the top picture, but she does like her hair.  I think she may have been a teeny bit sad that her long hair was gone, and understanding that it was because of her actions that this had to happen.  But, she's okay now.  So she now has a stacked A-line, and it is SO CUTE!  She got some compliments on it from friends and teachers at Primary and school, and I think that went a long way towards her being okay with it.  And...She looks so much older to me!  And taller, too, if that's possible.  For those of you who haven't seen her in person lately, she is about 4 feet tall already!  She definitely takes after her daddy!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

What a Day

This day said, "Hmmm... The twins were good at the meeting yesterday, and it was a pretty good day, so today I'm going to let Crystal have it!!"  Really.  It started right off.  Ashley WOULD NOT get out of bed to go to school.  (And, yes, I'm pretty sure that it has nothing to do with the kid that has been picking on her at school.  She has told me numerous times today that she was just tired.  I've asked many different ways at different times, all non-threatening.)  I'm talking full out fit with kicking and the works.  Bryan was able to get her to go, but she was late.  Bryan took her to school on his way to work and she had to go into the office and say she was late.  Unfortunately, it sounds like the school was all "Oh!  That's fine!  Just go ahead to class!"  No, it's not fine.  But, anyways, I get calmed down and by noon I'm doing okay.  It takes me a little while to get calmed down after getting so stressed out.  Then, at 2 o'clock (15 minutes before school gets out) I get a call from Ashley's teacher saying that Ashley cut her hair at school!!!!!!!  I'm not talking a little trim, there is a HUGE chunk taken out of the back of her hair clear up to her hairline.  Like 3 inches across!  I thank Mrs. Marshall for calling and leave to pick Ashley up at the bus stop.  I'm very calm (really!).  I'm not even mad, I'm just really sad and disappointed that she would do something like that, and she also lied to her teacher about it saying that I let her do that sort of thing (!!!) which of course her teacher saw right through.  So, I don't say anything about it when she gets off the bus, don't want to get into it until we can sit and talk, but Ashley brings it up as soon as we get home before I have a chance to ask about it.  And lies again saying that another girl did it to her and she didn't notice until it was already done.  Wow.  I sat her down and very calmly explain to her that her teacher called me, so I already know what happened, and I know that she was the one who did it.  She knew she was busted.  We had a good talk.  She said, again, that she didn't want to go to school that morning because she was tired, not anything else (and I asked her specifically if she was scared or worried or bored or anything).  She also told me that she cut her hair, essentially, to get back at us for making her go to school this morning, and that she lied both times because she didn't want to get in trouble.  No big surprise.  I asked her if she knew what would have been easier, and she said, unprompted, that it would have been easier to have not done it in the first place (Right answer!!  Maybe I'm not a total failure, although I feel like it today.).  I'm drained, and now I need to figure out a cute haircut that we can give to Ashley that is short enough to fix her hair.  Oh, and did I mention that pictures are in a week and a half?  Yeah.  At least it's not tomorrow, right?

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Sorry It's Been So Long...

...since I've posted.  Time has definitely gotten away from me.  Ashley started first grade and loves it.  She is doing really well.  The twins are growing like weeds.  I can't believe this is their last year before kindergarten!


I had a meeting with our county's foster placement committee this morning.  Boy was I nervous.  It was just a "put a face with the profile" meeting, but these are the people who decide who gets what placement, so I was really nervous.  I think it went well.  The twins were really well behaved (YAY!) and I was able to answer all the questions they had.  Of course, on the way home I thought of all the things I should have said or could have said better, but oh well.  Now, I just hope this was the last hoop that we had to jump through before we can actually start getting placements.  They did say that they approved us last week, so I think that is a good sign!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Bryan's New Calling

Our ward split about 3 weeks ago, and it really was time.  We had over 600 members and two elder's quorums!  (Although our new ward still has 2 elder's quorums and 4 nurseries!!)  So we are now in a newly created ward and everyone is getting new callings.  Bryan got a doosie!  He is now officially the Sunday School President of the Traverse Mountain 6th Ward.  We were both a bit shocked.  But he is going to be great, I just know it.

First Soccer Game

Ashley had her very first soccer game last night, and she had a lot of fun.  She played a lot of the game, and even got her foot on the ball a few times!  And, I know winning isn't everything, but....WE WON!  He he.

Monday, August 11, 2008

FINALLY!!!

We are now officially licensed foster/adopt parents!  We are so excited!  We had our safety check with our licensor this morning, and at the end she said we passed on the first try (which is rare) and that we are now licensed!  We should meet our case worker sometime this week or the first of next week and then we will be waiting for our first placement.  Woo Hoo!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Swimming Lessons

I know, I know.  The kids had their swimming lessons two months ago.  I'm going to blame my not putting up the pictures until now on being busy working on getting licensed with the state to do foster care (which btw, we have our safety check on Monday. Fingers Crossed!), or maybe traveling, or the weather.  But it wasn't me, no way.  Okay, enough excuses and on to the pictures...


Cierra showing me how she can blow bubbles.


Ashely showing me how well she can swim.


This is the Twins' class.  Gavin (with the dark blue swim shirt) was the only boy!  Cierra is in the forefront with the braid and the blue swimming suit.


This is Ashley's class.  She is the head that is partially underwater in the middle of the picture near the edge of the pool (not at the bottom).  She is swimming by herself!


And here's cutie Ashley mugging for the camera.


Soccer Mom!


I'm now officially a soccer mom.  I parked my van (which 5 years ago I swore I would never, ever own) next to all of the other soccer mom's vans, and took Ashley to her first soccer practice today for city league.  It was cute.  Ashley would run after the ball, and even get a kick in here and there, but if someone challenged her, she would get nervous and stop kicking.  But, for her very first time playing soccer (or any other organized sport for that matter) she did really well!  I think she'll get into it, but if she doesn't then we'll move on after soccer season and try something else that she might like.

The picture below is Ashley scoring a goal while Gavin plays "goalie" before practice.