Return to the blogosphere

Since it's been a year (almost) since I last posted an entry, I decided a change of format would be okay. I will still post about my girls and their silliness and life at our house. But I will also add some random entries offering my thoughts on a given topic. It could be anything from something serious (Koran burning....really???) to sports (go State!) to just random musings. I have often thought "I should blog about that" because I love reading other peoples blogs so maybe there is someone out there who wants to read mine. And if not....who cares, just close the web page! :)

• Natalie's soccer games/practice are a riot! Everyone should come to a game sometime. The kids are getting soooo much better. They are all going a little faster and kicking the ball a little harder now. Can't wait to see where they are in a few weeks.
• Coaching 4-5 year old soccer has been everything I thought it would be, both good and bad. We don't have any kids with bad attitudes on our team. They all listen, but they're 4 and 5 for goodness sake so the attention span leaves something to be desired. This last Tuesday I was the only coach there for about 15 minutes and in one drill I looked at the back of the line and Natalie and two other kids were playing ring around the rosy! Complete with spinning, falling and a lot of laughter. We have the one kid that every team has, much more in to picking grass and weeds then kicking a ball around. But the joy on their faces when they do something right or listen to the devotion at the end is worth every second I spend with them.
• Hallie is a hoss! She will eat all of her food and then polish off whatever Nat doesn't finish. Then she will run around the house, knock Natalie down and jump on top of her. Putting that kid in a princess shirt or nightgown just doesn't look right. The nickname Hallie Bear fits better than we EVER could have imagined!! When we take off her clothes to give her a bath we can't help but chuckle at her belly. Especially because she will stick it out and rub it with both hands and smile at you.
• Hallie loves to talk on the phone, even if what she has isn't a phone. Last night she was using grandma's portable alarm clock as a phone. If she catches Sara or I on the phone she will walk up, stick out her little hand, and say "talk?" When we tell her no she will whine "taaalllk?" When we tell her know again she stomps around in just about the cutest temper tantrum you could ever imagine. If we do let her talk she will just stand there listening to the other person and maybe answer questions if she's in the mood. So if you want a good chuckle, give us a call sometime and ask for Hallie.
• I had a case of deja vu the other day. We drove by the bus barn on our way to church and I heard from the back seat "bus!!! bus!!!! bus!!!!". I thought "wow, Natalie is a little old to be still saying that, she used to say that right before she turned two...." It wasn't her. :)
  
• Football is back....that is all.
• I read this statement the other day and it really struck me: As Christians the world knows what we are against, isn't it about time we let them know what we are for?
• I have been going to a great bible study with 6 other guys on Thursday mornings. It started after the men's retreat and has been going for 3 weeks now. God has great things planned for our little group, I can tell. It will be interesting to see where God takes us and the impact we can have on our families, communities, and church.
• The Kansas State Fair is one of the most underrated events around. Taking my girls is one of the highlights of my year. We have been the last two years and had the best time checking out all the animals, riding the train, eating Pronto Pups, and riding rides. I highly recommend it!