fall soccer

The beginning of autumn signals many things, school starting, cooler days, increasingly shorter days, leaves changing colors, making many loaves of pumpkin/harvest bread, warm apple cider and also the start of fall soccer! I think this will be something to look forward to each fall having two rambunctious boys for many years to come. I have really grown to love this sport, watching Jaden play for the last couple years and also going to many Sounder's games in their inaugural seasonthis year! I am proud and delighted to be a soccer mom:)

This is Jaden's 1st year on the West Seattle Soccer League (he played for the YMCA for the past 2 years), and his team consisted of many of his great buddies. His coach this year is his buddy Kellen's dad Larry and his team is the Blue Rockets!
Here's Jaden (#8), Graison (#7) and Jake (#4 one of his school-mates)

Kailee and Kellen
Their first game, go Blue Rocket's!

Bryson also started playing with a 3 yr. old Y team (even though he wasn't quite 3 yet;) Here he is on his first practice.
Bryson's number was 12.
Go Mighty B!
Bryson's got some pretty great ball skills, for not even being 3. The hard part for him at first was remembering not to pick up the ball!

Water break!

1st day of school 2009

Bryson was so excited to start Montessori school just like his big brother! He loved his new backpack and he knew he was in the Blue Room with teacher's Kristina and Kim. He will go to preschool 3 mornings a week this year.

Such a big boy!
Jaden, on the other hand, was very emotional his 1st year of kindergarten. Even though he has the same teacher from the last 2 years (Mrs. Clark). He was worried that since his school moved to a new location it wouldn't be the same. He also worried that the preschool and elementary playground are now right next to each other. Poor guy was crying before I took these.

He started to cheer up a little. . .
It was my first day going back to teaching as well. I am working 2 mornings a week and 1 afternoon teaching 4th and 5th graders.
Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of Bryson with his new teacher as I had to head to class myself. But I did capture a picture of Jaden and Mrs. Clark after school:)
We met Todd for dinner in the junction and then took the boys to Husky's for an 1st day of school ice cream treat!

Back to school last year.

The end of summer

The summer went too fast once again! I wanted to share some pictures of some other things we did in August and early September before school began.
My dad and I took the boys to the zoo so that he could see the new penguin exhibit.

There was this funny goose in the flamingo exhibit who apparently thought he was a flamingo!
He even stood on one leg;)

The boys and I had so much fun looking around the zoo with Grandpa. It is so nice now that he is retired and can join us on some fun outings in the middle of the week!

Bryson and Jaden love this part! The money funnel!

My little monkeys.

An update of how my garden looks.
Lots of tomatoes and zuchinni and lettuce!
After we arrived back from Cannon Beach, we met up with Chandra and Graison (and baby Ava) at a Sounder's practice game that the boys were invited to because of going to a Sounder's camp this summer. It was a HOT day but so fun that the boys received autographed cards from many of the players.
Grandpa Albert got to join us too!

The week before school started the boys got their haircut from Aunt Rachelle. Sadly, this may be the last haircut for awhile from their auntie as she moved to San Diego.
The boys thought this motorcycle out front was pretty cool!

After the haircuts we met up with Katie, Kellen and Griffin to go see the salmon run in the locks. Katie showed us a new spot to park that we crossed this bridge which had train tracks below. On our way to the locks we didn't see a train cross.
The boys watching the salmon jump!
Jaden and Kellen
Bryson and Griffin


On our way back to the car we stayed on the bridge a few minutes until we spotted a train!
Bryson was so happy:)
Back to the zoo, this time with daddy. We decided to skip going to the lake this year for Labor Day weekend as we had traveled so much over the summer. So one of the days we headed to the zoo.
Both boys love having their own map of the zoo, so they can figure out where they want to go.

Bryson trying to spot some penguins.
Always a favorite part and something we only do when Todd joins us for some reason is to go feed the birds.


On Labor Day we joined Katie, Larry and their boys to see the circus! Here are the boys in front of one of the circus performers.
Todd and the boys and "muscle man".
Kellen and Jaden
Todd and Bryson.
The boys LOVED watching the circus!