Weekend Entertainment by Ashlyn

Ashlyn kept the family happily entertained all weekend with two soccer games and a choir performance at church. The children's choir performed two songs at the beginning of the church service this morning, including a great hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth." She loves to sing and is very pleased with her beautiful singing voice. Two of her good friends, Katie and Mitchell, that go to church and school with her said "she has the best voice in the choir." She was beautiful in her pretty dress and seemed to appear much to grown up to me!

Ashlyn and her team, the Blue Diamonds, have had a fabulous soccer season! Ashlyn is finally on a great team that has a lot of fun together as well as a team that is really learning to work together and improve their skills. Ashlyn has been attending a weekly soccer skills clinic along with the weekly team practice. The Blue Diamonds have won 5 of 7 games with one game remaining next Sunday. Ashlyn has scored 3 goals this season and has assisted with many others. The whole family really enjoys cheering her on at her games. Chris and I definitely get carried away with our cheering, coaching, yelling... so much so that Chris has almost lost his voice after a couple of the games. Avery is a little cheerleader on the sidelines as well and at times you will find her practicing kicking and dribbling the soccer ball awaiting the time when she is old enough to play. Go Blue Diamonds!

Let the Festivities Begin!

All the holiday festivities have begun and our schedule can prove it!!! Last week we started the fun with our Sunday School class Christmas party and my Mom 2 Mom group party.

Yesterday evening we took the girls to Christmas in the Square in downtown Frisco. They had a blast watching the 1000's of strands of lights blinking in a choreographed rhythm to Christmas carols, as well as bounce away in the gigantic bounce houses and slides. Afterwards, we enjoyed our yearly tradition of driving around and looking at Christmas lights. A nearby neighborhood really gets in to the spirit of Christmas and does an amazing job creating a "Winter Wonderland" that brings a nonstop stream of cars to see the spectacular scenes in every front yard. The girls were wide-eyed and in complete awe of the sights.

Saturday morning we all went to Breakfast with Santa at church. We had yummy pancakes and sausage while waiting for our turn to see Santa. Then we went to visit the elves and they helped the girls write a Christmas list to give Santa. Ashlyn couldn't wait to jump up in Santa's lap and give him her long wish list. Avery wasn't quite as thrilled about getting up in Santa's lap, but she tolerated it. After seeing Santa, the girls played fun, carnival games and played with their friends.

The fun did not stop there. After Santa, Ashlyn and I raced over to her friend's birthday party at Paint 'n Party. Then I dropped her off and headed back up to church to volunteer with the special needs children for the afternoon while their parents had the day to themselves to shop or just relax.

This morning Ashlyn sang during the service at church with the children's choir. The children were so precious dressed in their Christmas clothes, with their sweet little voices singing beautiful music! Later in the afternoon Ashlyn and I went to her GLOW Kids meeting. This evening it was my turn! I met my closest group of friends at a great Italian restaurant for our annual Girls' Christmas dinner where we exchanged gifts and treated ourselves to a fun evening.

Here Comes Santa+Soccer Girl+Family Pics+Singing Star=One Busy Weekend

Friday afternoon the girls and I got that first taste of excitement when you realize Christmas is approaching! We welcomed Santa at the "Santa's Arrival Parade" at the mall. It was a Polar Express theme, complete with popcorn and hot chocolate, dancers recreating scenes from the Polar Express movie, carolers, toy soldiers on stilts and of course Santa arriving to greet the children and find out what they want for Christmas. We enjoyed the fun with our friends Merry, McKenna and Mason. Ashlyn shimmied her way up for a front row seat and did her best to get as close to Santa as possible as he arrived. She was not shy to help herself to the free popcorn and hot chocolate or to ask the girls dressed up like presents for a giant lollipop that were only being handed out to a few. Thankfully Avery was happy hanging out by my side. Otherwise it would not have been easy to keep up with each of them running in opposite directions.









Ashlyn played in the last soccer game of the season on Saturday. They may not be the winningest team but they sure are the team that has the most fun. After the game each player received a trophy. Ashlyn was so proud of her FIRST trophy and let everyone know all about it. The Blasters ended the season with a pizza party at Cici's Pizza.




Ashlyn sang during the church service this morning. As you can see in the picture, she was really in to the hand motions and feeling the words. She attends Sunday school each Sunday at 9:45 am and then goes to choir practice at 11:00 am. Avery spends 2 hours in Sunday school. She will be able to join choir next year.




This afternoon we went to a nearby park for family photos. As quickly as the girls grow and change, I want a permanent reminder of them at each age. Just looking through pictures brings back so many memories that I might have forgotten had I not captured it with the camera. I can't wait to get the proofs back so I can compare them to our family portrait taken at this time last year. It's amazing and exciting to think about all the ways they have grown and developed over the past year. At the same time, it pulls at my heart just a bit to realize that the time doesn't slow down.

We played around afterwards and I took a few pictures myself. If only I had that awesome camera the photographer had! I forgot to mention that Ashlyn wore her "picture dress" to church this morning as well. I told her to be extra careful not to get anything on it. I should have known better... she somehow managed to sit on a pen in her booster seat in the car and it leaked all over the back of her dress. Chris and I took turns scrubbing the dress all afternoon and washed it in the washer twice. Luckily the pictures weren't until early evening and we managed to get most of the ink out of her brand new dress. New rule now- no pens in the car! She likes to take a pen and note pad in the car and write letters or draw pictures to give to people.