First Football Game

I don't have many good pictures from Samuel's first football game last night. My camera batteries were going dead and I couldn't use the flash. But, Samuel had a great game! He had some good tackles and had fumble recovery. He's number 68 in the black pants.

Juggling

God has made our family special and unique. He gave us Samuel and then He waited five years until He gave us another child, Hannah Grace, and then He chose to give us Faith within a year after giving us Hannah Grace. It sound so crazy...and recently it has become very hard to juggle having a tweenager (11 years old) and a five and four year old. Last night was one of those nights that was hard. The girls are playing Upward soccer at our church and Travis and I are coaching them and Samuel is playing football and Travis is helping out with his team. Well, last night we had both - soccer practice and a football game. So, after a morning of working and a trip to the grocery store and then to pick up Faith and then home to unload the groceries and then to pick up Hannah Grace and then in carpool line where we read and did homework and then get Samuel and go home to do his homework and put a load of cloths in the washer and dryer to add to the huge pile that needs to be folded and a quick supper for the kids we headed out the door to soccer practice where I left early to get Samuel to his football game and then Travis came with the girls and joined up with the Wildcats to begin their game where I tried to watch and cheer Samuel on with two tired girls - I WAS OVERWHELMED and we still had to get home and give showers to three kids and make lunches and get something to eat for us and try to at least say "hello" to each other before we both crashed in the bed.

Some may say, "You need to cut something out" and I agree, but as I look back at my day yesterday, I'm not sure what could have been cut out. Work? No. Grocery store? No, I had been putting it off since last week. School? No way, God has not told me to teach my children at home, I'm not smart enough to teach them what they need to learn. Soccer? Well, maybe, but it's not fair to the girl's to not participate in a activity just because Samuel is playing football. Football? There again, it's not fair to Samuel to not play football just because his sisters are playing soccer. I have had some tell me, "Ask for help." Well, everyone else is busy too, I've asked.

When we finally got home last night and Travis and I had a moment to talk, he was apologizing for the day. I want to stop right now and thank Travis for all the help he did give me yesterday and for being such a great Daddy, who will give up his evenings to help four and five year olds learn the game of soccer and share Christ with them and stand on the side lines and give encouragement and direction to boys on a football field.

We are not the only family in this situation and we won't be the last. And, there are other's that are going through things that are more difficult than ours. But, I learned something a long time ago, God cares for my small troubles as much as He cares for other's "big" troubles. We will survive and God will give us the strength is make it day to day and one day we will miss the days when our kids needed us so much.

I don't often use our family blog as a means of expressing my frustrations, but the purpose of our blog is keep our family and friends updated with the goings on of our family and this is what is going on. So, if the Lord brings us to your mind, please say a prayer that we will put Him first and He will give us His strength for day to day.

All I want to do-o-o-o-o...

For Travis' birthday I was able to surprise him with tickets to Sugarland in concert. So after soccer and a birthday party the kids went to stay with Grammy and Big Daddy and Travis and hit the road towards Asheville.

We had so much fun. It was great to just be Travis and Alyssa and enjoy a night out. We weren't Mommy or Daddy, soccer coaches, Upward employee or Upward wife, secretary, daughter or son, brother or sister, choir member or friends, we were just us and were able to enjoy that.

Here is the chorus of Faith's favorite song, Steve Earl

All I Want To Do

I Love Being A Soccer Mom

The girl's had their first Upward Soccer game this past Saturday. I'm going to let the pictures do the talking.

Friday Family Funnies - I Hit It Hard

Faith came into our room and climbed in our bed around 3:30am crying saying she had fallen out of the bed. I hugged her and through her tears she said "I hit it hard!". Thinking she was still half asleep, I asked her what she hit hard, she said "THE FLOOR!!"

This is why we can't have bunk beds yet!

Have a great week-end!

Happy Birthday to the Love of My Life!

Today is Travis' 33rd Birthday.

I sit here trying to put into words how much I love the man that God has given me to be my husband and try to celebrate his life - just can't say enough.

I am blessed beyond measure by the gift of Travis as my husband and friend. He loves me in spite of many flaws. He helps me in so many ways...in leading me to Christ daily, around the house more than most husbands do, with the kids each and every day and night, and in ways that I do not take notice and thank him for. Even today, on a day that he should be celebrating, he is at the Apple Farm with Faith. He is such a wonderful Daddy.

So, today I wish my husband, Travis, a wonderful, fun filled day and I take this chance to thank him for being a great husband, Daddy and friend.

Happy Birthday, Baby - I LOVE YOU!

Great Finish to the Week-end

To finish off our week-end we enjoyed a afternoon with Memama and Granddaddy and Aunt Kendar at a car show at church. Us girl's did enjoy some shopping before heading out to the car show!

Let's Go Wildcats

Saturday morning was "Opening Day" for Samuel's football team. Last year he made his Daddy proud by being a Bulldog, but this year it is my turn - he's a Wildcat! The morning turned out to be a flop - the guy who was suppose to take pictures at 8:30am slept late - in Columbia - and showed up at 10am and then the team that Samuel was suppose to play didn't show up. Oh well, it was a fun morning anyway and made for great naps in the afternoon.These girl's are true football fans!

Braving "Hanna"

Friday night we headed out to the first Woodruff High School Home game. I am usually a very prepared person, but for some reason I was not prepared for the rain from Tropical Storm Hanna to effect us at the football game. The night started out beautiful and then the rain started and kept coming and the wind started with the rain. While I was gone to get the ponchos from the van, our Hannah kept saying, "I'm just not sure I'm going to make it." That's how I felt too. Travis kept telling me to wait until half-time and it was suppose to be over. He kept reminding me that I would sit in the rain for one of mind and Caleb was as close as it gets without being ours, so we needed to try to stick it out. We did and I am sure glad we did. Woodruff won in the last seconds, and I really mean the last seconds.

Here's a little clip of the excited of the game:

Friday night was just the beginning of our football fun...

Great-Grandparents are Great!

Sunday is Grandparents day so for today's Friday Family Funny I am going to take a break from the funnies and show you pictures of the kids with some of their Great-Grandparents. We were blessed over Labor Day week-end to visit with each set on my side of the family.

Granny Hill

Nannie Rose and Papa Red

Nanny Ray
Grandpop Cool (Hannah Grace did not want to be in this picture, can't you tell)

Grandmom Cool (we gave up on Hannah Grace with this one)

While we were in Kentucky we took the opportunity to take a "Barbara" Photo. For those who don't know the story, there have been a total of eight generations of "Barbara's" on my side of the family.

Barbara C. - Barbara M. - Barbara Alyssa S. - Hannah Grace Barbara S.

This is my FAVORITE photo!!

My kids are so blessed!

Happy Grandparents Day!