Soccer Season in Full Force

So the girls had their first games this weekend. And Casey says I'm an official "Soccer Mom" now.......oh no what have I done/become!? Brooklyn had her game first and is doing so great. Her team is getting pretty fun to watch. They actually have strategies and plays, instead of just chasing the ball, like last year. She was able to make 3 goals in this game. She was so stoked!

Then an hour and half later Olivia had her first game. She is a natural! I just hope she isn't too aggressive! She loves stopping the ball and taking it down the field by herself. She also made 3 goals. Both girls had a blast. I think one of their highlights were the snacks though! They loved comparing what each got. At the end of the day though, I think Casey and I were the most tired!

Getting Schooled

The day has finally arrived! School is in! Woo Hoo! School started on Sept. 3rd. Brooklyn started 1st grade and Olivia started pre-school.

The day started out smoothly. We were out the door right on time (quite a feat for me given my history of tardiness). We live close enough to school that we don't get a bus, but we are too far away for Brooklyn to just walk by herself. So all 5 of us headed out to Brooklyn's school. They wanted to ride bikes, but Brooklyn was in a dress, so I compromised and let the girls ride their scooters. I thought that would be safer... WRONG! About 50 yards from school Brooklyn takes a spill and cuts her hand open! She's screaming and everyone has to go around us to get to school. Luckily the playground aide had a "magic" band aid. The instant I put it on her she was better. All the while I'm having flashbacks of the first week of Kindergarten, when she crashed on her bike and missed school. I think Brooklyn is going to have to stick to her feet for awhile! A bus would be so much safer!!!

Anyway, she thought she was going to get a school lunch and was a little disappointed when I made her a sack lunch. But when she came home she told me that she's glad she had a sack lunch because she gets to choose what she wants and that at school she would just have to eat what they gave her. (I think she saw what the other kids got and didn't like the looks of it) Such a picky eater!

Olivia started pre-school with Miss Carolyn. She was so excited. She doesn't start until 1:00pm but got ready early in the morning with Brookie. She told me all about the "time out" chair and how she is never going to sit on that!

This is all exciting to me because for 3 days a week I am only going to have 2 kids at home for 3 hours! Prime errand running time, or sleeping, or cleaning, or blogging, or ... the possibilities are endless! And next year will be even better, when Nathan goes to pre-school! Although it is exciting, it is all happening soooo fast! I'm trying to still enjoy this time with the kids at home, because it'll be over before I know it.

Coach Casey and the Soccer Sisters

Soccer season has begun! Brooklyn is playing again, and Olivia is playing for the first time. Olivia's team didn't have a coach so Casey volunteered. She is pretty excited to have her dad as the coach. And from what Casey says she wants to take advantage of being "the coach's favorite". This is Casey's first time coaching soccer, and I think it is a little trickier than he thought. He says all they want to do is play tag, duck duck goose, and pick each other up. Their first game is still 2 weeks away so we'll see what happens. I just figure with 4 kids he is going to have to coach at some point, and he might as well get the hang of it while they are young.

Coming out of Hibernation

This is just a cute picture of Brookie yesterday. I know everyone has seen what static from a trampoline can do, but it is still cute!
Anyway today I came out of hibernation, and dared to go to Costco with all 4 of my kids for the first time in 2 years. I was pretty nervous. You never know what is going to be the trigger that gets ruins the trip. Cody getting a poopy diaper, Nathan having to go to the bathroom, Olivia accusing me of not being fair when I buy things for people other than herself ( we call her Mrs. EvensStevens, she is always watching to make sure she gets her fair share), Brooklyn just saying she's tired of walking and usually all of the above. Well I chanced it. And... believe it or not they were soo good! We even stayed and got hot dogs! Which they ate with out complaint (the majority of conflicts in our house is over food). Then this older couple sitting next to us actually complimented them, saying that they are such well behaved children! I was so stoked! This was a first! I think I just might be able to start taking my kids out in public again!

Today was a good day

Sunday, August 24th 2008
Today was a good day for Nathan. His nursery teacher actually said he was wonderful in class today. This is far removed from the past comments that he did "alright" or "he's doing better" or he "got into a few fights". He is alot different than our girls were in nursery, alot more physical. But finally, after 2 years of nursery, we got a good report. Nathan was pretty stoked too. I asked him to give me a "thumbs up" and this is his version.

Hair today, gone tomarrow

Cody with all his hair, in June.


Cody with much, much less hair in August!




On Saturday August 16th Cody got his 1st haircut. When he was born he had so much hair! He looked like Captain Kangaroo with his sideburns! But now that he is 3 months old, he has the bald spot all the way around his head and his hair has thinned out... so it looked pretty shaggy. So, since we live next door to a cosmetologist, my sister Callie, he was able to get a professional haircut. As you can see, he took it very seriously!

Ready to Run? Portland's Rock' N Relay

Rock'n Relay August 2nd, 2008

This is a Marathon Relay split between 4 people up by OHSU in Portland. The kids came with us because they have it at a park with bounce houses and face painting. The kids played in the bounce house for almost 4 hours! This was my first race after having Cody. It hurt! I didn't run while I was pregnant, unless it was to catch Nathan. And I was lazy and haven't run much since. Anyway, I paid the price. I thought it wouldn't be bad, a 2 mile loop 3 times. I didn't count on the hill! It was all uphill the first mile and all down the second. I was so slow! And I hurt pretty bad the next day. Oh well, now I'm motivated to get back into shape. I totally want do it next year, and maybe focus on my time, not just surviving!

10 Years! Wow we're getting old!

Casey and I celebrated our 10th anniversary on August 1, 2008. I can't believe it has been that long! Just last weekend we visited my grandparents in Boise and it seemed like just yesterday I was visiting them with my parents during my spring break. Now I'm taking my kids. It really made me realize how fast time does go, and to enjoy my children because all to soon they'll be grown with their own families. So anyway, we went out to eat at Stanford's (a family favorite) on the waterfront, and had a nice dinner together, with Cody of course.

This Year's Highlights August '07 - July '08

So I've given in to peer pressure and finally started a blog. I've never been any good a keeping journal, so we'll see how this goes. I think I over analyze what I'm writing too much and then it takes too long and I just stop writing. But I'm willing to give it another try...

So to start off I'm going to put in some of this past year's highlights.
So last August was Hood to Coast. It was a blast! This was my second time running it, and I was so much more prepared. I achieved my 2 goals. #1 To run the whole time, no walking what so ever. And #2 To be able to walk afterword. Casey has run this race several times and it has been fun to run with him. We've finally found something athletic that we can do together. (I have a feeling he is always going to be faster than I am.)

In September Brooklyn started Kindergarten and Soccer. She really loved school this year. I had the chance to be the Art Discovery teacher for her class, and went in once a month to teach about different styles of art and do a project with them. I loved being able to see her in her class. She was always excited to see me. I hope she always is even when she gets older.

In October I went to Nauvoo with my parents. We actually flew into Kansas City, MO. Then we started out by going to Independence, then Liberty Jail. The next day we drove to Hannibal (home town of Mark Twain). I was about 2 months pregnant and feeling pretty queasy the whole trip. Hannibal is a really old town and had really old buildings that smelled old, so adding that to my queasiness I didn't feel to great that day. We then went to Far West and then Quincy, where the Saints stayed when they were driven from Far West. Then we went to Carthage Jail and Nauvoo. I have to say, that was the best part of the trip.

I learned so much about the prophet Joseph Smith. I gained a greater understanding of the pioneers and how they lived and what they sacrificed. I also gained a great appreciation for how hard they worked and how much faith they must have had. We looked up our relatives that lived in Nauvoo. I found out that my relatives and the Baldwin's had commercial property right next to each other. Kind of cool! I also found where they actually lived. When I saw that my actual ancestors lived there and what they sacrificed for the Gospel it reminded me that it is because of them I have the gospel in my life and not to take that for granted. We also had time to do an endowment session in the Temple, which is so beautiful. We then drove back going first to Winter Quarters, and then Adam-On-Di-Amon. I saw and learned so much, I would love to write it all but there will never be enough time. I have to go back some day and take Casey and maybe the whole family.

In January Nathan broke his leg, put a bead in his ear, got an ear infection in the other ear, and then got the flu, all in 4 weeks. By March he was finally out of his walking boot.

In April I had this great idea to put in new hard wood floors and carpet. It all sounded so simple. I was so wrong. Casey ended up getting bursitis in his elbow and had to go on antibiotics. But we got it done anyway, I wasn't much help, since I was 4 weeks from having a baby. I love the new floors, and I'm pretty sure it was worth it!?

Then on May 10th we had our 4th child. Little (not really little) Cody Brooks Baldwin was born. He weighted 9lbs 14 oz and was 19inches long. He is so stinkin cute! Not a very good sleeper though. He was also pretty colicky for the first month and a half. The delivery was pretty special though. My sister Callie had already gone in to the hospital and delivered her baby at 10:30pm and then at 2:30am I started having contractions and delivered Cody at 5:30am. So baby Evelyn and Cody are only 7 hours apart, but have different birthdays! Plus, I was in the hospital with my sister. Sounds like a movie, hu?

In June Casey's family came out for his blessing. It was so fun to have them all come visit us out here again. Casey's mom and I also talked Casey into building a play structure. It turned out really great. But after the play structure and the floors,Casey and I decided we needed a break from projects for awhile. We were pooped!

At the end of June I was in charge of a Family Reunion for the Mays. So we went to Seaside, Oregon. We did an Olympic theme, since they are this summer. We had a blast. Our family is getting really big. I also learned alot about putting on a reunion. There are alot of things you can forget to do! Next time it'll be even better. I think I will do a family trivia game.

In July we took our annual Utah trip. We look forward to this all year. This year we stayed at Heidi and Ryan's and went to the Dinosaur Museum in Ogden. Heidi also had a water slide in her back yard the kids loved. Then we went to Lagoon with Heidi and Cohen, and Briggs and Natalie and family, and Bridget and Allison. I was soooo fun!!! Brooklyn is our little dare devil. The only thing that held her back from any of the rides was her height. She went on the Colossus but she said her favorite was Wicked! Olivia was a little more nervous. She preferred all the children's rides. She is as tall as Brooklyn so she could have gone on alot more rides, but I have to remember that she really is only 4 years old. Nathan had a blast too. I was totally prepared for someone to cry at some point, but everyone was totally happy until the end. We didn't leave until 9:30 at night! The next day we visited Briggs and Natalie's house and went out to eat. Right went we walked in Nathan started throwing up, then Olivia too. I was so worried they were sick, but they stopped and never did it again. Whew!

Then we went down to Beaver, Utah for the Pioneer Day parade and foot races. Brooklyn got 2nd place and got a quarter, and Olivia got 1st place and got a 50 cent piece! Nathan was too hot and tired from the parade so he didn't run. Casey and I got second in the married piggy-back race. (We lost to Bridget and Tommy, who I might add, are not married) We then had the Baldwin reunion at the Pioneer park.

So that's it. One year! Let's see if I can keep up this year!

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