The Always Crazy Soderholm Family

Chistmas Eve morning at CMOR and seeing the Legendary Santa!

2012-01-20T22:54:00.000-05:00

http://craigandlorel.blogspot.com/2012/01/pre-christmas-events.html

Lorel already blogged about this and her pictures and explanations are great, so I won't add much commentary. Just a few pics.

We love seeing Santa come down the chimney!

Sod fam with the snow queen,

and with the man in red!

Victoria said that she would like an acoustic guitar, Christian asked for surprises, and Grant asked for a Joker house. They were really glad to see Santa and running into cousins again made it extra fun!

V's Christmas concert

2012-01-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

Third and Fourth graders performed at the December PTA meeting. There was a huge crowd and they did a great job! The resource teachers at the school are really great!

A sweet quick wave back from V before the singing started! I was pretty far away and couldn't get too many clear shots, but thought this was cute.

Victoria loves to sing and has a lot of poise on stage. I enjoy seeing her do things like this.

C's Wombat Project

2012-01-20T22:36:00.000-05:00

Christian did an animal project this year and chose the wombat. This kid cracks me up. He filled out his written report paper before I even saw it! That sort of initiative and wanting to get things done quickly is tricky for me. I admire it, but I like to deliberate and think things through first. I wanted to help him research and plan his project. He just likes to get things done and move on. Some of his answers changed after we did a little more research online, but the majority were right and were things I wouldn't have known. He remembers a lot of what he hears, the first time. Lucky him, huh?

For the creative portion of the project, he and Danny cut out a wooden wombat with the jigsaw. Christian sanded it and painted it.

We thought it was pretty cute. Good job, Buddy!

Gingerbread playdough!

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Gingerbread houses and a party in Richmond

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Look at these cute little girls!

and boys!

Victoria loves decorating treats!

Grant wasn't too into the craft, but enjoyed the candy and also practiced getting ready for the new baby!

Lisa and I! We were able to attend Lisa's 40th birthday party in Richmond that night too! Love Lisa. Danny was able to join us too after his wrestling officiating was over for the day.

Decorating the tree

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My family just cracks me up!

Keysville vs. Farmville Turkey Bowl

2012-01-20T22:15:00.000-05:00

So, I mentioned 3 feasts. There were also 2 turkey bowls. Danny played with Belmont, our old ward, in the morning on Thanksgiving, and had a great time! He had to preserve some energy though for the next one. The day after Thanksgiving, Danny played in another game in Keysville with some friends from Farmville. He played last year too and had a fun time.

Farmville won again this year and the boys and I (V spent the night at Geemaw's with Camila and Megan) had fun cheering for QB dad!

After the game, we brought a thanksgiving plate to our friend, Pat Taylor, who lives in Keyesville. I should write a post about her sometime. She is an amazing woman. She is an 84 year old blind woman who lives alone. She is super strong and funny and positive and just a really special lady who we are glad to call a friend.

After that, we had pizza for dinner and watched the Muppet Movie. The boys thought it was pretty great. We don't go to the movie theater too much, so it was a pretty big deal. Fun day.

Thanksgiving feasts!

2012-01-20T22:05:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving celebration in Ms. Dudley's class was a fun way to eat lunch.

Christian and his friends

Creative Kailynn

Emma and her dad

Christian and I

We had 3 feasts total if you count that one! On Thanksgiving Day we ate at my parents' house and then again with Danny's side of the family in Williamsburg.

I didn't bring my camera, but wanted to share a funny story. Copied directly from Lorel's blog

"At the Marshall house, when we first arrived, we wrote down a few things we were thankful for a put them in a jar. At the end of dinner, we pulled the strips of paper out and took turns reading them. My mother-in-law was a little shocked when she pulled this paper out:

"Okay... Who wrote this?!? Who said they are thankful for poop?!"

Ha! My bro-in-law grabbed the slip of paper to see whose writing it was, and realized that Pam had just read it upside-down...

Pretty funny stuff! We are indeed thankful for food and ate a lot of good stuff! We really have a lot to be thankful for and were happy to spend the day with our extended family.

Field trip to learn about the "Olden Days"

2012-01-20T21:34:00.000-05:00

Grant and I met up with Christian's class on a cold drizzly day in November at

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.

http://www.stateparks.com/appomattox_court_house.html

The students learned about the "olden days". They went into several old buildings there and were able to hear about differences between communities past and present. The kids were cute and pretty well behaved. Christian impressed me with some of his questions and also some of his answers to the tour guides questions. He is a smart kid. Not sure that I can recall the specifics, except for one which was kind of weird. He asked about the plaster and paint on the walls. He wanted to know if it was original or repainted and what they added to make the color in the "olden days." Danny, a history teacher, thinks it is so funny when Christian so often says "olden days". Also, I noticed how observant he is. When we were in the McLean house, he was excited because he noticed a doll in the house which he had seen earlier reproduced in the gift shop. Good eye buddy.

Part of the class listening to the tour guide before we went into the McLean house. Christian looks freezing cold, because he was. He was wearing his rain coat, but then accidentally ripped it (big time) while we were there and refused to wear the ripped coat. I held it for him, but he had to suffer the consequence of being cold. Maybe next time I ask him to wear a winter coat, even though it is raining, he will heed my advice.

I am glad that I am usually able to go on field trips with the kids.

Fall preschool fun

2012-01-20T21:14:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to share a few random pics I took one day at preschool. Not even part of the lesson, inquisitive students, Grant and Jaclyn, examined and then counted some gourds I had in a bowl.

Cooper had fun transferring corn kernels from one bowl to another.

J drew in salt.

Grant tested magnetism.

They enjoyed their stations and then switched. (I like stations).

After school Grant wanted to do the kernels again. Simple task- big fun to a 3 year old.

Christian's fall concert

2012-01-20T21:08:00.000-05:00

The first graders sang at the Novemeber PTA meeting and I really enjoyed watching my playful 1st grader, Christian!

Here he is singing the song, "brush your teeth!"

Ms. Kidd, one of the music teachers handed out instruments. When she got to the horn she asked, "Should I?" (meaning, should I give it to Christian). He nodded enthusiastically and she did. He was pleased and anticipated his part.

That sure was funny when he got to honk it!

Fun performance! Such cute kids!

More Halloween fun! October 31, 2011

2012-01-17T23:46:00.000-05:00

We love Halloween! Just a few of the normal traditions...

Fun hayride at the Vogel's party, which is always a great time!

trick or treating in town on Halloween afternoon

And around the block on Halloween night!

For the first time ever, I stayed home to give out candy. It was low-key and I didn't mind it. I think if it had been the only outing, I would have been sad. However, I got to participate in plenty of the Halloween fun. Un-pictured were the classroom "parties" (really treat distribution- homemade orange oreos rolled in black ad orange sprinkles for Christian's class and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for fall for V's class). There may have been a few more celebrations, but I have procrastinated blogging for 7 months(3 since Halloween) so my mind is foggy!

Another shiner!

2012-01-17T23:29:00.000-05:00

This picture was a few days later, but the bruise was still pretty obvious, so I took a couple pictures. Actually, I think I was taking pictures of the kids with the sugar cookies they made and they just happened to show this beautiful shiner. I mean really, who looks that cute with a black eye!

Poor V, has had a rough go with facial injuries this year! We went to Danny's parents house after Danny and his brothers ran in the Tough Mudder. See prior post. Patrick flew in from CA, so we wanted to see him while he was in town. Well, the cousins were having a great time running around after church on Sunday. I asked them to stop running and about 5 seconds later (literally), V was screaming. She hit her eye, right under her eyebrow on the wall/doorframe of the dining room! Ouch! I wish I had handled it better, but it was not one of my best parenting moments! I was like, "Really? Again?!! Right after I ask you to stop running?!" I was ticked. I felt like Danny's family thought I was the meanest mother in all the world. They clearly weren't thinking about how many times she has injured her face this year, about how I had been parenting on my own all weekend, and how I was pregnant, hormonal, and had vomited probably 10 + times that weekend. I felt very judged and like they were trying to take over/ overstep my parenting by taking her quickly away from me before I could apologize and get her the ice she needed, which I was already about 4 steps away from. Uggh! In-law things can be oh so hard. We do not understand each other at all, even though I think they have good intentions. Then, I was embarrassed and crying for not handling it better in front of Danny's family, so had to take a break/drive in the car while Danny and Geemaw helped her with her eye and I cried my eyes out in anger, tiredness, and frustration. Thank you Paige for calming me down on the phone. That's what best friends are for, right? It was nice to help me laugh and hear that my family is not the only crazy one. I am not proud of the way I handled it. I do care when my kids get hurt. It upsets me greatly and I don't want them to have scars all over their faces. I share this because stuff like this is a very real part of our crazy life. Plus, one day, maybe my kids will read things like this and it will help them in their parenting endeavors and in their relationships with their in-laws.

October preschool

2012-01-17T23:10:00.000-05:00

LCVA Dia de los Muertos

2012-01-17T23:08:00.001-05:00

We went to another fun Farmville event at the LCVA- right after the fun run! Just stopped home briefly to strip off the Halloween costumes, and throw on their cool new shirts from the Halloween Hustle.

One of the volunteers painted V's face just perfectly!

Grant was so cute in this mask!

Christian made and sported a super cool mask too!

It was a fun event with good food, music, friends, and art projects! The kids loved it!

Halloween Hustle

2012-01-17T23:04:00.000-05:00

The kids participated in a fun run at the Y. Danny wasn't able to attend, but the kids and I had a good time.

Christian ran!

and was pretty quick! He had a goal- to get to the trunk or treat!

V stayed with Grant the whole time. He had a bad cough at the time and wasn't up for running. She was really sweet to him and they enjoyed the hike through the woods together. There were several volunteers on the trail and lots of parents in there too, so it seemed pretty safe for me to take pictures and be on the outside to be able to keep an eye on all of the kids.

Christian was the first to get through with the trunk or treating. He was finished with the candy hunt before V and Grant were out of the woods! I felt pretty stretched as a mom!

V and Grant made it though and enjoyed the trunk or treat too! I was proud of all 3 kids for their happy participation! It was a fun event!

Picking pumpkins

2012-01-17T22:57:00.000-05:00

Not too much to explain here- just a fun afternoon picking pumpkins at the same tree farm where we went last time. It was just us again! We had a great time!

One difference from last year was that we went through the "Spooky Forest"

It wasn't so spooky, but they found treats in a chest at the end. Popsicles! Yum!

Play so nicely!

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I love the way the boys play so nicely together so much of the time!

Danny's Birthday! October 2, 2011

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Danny's birthday fell on Conference Sunday, so that was a treat. It kept things pretty low- key. (Or that was probably just me being pregnant- Sorry pal, last time though, right?!) We did prepare the night before by making an awesome NY style cheesecake while Danny was away at Priesthood Session.

Just take a look at these cute kitchen helpers!

What crazy mustaches they had!

Oops, I think helpers opened the oven door to peak a few too many times. But it still tasted awesome!

Look at that cute bond between birthday boy and his first born. So cute!

We hope your wishes are coming true, Dad! Happy birthday!

Apple Orchard Field Trip!

2012-01-17T22:44:00.000-05:00

Christian's 1st 1st grade field trip.

Learning about the orchard's apples and products made with apples grown there.

Happy to be on a field trip and he enjoyed the samples of apple cider and apple butter.

We were taught by a real life Johny Apple Seed.

Thanks Jeff for helping Christian to reach a tall one!

Looks like a perfect pick!

Grant, Christian, and Ryan

Petting a sweet bunny

What a cute bunch of 1st graders!

Grant thought that the apple was delicious and oh so juicy. He loved being with Christian and his friends.

I did too. Thanks, Christian Buddy, for letting us share the special day with you!

Apple Preschool Lesson

2012-01-17T22:38:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed that I love teaching pre-school aged kids? They are so excited to learn and I love that they can learn so much from playing! Just a few shots from the 1st day that Grant had pre-school at our house!

Cute cooper making apple prints.

Playing with food at free-play time!

One of the books we read

And some apple artwork using basic shapes

First Day of Preschool for Jaclyn, Grant, and Cooper!

2012-01-17T22:34:00.000-05:00

Just a few cute pictures of the kids playing before Maria and I left them at Corinne's house for school! They had a great time and we were all excited for a fun, laid back year of pre-school!

Grant's 3rd Birthday- Pirate Party! September 10, 2011

2012-01-17T22:32:00.001-05:00

Grant wanted a pirate birthday celebration, but I was up for low-key. Remember, I fake it as much as I can in pregnancy, but feel sick about 24/7, especially for the first 6 months, so asked what he thought about a family party. He was game. Thank you to my friend Maria, for supplying the themed party supplies (left-over from her son's party, but also exactly what Grant would like.

Grant was in his pjs and pirate gear, even at breakfast time! Long before the party! He is so fun!

Jaclyn, Thomas, and Kailynn brought Grant a really cool batman flashlight and awesome homemade pirate birthday cards.

Christian, Grant, and Danny spent the morning assembling the boys' new bunk bed! So exciting!

Grant was excited enough that he didn't seem one bit sad to see the crib go up into the attic.

After the bunk bed was ready it was lunch time/ party time! We had pizza, fruit, and veggies for lunch then went outside for games.

We played a toss the golden coin game!

Then, we went on a treasure hunt!

X marks the spot!

Grant found some treasure!

Then we went in for cupcakes- V helped me with them!

Birthday boy made a wish, blew out the candles,

and found a chocolate gold coin in his cupcake!

Victoria helped her brothers apply pirate sweet tatoos

Then, they all had fun with the Cars play dough.

Nice work, Danny! That night the boys got to sleep in their cool new bed! Happy birthday, precious 3 year old!

Lake Anna Campout

2012-01-17T22:19:00.000-05:00

Playing headbandz by lantern light. It was a new game for us and we liked it.

Robert and Grant chilling by the fire after eating some great food!

Clearly I didn't take enough pictures, but we had a fun campout with Bobby and Kattia's family at Lake Anna one weekend. We always love camping and had a fun time on their boat and in the water the next day too! Thanks guys! I'll take better pics next time!

Dirty Boys!

2012-01-17T22:14:00.000-05:00

While a hurricane was hitting parts on VA east of us, we just had some strong winds and rain. It made the yard fun for the boys. V was at a birthday party, otherwise, she probably would have been in the mix too. It was fun to come home to the boys having a grand time in the yard.

Victoria's Baptism August 20, 2011

2012-01-17T22:12:00.001-05:00

Victoria was baptized on her 8th birthday, Saturday, August 20, 2011 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Buckingham Branch Chapel.

I haven't completed this entire post yet, but need to move on. I will edit later. I plan to insert copy of the program here.

Robert spoke about Baptism. He did a great job and He gave us a copy of his talk.

It was really special to hear Victoria and Camila sing, "When I am Baptized"

The baptism went really well.

The water was warm, Dad said the prayer perfectly and Victoria went under the first time. (Not that it would have been a problem if you had to repeat it, but it was really nice and smooth)

Grandma spoke about the gift of the Holy Ghost and did a great job!

Victoria with the special cake that Geemaw made!

All of the kids were so well behaved during the baptism and program and were excited about the refreshments!

We were so thankful for the love and support of our family and friends! What an awesome turn-out!

It was so nice of the Hamilton's to share in our very special day!

Victoria, your parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends were so proud of you! What a special day for you and for our whole family! We love you!

And even though it was a special and spiritual day, we still didn't completely lose our sense of crazy. I threw up a time or two( what do you expect, I'm pregnant), Gee-maw and Pa-pa were late because of bad traffic, we broke a glass pitcher, and probably about 10 other things. Just a reminder that life doesn't have to be perfect to be great. It was a GREAT day!

Victoria's Pool Party! August 20, 2011

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Victoria wanted to plan, bake, and decorate her cake by herself. Danny only helped her with the letters.

We spent a lot of great days at the Farmville Pool this summer and V wanted to have her party there.

V and friends, Autumn, Kailynn, and Audrey in the dive well

Dad tosses are so fun!

Group shot!

Diving for pennies- Josie and Annaleigh got a bunch!

fish races

Splish, Splash

After the girls had pizza for lunch, we sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed the cool cake.

So many nice presents!

It was a fun time!

V's Baptismal Photo Shoot

2012-01-15T23:19:00.000-05:00

V and I ventured into the back yard and took a bunch of pictures of her in her baptismal dress. Danny picked it out for her and we thought he did a great job. Cute dress and cute hair thing too!

A few funny ones first!

Pretending to be mad,

goofy,

laughing (isn't she so cute?)

grinning,

glowing,

I had fun photographing V!

She is so beautiful and fun!

She is really growing up. Her dad and I are so excited that she has chosen to be baptized. We are so proud of her decision and know that it will be a blessing in her life!

Lunch visit for V's 8th birthday!

2012-01-15T23:13:00.000-05:00

Grant and I were so glad to visit V and bring her lunch and cupcakes to share with her class for birthday! She invited us to stay and play at recess too!

She sure loves her brother, and he thought it was really cool to play with her and her friends.

I was happy to see V and Cally swinging and playing together. They aren't in the same class this year, but it is nice that they can still play at recess!

Not Everyone Was Happy About School Starting -August 2011

2012-01-15T23:10:00.000-05:00

Danny woke up one Sunday morning to go to the Branch Presidency meeting, when he found his truck had been smashed in the night. What a bummer! We hadn't heard a thing!

Most of the windows were smashed, some scrapes on the sides, and flat tires. NICE!!!! Well, he called the police and they came to investigate.

Christian also investigated. He found a footprint in the grass with his magnifying glass, but it was his.

Any clues in the mailbox?

The police had an idea right away who did it because they had seen and talked to three teenaged boys who were walking down Main St. earlier that morning. They asked Danny if he knew those guys, and being the assistant principal, he did. He had been involved with discipline for 2 of them.He handled it matter of factly and didn't seem to be too hurt, but I was hurt for him. It was pretty upsetting to me because I know how much Danny really cares for the students and wants what is best for them. Plus, it made me angry because it caused Danny to miss church and a day with the family. Instead he cleaned glass out of his truck and our driveway, all day. I even saw him trying to vacuumm little shards out of the grass. Things like that hurt the whole family. It cost time together and it cost several hundred dollars as well as time to replace the windows. When Grant got a piece of glass inside his croc a few days later, I was especially ticked.

Anyway, after several months of lying and denying it, and even parents lying for them, the kids were finally caught. 2/3 admitted it. They went to court and will pay us back (eventually). We recently received 1 apology letter, so that was nice.

I was proud of Danny for handling the situation so well and for being a good example of forgiveness and moving on.

Back to School! August 2011

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First grader! Christian will be in Mrs. Dudley's class this year! We are excited. She is wonderful!

Ready to roll!

3rd grader- V will be in Mrs. Little and Mrs. Gee's class this year. She wanted Mrs. Little because she is friends with her daughter and because she saw her class a lot last year too.

2 excited kids! But 1 mom who was not ready to send them back. It seemed too soon this year.

Poor little ears

2012-01-15T22:49:00.000-05:00

I know it is gross, but this picture is actually pretty tame. Just a reminder of what Christian frequently has to deal with, even after 3 myringotomy's and an adenoidectomy to try to solve the problem. So many ear infections that drain out of the tubes. This is actually the side that the tube has fallen out of. This eardrum burst just the day before school started back. Poor kiddo. He handles it all pretty well though!

CMOR with Cousins

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Fun summer memories! We love getting together with Matt and Janelle's family when they are here!

Hot Days at Horse Camp!

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Victoria loved GLC horse camp again this year!

River with cousins

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Great Wolf Lodge with the Marshalls

2012-01-15T22:40:00.000-05:00

We had a great time with my side of the family at Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg! We went there straight after VA Beach, so we had several days of water fun! We had never been before and the kids had a major blast. Here are just a few pictures of our time there. Again, wish I had my camera with me in the water park, where we spent most of our time, but I didn't want to ruin or lose the camera. We loved playing in the water though. Our favorite slide was the one with lights and music.

Cousins at one of the nightly story times

Lorel and I imitating the show there. If you have been there, you know exactly what we were doing. Well, unless you are Ella or Grant. They seem unsure about what their mothers are doing.

Magic wands/special quests!

We had a great time with the family! Thanks Mom and Dad for the awesome trip!

VA Beach Trip!

2012-01-15T22:34:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted forever. I am about to start publishing posts from the last 6 months. My goal is to be caught up by the time baby #4 comes! Excuse all of the wrong dates!

This was actually the end of July 2011.

Jammin' to songs like Dynamite!

Christian, our little artist, kept himself entertained too!

We were on our way to VA Beach to meet up with Grandma, Grandpa, Matt and his family who came from Colorado, for a day of fun in the sun! I didn't take my camera to the beach because I didn't want to get it sandy, but I am sad to not have pics of the kids burying each other in the sand, gathering buckets of water for the castles mote, etc.

Well, everybody had a great time!
I especially wish I brought my camera to capture, Victoria trying and succeeding at surfing! She got up and rode 3 waves in (standing) within an hour. Natural surfer chick was pretty cool! I was super impressed! Thanks Danny for teaching her. She loved it and can't wait to try again next summer!

Surprise!!!!!!

2011-07-21T00:15:00.000-04:00

Danny and I have been keeping a secret for a few weeks, but we are pleased to announce that baby number 4 will be joining our family in late February or more likely for us- March! We are very excited and hope you will be happy for us too! And yes, we are still very crazy and very happy!

Cousin Camp pics from Kattia and I (not all in order)

2011-07-21T00:11:00.000-04:00

I will put these in order and type a bit later.

Harry Potter Party

2011-07-20T23:36:00.000-04:00

Christian and Danny have read the first couple Harry Potter books together and Christian likes them, so he wanted a Harry Potter party. Although, I don't know too much about the books and only saw the first movie, I figured we could do that! Danny helped a lot! So did other people's ideas on the internet.

First, the kids decorated their own wands.

Cole

Nicholas

and enjoyed casting spells and eating them.

Then, they had Quiditch practice- races, relays, etc.

Mattison

love Christian's happy face.

Danny was a good coach

Mason

Then, we had a potions class. They tried dragon scales and unicorn blood first. The unicorn blood made the scales come halfway back to life and they tickled their tongues.(water and pop rocks)

Thomas

Next, they mixed bone powder and witches spit and it erupted!

Luke

Grant coulldn't believe it!

Next they tried, Bertie Bots (only they were jelly bellies) and tried to identify the flavors. Such dramatic children!

Then we went back out for some magic soda and cake and ice cream!

love his face! The soda was pretty cool!

Christian requested either a giant spider or a 3- headed dog cake. Um... I opted for the spider.

He liked it though, which made me glad.

Christian had a great time with his friends and gave them each a Quiditch stick goodie bag to take home.

Christian turns 6!

2011-07-20T22:49:00.000-04:00

We love our Christian so much! You can just tell by these 4 pictures how excited he was for his birthday!

His birthday was on a Friday, so we had a fun day as a family! He started the day waking up to a brand new bike from mom and dad! Next- a donut with candles. Then we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house! They gave him a build a bear gift card, so we went there next! He made another dog, Lucky, who he loves and plays with just as much as Bruthen. I need to take a picture of his puppy playground(his closet) that he has recently created. He has such a good imagination. Then, we had a great lunch at Friendly's which was super exciting. That evening we had a movie night and ate homemade pizzas. We watched Harry Potter to get in the mood for his party. He had a great day!

Playdate with Tamara and Christopher

2011-07-20T22:43:00.000-04:00

A fun playdate with Victoria's classmate and friend, Tamara. She is a cute little girl and she and V love to talk on the phone! Mini teenagers, I tell you. Tamara just turned 8 though, and actually came to play on her birthday. We enjoyed the cupcakes that she brought.

Her brother Christopher came too, so that was especially nice for Christian and Grant.

The kids all played so nicely and we had a great time.

The post knee surgery Ninjas and head trauma

2011-07-20T22:29:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago Danny had knee surgery. He had a cyst removed and they removed a lot of old scared cartilidge. Not fun, but he handled it well and it recovering like a champ. Well, we are pretty silly at our house, so Danny took turns wrapping us up like ninjas in his ace bandage.

Now, notice that there are no picture of V or I as ninjas. Not because we wouldn't. V was in the shower and I was wrapped like a ninja when we all heard a thud and a scream from Victoria in the upstairs bathroom.
Although I had time to unwrap as I ran the the stairs(remember Danny couldn't run/ or even really walk yet), I decided that it might lighten the mood. Well, V was screaming, but the door was locked. I asked her to calmly open the door. Well, she did and she screamed even louder. I didn't scream, but I was equally terrified. I assured her that I was mom and pulled the disquise from my face.

So, why was I terrified- the scream and thud were result of Victoria slipping and falling in our cast iron tub! She grabbed hold of the shower curtain, but that came crashing down on her and she hit her forehead right on the side of the tub! She had a huge (I mean the biggest I have ever seen! ) goose egg that covered most of her forehead.I was terrified that it would pop open or that she had a terrible brain bruise or something. Luckily, Christian speedily got Danny's ice pack from his knee and we put it on her forehead. She couldn't be consoled and kept crying so we called the on-call doctor who told us to take her to the ER. But, Danny quickly hobbled next door to see if one of our neighbors(a doctor and a nurse practitioner) could come check her out.
Luckily, MaryAnn, came over and had a look. The Pruitts are awesome! She told us to continue to ice it on and off through the night, give her medicine and let her sleep(it was bedtime) waking her every hour or 2 to make sure she didn't have a concussion. So, it was a long night, but we iced it on and off 10 minutes for 5 hours and with her lying on her back it got much much better! It wasn't too bad looking the next day, but the swelling started to spread down her nose and face over the next couple, then she had 2 green/black eyes. Here are a couple pictures from the next few days.

She still has a little bruising left and a bit of a bump on her noggin, but you can't notice too much anymore. We are so thankful that she was ok. It was probably my scariest parenting moment to date. And yes, we are still crazy.

FAB Bus ride

2011-07-20T22:07:00.000-04:00

We took a fun ride on the Farmville Area Bus a few weeks ago.

Simple fun!

Book Club

2011-07-20T22:04:00.001-04:00

We started a book club for Victoria and a few of her friends this summer. The first one was at our house and the girls could read any American Girl book about Kirsten(V's favorite). V read Kirsten Saves the Day.

So, we had a pioneer activity at the house. We wore little aprons, sat on a quilt, made butter to eat on our homemade cornbread, summarized our books for our friends, and the favorite activity was- making yarn dolls. They were pretty cute.
.

Audrey tied long hair on hers.

Annaleigh

And V.

They had fun!

Since, they had a book club about horses. V started Black Beauty, but didn't finish quite in time. She had fun anyway. They did horse artwork, ate apples and carrots, and played a horse game. And last week, the book was Pinkilicious, but V couldn't go because of cousin camp at the same time. We'll meet a couple more times before school starts.

Father's Day!

2011-07-20T22:04:00.000-04:00

Danny is a great dad! We hope he had a great Father's Day. Here are a few quick pics of his morning before church.

homemade cinnamon buns for breakfast in bed

surrounded by the kids, he was given, lots of hugs, kisses, and cards.

I thought Christian's card was so cute. He didn't need any help writing it and it says, "Thank you dad for taking care of me and making sure I am safe. You are the best dad ever. Love, Christian"

And a sad, but loving picture sequence of the gift that Victoria made an painted for Danny.

It broke as she was working on it on Saturdayand her heart broke because she wanted so badly to give it to Danny on Father's Day. He assured her that he knew how much she loved him and that he loved her so much too- present or no present.

Williamsburg Weekend

2011-07-20T13:26:00.000-04:00

We had fun playing with TJ and his kids at the Inflation Nation in Williamsburg.

Funny bubble bath photos

Then, the next day we got to be there for a birthday party for Teagan and Orion at Geemaw's house. Here are a few more pics.

Fun weekend!

Night at the ball park

2011-07-20T13:22:00.000-04:00

Christian and Johnathon watching their dads

The dads- pitcher and short stop

playing with the pump

enduring the heat- what a good fan

and what a good coach!

We are glad Danny has a hobby and sport to keep him busy and happy.

Good Season Merks!

2011-07-20T12:46:00.015-04:00

Let's go Merks XXXXX!

Christian was #6 this year!

Glad V had Audrey to play with at most of the games! It was nice when they included Grant too. He really loved being there!

We loved when Grandma and Grandpa came too!

Christian and his teammates got medals for a great season!

GOOOOOO....

Merks!

So glad Danny could coach Christian again! They enjoyed their weekly practices and games!

Memorial Day weekend at the Rivah!

2011-06-06T15:39:00.001-04:00

Saturday, the day after school let out, we went to the "rivah" to play in the sun and water and hang out with my parents and fam. It felt like the official start of summer to pack the suitcases and get in the car!

Saturday

The boys went on a canoe ride with Grandpa. I love how Christian really helped paddle and Grant thought he was really paddling with a little net. Cute.

V and Ella went around the creek on the wave runner.

Ha ha ha! They were really with Danny. The pic above was when it was tied off.

Then, they switched. Strong Soderholm boys!

Grandpa and 2 cute grand daughters.

Grandma and Isaac and I played in the yard.

and in a Kayak.

Grandma showed us how she could look like Justin Beiber. That was funny!

We had a yummy fried chicken dinner.

Then, after the kids were all down for bed. (although we found out later, that they got up about 10 times) Danny and I snuck out for a romantic date while my parents stayed there with all the kids.

Ok, romantic was a huge lie! We went to watch a UFC fight at Applebees in Glouchester about 20 mins. away. Danny loves those and he really wanted to see it and wanted me to come with him. I love him, but geesh, really? I must be a good wife. It was nice to spend time together though in the car and at the booth before the fights started and on the way back. I think Danny enjoyed the fights. Can't say that I did, but that's ok. Give and take, right? I'm glad that he wants me to come with him instead of going alone.

Sunday

We went to the Kilmarnock Branch for church. It was fun. It is such a small world in the gospel. We talked to a couple people who we had met before. Most of the members knew Danny's parents from being missionaries there and they knew my parents from when they go there when they are at the river and we even talked to one guy who served his mission with Danny's brother, Bobby. If we had talked more I bet we would have found many more connections. We like visiting different wards and branches. It is cool how it feels so comfortable and how it is the same gospel and same organization no matter where you go. It also makes us feel good that our kids adapt and make friends so easily.

We had a pretty chill day that day. Craig and Lorel came (they were at a wedding the night before) and we had fun hanging out with them, playing with the kids inside and in the yard, having a cookout, and making smores in the fire pit that night. After the kids were in bed, Danny and I had a fun time playing Pictionary with my parents. By the way, that is a pretty great game that we hadn't played for a long time. I probably think it is great because we won.

S'mores!

Monday

Sun and water fun all day! It just felt like summer was here to stay!

The kids played in the pool, in the sand and in the water.

They caught minnows in the minnow trap and crabs in the crab pots.

They took turns riding the wave runner with Danny too. Victoria really likes to go fast with him now and loves the tricks too! I couldn't drive still because I am not done with my boating license! That has got to change before we go next time, because I like to be in control on that thing. Being a passenger is ok, but driving- so great!

So a few more shots...

Grant was pretty nervous in the river and on the boat. Poor kid- he'll get used to it and learn to love it.

He wanted to be held tight and also held on.

He felt better in the cabin.

or driving with grandpa

To clarify what the "rivah" is... It is the Rappahanock River. People often think of river as a lot smaller, so a few pics from our boat ride to clarify.

It very wide!

There are sailboats, fishing boats, ski boats and even big yachts.

Some people have huge houses on the rivah, others have cozy cottages.

Victoria likes touching the sprays of salt water. (It is near the bay, so is still pretty salty)

The wildlife is awesome! This is a common sight at the river- an Osprey nest. We even saw an eagle that weekend.Danny and I discussed the coolest animals we have seen there- and decided a live horseshoe crab that we found on the island and a pod of dolphin in the river were our favorite finds.

We saw these people on a creek. This is getting to be a popular sport- paddle boarding.

My mom sat up front with the kids for a bit- pretty cool!

We stopped at the island to pick up some driftwood and to take a swim. That was fun.

Oh, and Victoria like kayaking. She could maneuver pretty well. We were impressed and think she'll have fun doing that in the summers with her cousins. Speaking of kayaking, Danny and I kayaked down the creek to my friend Dana's house. It was fun to see her and her family for a little bit.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for a great weekend! It is going to be a great summer!

V's class party!

2011-06-05T23:29:00.001-04:00

Victoria's class party was on the last day of school right at the end of the day. It was fun. We surprised Mrs. Venable with a round of applause as she came into the classroom and presented her with a "Let's give her a hand" basket from her students and some of their parents. We think that she worked hard this year and deserved an applause! We hope she will enjoy her goodies and her manicure gift certificate.

Then, they surprised their student teacher, Mrs. Walker. Mrs. Venable and the students presented her with a t-shirt with a picture of all of them from their Natural Bridge field trip. They all signed the shirt- she said she will put it up on display in her classroom next year. They also gave her handmade cards and Mrs. Venable gave her a great stash of supplies, books, and goodies to help start her classroom.

She loved the gift and it made her cry.

Then, the kids hugged her.

After this, the kids enjoyed lots of goodies that parents sent in. Victoria and I made "Thunder Cake." We got the recipe from a book by the same title that they read this year. It was a chocolate cake with a special ingredient, tomato. It was topped with chocolate frosting and sliced strawberries.We brought in cupcakes to make it easier. I should have photographed them. We worked hard to make them the night before and they looked and tasted pretty good. V and I were pleased with ourselves.

Then, Mrs. Venable drew tickets for prizes. I don't know how many tickets there were total, but Mrs. Venable kept reminding people that each student had between 5 and 30 tickets in the jar, so the people with the most tickets would probably get called the most. Well, probability worked in V's favor as she was the kid with 30, so her initials were called a lot. "V.S. .... V.S." She picked a lot of fun prizes, including books and a cd. She was pleased. We are thankful that she is well behaved at school and a good student. We hope that continues! We also hope that in the future she will be healthier and have better attendance. She missed about 22 days this school year- strep throat 3 times, flu once, and just about every other virus that came around. Poor girl. A post for another time.

Essence, Mrs. Walker, Victoria, and Annaleigh (one of V's great friends)

Smart funny friend, Damond, and V.

Alex, Devonte, and TreQuan. Cute playful boys. Sometimes I want to take TreQuan home with me. He always seems so hungry for love and attention.

And last but not least, V and Mrs. Venable. Victoria and Mrs. Venable have a special bond. They joke together and really enjoy each other. We are glad for that. V will miss her.

Aloha kindergarten, Aloha summer!

2011-06-05T23:00:00.001-04:00

School got out over a week ago and I thought it might be nice to share some pictures of the end of the year parties. Christian and his friends in Mrs. Hodges' kindergarten closed the year with a pizza party. Their teacher was so generous to supply the pizza!

The kids played "Summer charades".

They wrote special notes for their teacher, Mrs. Hodges, and their aid, Mr. Hough.

and painted with water and blew bubbles outside. It had been a while since we painted with water, but something I had planned for them to do fell through, so I just grabbed some brushes and a bucket. I forgot how much fun they have with that! It was so hot that the paint kept evaporating!

I thought it was going to say "I love you, mom", but he fooled me. It was something else entirely. Can't remember now what it was. Christian is so funny. He was the first child to try to go Jackson Pollock out there. Of course, he was wanting to get his friends wet, so it didn't work out. He tried a few other fun games with the paint brushes too, like wringing the water out and pretending he was peeing. I think I was squashing his creativity. I sometimes view some of his ideas as naughty, but really they often are misunderstood. I can tell that he is very smart and thinks outside of the box sometimes. I am proud of him for that. I have a hunch that his strong will and creativity will be his greatest strengths one day. I love him.

Deantre and a big bubble

Christian and Sam-appeasing me by painting like the other kids were.

Isn't TaNaijah a beautiful little girl?

Trey had great fun with this and was very proud of his artwork. His big brother was in V's class.

Carrington and her magical disappearing butterfly.

After stations, we had delicious ice cream sundaes! Thank you Crystal, Christy, and Sarah! The kids loved choosing their own toppings!

Christian chose "all of them."

I wish you could see better, he lost his top tooth the night before and his big gap is adorable. Be on the lookout in upcoming pictures. It makes me remember how young and precious he is, when he smiles at me with that goofy grin.

What a fun party and what a cool kindergarten class they had!

Thank you, Mrs. Hodges, for your love, patience, and caring! You are so organizes, experienced, and energetic. Christian really enjoyed your class. You were a great fit for him and we are so happy with his first year of school. 2010-2011 was a good school year. Clearly, Christian gives it 2 thumbs up. Thanks!

Too cool in the pool!

2011-06-05T22:44:00.000-04:00

Victoria and Christian thought it was pretty cool when they threw each other into the pool after they had put their clothes back on.Can;t remember who got who first- but it was funny and then the other got thrown in.

Grant, however, did not think that it was cool.

At all!

Poor little buddy- he was tired too!

I spy with my little eye- a great big sister

2011-06-05T22:37:00.000-04:00

I love to catch my kids doing good. I had my telephoto lens on the camera the other day and snagged this picture of V holding and comforting Grant when he was crying.(They were in the playroom and I was in the breakfast room).

I've seen Christian helping Grant like this too lately. We were at a playdate with friends when Grant got hurt- he immediately ran to Christian for comfort. And Christian was so sweet and caring for his "little buddy." Sometimes siblings bicker and fight, but deep down they really love each other. I love it when they show it!

V's lacrosse game

2011-05-31T16:48:00.000-04:00

V's team finally played a game! They kept having to cancel games due to lack of players. The game was in Hanover, but was worth the drive.

Grant conked out on the way though and slept in my arms for a little bit which was nice.

Aggressive little defender!

It was great to see Grandma and Grandpa. Danny and Christian were at a t-ball game.

Victoria sure loves her grandma. She looks cute in headgear and a mouth guard.

Grant woke up before long and was so glad to see Grandpa.

Halftime huddle. The burgundy girls were from Farmville and the blue were from Hanover and were being nice to play in the tournament game with the team so that they wouldn't have to forfeit.

Good hustle girls.

younger girls with some of the older girls

Where could grandpa be? Grant is counting.

Speaking of numbers, the final score! They won!

Go team! Good job #6!

Good game, good game.....

It was a good game. We enjoyed it, V enjoyed it and did a great job playing midfield and defense!

Picnic at the airport

2011-05-31T16:32:00.000-04:00

Grant and I had a fun morning at the little airport in town with our friends Thomas, Jaclyn, and Maria. We took a picnic and were lucky to see 1 plane land and another depart. The airport wasn't too busy so Maria asked if we could take a closer look at the planes. They were very nice and let us. The kids were pretty excited to check them out and then draw pictures of airplanes.

Mother's Day

2011-05-31T16:28:00.000-04:00

Breakfast in bed and lots of nice cards and artwork from the kids were really nice! V also bought be a pair of earrings from the heart of VA festival. She used her own money and I thought that was so generous. I really like the earrings too. We had a nice time at church and then had my mom and dad over for lunch. I think I had a nap in the afternoon too. My family knows how much I love to sleep. Oh yeah, also at church the kids made a flower pot filled with with hershey kisses and their handprints turned into flowers. Very cute. I took some pictures of the cute cards. I am a lucky mom.

Springtime Maymont Field Trip

2011-05-31T16:18:00.000-04:00

Another wonderful field trip to Maymont Park! The kindergartners took a tip to Maymont in the fall, but it was fun to take them again and observe how they have changed. They have matured in some ways and now seem more independent and confident.

Notice the hands- most of the pictures include peace signs/bunny ears.

It was nice of Jaelin to include Grant. It made Grant very happy.

Alexandra moved in later in the year. She is a cute fun little girl who loves to talk.

I included this because it is funny that Christian always hangs over this bridge. I have never mentioned that to him, so it is funny to note. I wonder when he'll out grow that?

Did I mention that they were very busy?

They enjoyed climbing,

jumping from log to log,

running through the bamboo,

running into friends,

and climbing trees.

It was so fun to hang with Christian and his buddies!

Christian's kindergarten concert

2011-05-31T16:03:00.000-04:00

Christian and the kindergartners performed a spring concert at our last PTA meeting. It was great.

I loved watching him sing.

These girls sang a beautiful duet.

My favorite part was watching Christian play the rain stick. Can't you just see that translating into an electric guitar one day?

Field trip with V to Natural Bridge

2011-05-31T15:57:00.000-04:00

Victoria's class took a really cool field trip to Natural Bridge and I got to go with her class.

Devonte and Tamara were in our group.

Natural Bridge is really cool looking!

As was the snake that they found.

Group shot with the teachers who I think are both talking in this picture. Oops.

The chaperones and kids

Tamara, V, and Annaleigh

Tour guide teaching us

Inside the longhouse/ "Yohonkan"

Brian, Annaleigh, Jazmin, and DeQuan

Keyshawna, Tamara, and Victoria

They had a fun time together, got exercise, and learned some new things. I had a super fun time being with them and especially talking and laughing with V on the long bus ride.

I had a birthday

2011-05-31T15:47:00.000-04:00

I had a good birthday this year. I love when birthdays land on Saturdays. I had fun going to Christian's t-ball game and afterwards some friends came over for cake. It was a nice surprise and Victoria made and decorated a really great cake for me.

Then, Danny and I went on a date to dinner and to take a walk downtown. Maria and Jeff were so nice to watch our kids so that we could get out. Thanks everybody!

Easter Egg Hunt at Marshalls

2011-05-31T15:42:00.000-04:00

After church we headed to Richmond for Easter dinner and fun at my parents house. Here are a few pics that Danny took as the kids were egg hunting. Can't remember too many details as I am adding this so much later, but it was a good time!

Easter baskets!

2011-04-29T10:07:00.000-04:00

Before take off!

Christian helped Grant find his in the living room

Christian found his in the dining room

V found her basket on the porch

Buzz with a Reese's egg

V with gummy bunny teeth!

Egg hunt at geemaw and Papa's

2011-04-29T10:05:00.000-04:00

Papa as the Easter Bunny?

2011-04-29T10:04:00.000-04:00

While some of the grown-ups hid Easter Eggs, the kids were supposed to draw a picture of Papa as the Easter Bunny. They took this job seriously!

V's Hop inspired drawing- yes, he is pooping jellybeans.

Christian's drawing

And Megan's

Good job, everybody!

Leah's baby shower

2011-04-29T10:02:00.000-04:00

Kattia and I hosted a baby shower for Leah. Kattia, did the vast majority of the work and it was very nice. I didn't do as much to prepare, but love Leah too. Hope she knows. We had fun and look forward to meeting Rorik!

Kattia, Leah, and I (Sister-in-laws)

More Spring Break Happenings

2011-04-29T09:58:00.000-04:00

I can't seem to remember it all without my planner(which I have misplaced, again! Story of my life- I lose everything, especially brushes, but that is a different story). But, here are a few highlights-
Playdate with the Malones in Richmond, Bass Pro Shop, Maymont Park, spending the night with Grandma and Grandpa and going with them to Kabuto. It was a first for the kids and they loved it! V was a little afraid of the fire, but the boys thought it was awesome! Everyone enjoyed the food. Thanks, Mom and Dad. The next day we had fun playing at Grandma and Grandpas, then went to Williamsburg in the afternoon. Geemaw took us to see the movie Hop! We all thought that it was fun. Here are a couple pics from bedtime that night- bearded bubble bath boys

and a little trick that V played on TJ

Easter fun at the Y

2011-04-29T09:51:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday of spring break, Danny and Victoria went on Bobby's new boat with Bobby, Megan and Camila! They went to Lake Anna and had a great time! They even all jumped in! It was cold, but super fun! I think they have pictures. When I get them, I'll post a few.

Meanwhile the boys and I had a fun day in Farmville. The highlight of the day was the Easter Egg hunt and bounce houses at the Y. Here are a few shots.

Go Grant!

Thomas

Christian and Nicholas

Kailynn

Growl! Grant was a lion!

Reading fun!

2011-04-29T09:47:00.000-04:00

Christian finished his reading chart and is working on #2 now. He made this goal a while ago to do the hooked on phonics through second grade by the end of kindergarten and we hadn't worked on it for a while, so I told him "I think you can read all of the books for the kindergarten level. Let's work on grade levels 1 and 2." He wanted to truly accomplish the goal though, so that was a good idea. He whizzed through them and then declared, "Remember we were supposed to go get ice cream when I finished!" We went to Merks for ice cream together, just he and I, to celebrate his accomplishment. Then we took a fun walk around Wilke's Lake. It was a fun afternoon with Christian! We need to work on the next chart a lot in the next few weeks! Only 1 month left of school!

eggs

2011-04-29T09:40:00.001-04:00

Fun afternoon in the yard

2011-04-29T09:40:00.000-04:00

This was a fun part of spring break. Unfortunately Grant was napping, but the big kids and I had fun planting and thenwe all had fun playing in the yard- a somewhat spontaneous round of sponge dodgeball(Danny was rinsing the sponges that he was using to wipe the grout off of the new bathroom tiles.(New bathroom pics soon- we just need to make about 10 finishing touches).

Chalk fun!

2011-04-29T09:37:00.000-04:00

Boy time/ girl time

2011-04-28T21:14:00.000-04:00

To kick off spring break the boys went camping together at the Nyce's farm (they are in our branch and invited the das and their boys to come camp on their land.) They had a nice quick campout and enjoyed lots of good food cooked on the fire. I say quick because Danny had to be back to be pied in the face for healthy kids day the next morning. Hopefully I can find some pictures of that and can add them soon. Anyway, they had a fun time.

V and I didn't go camping, but had dinner with our great friends Cally and Courtney. Then we took a nice walk to Dairy Queen to get some ice cream. After our friends left V and I had fun watching an episode of Dancing with the Stars that I dvr-ed earlier in the week. We had fun too.

Fly away butterflies!

2011-04-28T21:08:00.000-04:00

We raised 3 butterflies this spring. They started as catapillers and we loved watching their metamorphasis. We checked on them every day and fed them sugar water on flowers, fresh oranges, or fresh melons. When the weather was warm enough we released them.

Fly away little butterflies!

Christian looked pretty happy watching them fly away!

This one stopped one last time before he left our yard. So long beautiful butterfly!

Egyptian Royalty

2011-04-26T23:15:00.000-04:00

Grant loves Dandelions!

2011-04-26T23:13:00.000-04:00

Grant likes to pick dandelions. He is so cute blowing them that I am happy to have them in the yard.

Rockstar

2011-04-26T23:10:00.000-04:00

Loving the mid-haircut- mohawk!

Doesn't he look tough?

Opening ceremonies

2011-04-26T23:09:00.000-04:00

A few pictures through the fence- I love that Danny helps with coaching and I can tell Christian loves it too.

Artwork on display at the LCVA

2011-04-26T23:06:00.000-04:00

So proud of our Chuck Close inspired artists!

Jimmer time!

2011-04-26T23:04:00.000-04:00

Danny made a sweet cake for the dessert auction! A Jimmer cookie cake. He made it while V and I were out and I was pleasantly suprrised that he made the dessert. I was totally proud of his creativity too. Great job, Danny!

Spring

2011-04-26T23:01:00.001-04:00

St Pattie's Day 2011

2011-04-26T23:01:00.000-04:00

We started the day wearing green and enjoying green smoothies. I can't recall most of the day, but I remember that the Elders came over for dinner and we ate our traditional corned beef brisket, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and Irish soda bread.

GNO/ BNO

2011-04-26T22:58:00.000-04:00

Long time, no blog! Well, I finally unloaded my full camera, so I can assure you that the posts will be coming.

We had a fun girl's night pj party for moms and daughters not too long ago. We had good food, socialized, painted our nails, and watched a movie.

The boys had a boy party at the Hamilton's house the same night! They had a great time eating good food, running around, and building marshmallow shooters!

V helped me top the pizzas.

some of our friends in their pjs.

Our nice nails! (V painted mine!)

V had a good time!

Christian brandishing his weapon.

It was a fun night!

Wrestling and Christian's first trophy!

2011-03-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

Serious focusing before the match

an escape!

I'll take top.

Sorry for the partial crotch shot, but I wanted to get a pic of Christian on top. Christian won this match! Way to go, buddy!

Grant wants to be like his big brother and asked if he could wrestle too. After the match was over, we let him give it a shot.

Grant loves it! As you see he can get slammed and just crack up! He was oh so thankful to be allowed to be be in a "real" wrestling match!

And last but not least, Christian got his first ever trophy from Coach Soderholm. He was sick with the flu the day of the end of the season party, but he was ok with that because he knew he didn't feel good enough to go anywhere and because not only did he get his first trophy, but also because he was awarded the first wrestling trophy(before his teammates got theirs). They had a good season and learned a lot. Each boy on the team won at least 1 match, so that was great!

Valentines

2011-03-02T17:17:00.000-05:00

Victoria gave her friends these cute Valentines this year. I think I saw these in Family Fun last year, but saw another example on moneysavingmom.com this year. I showed her the idea and we liked it. Amazingly enough, we did it far enough in advance they they were shipped to our house and made in time to give to friends. She was really pleased with them.

Christian and I made pink peppermint smelling play dough for his friends. Very cute. We had fun kneeding the food coloring into the dough- not sure why I didn't add it to the water or oil first, but the warm dough felt good to squish. He did a great job writing all of his to and froms in one sitting. I thought it would have taken a lot longer, but he was pretty motivated.

And, I can't say much about this photo because I promised V that I wouldn't, but I wanted to post it and remember it one day anyway.

Grant didn't deliver any Valentines this year. Probably next year, right?

V is going to play lacrosse this spring

2011-03-02T17:03:00.000-05:00

Farmville is now offering girls and boys lacrosse, so that is the sport that V picked. She was excited to get her cute pink lacrosse stick in the mail! Danny found some brand new addidas with pink stripe cleats in her size at play it again sports and she got some balls and a mouthguard and even pink eyewear, so she is set!

A couple days later we found another brand new women's stick at Goodwill for $2. Even though she already has hers we bought it. She could use it in the future when she is taller, but for now we can practice with her! Fun find!

She went to her first skills clinic and when she got back and I asked how it was and if she liked it, She responded, "I didn't like it, I loved it! It was AWESOME!" She is also excited because her friend, Cally, is going to play too! Look forward to some upcoming action shots!

"Me am a kissing robot"

2011-02-08T23:04:00.000-05:00

I love this sweet little boy's kisses. Grant and I have some great huggy/ kissy games and sayings. I take all of the hugs and kisses I can get because I know one day he will grow up and I will not be the lady he wants to kiss.
One is "lip kisses- eewww!" Dramatic reaction leads to laughs and more kisses.
Another is "I am a kissing robot x x x x" Complete with robot voice and right angled arms. I caught this picture during one of his robot pecks. Love it.

Happy 100th!

2011-02-08T22:50:00.000-05:00

Christian needed to bring 100 of something to count with at school on the 100th day. He did a good job counting them in groups of 10.

V's class wasn't doing anything, and that isn't her style. She wore 100 curls last year, but thought her hair would be too puffy this year now that her hair is shorter. We were having a tricky time deciding what she could do that would be subtle, but fun, and came up with this- 100 hair rubber bands.
Colorful, sparkly and fun!

My friend Sarah and I got to plan a party for Christian's class, so I made these cupcakes. V wanted some too, so I made them for her class too. It looked like 100 cupcakes, but wasn't really. She had a substitute, who may not have been thrilled with my dropping them by unannounced, but the kids liked them.

100 cupcakes made with gummy worm segments and gummy lifesavers.

Christian and his treats.

Sarah and Carrington- aren't they both so cute?

Mrs. Hodges' happy class! They decorated the neat banner behind them by gluing 100 things on it and made their necklaces too. They did a lot of neat activities that went along with the 100th day theme.

Over halfway through the school year and both V and C are doing good things.Here are a couple praiseworthy things to mention from the last couple weeks.(excuse my bragging- this is our family journal though and we will want to remember these kinds of things.)

Victoria scored the highest overall on each of the benchmark tests- 100 in math and 95 in reading. She took her time and tried her best and we were pleased with that. Her teacher calls her "Top Dog".
Christian has started taking AR (accelerated reader) tests and has gotten 100 percent correct so far. He also made a goal to read all of the Hooked on Phonics books through 2nd grade by the end of kindergarten. (I bought them on deep discount this summer and he was not interested at all in trying them. Now he asks too- cool.)We are proud of him for trying new things and setting goals.

Thankful for a big playroom

2011-01-15T23:49:00.001-05:00

We had a MOPS play date here the other day and it was a lot of fun. I am glad that we have a big room for everyone to come play. I am more thankful that my family has been blessed to have met so many great friends in and around Farmville. Thanks for coming friends!

Dinnertime!

2011-01-15T23:49:00.000-05:00

I send notes on my kids napkins in their lunchboxes everyday, just like my mom did for us. So, sometimes V and Christian write or draw on the napkins too. They are so cute. Christian is learning to sound things out and write. So these are some examples of his early writing on napkins.

I am a prince. (for himself)

You are a prince for a princess (for dad. He knows how to spell you, but I guess is text savy too?)

I think you are the cutest baby I know. (for Grant)

I am glad you are here. Love, Christian (for Victoria who just got back from her weekend in Williamsburg)

I love you, Mom. (for me - with a flying angel picture- how cute is that!)

And the fam at dinner (it is a Sunday and I guess we never changed out of our church clothes) And a yummy stew that Danny made for dinner.

Pueblo project

2011-01-15T23:42:00.000-05:00

I think that V has some pretty neat projects and some pretty cool ideas for what she wants to do for them. She has been studying Native Americans at school and had to write a report and make a model of their home. We thought that she would have picked the Eastern Woodland Indians, because we live in VA, but she chose the Pueblo. She and I really had fun researching these people on the internet. I love when kids find a topic that really excites them and makes them want to learn more. Well, she thought she might like to make another cake project, but Danny told her about how he once made a longhouse out of gingerbread once. V was like, sure, but I am making an adobe house. So... she designed it. Danny baked the gingerbread and cut it. She picked candy that she wanted to use. She made the icing with me and we got to work. She did a great job and really only needed my help to hold/balance things. It did take a while though- late night for a school night!(especially because we didn't get started until after a PTA meeting)

Go, V, go!

Sprinkling sand.

finished product- the long stips are ladders and the plant in the front is a Yucca plant, but we had to tie it together until the icing hardened all the way.

meat hanging.

cactus

we forgot to cut windows and doors- oops, but V thought that Hershey's chocolate would do.

I love the pretzel rod posts and handmade rug.

Victoria did a good job with her oral presentation and her friends and even some other teachers said that they enjoyed the gingerbread and candy.

So, on Friday, I picked V and C up from school and got to surprise Victoria that she was going to go with Geemaw to learn more about Native Americans in Jamestown. She was excited and from all accounts had a great time in Jamestown looking at the Native American villages. Geemaw said that V was the only child in the group and got so much attention from the tour guides. She came back with a book too, so we can learn and review more about native American life. Thanks, Geemaw for taking her!

Snowballs and Snowmonsters...and other snow fun!

2011-01-15T23:24:00.001-05:00

My boys were so cute playing in the snow! Victoria was in Williamsburg with Danny's parents that weekend so it was me and the boys. As usual, they had a blast in the snow! I played with them for a while too, but like watching and taking pictures too.

Can you see Grant's smile? He had never had a snowball fight, but it was sooo up his alley!

Christian used this scooped shovel as a catapult.

Good one, Christian!

Snow!

I might frame this one, love it!

Love these fellows.

And this would be the snow monster that I was referring to! He kept sticking his face in the snow, growling and saying, "Me snow monster!" It was hilarious, but scared me too- I didn't want him to get frostbite. He didn't.

These boys!

2011-01-15T23:24:00.000-05:00

The other night, Danny was working and I was giving the boys a bath. They were being sooooo wild, and I was getting so frustrated and mad. But, then I noticed that they weren't really being that bad, just wild and silly. I just wasn't in on the mood they were sharing, I guess. But, they get each other sometimes. They somehow just started cracking up- the uncontrollable kind of laughter that you just can't stop. I will never really know what it was all about. But it was funny and even though I was getting pretty annoyed for a while there, I did realize that it was cute and that they really love each other and are friends and like I mentioned earlier, they get each other. So, I am thankful for that. Here are a couple pictures I took to try to capture the hilarity of the bathtime.

Interviewing Grandma

2011-01-15T23:19:00.000-05:00

Victoria did a project about Community's Past and Present.
Part of it was interviewing someone 50 or older. She chose Grandma and had fun interviewing her and then doing her report.

"So, Grandma, what did you like to do when you were a kid?.... What were your favorite books?.... Who is Nancy Drew?"

Aren't they so cute? They have a special bond.

My favorite girls!

New Years Eve

2011-01-15T23:14:00.000-05:00

We had a fun time with the Toneys, Halls, Ludgates, and Zeladons on New Year's. Here are a few pics of the midnight celebrating!

C-man thought this hat was pretty sweet! His tough guy face.

the Zeladons

the Toneys

Happy New Year everybody!

Another Wrestling Match

2011-01-15T23:10:00.000-05:00

Christian

earned a point on this move, (I think)

got an escape,

hugged his brother who loves him and looks up to him,

listened to his coach, who also loves him,

and wrestled again!

This match was in Powhatan and Christian had a big cheering section, Papa Soderholm came and Grandma and Grandpa Marshall too! And V, Grant and I. He wrestled some older more experienced opponents, but still managed to get some points. He was a little upset after the first one and that is hard for me as a mom to see (V and Grandma too), But he tried hard again on his next match. We got an ice cream cone at McDonalds afterward, to celebrate his effort.

Christmas Day

2011-01-15T19:42:00.000-05:00

It was a great Christmas! Christian woke up promptly at 5:30 and announced, "Grant, wake up it's Christmas!" They were so excited.

traditional on the steps photo as dad turned on lights and made sure Santa had come

Our little elf on the shelf came down first.

Not gonna lie- he first went straight to Christian's helmet. That kid is so obsessed with baseball! It was a little sad that it wasn't for him, but he got over it pretty quickly!

Christian went right towards his Rudolph the red nosed reindeer! He was so excited and so excited about the train table too!

He was so excited he gave Danny a huge squeeze!

Victoria came down and did the excited stop and stare smile. So cute!

I won't narrate anymore, but here are a few more photos.

Victoria got a baby alive doll that poops! Her face in this pic cracks me up!

And Grant isn't mad in this pic he is just shouting, "All Aboard!"

The kids loved their presents! They had fun playing for hours which was awesome! It was a white Christmas, so we stayed home. We usually go to my parents and then Danny's parents, so it was strange not to. But, we celebrated with his side on the 23rd and had seen mine the day before. Since we had already given my parents their gifts and it was snowy we decided it would be smart to stay home. We visited our next door neighbor, Becky Duncan, for a little while and that was nice. The snow was keeping her family away, so I think she appreciated being part of the kids' excitement. We ended the day with smores in the fireplace.

Cookies and milk and reindeer food

2011-01-15T14:38:00.000-05:00

Pictures aren't the best, but we said a small thanks to Santa and the reindeer by leaving cookies, milk, and reindeer food.

I think they enjoyed it because the cookies and milk were almost gone in the morning and we couldn't find any reindeer food at all!

Christmas Eve at the Marshalls

2011-01-15T14:33:00.000-05:00

Marshall side of the family tried something new this year! Instead of a traditional Chistmas dinner, we had Chinese takeout! It was really good. Thanks Mom and Dad! We had fun trying different dishes and thought that the fortune cookies at the end were hilarious because there were so many doubles.

Then we played Christmas songs on homemade pipe chimes. We have done it before too and it is always fun.

Then we acted out the nativity. Grant was a cow again sinced he loved that so much the day before. "Moooo!" Victoria was an angel again and Christian was not a shepherd but a

little sheep. He created his look all by himself. I thought the black shoe hooves were pretty clever.

Hailey was Mary and had fun riding on her dad, Scott, the donkey.

Sydney, Ella, and V were the heavenly hosts(angels). Issaac was a super cute baby Jesus. Pictures on Lorel's blog.

After the scripture reading, my parents gave all of the kids 1 present to open- Zhu zhu pets! They thought they were so funny and it was pretty neat to see them scurrying all over the place.

Love this picture of Grant and Ella cracking up over the little zhu zhus running around in a drum.

Here is Ella in some fairy wings from Christian. She looked so cute.

We didn't do the cousin gift exchange because Matt's family wasn't there and Scotts girls and my boys had gifts from them. We both didn't bring the gifts from them with us. Maybe next year we should remember. Two of my kids had Ella and Issac though, so we asked if we could stick around and let them open theirs. While we were together, and weren't sure if we would be there at the next day or at least at the same time, we gave mom and dad a present from Craig, Lorel, Danny and I- a firepit for the river house and smore supplies to go with it. Hope that they will enjoy it. We think it will be fun to use there.

CMOR and Legendary Santa

2011-01-15T10:52:00.001-05:00

We saw Santa on Christmas Eve again this year, but this year we planned it that way since it is becoming a tradition.

The kids were pretty funny playing with these lolipops. Although, I only let them for a minute because I quickly noticed that they were supposed to be stuck in pots. My kids didn't pull them out, but I told them I think we better put them back. They probably aren't to play with. Can't you just see kids hitting each other on the head with these suckers?

Of course we took turns standing in line, but it was really fun when it was time to go in! Here is the elf telling us that Santa would be back soon. The kids thought that it was funny when she asked, "Are you ready to see Santa?..... I can't hear you. I think I have a little toy dust in my ear!"

Christian was ready to see the man in red!

Victoria took this picture of him coming out of the chimney! Cool shot, huh?

The kids talked to the snow queen, who was very beautiful and kind.

And then the children talked to Santa! They asked for-
"toys"-Grant
"a baby alive doll"- Victoria
"Zhu zhu pet"- Christian

Santa was so jolly and said he would do his best and "Remember, old Santa loves you."