Boy stuff

Cooper has really gotten into fingerboarding the last few months, and has accumulated quite a collection of wooden ramps and boxes, granite ramps and curves, and metal rails. Jax started with the obsession, and Cooper quickly joined forces. He spends time watching fingerboarding videos online, placing orders from a fingerboarding company in Germany, and has figured out how to do lots of tricks as well as seeing all of the cool products out there. He told Joe he wanted to see if they could build a few things themselves, so they went rummaging through the garage to see what they could find.
Since Joe tends to keep a lot of "stuff" they had no problem finding tons of stuff to choose from. The had fun sawing, drilling, screwing, and sanding. After a few hours Cooper had some fun new things to play with.
Now if we could only find room for all this stuff!

Nature Day

Today was the first Saturday in months that we didn't have an activity or commitment to do something! We decided to take advantage of some free time and go for a hike. We wanted to find a new place to go, so after looking online we found a trail in nearby Fallbrook to head to. After a slight detour, and getting a little lost along the way, we finally found it!
The kids were excited to use their new Camelbak packs they got for Christmas, and I was happy not to have a big backpack with everyone's water bottles and snacks inside!
The trail was beautiful and went alongside a nice creek. It was not a strenuous hike at all, but perfect for enjoying a day outside.
We climbed on lots of rocks, and found some pretty cool spots.

The kids challenged themselves by climbing up some steep hills...
We found some pretty flowers too, including the California State Poppy.
Towards the end of our hike we took off our shoes and enjoyed the cold water on our feet. It was a very relaxing part of our day and we couldn't have asked for more perfect weather in February!
After our hike, we stopped at for some frozen yogurt as a treat on our way home. It was a nice way to spend a free day, and hope we can do more of it this Spring!

FNL...Michican State Spartans

After practicing for the last few weeks, Cooper was excited to get to play in his first Spring season Friday Night Lights game! He was placed on the Michigan State team in the Open division. We were a bit nervous since the competition in this division is harder than in the recreation division, but he was ready for it. He has fantastic coaches and they have been doing lots of drills and serious practices.
Thankfully, we faced the University of Colorado team who have only been together for one season. Cooper was team co-captain, along with Caleb.

Our boys came on strong and on the second play of the game we made an interception and touchdown.
Coop played Quarterback on offense, and middle linebacker on defense.
He had a great game and looked strong. He's doing a lot more pass plays and still staying cool under pressure. He loves blitzing on defense and has gotten more speed and aggression since last fall.
It was an exciting game, and nice to open the season with a 24-6 win! We know the competition we will be facing in the next few weeks will be a lot harder, and Coach Long said there is a lot to work on, but he was happy with the boys tonight.

It was fun to be back on the field for Friday night and we are looking forward to a fun season!

Hall of Game Awards!

Zoe had a great time attending the Hall of Game Awards on Saturday with her friend Lauryn! They had an extra ticket and asked Zoe to come along.

It is an awards show that focuses on athletes of all kinds, and because it is hosted by the Cartoon Network, it is geared towards kids and they made it a lot of fun for them in the audience.
They weren't allowed to bring cameras or phones in, so she didn't get any pictures, but they had a fantastic time. They got to sit along the red carpet as the athletes and celebrities arrived, and then got close to the stage once inside. The show was hosted by Shaquille Oneill. Zoe's highlights were getting to high-five Hope Solo and Shaq, and seeing Tim Tebow up close.

We watched the awards tonight and tried to pause the tv when you were able to see her!
She was actually pulled from the audience and given a jersey to wear for when Hope Solo won her award.
She was also right behind one of the mascots dancing.

It was a fun night and so glad she got to go! Cooper was quite envious though, and wants to get tickets for next year! :)

Love Day...

It was a long, but happy love day around here!

The kids look forward to their doorway decorations each year...


Then they came downstairs to some more Valentine's decor, a small gift, and chocolate!

We enjoyed a yummy french toast with strawberries breakfast...

Cooper was handing out some fun new Valentine's this year. (Pinterest was full of great ideas!)

We headed out to school and work. Joe had a follow-up appointment at Cedar Sinai today, so he decided to take advantage of being in L.A. and went to visit Martin for the afternoon. They had a fantastic afternoon going out to lunch and walking the pier in Ventura.

After school, we put a quick dinner together before getting Zoe to dance. Her class was a sea of reds and pinks, and Nicole couldn't resist getting a picture.

Unfortunately, it took Joe 4 1/2 hours to get home, but he made it in time for our traditional Valentine's fondue dessert! This is our favorite part of the day!
Although it was a late night, we enjoyed our delicious chocolate. We also took turns telling each other the things we love most about each other. It was sweet to hear what the kids said, although they were both a little embarrassed!
Happy Valentine's Day!

She did it...AGAIN!

Zoe received word today that she was accepted into the Junior Dance Program Summer Intensive at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy in New York City! We had been anxiously awaiting the results, checking email constantly for the past 48 hours, and were so excited to hear that she was accepted at this prestigious studio.
Now is the hard part...figuring out if it is at all a possibility to attend and somehow, by the grace of God, make it work, or just be happy that she was accepted, and hope she gets in next year and is able to go then. So, we'll see what the next couple of weeks bring, but for now, she has a smile on her face from ear to ear! :)

Go Pacers!

Today was the end of the regular season for basketball. The Pacers have struggled a lot this season, and ended with a 3-9 record. They have worked really hard though, and with only 7 kids left on the team, they have learned how to work together and battle through.
Cooper's skills have improved significantly the last few weeks, and he has enjoyed playing point guard and being one of the top scorers on the team the last few games.

Single elimination playoffs begin next Saturday, so we'll see what happens. I'm just glad that he is learning a lot and still having fun!

Audition with a legend!

We weren't planning on attending any more summer intensive auditions, but Miss Nicole convinced Zoe to go to the Gelsey Kirkland Academy audition and we made a last minute decision to head to Fountain Valley with her friend Sonia. Although her Academy is in New York City, the national tour audition today was held at Southland Ballet Company in Orange County.


Gelsey Kirkland is a legend in the ballet world. She began her professional career with the New York City Ballet, eventually connecting with Mikhail Baryshnikov and joining ABT for a long and successful career. She starred in the first televised Nutcracker movie, and was on the cover of Time magazine in 1978.
The excitement of this audition is that Gelsey actually conducts the auditions in person. She evaluates each dancer and makes the decision with her co-executive director. I wish we could have gotten a better picture of her, but I was only able to get this quick shot on my phone as she came in the room. (She's in the dark glasses)

The girls from Dunamix got their numbers on and were excited and anxious to go in.

Of course they need to make sure they are warmed up and stretched. Zoe and Sonia were doing their matching ballet warm up.

They came out of the audition with big smiles, although a bit bummed that they didn't get to show any pointe work. They said Gelsey was wonderful, and they were very impressed by her.
They couldn't leave without doing a little dancing on pointe, so they put on their shoes and spent some time waiting for the older girls in one of the studios.
I am so glad we decided to head to the audition. It was a wonderfully positive experience for the girls and Gelsey is very inspiring to be around!