Roy and I were taking turns snapping shots of Samantha. We couldn’t decide what setting to use. If we used the sport setting, the pictures weren’t so blurry, but they were grainy. If we used the flash, that didn’t really do anything. Just using the lights from the soccer field, left the pictures with the weird color. Using a different setting (aperture?) caused more movement streaks. We just kept playing around with the settings. I need to figure out what is best to use at night, with limited light, when people are moving fast. LOL

Samantha loves playing soccer. The level of skills on her team ranges from a newbie to a super star. She is somewhere in the middle and getting better every week. We love watching the games. The most recent one was tied and we went into a 5 minute overtime. When our team scored, the yells of the parents and the kids, was so exciting! Even my little ones were jumping up and down. Their games move fast! (These are all 10 and 11 year olds..boys and girls.)

She got to be a Captain that night.

A fan – it was cold that night!

She stands with her hands on her hips a lot.

This was a great throw in!

Getting tired.

Oh look. Hands on hips again.

We – that is Samantha and I – love looking at the hair do’s on Hair Today. Such cute girls along with cute hair styles. We have been wanting to try some but I needed supplies!

I finally got some gel and combs and hair thingies (though I need more!). First I did Hannah’s hair based on this post. Hannah’s hair isn’t as long on the sides and is very fine. I was barely able to get the braids across the top. And then the ends were so little and just stuck straight up, so I tucked them under instead of trying to curl them.

I took the part a little too far down. I curled the bottoms. That night I went ahead and left the braids in and the next morning they didn’t look too bad..but we were going to the park so I pulled the rest up into a little curl pony.

Samantha’s was one we saw recently and just knew we had to try it! Like the author we really needed clear pony tail holders. Where I got the instructions.

It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Hair Today gives instructions on the twists here. Samantha loves her do and has kept it in for a second day. Looks good too for having slept on it!

There will be a lot of soccer pictures being shared over the next few weeks.  Tuesday night was Samantha’s first game of the season.  Her team name is Heat and we love to shout things like “Bring on the Heat!”  and “Feel the Heat!” and “Can you handle the Heat???”   Love the team name!  Samantha is #10, she was one of the first to pick a jersey, and she says she picked the #10 because that is how old she is.

The referee talking to the team about the rules.

The fans.

The first half Samantha played defense. I didn’t get as many shots of her as they were on the other end of the field from where we were sitting. At half time I think the score was 3 to 3. Pretty well matched. Both teams were doing well in all areas.

The second half Samantha played halfback and then forward. As much as she loves playing defense she said she thinks she likes forward better now. More action.

In the second half they didn’t score again and the other team scored 3 more times. The kids were so disappointed! Here are some shots of them attempting to score and missing. Samantha was getting really frustrated!

Technically we school year round. But we took off a little time around the birth of Leah.  Then there was the moving.  Then we couldn’t find the school books.  Thankfully we had started last year early and then really pushed right before Leah was born.  So besides math, we really did start a new school year.  It won’t be long though and both Sam and Matt will have finished last year’s books and will be ready to jump into the new year.

I’ll be posting some pictures of our first days, and I’ll start you off with Monday morning.  It was around 8am.  We went outside and they had a great time posing for me.  It was already about 150 degrees outside.

Kayla, 12th Grade, 17 years old

Samantha, 5th Grade, 10 years old

Matthew, 2nd Grade, 7 years old

Alexander, K-4, 4 years old

(Why do some say Pre-K and some say K-4.  I know why I do!  Because I would say Alex is kindergarten as he doing work that might generally be done in kindergarten, but he is only 4, and some of the stuff is for younger grades.  Like he really can’t WRITE yet..but can do all the phonics and math.)

Hannah, 2 years old