Soccer Saturdays

Here in the Snarr house, we are always in the middle of some sports season.  There are a lot of them!  But I have to say that fall soccer may just be my very favorite!  It is a beautiful time of year here in Iowa and as the season progresses, the corn fields change from lush green (August) to dry brown ready for harvest (October).  This year, we had 3 soccer players and a whole bunch of games..and it was such a fun time, full of new challenges, successes and friendships.  Even though it keeps us very busy, we love going to all the games and cheering everyone on!

Many months ago when it was time for soccer signups, Regan reminded me that I have never coached any of her teams and would I pleeeeeeease coach her team?  How could I refuse?  I loved these little 1st graders- we had 10 girls and only 2 boys...so our season was hard, but we all learned a lot!!

I always had some "helpers" on the side lines.

This girl has gotten really good at soccer- she gets right in the middle and takes off...years of watching games has paid off for her!

Ashton had big changes this year...her first time on the middle school team....which means it is coed and you are playing with 6th-9th graders!  Wow.  She was so nervous at the beginning...and then as the season wore on she found her groove....and by the end, she was stopping goals and scoring goals!  It was a really good season for her because at that age, they start playing real soccer....positions, passing, etc.  It was neat to watch...and she made a lot of friends too.

This year, Jordan's team left the recreation soccer league and headed to competition for the first time.  It was a big step up, but they did great and learned a ton.  She has a fabulous, committed coach and a great group of girls- enough for 2 teams!  Typical for Jordan, she sought out a high-stakes, high-pressure position....goal keeper.  It made me so nervous to watch her, but she did really well and improved throughout the season.

These little guys were good sports....and watched A LOT of games....one day it will be their turn and they will be ready!!

Six Months

Our little Luke is now six months old!  The time has flown, but we are glad to get those first six months under our belts!  This little guy is so sweet....although this month he has reminded me that babies are still a lot of work and really don't like crazy schedules.  It's good for me to re-think all of my commitments and try to stay home more...it makes for a happier baby.  I love that this baby loves me so much...when he spots me, his eyes follow me around the room, begging to be picked up.  When I do scoop him up, he holds onto my clothes and hair and nestles into my neck.  He is happiest when he is being held by me!  It is the perfect anecdote for the pre-teens around the house who sometimes seemed annoyed by my very existence!
Cole loves his little brother and is always asking to hold him...this has surprised me a little...I didn't know quite how he would feel about having someone new around the house!

Luke tried his first food...oatmeal baby cereal...not a big fan, yet!

Tod took some amazing pictures of Luke one afternoon while they were out on the back porch watching Jordan practice pitching.

Luke has been a little bit fussy this month (I think he must be teething), but the one thing that keeps him entertained during our crazy mornings is watching the girls practice their instruments.  Such a captive audience member!

I love this baby boy so much.  I am so glad to have him in our family!

My Amazing Trip

I really love to blog!  I wish there was a way that I could carve out more time to do it.  I love to go back and read about the things we have done and the things I have documented.  One thing I wanted to be sure and record was my amazing trip to Virginia last month.  This trip was a dream come true for many reasons.  First, I got return to the area where I served my mission 15 years ago!  Second, I got to spend time alone with 3 spectacular people- baby Luke, Pat, and my Dad.  Seriously, I never get to really enjoy and soak in any of these people without the distractions of every day life, so it was very special.  Also, since Dad and Pat have 8 kids between them and 26 grandkids, this was a very unique, treasured situation!  Finally, my other 4 kids got to enjoy some time with their dad at home, and that is always something they love!!  (Although I'm still trying to figure out if anyone showered or combed their hair while I was gone....and what did they eat?  I'll never know!)
I flew out on a beautiful, hot Sunday morning.  Luke was so good on the flights and I was able to relax and actually look at a magazine while he slept!  When I arrived in Richmond, Dad and Pat where there to meet me, and we headed for Williamsburg.  It was so surreal to be in the same area where I had lived so long ago. I kept looking at all the signs on the freeway and the memories were just flooding back.  As usual, I just can never get over the trees back east.  They are so thick and close together...just beautiful.  We checked into the Williamsburg Plantation and enjoyed a yummy meal at Outback.
The next day we headed to Jamestown.  It had changed a lot since I had been there, and it was neat to see all they had added, including a beautiful museum.  What a historic place!

One of my favorite pictures from the trip...me with my little buddy sitting in the church.

That night we made a yummy homemade meal at the hotel- it was polenta which we used to eat in Helper.  And our grandmas threatened to spank us with the polenta stick!  The meal was delicious.  Leave it to Dad and Pat to pull off a beautiful meal even in a condo!  This is actually a photo of breakfast, but you get the idea!  We did our grocery shopping at Food Lion which is a store we loved as missionaries.

The next day we headed to Yorktown- the site of the last major land battle of the Revolutionary War.  I was especially excited because I never got to go there while I was on my mission.  It was really a neat place, and once again, so much to learn.
They had a little trolley that took you around to the different places.

I really liked the army encampment.  It was fascinating to think about how the soldiers lived and what they endured.  We "endured" the Virginia humidity which is something else!

We ate lunch at a restaurant that overlooked the ocean.  It was such a great view.  I tried to just live in the moment and keep it with me forever.
That night, we were all tired out and wanted to watch a movie but the main TV wasn't working, so we piled on the bed instead.  We laughed and laughed about the "selfies" we took.  Oh, how I love these 2 people.  I am so thankful to have them in my life!  They were so fun to travel with- laid back, positive, and always looking to learn and try something new and different.

The next day was my last one there and we wanted to do some last minute souvenir shopping (always a favorite, even when I was a missionary!)  We also went to Colonial Williamsburg and College of William and Mary.  The whole time we were there, I was terrible with directions (nothing new!) and could not find my old missionary apartment.  Finally, at the last minute, I was able to find it! (We had driven by the turn off several times!!)

 We also had lunch at this yummy Mexican restaurant that we used to go to all the time!  It was still very delicious and just as I remember it.

I had to take a picture by the famous Williamsburg sign.  I used this same pose for my Christmas card when I was there as a missionary so long ago.

We also tried out some self timer poses before I left.

This little guy was such a gem, and I so enjoyed being able to just hold him and focus entirely on him for a few days.  The only thing he didn't really like was the pack and play....he slept with me instead, of course.

Our flight home was a bit less of a smooth sail than our flight there...but we still managed.  I almost missed my Chicago connection but managed to make it just in time!  I was so ready to see my other kiddos and Tod...it was so fun to meet them at airport and swap stories of our adventures.  Thank you Dad and Pat, for a wonderful few days.  It was so great to be together and so neat to visit my old mission stomping grounds!