Deal of the Day!

Ice Beam, Jr. Defroster Item# 77001 Only $4.99

I just ordered this and I am so excited. I constantly forget to take the meat out of the freezer and start thinking about it around 4ish! Someone recommended this on another blog I read and when I bought it the price was under $5, which includes shipping! Awesome!

Spencer is playing soccer

It was so hot!
On the way home

Warming up with his team

Spencer plays soccer now, every Sunday afternoon at 3:30pm. He loves it, and he looks so darn cute. The first day I told him to listen to the coach, have fun, and no complaining. He took that advice to heart, and hasn't complained at all. Yes, he loves to make his mom happy. (One day he said to me that I looked pretty and he likes my clothes. When I told him how sweet he was, he proceeded to tell me that he liked my outfit, just about every day!) He is the "typical" middle child- peacemaker who strives to make everybody happy.

At soccer half the time is practice and half the time is a 3 on 3 game where they rotate in the other two players. We are on a field that has 9 games going on at once and I try to watch him while entertaining Ava who would rather walk through every other game that is going on, and pick up every loose water bottle on the ground!

Today the weather was weird, it kept rotating from freezing cold and sprinkling rain, to sunny and very warm. Spencer ran hard during the game, and he scored a goal, which he was excited about. I took a picture last week, and if I get it downloaded onto my computer, I will add it to this post. He is so funny about his soccer stuff, he wants to wear them everywhere. I remember shin guards being so sweaty and wanting to take them off ASAP, but he comes home and asks if he can wear them to the playground behind our house!

Homesick

Painting Pictures of Egypt
Sara Groves

I don’t want to leave here
I don’t want to stay
It feels like pinching to me either way
The places I long for the most
Are the places where I’ve been
They are calling after me like a long lost friend

It’s not about losing faith
It’s not about trust
It’s all about comfortable
When you move so much
The place I was wasn’t perfect
But I had found a way to live
It wasn’t milk or honey
But then neither is this

CHORUS:
I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacked
The future seems so hard
And I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I've learned
And those roads closed off to me
While my back was turned

The past is so tangible
I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy to discard
I was dying for some freedom
But now I hesitate to go
Caught between the promise
And the things I know

BRIDGE:
If it comes too quick
I may not recognize it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?
If it comes too quick
I may not appreciate it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?

~~Happy Birthday Becca~~

Becca and I went to The American Girl Place in New York City for her Birthday, #11. It was the perfect day in every way. We woke up and left in the morning about 9am. Traffic wasn't bad, which was nice. We drove into New Jersey to the NJ Transit and took a train into the city. We spent most of the day at the AGP, in fact I had to drag Becca out in the afternoon to walk around the city a bit. She would have been content in the AGP all day! It is paradise for girls who like American Girl dolls. She took her doll Samantha with her, and was able to get Samantha's hair done at the doll salon, which included a facial. Umm, yes, that is where they wash her face, LOL.

Becca had received money from Grandma Connie so she also got her picture taken for the front of her own American Girl Magazine, along with the hair salon and an outfit for Samantha. Then we wandered around the store, where you can see dolls, accessories, books, and more. Becca spent money that she had been saving on a new doll, Nellie. This was very exciting for her, and okay, I got caught up in the excitment, too!

We went to the Cafe for dinner, which was also wonderful. Because it was Becca's birthday we signed up for the party that included dinner, and a personal birthday cake plus goodie bags. everything about this place was high class, so while it was expensive at least it made you feel like the money was well spent!

After dinner we headed back to the train station for home and got home about 9:30pm.

What a perfect day, I know that we will both remember for a long time.

In the crazy crowds!

Becca with her new stash of goodies!

Celebrating at the American Girl Cafe

Rockefeller Center

When we were walking around the city we saw Rockeller Center and wished that we had time to go ice skating! It was the perfect weather and we were sad to miss it. Maybe next time.

American Girl Place in NYC

Sixth Graders Game Night

We had some of the sixth graders and their small group leaders over at our house on Friday night. They are a loud bunch, but they are also a lot of fun and we had a great time.

Ava loves to climb up everything!

Ava is a climber.

You can't see from this picture but we have a fence blocking the stairs. Then we have to push our bench up against the fence to keep her from pulling the fence out and heading up the stairs.

Ava loves her shiny shoes!

She loves these shiny black shoes, and brings them to me in the morning to put on her. She walks around looking at her feet.

Ava & her Daddy

Silly Faces

Becca's new look