Journey with Jordan!

We had so much fun at the Buddy Walk this year! Jordan had 22 people on her team!!! Thanks to everyone who participated with us!

Team "Journey with Jordan"

Jordan was on cloud-nine and loved having everyone there just for her! We wore leis to make our team look cohesive. They looked good, but they sure were scratchy. I really liked that the Buddy Walk T-shirts were navy except for the folks with Down Syndrome - theirs were red. It really made them stand out!

Jordan spent most of her time on Uncle Erin's shoulders. He was a really great sport!

His shirt says "I AM ... ALL THAT IS MAN"
The 'boys' riding in the wagon

Uncle Erin with Jordan and Beth with Jake

Jadyn & Jace in the wagon, seconds before Jace passed out :)

Medals at the finish!

Kylie & Jace takin' a snooze
Stopping for a snack

Sorry!

I've mentioned before what game fanatics we are in this family.

And, we start 'em young around here ...

Eric leaves for the Army

My little brother, Eric came home from the Marines a few months ago and has now joined the Army! He wants to do special forces with the Army.

My mom had a going-away party for him which was a lot of fun!

Eric with my kidsMe with my "little" brothers, Eric & Erin.

I'm standing as high on my toes as I can get!
Being silly with his cake and Jace's sippy cup

Fall Costumes

My mother-in-law has graciously provided our kids with costumes every fall and the kids love it! This year, she took them shopping to pick them out and here's what they chose:

Cinderella, Storm Trooper and Princess Leia ... we had a mini-Spider Man as well, but he was in no mood to be photographed! Who knew Spider Man woke up grumpy from naps?

My Dad

My dad passed away Sunday night. He had been sick for a long time and had been in Hospice for about a month. It was a long road.

My relationship with my dad wasn't the typical father-daughter relationship. It didn't even begin in the typical way. That's to say that he adopted me when I was 11. Not that he EVER treated me as anything but his own flesh and blood. He loved me and adored me. I never doubted that.

It wasn't the ideal, but it was what I had. At the end of it all, he was my daddy. And I loved him very much.

Sharks & Soccer

Jake and Jadyn had their soccer team pictures made a couple weeks ago. I didn't have my camera for Jadyn's pictures (because Ed & Jake had it on the camp out). But, here are the Sharks (minus one player)! Serious pose:And, being silly: This is the 3rd season for 3 of the boys to play together and the second for another two boys - and it shows on the field! They are so fun to watch! Jake loves it more every week. He has become a pretty good defensive player. Its really fun to watch him develop and work hard. We've talked about him doing some exercises at home to prepare for Spring soccer so that he has more endurance when he gets the chance to play offense. Which totally cracks me up. I mean, he's SEVEN! The kid has some serious focus for sure! He just showed up that way.

As for Jadyn, let's just say that it doesn't look like soccer is her thing! She's cute as she can be out there, but, seriously, her season cannot end soon enough for me! For such a feisty little thang, she turns to mush on the soccer field. She runs (sort of) up and down the field, but mainly because she's following/chasing the other kids. She barely notices the ball! One week, in the middle of the game, she was at one end of the field comparing shoes with a little girl from the other team while the ball (and other players) were at the opposite end of the field! It was hilarious!

Cub Scout Campout

Jakey went on his first campout a couple weeks ago and loved every minute of it!!

They went fishing, (without much luck!), roasted marshmallows & ate smores, slept in a tent, saw alligators, armadillos and deer, climbed trees, played games and had plenty of boys around to play with! He even got to help with one of the flag ceremonies. What more could he ask for?

It was a little chilly at night, but nothing some hot chocolate in the morning couldn't take care of!

He was dog-tired when he got home, but is already looking forward to next time!