Soccer..soccer..more soccer and volleyball

Yesterday afternoon I took Chocolate the guinea pig to the vet and then from there picked up Evelyn from student council and Caleb from try outs for the Christmas play. 😵‍💫

Yep, just a typical fall day in my home. Actually, this fall the afternoons have been sports practices, both for Evelyn and the boys and John and me. John took on coaching the West Hills jr. high boys soccer team; I helped with the 8th grade girls volleyball.

  

 Additionally, all the kids also play on another soccer team. Our fall life was quite crazy; much of my afternoons were spent in the car dropping and picking kids up. 

Evelyn played volleyball admittedly for no other reason than to be with her friends on a team. She became quite good at the front row. Her height and natural athleticism equipped her to hit and play the net well.

 However, I do not think she will play again. Soccer is her first love; but it was sure fun to share this season with her. 

As a side note, the other volleyball team took 1st place in the division. It was so fun to go and cheer for  them. They played a tough game. 

Evelyn's fall has also been consumed with earning money referring soccer games in Tualatin. Often times she rides her bike to the local park and spends the entire morning working. She absolutely loves the thrill of earning money and being in charge with the whistle!

Sports have taken up most of our free time this fall, which sadly, leaves little time for anything else. I did manage to sneak in an apple picking afternoon on our way home from a soccer game in Salem.

A joy and privilege of being in 8th grade is getting to lead chapel at school. Evelyn is usually front and center, smiling brightly and singing enthusiastically. 

This year, John and I are doing one on one trips with the boys to DisneyLand. The first one with James was a total surprise. John and James spent two whole days in the parks together, and it was truly a memory they will soon not forget. 

I get to go next with Levi. 

Another fall highlight for John and me was running the Portland Marathon. We trained the entire summer and the race didn't disappoint. It was a gorgeous day in the city and the crowds and atmosphere were so encouraging and positive. My knees and joints hurt the last hour, but I pushed through and we finished in 4:27 min! Rob also surprised us from Seattle. He biked along the route and took videos of us to capture the day. 

Mid October had me craving everything pumpkin.My refrigerator is fully stocked with pumpkin coffee, creamer, cream cheese, cinnamon rolls and cookies. Evelyn and her friend Kiah carved their pumpkins together. They designed them after Monsters Inc. 

The boys did theirs too, although they began to rot and attract fruit flies after only a few days, so we had to toss them out already. 

John has had full on math tutoring sessions in the evenings with all the kids. They are all working really hard this year and doing a good job. 

And finally....... the fireplace has officially been turned on!😁 

Summer 2025

 

Oh my goodness, where did the summer go. I know that sounds cliche, but it's so true as I find myself in a suddenly peaceful and quiet house once again. I haven't updated my life at all this summer because my computer keyboard stopped working and upon taking it in to be checked, the guy lifted up the keyboard base and found dry red stickiness. The cost to fix it is more than the computer is worth, so in the mean time, John found me an old wireless keyboard and now I am finally able to type again!

I have three whole months to catch up on in this blog. We didn't go on any major trips or do anything extraordinary, but is sure was a wonderful summer. The best way to catch up quickly on three months is a picture drop. So here we go.......

To start off the summer, Evelyn graduated from her orthodontic treatment and now has a perfectly straight smile. 

Creation Encounter Field Trip: A few days after school let out, I had my kids signed up for an educational excursion, led by a team of educators called "Creation Encounters." We went on an all day field trip in the gorge and looked at rock formations and fossils as evidence as to how the great flood changed life on earth. 

Rodeo, July 1 with our friends the Austins. 

Caleb got a selfie with the Rodeo clown

Paddle Boarding. Living so close to the Tualatin River gives us ample opportunity to use our board and have some fun in the water. 

Piano Playing. Apart from having a Golden Retriever, John also had a goal of getting an upright piano in our house. During his downtimes from work, he comes up a plays a few tunes. He says it's extremely relaxing and fun to be able to play here and there throughout the day. Caleb has taken an interest in sounding out some tunes as well. 

Gardening: Evelyn's garden produced several huge harvests of fresh produce. She also has three watermelons that we watched grow during the hot months. My favorites were the fresh tomatoes. 

One on one Mom Dates: I took each of the kids out for a special one on one time of their choosing.

Caleb chose Chuckie Cheese and Chick-fil-a.....

Levi chose bowling and laser tag...

(And a one foot chili dog)

James wanted to catch some big ones...

And Evelyn wanted to go shopping.

Soccer: Since all the kids are playing club soccer this year, they kept up with practices and played in a few tournaments. 

Evelyn played in one in Salem. 

And the boys played some in Beaverton and Wilsonville.
Summer soccer is HOT!

4th of July brought mild tempertures this year. The kids participated in the neighborhood parade and we did our usual 4th of July fireworks and festivities in the cut-de-sac near our house. 

At the beginning of July, the boys took a guys hiking trip to punchbowl falls in the Gorge. 

The water was crystal clear but it was frigid. 

The boys jumped off ledges and built forts. It was a great day to play in nature. 

Evelyn volunteered as a VBS leader again this year. The kids adored her and she had a great time. 

We took a trip up north to spend a long weekend with our friends the Austin in Whidbey Island. 

Getting there was quite the adventure as we had to take two ferries. 

The wharf was a dramatically different experience between high tide and low tide. 

Low tide brought about opportunities to explore all the critters beneath the dock. 

Coupeville is a special place. 

We enjoyed the time spent with our friends and eating so much CRAB!

The last time we were here was four years ago. 

We recreated some pictures. 

Then..

Now.

Evelyn tried knee boarding for the first time. She really liked it.