Soccer: Lightning Bugs and Creepers

We're a couple of games into soccer season this year.

Cody's team is great this year and they are really beginning to understand passing and teamwork, so it has really been fun to watch.

He scored a goal!

Grandma Bonnie was able to come to one of their games.

It was almost 100 degrees that day, so not the ideal day to sit and watch

but we got slurpees for the kids and it made their day!

Team Party

 

Mackayla is so cute and supportive - she goes to all the games and practices and never complains. She even tells me when to cheer:)

 The Tunnel

 I was trying out a different lens and never really got how to focus it fast enough to get a good focused picture. ah. next time.

 In the back you can just barely see cute Macey tip toeing to do the tunnel with a random man.

Goal Saved!

Bunch ball is so cute

 

Cody and the coaches' sons all go play handball at the courts by the soccer fields during the girls' games.

 Macey dutifully runs laps on the soccer field after the ball.

She claims soccer is not her favorite thing, and that's ok. She's getting great exercise, made some good friends, and she looks cute doing it! Plus, she gets a treat at the end. Her favorite part:)

No Buts, No Cuts, No Coconuts

Clearly it takes practice...

Love them!

Stuff of Eternity

Some recent favorite "marriage" quotes:

Enjoy:)

"God is love. Love is eternal. Marriage is the sweetest and most sacred expression of love, therefore, marriage is eternal."

-Matthew Cowley, LDS apostle 1945-53

"Since God is love, the closer we approach Him the more profoundly we experience love."

Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, LDS apostle

Just barely read this from an Oregon friend's blog and thought it was well worth sharing. Amen!!

"Honestly, I am a bit wary of health trends that teach true principles of health mixed with an extreme way of thinking that almost paralyzes us as we try to feed our families.  I absolutely reject the idea that God has allowed the world to get to the point that we all must live off of coconut, baby spinach, and Accai berries (although all are yummy) in order to nourish our families.  I do not believe healthy eating in this day and age, must be so expensive that we have to choose between eating healthy, saving more, and serving others.

I believe that this earth is designed to feed the people.  Food that is inexpensive and abundant and natural must be good for our bodies."

Mackayla in Preschool/Ben Getting Older

Our cute little Kayla started preschool.

We are doing a coop with her too, just like Cody and Macey each did one year.

She is going to do great.

I taught the first week. Glad that's out of the way!

Macey helps out for the first hour until her school starts.

 A morning sky in Ladera

 This is Ben, as documented on his birthday. Yup that's my birthday picture of him. wahwah.

Happy Birthday!

 We're Seriously getting old. It's kind of fun so far...

On his actual birthday he was on call and had scouts. Lame. Birthdays are not quite as cool when you're old and responsible.

But we managed to get him some of the best burgers on earth from Rider's Cafe

and make him some apple crisp (instead of cake!).

We also got to celebrate with Bonnie with an awesome lunch at South of Nick's.

And Disneyland counts too:)

 We had a praying mantis join us on our bed one night.

This was only creepy because I had recently learned from one of Cody's many animal/insect informational books that Praying Mantis females actually BITE off the heads of the males.

This is freaky~

 They are ranked more dangerous than sharks in the book. That's pushing it a little.

In this picture what you Don't see is Cody peeing in the bushes.

BUT if you had come to one of our soccer games at the elementary last weekend you would have seen him plain as day. He told me right when we got there he had to pee, but the bathrooms were locked. So I specifically told him to "go in the bushes, and make sure no one can see you."

So he walked to the bushes right by the side of the road and turned his back to the five families - so they couldn't see his face - and peed on the bush.

By the time I realized what was happening it was too late so I hurried ahead to hide evidence of our relation!

This is one of our favorite parks.

Lately, Cody especially loves it because he can reenact parts of American Ninja Warrior on the climbing wall and some of the playground equipment. It's Ben's and his latest favorite show.

 We love it because there is rarely ever anyone here - it's quiet and secluded.