Straight from Karina's mouth...

"Ouch, the sun is poking my eyes!" (Heard when we were riding in the car and somehow the sun decided to make a rare appearance.)

"Oh, I just love pipe cleaners!" (Actually referring to the bagpipe band in the parade we watching.)

"Mmmm, we're having chicken engazanas for dinner!" (Translation would be chicken enchiladas.)

"I am so frustrated that I went potty in my new pretty underwear. I just don't know why I did that. I forgot how not to right now."

"But it was Molly's turn to clean up the ducks and ponies. I told her she was going to be in time out." (Anyone know how to give a kitty time out?)

Spring Soccer is here

Jadyn and team had a great first game. It's been a crazy weather week - as soon as the game started, it began to hail some giant, painful hailballs. The kids were cold and the hail hurt when it hit them on their heads, but they kept playing strong.

Jadyn is facing the wrong way in this one, but check out that hail!

For more pictures, check out our family photos section. Here's a quick link...

http://picasaweb.google.com/MForee/SpringSoccer

Spring Snow

It's weird... but it's been snowing the last few days. We thought it was supposed to be Spring now...? That's okay - it's been beautiful and the kids had a great time playing in the snow and building a snowman.

Doctor confirmed...

Torn ACL again. Same knee.

Minimum 3 months before back to work (other than light duty).

Surgery on April 8th to reconstruct. Again.

Rerun...

Shall we call him "Rerun"...

Welll... I think it's officially time for me to retire from soccer. 5 years ago I tore my ACL playing soccer, had it repaired, and it's been great ever since.

Great, that is, until last Saturday. I played in a fundraiser even with Fire & Police officers from all over the northwest - an all-day soccer competition. In the championship game (our team made it to the finals for the rec-level competition), my knee buckled under me again. Unfortunately, I know the feeling of blowing out my knee from past experience, and the swelling is in all the right places to confirm that I definitely blew it out again.

So here I sit, icing my knee, and I go back to my Orthopedic Surgeon tomorrow to find out what my next 3 to 6 months will be looking like. My hope and prayer is that it's not my ACL again, but maybe just a cartilage tear that will take a few months to heal instead of a full 6.

Just me and my cat, enjoying a slower pace of life.

Always looking for the positve.... when Jadyn was saying goodnite to Mommy today, she did say, "I'm sad that Daddy hurt his knee... but I am a little glad that he doesn't have to go to work for a while and gets to stay home with us."

That's my girl!

Do you remember how exciting it was to get a new bike when you were a kid?

Our biggest little girl has definitely outgrown her old bike and has been needing a larger bike for some time now. We finally pulled the plug and got a new one for her today.

She was very, very excited! And a little sad, too... but only for a moment...

As we walked through Fred Meyer heading for the bikes in the far back corner (she didn't know why we were there...), I told her I had some sad news. I told her that I had watched her ride her bike today and that she was just growing too big for it. And, in fact, I didn't think it was safe for her to ride it anymore because she was way too big for the bike. So I told her that I was sorry, but she wasn't going to be allowed to ride that bike anymore.

Loud silence came from my child. I'm sure thoughts raced through her head as she tried to comprehend this sad, surprising news - I can't ride my bike anymore?!

Just as she turned to ask me if I'd lost my mind and begin her protest, we rounded the corner and the bikes came into view. Before she could utter a word, I said flatly, " That's right, Honey. I'm afraid we're just going to have to get you a new, bigger bike."


Her look was priceless! Her mouth hung open, still ready to argue, and then after a few seconds her wrinkled look of protest turned into a gleaming, and yet still a little doubtful, smile of hesitant joy... and then she turned and saw the bikes. "Really?! We're getting a new bike for me?! Wow!"

So here she is... the proud owner of a new bike! She looks great. It's amazing how quickly she's grown - our big 5-1/2 year old. We love you, Jadyn - our big little girl!

Oh Molly!

Our sweet little Molly Twinkles is just so funny sometimes. She is so unlike any cat we know, including our other odd cat that thinks she is a dog most of the time. Molly ends up in the strangest places doing the weirdest things. I wish I could have my camera handy more often during the day to give you all proof, but here are a couple of shots we managed to get.Here she is going for a magic carpet ride with the girls. She loves this and even manages to hang on through every terrain throughout our house, except the stairs. :o) She actually will run to sit on the blanket as soon as she sees it spread out flat and wait for her "ride" to start.
And here she is making herself at home in the dollhouse. I guess she doesn't realize that it really isn't made just for her. She will even go as far as rearranging it (pushing the stuff out) so she can lay down. In another month or so, I think she may have to agree that she has outgrown this house, though.