Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to Daddy,
Happy Birthday to you!

LMG's translation is "Happy Bir-bay....."

Our neighbor made AGG a cherry pie for his birthday today. She also brought over homemade chocolate chip cookies for the kiddos. The girls had fun getting everything ready for Daddy's little family party after dinner.


~Wee

Knock Knock

Knock knock
Who's there?
Nana (translated "banana")
Banana Who?
Nana spit (translated "banana split")

This is what LMG asked me this morning.
~Wee

Week No. 6

Under semi-cloudy skies and wrapped in my Illini blanket (I love supporting the Illini amongst this Hoosierland!), we took in the next to last game. Today's game was against the red team. The final score was 4-1, our win.

MEG played goalie one quarter, but saw little to no action. It seemed our team spent the majority of the game in their opponent's half of the field. The rest of the game, she played forward or mid-field. MEG approaches the ball at great speed and prepares to drive down the field. (She inherited her speed from her G'ma B. and her Daddy;))
Here, she kicks the ball around her opponent.

Look how wide open she is!

When GVG played defense, she, too, saw very little action. She also played as a forward and mid-fielder. On defense, GVG kicks the ball away from the goal and back up field.

I am so proud of how well GVG stays with her opponent. She doesn't back off and allow them access to the ball. She stays right there with it. (She's no. 8, approaching the ball.)

GVG approaching her opponent.

And driving the ball towards the goal. MEG is no. 5.

Since there are about six players on our team that know each other well, it has been so fun watching them play as teammates throughout this season! Our section of onlookers is definitely the loudest! It's just plain fun!!

~Wee

Under the Lights

Out of the eight games of the season, there is a Thursday night "under the lights" game. Tonight was that night. Our team faced the yellow team for the third and final time. They ended the game with a whopping 5-0 win! Out of the five goals, three of them were by different players, which really shows the well-roundedness of the team as a whole. MEG stops the ball from behind.
MEG played all four quarters, but received a rest in the final quarter when she took a ball to the stomach. She showed such compassion for the opposing team when, after the game, she told me she "felt sorry for that team since they haven't won a game yet this season."

The girls were excited about tonight's game mostly because Daddy was the "coach" (since Coach was out of town) and was able to watch an entire game!
Coach "Daddy" gives MEG her position assignment.

~Wee

Week No. 5

The soccer season is officially half over. Only three games remain. Another crisp fall day was on tap for today's early morning game against the "yellow" team. This is the team with a few "bullies" amongst them. I am proud of how the girls don't allow that to keep them from going after the ball. GVG did an awesome job in dribbling the ball around the little fellow in the pictures below, which apparently brought some remarks from him.

GVG and MEG have the ball here. The boy in yellow on the right is one of the above-mentioned bullies.

It was a hard-fought game, with (it seems) some extra unnecessary roughness. Our team won 1-0.

While playing as forwards, this is how close they came to the goal several times (MEG left; GVG center).
MEG (left) and GVG (right).

LMG and Mommy cheering our team on. It was chilly just sitting there on the sidelines, but by the end of the game, the sun was starting to warm us up.

As a mid-fielder, MEG prepares to pass up to a forward.

MEG turning the ball to head towards the opponent's goal. GVG (in blue) is on far left.

Enjoying their post-game goodies from the concession stand.

~Wee

Shout JOYFULLY...

to the Lord, all the earth,
Serve (worship) the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him (be thankful and say so to Him); bless (and affectionately praise) His name.
For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness (and mercy) is everlasting,
And His faithfulness (and truth) continues through all generations.

~~~Psalm 100
Today is piano lessons day. Before leaving, the girls run through their songs one last time. MEG and GVG had already finished their run-throughs. When I walked into the dining room this morning after my shower, this is where I found LMG. She was happily making music doing her "piano lesson." (I thought she was pretty clever by placing a rug under her stool so it wouldn't scratch the piano bench!)
~Wee

The Prince and His Jewel

The following is a story that MEG wrote in school this morning.

Once upon a time, a prince had a beautiful jewel. Everybody in his kingdom was not sharing and not helping other people. So the prince walked to a deep well and put a beautiful jewel in a bucket and put the bucket at the bottom of the well. Then the prince dressed himself up as a poor man and stood by the well.

Soon a man came walking down the road and stopped by the poor man. The prince said, "Will you get water for me?" The man answered, "No," and walked off.

One hour later a little girl came walking down the road and stopped and looked at the poor man. The prince said, "Will you draw me some water?" The little girl replied, "Yes!" When she lifted the bucket out of the well, she saw the beautiful jewel and a note that said, "If you find this jewel, you will be very happy." And the girl was so happy that she took it home and gave it to her brother. The End.

Lessons learned from the story: to share with and help others.

~Wee

Week No. 4

Here we are at week no. 4 already. I can't believe the season is half over. Today our team played the green team. Last time they played this team, they tied. Today, they won 4-1.
Break time under the shade on an unseasonably warm day.

MEG played forward or mid-field most of the first half. She asked for a break at halftime. Coach said, "I can't give you a break, but I can put you on defense." So that is where she went. She ended the game playing goalie. After the game, I asked if she was nervous playing goalie. She replied very calmly, "No." (I obviously was more nervous than she was.) Her defenders protected her well; she didn't have to dive for the ball even once. MEG with the ball and receiving the inbound kick from her teammate.

GVG started the game on defense. Coach commented at break, "We have to thank GVG and Evan for sacrificing their bodies in keeping the ball from going into the goal" (she took a ball to the chest). She also had some big kicks in getting the ball away from their goal. GVG spent the rest of the game playing forward, one quarter of that with MEG. It's neat to watch the girls work together as teammates. I really enjoy seeing them move into position as the ball comes towards them. This is GVG playing defense, preparing to kick it to MEG (#5), playing mid-field.

Of course, LMG was my little sidekick again today. This is how she took in the game.

~Wee

Remembering......

...back to October 10, 1993 -- 15 years ago. Weather wise, it was a day much like today. Sunny, yet cool in the morning and warming to the upper 70s or lower 80s as the day went on. It was our wedding day. That morning, pictures were scheduled to be taken at 8:00 a.m., outside. The trees displayed a full array of color; the grass still wet. It was chilly! A beautiful day indeed.

This afternoon the girls put together a treasure hunt for us, each with 15 clues (AGG was green; I was pink).
At the end of the hunt we found our cards, made by the girls themselves, on a stump. After that we all went out for ice cream. ~Wee

Bison and Windmills...

These were the subjects of our field trip today. We actually had our October and November field trips both scheduled for this week, so it made for a busy week.

Today we traveled North to visit a family-owned bison ranch. First, we learned facts about the bison, then the girls each made a Native American craft -- they drew Indian signs on a piece of wood, tied on some twine, and ended up with a necklace as a souvenir.

After that we went on an open-aired, covered-wagon ride out into the field where the buffalo roam. We were able to feed the buffalo corn pellets (some even by hand -- this particular one is a calf).

These animals are HUGE when you are that close to them! Even though these mammals appear to be big and awkward, they are actually very athletic and quick movers. I was surprised when a bull quickly raised his head to receive what I held in my hand. I dropped the pellet into his mouth, but not before I was able to feel his rough tongue. There is a lot of slobbering happening out there in the field when it's meal time!

Anyway, LMG really got into this feeding time. She kept calling out, "Here baby one....here baby one..." She wasn't intimidated by these huge creatures. She kept returning to the pellet bucket to fill up her hands after she had emptied them by throwing the food out to the buffalo. She enjoyed doing her part in supplying a small portion of their daily intake of 10-20 lbs. of food.
When we returned from the field, the girls learned and played a Native American game called, "Snake." For lunch we enjoyed buffalo burgers. They were awesome! Not as "heavy" as beef. What a tasty treat!From there we traveled to a windmill museum where 52 windmills are on display, some made of wood and others made of steel. (above) We were able to climb up inside this post windmill. Memories came flooding back from my childhood as I stood in the yard and heard, "squeeeak, squeeeak, squeeeak....." I am sure my family is smiling right now as they, too, are remembering growing up on the farm with our beloved squeaky windmill.

Dad, this one's for you. Notice the name? (wrong state, but cool nonetheless)

On the way home we stopped off at the apple orchard we visited just a few weeks ago and picked up some apple cider and another bag of apples.

It was another fun day, and the weather was absolutely perfect! This is such a beautiful time of year for traveling!

~Wee

What's Your Vote?

Yesterday we traveled to Huntington to visit the Dan Quayle Vice-Presidential Museum where we participated in a "We Vote" program. In the days before this field trip, the girls have been hard at work putting together a lap book of the entire election process. We've read books, searched the internet, and watched an educational video on the election process to help gain some understanding of this whole process. Monday afternoon I found MEG at her desk with her lap book busily filling in the meanings of a few of the political terms (i.e. donkey, elephant, sacrificial lamb, etc.) that she had found in a book.

The MC of the program led us through the process from candidates choosing to run for President all the way to election day. Chairs were set up in rows, and each row represented a different state, each with a certain number of delegates. To start off with, the MC asked, "If you want to be blue (or gold), raise your hand." Then he selected three candidates for each "color."
After three candidates were chosen for both "blue" and "gold," he gave them the impossible task of campaigning to the group in one minute and forty-five seconds. However, before sending them out, he explained how many delegate votes they each needed in order to win and how to strategically plan on which states would be best to campaign in. He demonstrated the "how" and "why" some campaign processes failed or succeeded in this year's election campaign. After the campaign trail ended, we voted. We were only allowed to vote for the candidates representing the color we chose at the beginning of the program.
After the presidential nominees chose their running mates, the debates started as they answered questions from the audience. The MC played the part of the media, newspapers, internet, reporters, etc. After the questions were answered, he challenged their responses, demonstrating the influence of the media, by taking little snippets of what they said either out of context or shedding it under a different light, attempting to make the candidates "look bad." Finally, it was time to vote.

Here is what the girls learned in their own words:

GVG: I saw how to elect a President. I also saw how to vote. I learned all sorts of stuff, like voting and how to get a President. The most unusual thing I learned was that 20 people were running for President. I would like to learn more about Presidents and how to vote. I think I could learn about this by reading books, asking questions, and watching movies and plays.

MEG: I saw them elect a President. I also saw a green dress (an interject from Mom -- the green dress was the inauguration gown worn by Mrs. Quayle). I learned how to elect a President. I would like to learn more about how the Vice-President came in. I could learn about this by asking questions.

For the first time in my life, I better understand how the electoral college works. The other thing I realized was that when you cast your vote, you are actually voting to tell another person how to vote.
~Wee

Week No. 3

Time for our weekly soccer update! Here we are at week 3 already. It was another beautiful day for a soccer game.
MEG (with hat on) and B (our neighbor) playing forward and MEG showing her speed.

The girls were pumped up and excited for this week's game (not that they haven't been for the previous games), but today they were playing against the only undefeated team in the league, the red team. Comments stated at practice this week about the red team were, "they're a tough team....no one has succeeded in scoring against them....even if we're behind 7-0, don't give up....you're all winners, no matter what the score reflects...." In my opinion, Coach has done a marvelous job in "coaching" them. He knows their strengths and uses them, he teaches them proper positioning, he encourages and guides each player.
GVG assisting a teammate and dribbling into defended territory.

Coach worked with the team this week teaching them a play to be utilized in today's game, and they did a fabulous job in performing it and working together as a team.
GVG heads into the "red" zone. She made it through the defenders and emerged on the other side!

Before bed last night and on the drive to the field this morning, we each took turns praying over today's game -- for protection, good sportsmanship, endurance, and most importantly that God would be glorified in their efforts, play, and attitudes.
GVG prepares to resume play. MEG is to the right.

Their team won today, 3-2. We came home and "celebrated" by lighting the wood in our fire ring up and roasting hot dogs and s'mores over the fire. Our neighbors came over and enjoyed the roastings with us. After they finished their lunch, they were off again -- scrimmaging.
LMG enjoys her hot dog.

Good Friends, Good Neighbors

I realize that each week I feature the older girls, but never LMG. She faithfully "watches" every game and practice along with me. When she hears me holler, "Go MEG!" or "Go GVG!" her little voice follows close behind. Today, LMG "panned for gold" in the sandy dirt in front of her seat. She collected the little nuggets (stones) and placed them on her chair. At the end of the game, the nuggets traveled safely on, tucked in the fold of her sweater. I regret that I did not capture any of that on film, so we'll share the following with you.




This afternoon the older two and I went to the area's jr./sr. high home school play entitled, "A Man Without a Country." It was a fun-filled, fall day.
~Wee