VRMS Basketball CHAMPIONS!

What a season it has been! These 6th grade boys have had an incredible run with a 9-1 record. Their only loss was to Bella Vista, by one point. Playoffs started Thursday, with a win over Temecula Middle, followed by a another win on Friday in the semi-finals vs. Thompson Valley. We were so excited to make it the the Championships on Saturday morning!
Unfortunately, Cooper came down with strep throat early this week. He missed a practice, missed some school, had to squeeze in some finals, but was able to make it to the games later in the week. He wasn't at his best, but he wouldn't have missed these playoffs for anything.

These boys have really bonded throughout the season, and become great friends on and off the courts. They were focused and ready for the game to start.

One last pep talk from the coaches...

I love how these coaches support and encourage these boys...

It was a close first half, with the lead changing sides every minute or two. Thankfully, our boys came out on fire after halftime and took the lead and stayed there. Since Cooper is a reserve player, I wasn't sure he'd get any play time in the championship game, but he got in there and did great!

Vail Ranch Bulldogs took the Championship with a score of 51-33!

They did a short trophy presentation and team photo.

Happy kid!

I couldn't be happier with these coaches. They've helped Cooper grow so much this season. He has enjoyed every minute being a part of this team and is sad to see it ending.

 Coop, we are so proud of your achievements this season. It hasn't been easy, and there have been a lot of long, tiring nights trying to balance two competitive sports and school work, but you pulled it off.  Way to go Bulldogs!

Re-do!

Our upstairs flooring really needed to be re-done! With 2 kids and 3 dogs, and 9 years later, it is time. We were planning on ripping up our carpet in the loft, but then decided to add the hallway too. I really can't believe that we decided to this at this point in the year, but sometimes you just have to do it.  The kids were a huge help, thankfully!

Of course, once the floors were up, I couldn't stand the thought of not repainting! Even though it meant a lot more work, it was needed.

So after several trips to Home Depot and a couple of tries with the paint color, and repainting (ugh!), we finally got a color we liked. We spent the rest of the weekend working, painting, and learning how to put in the floors. We only got through the loft...the hallway will have to wait, but we are happy with the results.

Now we will live in a construction zone for a little bit longer until we can finish the rest of the hallway. Someday, we will get to the bedrooms too, but that will have to wait!

Roaring 20's

We attended a surprise 40th birthday party for our friend Lenny today. Although we're not big "dress-up" people, it was a fun theme and we had a great time with lots of friends!

Lacrosse Championships!

The end of lacrosse season is here. It's been a long, but fun season and Cooper has learned and grown a lot since January.  The 5th/6th Tomahawks team had an outstanding season with a record of 12-2. They were placed as a B level team since they were a brand new team with only a few kids that have ever played lacrosse before. It was pretty neat to see how much they have improved since their first practices in January!
The B Team Championships were today. They started the day with semi-finals, and had a pretty easy win which meant they moved on to the finals later in the afternoon. Let's go #32!

After a close start, our boys took the lead and kept on going. They finished with a huge 12 to 2 win over Point Loma! Way to go Tomahawks!!

(Coop, Michael, Alex)

 We didn't manage to get a team photo after the big win, but these kids played hard and had a great day of lacrosse! Although I'm sad to see the season end, I am ready for a break from the hectic practice schedule and the weekly drives to San Diego for games. I'm so glad Cooper enjoyed this sport and wants to continue to play in the Fall.

CJSF Banquet

Zoe has been a member of the California Junior Scholarship Federation for the last two years at the middle school. It requires a good G.P.A. and community service hours each semester. Throughout the year, the club also participates in a school recycling program, food drive, and toy drive.

 Tonight was the banquet acknowledging each member, as well as some of the top community service awards.

 Zoe's had a great time participating with some of her friends!

(Zoe and Lauryn)

This is the beginning of all of the end of year and promotion activities. What a busy couple of weeks it will be!!

Ditch Day!

We are all suffering from a little Spring fever around here, and so anxious for summer to arrive! The kids have been working so hard and have done so well in school that I decided they deserved a day off. We were hoping for a beach day, but the weather didn't cooperate. We had some discount tickets to Knott's, so we made a quick decision early in the morning and headed out.

 We were worried when we first got there and saw the buses and crowds of junior high and high school kids, but once everyone was in the park it wasn't crowded at all. Our longest line was 10 minutes and many of the rides even less!

 Although I got a little motion sick after one too many roller coasters, we had a fantastic day!

 Lots of rides, an ice cream treat, and a nice break from our daily grind. Thanks for a fun day kiddos!!

Coop's day...

Coop's special day...

He requested oreo/marshmallow brownies....ooey and gooey and delicious! After a fun day of playing with neighbors and lots of swimming (hence the red eyes!), he was a happy guy. I sure do love this kid.

Celebration Weekend!

It was a long weekend of celebrating around here. Joe's birthday was Friday. He enjoyed breakfast with the kids before school, which he never gets to do, so it was nice to have everyone together!

 On Saturday, we headed to San Diego for another lacrosse game. Afterward, we decided to pick up lunch and hit the beach for a while. It was a bit cool for a beach day, but we just enjoyed being at the ocean, playing in the water and skipping more rocks.

 Sunday was Mother's Day, and I really wanted a day at home with nothing to do. We've been going, going, going, and driving everywhere lately, so I wanted to just stay home and be together. Joe bought donuts in the morning and Zoe made me a delicious lunch. We curled up together and watched one of my favorite old movies, Mary Poppins.

Somehow, I didn't get any pictures of me and the kids, but we had a great afternoon swimming and laying by the pool. I am so blessed to be the mom to these sweet kids. And I am just as blessed to have the mom that I do. I was sad not to be spending the day with her too!

Pinocchio 2014

What a fun and amazing production this was! Zoe had such a wonderful time performing.

The show starts off with Gepetto's Workshop, and the Clock dolls scene...Zoe was Cleo the Fish.

She was also part of the School Pas scene...

The fast and beautiful advanced ballet dance, Waltz of the Ahi...

The acrobatic Contortionist dance from Pleasure Island...

Ending with Bible Story...

After the show, it was time to clean up, check in costumes, and put away props. Then we headed to a local pizza place for the cast party. The dancers were on a performance high, and the parents/volunteers were exhausted. It is so fun to see everyone together though and just get to hang out. Zoe and a few friends decided they wanted to do a midnight donut run after the cast party. So we headed to a delicious 24-hour donut shop and kept the party going. The joy and laughter from these guys was definitely worth it!

What a fun, exciting, and exhausting weekend it was! The last 4 months have been so busy, with endless classes and rehearsals, and it is awesome to see it all come together. Zoe will be happy to have her Saturdays back for a while, but it is always sad to see a show end. I guess it won't be long before the next one!