Soccer fun

Soccer Updates

Here are the boys getting ready for their second soccer games of the season. I am relieved that they are smiling because both teams got off to a rough start.

Both boys have been playing for several seasons and while Dylan is only 9 he is playing up on a U11 team; Collin is only 7 and he is playing on a U9 team. We do this to keep them challenged and working hard (not to brag about how good they are). My boys get bored VERY easy!

Collin is on a good team with some buddies he knows from school and he is having a blast. Dylan, however, is having to think about soccer in a whole new way this year. Even though he is playing up this year, he is the best on his team. He got placed on a team that does not have anyone he knows, all but 3 of the kids have NEVER played before, and he has a couple of special needs kids on it. One of the kids has Aspergers syndrome. He is a great kid and is NOT the worst kid on our team. Dyl's coach is very good and recognizes that Dylan is having a hard time with being on a loosing team so he has been letting Dylan help coach and encouraging him in anyway he can. (Dylan's team lost 17-0 last week)

Anyway, this week, Collin's team won!!!!! The score was 5-3. Dylan's team did not win, but the score this week was only 6-1 with Dylan being the one to score our only goal. Way to go Dyl!!!! I am so proud of my boys and I am glad that Dylan is being patient with his other players. Dyl has become friends with the coach's son Mason who is also really good.

Religion

This has been on my mind ALL week so I really feel like I should share....
I was FINALLY able to go to church on Sunday after way to long. (my work schedule has been preventing my going for a few weeks) I always feel guilty about not being able to go. I have never been able to put into words how I feel about this topic until this past Sunday when our senior pastor was preaching.
He was talking about world travels and meeting new people, and he was talking about going to church and the way we live our lives when all of the sudden he says..."The worst thing we can do is become RELIGIOUS". I thought to myself...did I really just hear that right? Well, I did. He went on to explain that if we are ONLY spending time with other Christians, if we are ONLY listening to Christian music, if we are ONLY reading Christian books, if we ONLY see Christian movies, if we are ONLY participating in church activities that we are indeed missing Gods point and we are isolating ourselves. I do feel like my beleif in God defines who I am, however, that being said, that may not be the FIRST thing someone learns about me. The FIRST things that I want someone to learn about me is that I am kind, caring, nonjudgemental, compassionate, trustworthy, loving...and then I want them to further explore why that might be. Then they will find out that I live this way because I feel that that is what I feel I am called to do. On occassions where someone has found out that I am a Christian or that my husband is a Youth Minister before getting to know me, I feel that it actually keeps them from being who they REALLY are. They either avoid me altogether or act differently around me. That is not what being a Christian is about. It is about seeing Gods work in the world. If I ONLY surrounded myself with people who are "like me" then I would have missed out on a lifetime of blessings. God works through all of us whether we are Christian, LDS, Buddist, Athiest, etc... and I truly feel that it is important to just be accepting of people and to try to see what it is that God is trying to teach us from the people that come into our lives.

Saturday Mornings

I love Saturday mornings when we get out early and watch the kids play sports. Collin just finished skate class and now soccer has begun. It is always a little bit hectic, especially since Chad will be out of town 4 out of the next five weekends, but I still LOVE it! The best part about it is seeing my kids be active.

On this particular Saturday I even made Chad get up extra early and come to the skate park with us. He and Dylan played some catch while Collin learned how to go down some bigger ramps.

Here is a little video footage from Collins 2nd skate class. Unfortunatley, I won't have any from his final class because I was busy carting Dylan to his first soccer practice of the season. The other moms probably think I'm crazy for snapping so many pictures anyway:)

Finally, I saved the best for last...I am sure my boys will kill me for this one day, but they just looked so cute in their camo boxer breifs that I had to take a picture.

Sick

I hate to complain, but I have to say that I have had the crappiest 5 days off EVER. My first day off started with a migraine that lasted for 4 days and was accompanied by a stiff neck. I had one day back to feeling normal and then I woke up at 5 am Sunday morning with what turns out to be a kidney infection and a UTI. I started antibiotics right away which apparently make me throw up and I still have 6 days left of taking them. It is going to be a long week...