On Sunday, November 18th we dedicated Raelyn to the Lord. Of course with this being our fourth child and fourth dedication we really know that we are dedicating her to the Lord, by really dedicating ourselves to love, care for, raise her in Godly way, and pray for her. That we will teach her and train her in the way she should go. What a big responsibility having kids is!! It is always a good reminder when we dedicate a child to the Lord of what our responsibility is. We of course love her so much that this is what we want for her. So it is big responsibility, but so worth it in the long run!! She is such a blessing to us!
Raelyn looked so cute in her big white, sparkly dress!
I couldn't stop taking pictures she is just so stinkin' cute!!
We were able to get some family pictures which is really nice to have!
It was a lovely day filled with family, visiting, and some yummy food (sandwiches and blackberry pie). Thanks everyone for making the trek over for Raelyn's special day!
Olivia loves soccer! And she is turning into quite the little soccer player. This year she had a great coach and team. We could relate well with Coach Sam as he is the dad to three girls and he had coached all of them at one point or another. He was still coaching his middle daughter's team and coached his youngest daughter's team this year which was Olivia's team. They named themselves the Red Devils. They did really well learning the rules, learning different moves, learning about defense and offense. And they won the majority of the games (although we weren't suppose to really keep score) which is pretty good when playing 3 on 3 (no goalie), having a team of six girls, and half of them had never played before.
It was a bit tiring for me with 2 practices a week and then Saturday game. Just preparing to go to practice with snacks, clothes, etc took an hour to prepare for us to leave the house. The games were really fun though and made Olivia's favorite day of the week Saturday because she got to play soccer. She loved winning (of course...who doesn't) and loved making goals, but also found reward in assisting her teammates in making goals and making new friends. She is already looking forward to next year and we are considering her playing indoor soccer after the first of the year so she can stick with her team and they can grow up together.
For some reason my pictures loaded all weird and I don't have the time or energy to switch them around so bare with me.
These pictures are from the team party that we had at Round Table.
Our shy but aggressive on the field Little Livy
The coach said that Olivia is so shy and quiet at practice, but she gets on that field and she is so aggressive and wants to get that ball! So true she is really good at being aggressive on the field and going after the ball. It is funny to listen to the parents at U07 soccer game. Pretty much every person is yelling, "Get the BALL!!"
Olivia receiving her trophy from Coach
The Red Devils with their trophies
I posted these earlier, but couldn't resist posting them again. They are just too cute!
The following pictures are from various practices and games. Mostly of Olivia, but some of the other girls (her little cheering squad!).
A rainy day watching from the car with the two littles
So have I shared the story of Claire's soccer year? Well if not it last only 15 minutes. She was really excited about playing but about 15 minutes in the coach told her about a game they were going to play and she left the huddle crying. We couldn't convince her to get back on the field. And really it made our life less miserable as Claire's practice days were opposite of Olivia's so we would have had practice 4 days a week plus Saturday games. Way to much for this momma especially with two little ones in tow. Remember the hour plus preparation just to get out of the house? Yeah, so we were a little relieved when Claire decided soccer wasn't for her, at least the year.
But she does make a cute little soccer player
The beginning of the season we used umbrellas because it was so hot! We were sweating and just needed shade!
See that pushing? She is aggressive!
Half time snack!
Little cheerleaders!
Love this picture! Poor Claire wants her own dog so bad that actually walks and follows her ;-)
See that daddy face? He is intent when it comes to watching his girl.
Later in the season we used umbrellas for rain!
The last game Olivia played great. She made 4 or 5 goals, did a great job defending and they won their game. Plus it was a nice day and no rain, just cold. So nice to end on such a good note!
It was challenging to get both pictures and video clips during Olivia's games with 3 kids to keep under control and entertained. So I didn't always get the best video. But here are a couple videos of Olivia playing.
