Soccer

Here's a couple shots of Jessie from her rec soccer season. Yes, it's over, but she had so much fun she'd LOVE to do competitive soccer now (and I know a very good coach who'd love to have her!). I loved watching her progress from being almost scared of the ball and very polite with the other team to now being very good at taking the ball away from the other team and then just tearing up the field down to the goal. She learned to be a great goalie and an awesome forward. With lots of room to grow. =)

Parade

Yay for Black and White Days! This is Richmond's big event every year and the kids had a blast! The whole thing actually starts mid-week with the cattle shows and sales (hence the black and white), but then on Saturday the horses take over and a whole slew of family activities abound. Okay, so we didn't participate in the hay bale throwing, cow pie eating contest, milking contest, and such; but we did have Marina and Jessica participate in the jumprope shows, not to mention taking advantage of train rides, food, etc. And, of course, in the evening came the parade.

Here's the Richmond float, complete with L'il Miss and Dairy Princess and attendants.


Not to mention the jumprope club doing their thing.



I scrambled about like any kid for candy since I promised Marina and Jessica I'd get them some, and Serene even had a blast . . . especially when Dad fed her part of a Twinkie he caught!

Serene Update

Doesn't that face just make you want to laugh? I love her little expressions -- she has such personality! This picture here just makes me think of her being absolutely thrilled to get her hands all messy and stuff food in her mouth without anybody stopping her!

And yes, our little munchkin is pulling up on everything and standing to her heart's content. In fact, her favorite use for her walker is to be OUTSIDE of it, pull herself up, and then push it a little from that position.

Princess and L'il Miss

So we have royalty in our family, don't you know? Here is Crisha in her first public appearance. Isn't she gorgeous?

And here's our L'il Miss -- aaahh! Ok, so there are eight, but they had a grand ole time since they all knew each other from school, soccer, and church. I love this community! And our Dairy Princess Attendant along with our L'il Miss will both appear in Black and White Days . . . along with our other jumproper who'll be with the Jumprope Club. Fun, fun! The little ones are even only a little bummed that being in the parade means they won't be on the sidelines to catch candy! But I'll be throwing it at them, lol!

Brotherly Love

The rest of April

So April has gone and with it three more birthdays in our family that I totally didn't update. I didn't even show you the cool cake I made Sim for his "friend party". So here is my attempt at getting caught up . . . just so I feel better. =)

Here's the Sim-Bug's birthday cake. He had a fish party, kind of. It degenerated until the only thing fishy about it was the cake, but it was fun to make and eat. The waves are fruit rollups cut up (I found out after attempting my first cut that those rollups had to be chilled to let themselves be cut), and then we just used Swedish fish to swim in our icing waves. I wanted different colored gummy fish but just couldn't find them. And no, I also didn't remember to get round cake pans in time -- hence the bundt pan.


Next we had Steve's birthday. Yay! I found what I wanted at a killer sale price, so I had that much more fun shopping. Yes, we now have better access to all kinds of fattening yumminess, but no one's complaining.



My birthday came and brought with it luxury. Maybe not all over, but let me tell you, this towel is the softest, thickest, most absorbent towel i've ever met (and I've known a lot of towels, lol). Seriously, it just sucks the moisture right off without rubbing or anything. So about once I day I get to feel totally pampered.

Jenero had the last April birthday in our house (I have to say that because family implies so much more, and if we get into extended family, April really begins to look loaded with birthdays).