Cross country

The girls ran their first cross country race on Thursday. Although we were very worried on how it would turn out (Kristen with her hurt knees and Kate never having made it 2 miles in practice)... They did awesome! Out of 150 girls Kj finished 53 (her goal was under 100) and Kate finished 88 (her goal was to not be last :)!! I almost missed both of them as they were so close to the front pack of girls!!! Wow!

18 hours

The countdown is on until the cast is OFF!!

Sister's soccer

Kristen and Kate are playing together on a parochial team! So super exciting! The team is made up of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. The girls both played amazing! I can't tell you how exciting it was to watch one sister pass to another! Although they have been playing ball together since they could walk, it is different when they are playing on the same team! Love those sisters!!!

Cheerleading

Big day for Kristen this weekend. She cheered for her first football game. It was HOT and she had to wear her turtleneck. She learned so many cheers and all the moves that go with each cheer (yeah it reminded me a bit of memorizing lines and practicing for soccer all rolled in one).I was super proud that she actually knows football and cheered and encouraged the team at the right parts! She really knows how to motivate 8th grade boys (I'm sure her dad is not happy about that), but even when our team was down she was yelling at the boys to not get down and get back in the game and the next play they scored!! Never underestimate the power of a cheerleader in a short skirt :-P !!!
And WOW can Kristen cheer! Anyone who knows her, knows she is loud! Pep and cheer come pretty naturally to her!

She is also an amazing team mate. Two girls got faint from the heat and Kristen was the first to help. She also had extra water (she brought her soccer water jug, knowing it was hot) and she made sure all the girls who didn't bring any water shared hers.
Yes, I have the American Idol Mom syndrome, I've always known that no matter what my kids tried I would think they are the best at it, guess it just shocked me a bit that I would feel this way about cheerleading! Super proud to be a cheerleaders mom!!! Once again, you never know where life is going to take you with kids!! Love it!!

Weekend

Kate won 3 soccer games this weekend! And had 3 rainouts!

KJ had 2 games, won one, lost one, and had a rainout. She also had cheerleading, which I will try to post pics later tonight!

William had 6 soccer games and didn't go to any because of his broke finger! Although I usually make him go and support his team he got to spend the weekend with Big Grandpa! He spent the night and then went to the country to a flea market! He came home with lots of stories and grasshoppers for Izzy!

Sunday was a rainout for games which was fun for us! We spent a few hours on housework, KJ organizing our electronics closet and Kate deep cleaning the dining room and piano room, THANKS girls! Then we spent 3 hours at SIX FLAGS!!! It was just drizzling and supposed to clear up at 3, so KJ called and all of the roller coasters were still going! We rode them all TWICE! Cool weather and no lines, perfect!

Kristen

While were at the hotel, Kristen did two amazing things. One of the little sisters was running and fell and hit her lip on the edge of a metal chair, putting her teeth through her bottom lip and needing a quick trip to the emergency room. Kristen sat with the girl as she cried hysterically and held an ice rag on the girl's wound, changing out to clean rags as the rags were soaked with blood and keeping the girl calm while the mom went to get her car to take her to the hospital. Kristen was super calm and helpful!

Later in the night, we were sitting in the lobby with all the parents and this lady we don't know starts asking everyone who's Kristen's mom, who's Kristen's mom. Instant panic mode for me as I think something has happened to her. I jump up and run over to her and the lady grabs me and says,"I just had to find you and tell you what a wonderful person Kristen is. We have been traveling for hours and just got here and I was carrying so much stuff and she came over and took my stuff and helped me carry everything to our room. She was so sweet and kind I just wanted you to know what an amazing kid she is." Then she walked off and I never saw her again. Pretty cool kid!

So I never get the pictures in the right order (who has time)! Here is Kate's team as the champions of the Granite City tournament! SUPER exciting finish in the last game to win the title in the last 2 minutes of the game! Here are the girls again. This time at the BINOS tournament which was just a "friendlies," which means just games no winners or trophies.

Here are the girls yesterday at the Memphis tournament with their COOL medals from their second place VICTORY. They played up a year against U13 girls (amazing how much taller and bigger girls are a year+ older!! YIKES!) We still beat or tied every 13 year old team we played (THEY ROCK!)!! AND KATE HAD AN AWESOME GOAL!! YEAH KATE!!

Here are the girls with their PINKIE TAPE that they wear for every tournament to remind them that they are a FAMILY, that they win TOGETHER or lost TOGETHER but teamwork is the most important (did I say I love their coaches ;-)

Here is Kate as this weeks Warrior Ligtning challenge winner! She is doing so great with her new team! I love that she is acknowledged for her hard work!

Memphis Soccer Elite Tournament

Second place! What a great tournament and a fabulous time! The kids had sooo much fun and so did the parents!! Hotel and food were both awesome!

Broken finger!!

That's what happens when you dive for a soccer ball and a kid kicks your finger! BROKE!! No surgery needed though!

Wil's finger

Bad jam??? Broke pinkie??? You make the call??? More to come later...

Labor Day

So we spent the last day of the summer swimming for the first time in Bushia's new pool! Fun!

Fundraiser

Hello family and friends! Consider this your warning that a letter may be coming in the mail to order magazines for the girls' school (ok many of you will be getting one from each girl). Feel free to order if you want or just trash it if you already get magazines from somewhere else. The girls get a lottery ticket (up to $100 prize) for turning in the addresses to the school and the addresses are never sold to a third party! I order all my magazine from them. Thanks!

Cross country

Kristen and Kate (ok Kate very reluctantly) have joined the cross country team this fall. The goal is to be able to run two miles by next month for their first meet. YIKES!! They have practice twice a week. Although the girls are in somewhat shape from soccer (think short bursts of speed), neither one (nor Wil) can run a mile right now! SOOO off to the track we went this morning (instead o the labor day parade, which is just a bunch of people throwing candy and political messages... Lol you can imagine how NOT happy my kids were). Everyone walked/ran 2 miles and Wil did 3. Not a bad start to our labor day.

Oma's 70th birthday

What's better than a 70th birthday party than prime rib, oyster's on the half shell, shrimp, and huge lobster tails? A piñata for the grandkids if course!

Cards game

We had a great time with Sara and Patrick! First we watched Mizzou WIN and then off to the cards game with the most amazing weather ever! After an interesting trip we ended up dancing the night away at Paddy o's! Wished our other siblings were with us! Thanks Sara, too much fun!!!!