Soccer Tourney

Troy had the chance to do something he loves this weekend: play soccer!  We had four games in a local tournament.  The team didn't do as well as expected, but had some great moments of awesomeness! In this first pic, Troy's coach says to him from behind, "Hit the far post."  He did just that and his teammate headed in a beautiful shot.  In the second set, he is being congratulated by his teammates after scoring a nice goal.  We just about froze the first night in some chilly weather. In the last game we out-battled a very physical team that liked to cause pain and force some yellow cards from the refs.  Love that we can watch soccer outside in December and that we can spend time with some great people. 

Riley's Farm

Today Troy's 5th grade class went on a fun field trip to a local "farm" in the foothills where they re-enact what Colonial life was like.  The kids dress up (to some extent) and the whole day is spent playing, speaking, eating and learning all things Colonial.  Troy had the "honor" of being the flag-bearer. (He wasn't sure this was on honor by the end of the day!)  The last activity of the day was a war reenactment between the Colonists and the "Red Coats."  The kids had a blast. The weather cooperated and it was a great day of learning!  

Go Eagles!

 Kamryn is just beginning her high school basketball career.  She has been chosen to play varsity as a Freshman and has earned a starting spot on the team.  It's so fun to see Kam's hard work and determination pay off.  Her team is off to a slow start, but I'm sure will make progress.  We're looking forward to watching #12 and the Eagles on the court this winter!

A Beautiful Day For A Hike

Black Friday did not find us in the mall, but on the trail!  We spent a beautiful afternoon in the Angeles Forest not far from home.  We are not super strong hikers, but enjoyed challenging ourselves to experience some higher elevations.  Such beauty!

Pioneer Days

Troy's class was studying Pioneers earlier this year.  To further their learning, they got to do some "hands-on" activities to experience pioneer life.  They made candles and butter, ate pioneer snacks, and did some other things.  Scott and I enjoyed stopping by and checking it all out.  

Thanksgiving 2014

Just took some quick shots during our Thanksgiving celebration this year.  We had a great service at church to begin our morning and then spent the rest of the morning finishing preparations for our feast.  We had about 25 people in our home for our meal.  We love having a houseful!  It was nearly 80 degrees which made it wonderful for the kiddos to be outside.  Food was eaten, football was watched, conversations were shared, and dishes were cleaned up.  We had a great day of fellowship.  Of course we missed Katie and other family, but were thankful for friends to share the day with.  Later in the day we enjoyed burning off some energy in the school gym, too.  We have so much to be thankful for!