Challenging Times As A Foursome

There is nothing worse for a Mom than trying to make four individuals happy at the same time! And not just four individuals, this wacky group I call my family consists of two girls & two boys. One teenager, one younger & two adults. One who is content to stay home all the time, one who can't sit still. One who plays EVERY sport possible & one who lives for one sport. One who works out every day & one who is happy watching sports on tv. Two who love to create wonderful things in the kitchen, one who can't cook & one who would rather have Wendy's every night. My little foursome is a mismatch of characters but somehow we all seem to miraculously work together!

The biggest problem is usually finding one activity for the four of us to enjoy together, at the same time, without one wanting to go play video games, or without one texting friends saying how weird this family is! That is a challenge!

Last Valentines Day, that challenge was finally conquered! We found hockey! We were given tickets to a Winterhawk hockey game & three of the four of us were thrilled . Our teenage daughter was less than thrilled, wondering why in the world she would ever want hockey tickets for Valentines Day. But on the day of the game we caught her in a rare good mood (you know teenage girls) and trying her best to be a sport, she made sure she had a full battery on her phone (for texting her friends to tell them how lame hockey is)and headed to this hockey game, fully knowing she was going to hate it!!! Little did she know a lot of the Hawks are high school kids just like her. And she had absolutely no idea they would be cute! And so my little family turned into a hockey family! I am so excited that we found something the four of us can enjoy together.

Saturday night we had an opportunity to go to the Teddy Bear Toss game against Seattle. We had not seen this event before but I can honestly say that is was one of the neatest events I have seen in quite some time! After the first goal scored the crowd throws stuffed animals on the rink to be donated to local children's charities & many on the animals are delivered by the players themselves. Now keep in mind, this game was sold out so there were over 10, 000 people in the audience & the bears were flying less than two minutes into the game when Rattie scored for Portland! They flew & didn't stop! In all almost 11, 000 stuffed animals found their way to the rink! Needless to say, we are already making plans for next years Teddy Bear Toss. We are hoping to bring many bears to be donated!

The part that made it so incredibly cool was the way the players conducted themselves on the ice while the bears were flying. The goalie, who just rocks was carrying a huge bear and then a dog around the rink. Players were helping fill the trucks with armfuls of animals. A very cool thing to be able to experience. And it didn't hurt that we won 7-1!!! Let's Go Hawks!

{this moment} November 11, 2011 (11-11-11)

{this moment} - A Friday ritual (idea borrowed from SouleMama). A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.


Oops, two photos this week, but they were from the same day! Enjoy

My Week In Pictures!

Here were the important events in my life last week (not all the events, just the ones that made it into my camera)!


Sis starting in a varsity volleyball game!


A rare home soccer game without rain!



A visit to the zoo with Nonie to see the elephants stomp pumpkins!


Nice block Sis!




Last year we didn't get pumpkins:( This year we got pumpkins but didn't carve them:( Maybe we can get it right next year!

We are almost done with soccer, but Bubba is already on a basketball team & is practicing for the Turkey Bowl (a Lacrosse tourney held in November). School volleyball is almost over, but then club tryouts are this month. So life is busy but we wouldn't have it any other way!

Happy Thursday!

Here's another one! This one is from a friend not from the site I shared yesterday! I am off to tackle another crazy busy day with both kiddos out of school today!

Happy Wednesday!

I just found this great website full of great quotes & even some awesome art with great quotes. Go check it out, it's called Quote Book! I will probably be posting more of the cool things I find there in the coming days (in between soccer games, volleyball games, sub jobs, lacrosse tourneys, laundry...). But you can enjoy this one for today. Maybe while I contemplate these wise words I will figure out what to be when I grow up;)

{this moment} October 14, 2011

{this moment} - A Friday ritual (idea borrowed from SouleMama). A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

September (so far)in Pictures

September has been uber busy for my little family. With the start of yet another school year, sports, friends, work obligations, family activities... we have barely had time to breath (hence my lack of blogging)! So before the end of September I am going to share our month so far, in pictures!

{this moment} September 2, 2011

{this moment} - A Friday ritual (idea borrowed from SouleMama). A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

{this moment} August 5, 2011

{this moment} - A Friday ritual (idea borrowed from SouleMama). A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

{this moment} July 29, 2011

Totally cheating on my {this moment} post today. I am suppose to post a single picture with no words. Well, I am posting two, and explaining the pictures (so, sort of double cheating).

This was one shopping trip to Target where EVERYTHING i bought was on clearance plus, I had a coupon for everything! Grand total OOP (out of pocket)= $20.61! Not bad for someone who just seriously started couponing in June:)

This was three stores but I am posting them all together and the grand total was... $2.26 OOP (out of pocket)! Yes, I just said two dollars and twenty six cents total out of pocket! That one made me do the happy dance!
Sorry I didn't keep to my {this moment} guidelines but I was just too too excited about my savings this week not to share. I did have a trip to Safeway where I saved a total of 96% and that's not to shabby either. I think I might just be getting the hang of this couponing thing!

Short Beach Trip

We have been doing a Monday thru Sunday beach trip every year for almost 6 years, until this year:( Bubba has made a developmental classic soccer team and started practice three nights a week back in June (pretty much right after lacrosse ended). Their first tournament was the during our planned trip. We didn't want him to miss any practices before his first tournament so we only got to spend one night at the beach house. Lucky for us, Nonie & Papa were available to use the cabin that week. And also lucky for us, Nonie had my favorite chicken casserole (actually it's tuna casserole but Sis doesn't like tuna so Nonie changed it for her) ready for lunch when we got there! We had great weather on Wednesday when we got there but Thursday brought rain. We hung out in Seaside on Thursday and headed back home after dinner on Thursday night so Bubba could make his game on Friday! Crazy short trip but better than no trip at all!