Run, Run As Fast As You Can!

On Your Mark,
Get Set,
Go!!!
And the runners are off!
This is a shot about three quarters of the way into the race. This was a 1.75 mile invitational. Daniel has been running at a pretty steady pace for most of the meets. I love watching Daniel run. He loves running and it shows. He always looks so happy and peaceful while he is running. Of course, for his shot, he's trying to look like a tough runner because Mom is taking a picture.
Daniel is smiling now, but he's really thinking about sinking his teeth into the biggest apple he can find. Good race, Daniel!

Freshman Football 2009

Have you ever seen the book Where's Waldo? This is Where's Nicko. He is red jersey #65.
Nicko is ALWAYS the first to get ready for a play.
#65 Nicko.....defensive nose tackle / guard

A day in the life of our freshman football player.

5:30 Wake up, eat, get dressed.
6:15 Start weight lifting for football.
8:00 School Starts.
3:30 Football Practice.
6:30 Get home, shower, wolf down dinner, and then do homework.
8:00 Go to bed exhausted.

Apparently it's worth every ache, drop of sweat and sacrifice he makes to be on the team. The team has lost every game so far, but after each game Nicko has a huge smile. He shrugs and says he did his best and he gave it his all, maybe they'll win the next one. Go Team Go!

I'll add a few more pics to this post next weekend.

Signs that Summer is Fading Away

Summer is slowly fading away. We love the changing of the seasons. The cool crisp air, the beautiful color the fall brings, football games huddled under a wool blanket to keep warm, and picking apples are just a few of the things we LOVE about autumn. Each season is so unique and so different than the season before. So here are our top 5 reason why the kids think that summer is fading and fall is beginning.

#1 No More Dock! The dock removal crew.....
.... and the supervisor!




#2 Football is the new Saturday Project! So exhausting.




#3 Trees are starting to get a little color.



#4 Jean Jackets are needed while the kids wait for the bus in the morning.



#5 The pumpkins and mums have arrived!

The Signature Dive!

Hello from Megan!
Alyssa doing a spin.
Isaac and his karate chop!
Go Matt Go!
Joel doing his version of a belly flop.
Nicko's dive was voted the favorite.


This was Daniel's Revolution...not a somersault, a revolution.

Pool games seem to be a big deal for the kids when we are in Alabama. This year we had a diving competition. There were four dives and you were rated on each dive. The four dives were the perfect dive, a belly flop, a cannon ball and your own signature dive. I don't know who won, but I did get a few good shots of the signature round. I don't know who had more fun, the divers showing off or the judges watching the show.

Air Show 2009

Love the helmet, Isaac!
10,000 pound bomb and Joel...who thinks he's the bomb! :-)
Two planes attached at the wing.

We went to an awesome air show this summer. Actually, the kids went with Joel. Mom stayed home. :-) There was a World War II exhibit and the kids really enjoyed everything. They saw all sorts of unusual things like two airplanes attached at one wing....can someone please tell me why they would do that???? They saw lots of planes flying in formations, sky writing, and there were a ton of really cool cars there as well. These are a few of their favorite things:

**Alyssa - A woman standing on the wings of a bi plane while the plane was flying in the air! She never fell off even when the plane went upside down! It was cool.

**Isaac - The air bus. It was huge!

**Daniel - I liked seeing so many different kinds of air crafts.

**Nicko - The WWII fighter plane...which is not the picture above.

Alabama 2009

Here are a few shots of our annual trip to Alabama. We had a great time as usual and the cousins all had a great time playing together. I am sure Matthew and Megan were thrilled to see me and my camera were going home, but I had a good time making the kids pose. They were all good sports about it.

This year, the tallest to shortest photo is not in order of age. Matt is the tallest one in the group and Alyssa...I think you'll always be the shortest one in the group!

Highlights of the trip this year were:
**Alyssa - Clothes shopping with Grandma and Mom and swimming everyday.
**Isaac - Swimming everyday and going to the water park.
**Daniel - Seeing our cousins and having dessert everyday.
**Nicko - Sleeping in, no chores and watching TV.

First Day of School 2009!

A moment to think about the day ahead. The new shoes.
This year, the boys ride the middle school and high school bus together. So that leaves Alyssa to ride the elementary bus all by herself. She looks so little yet so grown up out there all by herself. Sigh.

Our Back To School Celebration

This is our 2009 Back To School Celebration. This is an annual celebration for us and we do something different every year. This year Isaac begged for a bonfire. We played Frisbee, Boccie Ball and we laughed a lot. The kids (and Mom) get so excited about school starting that this is really just an excuse to have a fun family night. Staying up late and running around outside was the prefect way to say good bye to summer vacation.
Alyssa's pizza. The kids all made their own pizzas to bake in the coals.

Isaac is very carefully baking his pizza so it does not burn before the cheese melts in the middle.
Life is really good when you can enjoy something like your own pizza that you baked yourself.
The whole crowd minus the photographer. Even Morgan posed for us. Nicko's girlfriend, Stephanie, joined us for the evening as well.
Even Morgan was ready to go back to school...thanks to Daniel sharing some of his favorite back to school clothing with the dog. Daniel says she looks even better with shorts on too! I wonder what Morgan thinks about all this.