First Blood

With a big blister on his heal, and a little bit of a scraped knee Talmage played his first soccer game ever! I was surprised how excited I was when, as goalie, Talmage stopped several shots. (It actually made me teary-eyed.) He played goalie the entire first half, but by the time the fifth goal was scored against him, he was feeling pretty inadequate. (The other team was much more advanced.) I thought he did great. Dax and Jen got here late last night, and they were there to watch. Grandpa Wells came too. Afterwards, we ate the leftover watermelon I had brought to Bryant's practice. It was a picturesque summer evening.

27 cents

After Talmage's soccer practice I again ventured with 4 kids to the grocery store. I told them we had $60 dollars in cash (thanks Dave Ramsey) as our budget for the week. This time, it was Sariah's job to cross the items off the list, Talmage's job to write down the price of each item (including those per lb. items) and Bryant's job was to keep a tally of the grand total on a calculator. I was hoping Hyrum would accept the job of not pulling my hair from the hiking pack. He made it until the check out line. At the check out line we estimated a total of $58.75. Actual cost, $58.48. Not bad.

Had a check-up today and got my tetanus booster for our trip. Left shoulder is a little sore. Doesn't bother me as much as going to three different passport places (with four kids) for a photo for a VISA application and striking out! No one could meet the specific guidelines. Uggh!

Who's Who?

When Hyrum was on the back step with an apple I couldn't help but go dig out a familiar baseball cap and snap a few photos. Bryant is about a year in these photos and Hyrum in going on 16 months. Brothers?

Finally

While the neighbors are away, the kids will play. (With permission of course.) Yesterday, the kids went swimming for the first time this year. That was the first of four times in less than 36 hours. A swimming pool in short walking distance...nice.

Passports came in the mail today. Booked flight to Kiev last night. It's really going to happen!

10 Years Ago Today...

...was the best day of my life. Not because of the days prior, but because of the days since. Happy Anniversary Love!

Nine Years

Tonight I laid beside Talmage in his bed and read him excerpts from my first journal entry after he was born. To quote a favorite author, I penned "I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." And here I am, 9 years later, a mother who could not be more pleased with or honored by her 9-year-old son.

Talmage...

...loves to read (the top AR reader in his grade two years in a row).

...chooses homemade pizza for his birthday dinner and mud pie for his birthday cake.

...would rather have his soccer team's mascot be an evergreen elk than a dragon.

...tells joke after joke.

...has had one violin lesson and one soccer practice.

...has gone swimming on every birthday except today (unusually cold.)

his first birthday

today (sporting new goggles, trunks, and shin pads)

somewhere in between

As a postscript, Bryant tied his shoes for the first time today, and Sariah did the monkey bars for the first time. Both were extremely proud.

Thou Art the Man

Happy Father's Day to the man who has surpassed all I could have hoped for in a husband and father. Honestly, I could have never imagined having a more compatible companion. The challenges of parenthood have taken me by surprise (and I thought I was pretty prepared as the oldest of eight) and I'm so grateful to be on this adventure with you.