Sunday Snapshot - It is that time of year again...

Oh yeah baby!!!  It is soccer time!!!  Just when you thought it was safe around here cause Flag Football was over,

here comes soccer

Some of us were less than enthused

and down right bored

cause their season hasn't started - YET!!!

You know, as a child who never wanted to break a sweat unless it was on a stage - dancing - in a tutu - or if there were pom poms involved, I am absolutely amazed at how I LOVE watching my kids on that field.  How I really want my kids and in particular my girls to learn a sport, I mean really learn a sport and how I think it will help them as they grow and mature and have to participate in the big bad world out there!   Just feeling comfortable enough to join in a team sport allows them to meet others and form friendships, now and well into adutlhood!  Most of my kids' friends come from their teams and they are all good kids, really good kids!

So while I tend to get just a tad excited about watching them play

and while I might yell encourage them rather loudly

and embarrass them greatly, especially when I yell say something like, "way to go baby!"  I know that deep down inside, they are annoyed by appreciate my cheers - I used to be a cheer leader, doncha know!!!  HEH!

Heck the girls yell encourage louder than I do!!!! 

Tell me it is not cute when a 4 year old yells to her big brother to, "go after that ball!!!"  Honestly, it is SO cute and they know more than me, the correct thing to yell, whereas I ALWAYS get it wrong!!!  I told you, I want them to learn a sport - I am hopeless!!!  LOL!

For the next little bit, my blog might just be high jacked with soccer pics and soccer video (you know I have to post all those goals the girls make).  So, hang in there, the season only lasts until May!!! 

BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

If Stef is up to posting a Sunday Snapshot, go here,




and please keep them in your prayers!

Journey to a Promise: Signing Family

Please check out this post and help if you can!!!

Journey to a Promise: Signing Family

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Snapshot - YES you can!

You know, Lizzie has always been a child who knows no limits.  A child whose first English sentence was, from what I recall, "me do it!"  A child who never let a backwards, upside down foot stop her from running and playing and from being a kid.  A child who never let 18 casts and silly old brace slow her down!  A child that taught herself how to shuffle cards with her precious little hands and never once said, "I can't do it!"

You get the picture, this child is d - e - t - e - r - m - i - n - e - d!!

So... 

I was totally unprepared for what I heard from this very determined child, at the girls' flag football game the other day. 

After making her 2nd touch down of the game (hehe), Lizzie was sent to the sidelines to sit out for a while.  As we were sitting there watching her sister block those boys on the other team (3 big brothers come in handy sometimes - heh), my sweet, determined Lizzie uttered those 2 little words, 2 little but very powerful words...

I can't

She was looking at her hands and telling me that she couldn't pull those flags because she just didn't have enough fingers!

Oh my darling child, what you lack in the way of fingers, you more than make up for in the way of sheer WILL and CHUTZPAH!

So, we talked about how she could do anything she put her mind to and that having or not having the "required" number of fingers had nothing to do with what she would accomplish in her life, which at that particular moment was pulling flags!  We sat there and practiced pulling her own flag until she pulled it all the way off, and that - was - all - it - took! 

Lizzie got herself up off that bench, marched onto that field, head held high and proceeded to pull, not one, but THREE flags!!!!

She turned to me after her first "tackle" and said, "I did it Mom!  You told me I could do it and I did it!!"

My sweet, determined, tenacious, courageous Lizzie!  At four years old, you have taught me so much about life and living. 

I know there may be a few more "I can'ts" down the road but I also know you and I have no doubt that your beautiful spirit will ultimately turn every "I can't" into an "I can!"

I know I have posted  many a video or 2 of my sweet child and her "shock and awe" on the footbal/soccer field, but just had to end this post with one more!!!!

Yes, you CAN

I don't know if Stefanie will be posting a Sunday Snapshot this week or not.  Please keep her and her sweet family in your prayers,

Please Don't Shoot the Messenger

Cause it was GORGEOUS here today!!!!!

70 something degrees and blue sky - in - February! 

This is why I love the South

Now check back with me come late July and I can guarantee...

that I will not be whistling Dixie!!!!!  Hehe!

Pop Rocks

Remember them???

Well my sweet Emmeline got her very first crack at this very sweet but very weird "party in your mouth" sensation...

Did she like it????

She did - I think!  Hehe!

Sunday Snapshot - Oh No, Not Again!!!

They keep on doing this to me!!!

These kids of mine just keep growing up!!!!

My sweet Caleb turned 8 years old yesterday!!!

8 years old, y'all!!!!

Wasn't he just my precious baby boy???

It feels like he was just my precious baby boy!

My sweet, sensitive Caleb who, at the ripe old age of 8, has had his fair share of bumps in the road.  He is my sensory kiddo, feeling things SO deeply and struggling SO much with food and his emotions.  I have often said that his sensory issues are a double edged sword.  His beautiful heart feels things intensely and he does such wonderful little things for those he loves, because he loves so deeply. 

He is my note writer..

who loves to leave treats for his siblings...

and giant get well cards when they are sick.

He keeps me posted on how I am doing...

and entertains his sisters like no one else can...

and boy do they love him!

Caleb once offered to empty his piggy bank so that we could go back to China and bring another sister home!  His heart truly hurts for those in need and he wants to make it all better.  I have no doubt that just by being in this world, my sweet Caleb IS making it all better!

The other side of that double edged sword is the fact that Caleb and food really do not get along so well together.  My sweet child  had a tough time with food as a baby and has a tough time with food now! 

If it is healthy or green - he won't eat it!!!  Hehe!

In fact, do you know what birthday presents brought the biggest smiles out of my Caleb???

That's right, chips and candy! 

Oh yeah, and make your own slime!!!

Gee, thanks Marney!!!!  Hehe!

One day, Caleb found a wrist band on the ground at school.  When he showed me what he had found, I didn't think much of it, but as I looked closer, I saw what it said...

Just a little reminder for me of the battle he has with food everyday!

Caleb has had stitches on his eye, lost a fight with some barbed wire...

febrile seizures as a baby and oh yeah, as a result of a bad fall at school, the doctors discovered a cyst on his brain!!! 

Sheesh and here I was thinking his brother Charlie was the mischief maker!  Maybe I was wrong??  Maybe, Charlie is just loud in the mischief that he makes and my sweet Caleb is a bit more stealthy in his misadventures!  LOL!

He made it all the way to 8, though, and so we celebrated!!!!  Heh!

Caleb decided that he wanted pizza....

and friends....

and games....

Well, his sisters did anyway!

and cake (that he helped me decorate)....

and the chaos that comes with 3 good friends....

and cake...

and 2 little sisters...

who think they can hang with the boys....

and do!

This is how I remember the night!

They partied so hard, we actually lost all power!!!  Well, not really, but we did loose power when a neighborhood transformer blew and we were left - in the dark - with 6 soda high boys - 2 candy drunk girls - 4 terrified dogs - and one "I am SO over this" cat!!! 

It was a long fun night and I am really glad that my sweet darling Caleb only has ONE birthday every year!!!  Whew!

I love you sweet boy!!!

Happy Birthday and may your next 8 years be filled with, well, non-hospital related events!!!!

To join in on more fab Sunday Snapshots go here,