They Just Keep Growing!

We seriously need a new family picture. The one up top is from last summer. Wesley is almost 2 inches taller than me and Maddie is almost as tall I am. Zach and Carina have grown lots too. Family pic soon to come.

OUCH!

Zach had an eventful day a couple of weeks ago. He got home from school and started to play kickball in the front yard with his friend Hayden. They use a palm tree as one of the bases and as he ran passed and tagged it his hand got stick on these insane stickers along the sides of the leaves or fronds or whatever they are called. He tried to pull it out and it sliced his hand open. Off he went to the E.R. Six stitches and 6 hours later he and Willie were home. To top it off, this happened as I was pulling in the driveway with Maddie and her four friends who were coming for Maddie's sleepover. I couln't leave so I had to call Willie to come home and take the poor kid. He was very brave and Wes was an awesome first aid scout as he helped stop the bleeding and knew exactly what to do to make Zach more comfortable.
Zach had to miss his first soccer game which made him very sad. I was not gonna let him play with stitches. They are off now and his hand looks great!

The Crew

It's soccer time for Zach! This is what he lives for! His team name is THE CREW. He played his first game this week and he could hardly wait. The Boys and Girls club sponsor a free soccer program in three schools in Burbank. We are lucky enough to be in one of those schools. It's great and very low stress as far as time goes. He has one game a week at their elementery school and no practices. It goes until the end of the school year which is May 27th for us. They lost 2-0 but Zach ran his heart out. He is such a fast runner! He played forward and he really likes that position.

Malibu Lagoon State Beach

Last Saturday we went to the beach. It was a gorgeous day but too cold for swimming. The kids got in anyway though. They are so brave! We had such a great day collecting shells, flying a kite, having a picnic and just exploring. We came home with a huge piece of driftwood and shells and rocks. The kids tease me because I want to use it as decor for the house. I love the beach! I love the smell, the tranquility and the spirit I feel when I am there. I feel Heavenly Father's love for us as I am surrounded by the beauty of his creation. This beach is known for it's lagoon. It is a marshy area ( an inlet) where the river and ocean meet. The seagulls and pelicans gather by the hundreds. We figured that about every 15 minutes hundreds of them would take off and go hunt for fish. It was so amazing to see so many birds at once fly over our heads. I love the ocean and I am so grateful that we live so close to it.

Beach Day

Perfect kite flying day

Wes doing the long jump. Look at those long legs!

The loot. Isn't it awesome?

I found another stick Mom!

Our Newest 12 Year Old

Our sweet Maddie is 12 years old. She had her very anticipated sleepover. First one ever! We make our kids wait until they are 12 to have a sleepover or go to someone's house for one. The girls had a fun movie night and giggled and giggled tons! Maddie didn't want a traditional birthday cake. She wanted doughnuts! We stacked them and put strawberries all over them. Instant treat. Ta-Da!! We are so proud of Maddie. She works hard at all she does and has many talents she is developing. She is an excellent sculptor. She draws beautifully and plays the french horn. She also is a wonderful student and gets very good grades. But her best talent is reading. The girl can read all night if we allow it. She procrastinates homework often because she is completely consummed in her books. We love her! She is very considerate of others and always has kind things to say about people. Maddie has had many babysitting jobs lately. The word is out! Maddie plays with the kids she watches and people really like that. She doesn't sit around watching t.v. She is actually out babysitting as we speak and making money for girls' camp. She is really looking forward to that this summer.