Soccer Baby

Days like Saturday were a distant dream a few years ago, when the only way Emma could be in sports was in her wheelchair.  I remember wondering if we would ever see her run and play....

 Fast forward a few years and the answer is YES!!!

Taylor wanted a special shirt to cheer sissy on! 

 Saturday Emma got to kick the soccer ball around with a few of her Full Circle Friends!  This is a program for special needs kids through the YMCA that works to bring different experiences to kids who need the extra help.  We are blessed to be very close to a center with this amazing program!  Also, we are very happy that several school friends and family friends are part of the group!!!  So, not only did she get to start to learn about soccer,but she got to do it with new and old friends.  

Sadly the weather was not the best for a child with hearing devices, but it turned out to be a fun hour.  

 Saturday the kids just got to meet the ladies that will be their buddies to teach them the rules etc of the game.  They are some local high school girls that play soccer and have been playing for a long time.  They were really sweet and did great with all the kids.  

Emma got right out there in the sprinkles of rain and started kicking the ball.  

 kicking with her buddy! 

 Running, yes running in the grass.  Still makes my heart sing to see her able to run and kick.  God is so amazing!  I see the face of God in each step she takes.  Three years of watching her do it and it still amazes me!!

 going in for a goal

 kicking with one of our dear friends

 they even let the siblings kick around, here is Taylor taking a break!

 Chasing her friends with a ball 

 Daddy is helping coach, and here is Emma trying to get it past him and she did:)  

 sweaty but oh so happy!  Look at that smile!!  

 concentrating on the ball 

It was a fun first experience with soccer.  Emma really enjoyed herself and really liked getting to see her dear friends.  You know she loves to be social:)  I am thankful for programs like Full Circle that allow my sweet girl to do something she has wanted to for a while and to do it safely and with support and love!!  We are already looking forward to next weekend when they will start to learn more about the game.  

Adventures with my son

Sometimes when sissy is at school Taylor and me take a little adventure time!  Most days are just full of errands, playing at home or hitting the Y but some days we get a little crazy:)  The Big Bug exhibit at a local garden/museum was ending this weekend, and Taylor really wanted to see them one last time.  So, despite the high heat today, we headed out on a hunt for some fun!!!

 He wanted to climb on everything and show me his muscles when he got to the top;) 

 We have been members here for years but we found a new trail we had never been on thanks to a friend who had shown pictures of her kids on this trail.  We looked and found the trail and boy was it fun.  

 Into the woods we go!!

 interesting sculpture

 Taylor thought that this looked like a claw

 He was so excited to see this cute animals in a little group!  He got on each one of them and talked to them as well.  He loved the rabbits the most.

 Then we spotted some real animals hiding in the woods.  This is one of the two deer we saw.  Taylor had never been that close to a deer and was in awe.  

 Here is the glass bridge we found, we think Emma needs to come play Elsa Frozen on it soon.  It was really cool and just out in the middle of the woods.  

 Sweaty but loving my time with my sweet boy

 buzz like a bee

 he saw another little boy who got in the creek and asked.  Well, it was so stinking hot I agreed.  It was really slick and he fell but he got cooled off and tried something new.  I will make a country boy of him yet!!!

 We finally had to go back to the car, I was needing some water pretty bad and it was inching towards lunch and nap time.  Luckily we got back to the car, a sweaty mess, but he was happy to get his lunch to eat on the way home.  He kept saying thanks mommy for a fun adventure together today.  I love him!! I truly love his sweet little spirit.  

Labor Day Weekend Fun!!

Our long weekend started a little early, with a quick mapping appointment on Emma's cochlear implant.  She was still struggling with a few sounds, so her speech teacher asked her audiologist to tweak her mapping to see if that will help.  So, Emma left school at lunch Friday to head to Vandy.  After a quick appointment we decided to take advantage of a random afternoon together (daddy went back to work after a snack) and stopped at an amazing ice cream place.  It is a cool little dive where you eat outside and watch the crazy traffic on the busy street:)  

Blue Eyed girls!

 Best milkshake ever!!

 Emma opted for some yummy fresh cut fries!  

 The boys!!

 After daddy went back to work and we ran a few errands, we finally made it back home.  Here is Emma and Taylor playing in his room!  Too cute when they have fun together.  

 He was putting gas in the Lego car he just made.  He was making the cutest noises to go with it.

 Emma proudly displaying the certificate Daniel got in the mail Friday from his training a few weeks ago.  She said "Daddy it has to go on the fridge so everyone can see how good you did"  it was precious!!

 Saturday we wanted to go to see the bugs at Cheekwood one last time but it was rainy and yucky so we opted to go bowling!! The kids had been begging to go for weeks.  They were thrilled when they figured out that was where we were going!

 She carried a watermelon:)  Sorry cheesy quote from Dirty Dancing but it did remind me of that part of the movie when she would carry the ball to the ramp.  

 Looking up at the score!

 posing while watching daddy

 After one game, we headed to the game area to have some fun.  Taylor loves riding in these car things.  

 Emma was excited to be able to get in the bounce house a lone and not be knocked down by bigger kids.  

 air hockey  

 let me see the muscles

 games, games and more games!!

 little monkey swinging 

 We paid a little extra to go in this room, it is a room with black lights and two sides, it has all these buttons that light up and you have to push them.  It is timed and whoever gets the most buttons touched wins.  Girls won!  Yep we were a little excited to have won against the boys!!

 Then after a long nap, Emma and Taylor watched a movie and explored some craft time.  

Sunday, Daddy finally got our grass cut and had a little helper racking up the really long grass left behind.  We also went to church, Emma went to a birthday party and we played outside.  

 Monday, we slept in, and then hit the local indoor Y pool for some swimming fun before lunch.  

Then, the kids played some games with daddy while I prepped the food for the grill.

 It was a nice night, so the kids hung outside while daddy manned the grill.  Here they were playing baseball while the grill warmed up.  

 Then, they played pirate ship on their playground!  It was so cute.  

 Emma wanted to be Tinkerbell and so I grabbed her wings and flower headdress to add to her imagination!

 A break from pirate ship fun to play in the sand!

It was a great long weekend.  Lots of memories made, lots of catching up on sleep, and lots of laughter.  Tomorrow we head back to work and school, but hopefully the memories of all the family fun will last us till the next weekend!  I love when we get family time and I love my family!!