Coach's pep talk before the game.
They've had a few weeks of practice and tonight was their first game. The ending score was a whopping 40-2. Alex closed the office an hour early so he could make Megan's first game. He arrived at the end of the first quarter and was able to see the rest of the game, in which Megan played portions of.
On defense.
Bringing the ball up the court.
Once again, I truly delight in watching the girls play! It is so neat to see their improvement and development in skill and coordination from year to year. She handled the ball well and had several nice drives in the lane. She even made a basket in the 4th quarter! At the dinner table tonight, Megan was telling us how when she was dribbling the ball and all the players moved out of the lane with their opponents, "it was like I was wide open." I think she was even amazed at the level of play these girls have learned and are now performing! We'll keep you posted on how the season goes......so I hope you'll bear with us! :)
~Wee
We've been in the house for five years now, and this is the first project we've done on the upper level. It's exciting for me to finally be "doing something" as far as decorating up there! I've waited a long time for this! 
Megan's main position throughout the season was left midfielder. Today, her team also won 6-0. This season, her team went undefeated, so that was really exciting! Her coach this year was the grandpa of one of her teammates in basketball the past two years. When we walked up to the soccer field at the beginning of the season and he recognized Megan, that was neat.
For the last four or five weeks of the season, this is how we enjoyed the games.....dressed in layers, sporting winter coats, hats, gloves and scarves, wrapped in blankets, huddled together, and seeking shelter from the wind underneath umbrellas. That's what helped make the season so memorable. I have enjoyed all our sideline chats throughout the season and will miss them when it's over!
~Wee 
Approaching the ball.....
At 11:00 we moved over to Grace's field. She played forward for three of the four quarters. She had several close shots, one even up to the goal line, but the goalie made a good save. Her team lost 0-1.
Grace and Honor take the ball back up field.
The first thing we did after arriving home was to get out the warm blankets and put them in the van, where they'll be ready for next week's games. What Leah did when she got home ~~ she promptly stripped off her winter coat, scarf, and clothes and put on her tutu. Brrr! Makes me cold just thinking about it!
Megan's crew is attempting to classify various shoes.
When we were leaving, we saw this praying mantis on the glass door and another one on the wall near by. We brought them home and placed them in our landscape. This one is the female. We figured that out because when we dumped them out of the cup, the two of them were....eh um...mating.
When I walked out of the house, this is how I found the girls. I bet we sat and watched those amazing insects for about 20 minutes. Very fascinating!
I know you can't see them very well, but they are hanging on to the end of the twig Megan is holding.
While I was preparing lunch, Leah excitedly came in from outside and showed me what she found~~a white furry caterpillar. She intently watched it crawl around either on her hand or on the little chair she so tenderly placed it on for quite some time, talking to and petting it all the while. We then thumbed through our caterpillar book and believe she found a hickory tussock moth.
I just have to share little snippets of her conversation to both the caterpillar and to me:
~Wee
Only 20 more days to go and such fun to look forward to along the way!!!!
Grace's game was first. She played forward the first and fourth quarters. Her team tied 1-1.
Right in front of the goal once again, but blue's defense shut her out.
Megan's game was a bit lopsided, and because of that, Coach played them in various positions, as well as rotated players in and out several times. I think at least 6 out of the 12 players on the team scored a goal. Megan got her first goal of the season, and the exciting thing was that Grandpa and Grandma were there to see it! In this picture, Megan has the ball in front of the two green players. We lost count after about nine goals, but they say the score was 16-1.
After the games, we went to the Johnny Appleseed Festival in town. Here John Chapman is setting the stories straight about the clothes that he did and didn't wear. A tin pot was not one of them.
In the Civil War camp, we ran into President Lincoln. Leah didn't want to get in this picture, but....
the President acknowledged her anyway. It was so funny....as he was talking to her, first she looked at him, then looked down, then turned her head completely away. 
We were able to see this Revolutionary War cannon fired off. Pretty cool!
Leaving the Civil War encampment, it was neat to see the President visiting the soldiers at camp. It made you realize the authenticity of what that would have been like, obviously under a very different living environment.
It was a beautiful fall day! Hope you enjoyed it, too!
So, what do you think? Isn't she a beauty??!!
Grace gets around her defender and heads up field.
In a sea of yellow.
These are the "dynamic three," meaning they played either as forwards, midfielders, or defenders at the same time. This pic is taken as they walked back up the field after making one of their goals. Grace is in the middle.
Since the girls are on separate leagues this year, I am so thankful (and relieved!) that their games are scheduled back to back. No running from field to field for me this year. Yeah! I can sit and enjoy both of their games. 
With the ball at her feet, she looks for her teammate to pass to.
Movin' in for a big kick.
I think Grace took in Megan's game in about every position imaginable in this chair! 
Both teams won 2-1. 
