Merry Christmas from us

Twas the night before Christmas (really it is!)
And all through the house
Not a tiny creature was stirring
in the Wright house...

I am thinking of all of my family and friends tonight hoping that you don't think we have forgotten about you. Jared keeps teasing me about not sending out actual Christmas cards this year. I was trying to be more "digital-age" and post it. I even have a 2 page rough draft I typed out a few days ago. However, it was more of a travel log and I've already posted many things on our blog. I may still post the letter but I felt a really Christmas wish was more appropriate tonight.

We read Luke 2 tonight with the kids and also watched the short video that depicts the birth of our Savior. This is the same video that Jared and I as missionaries many years ago would share and it still brings back the sacred feelings of that night so long ago. We know that our Savior lives again. We are grateful for this time of year to remind us of the greatest gift we've been given.

Please know that we are grateful for you in our lives. Some of you are family and we've had much influence from you. Others of you have been in our lives at some point but still have made an impression upon us. Thank you.

Merry Christmas again, from us!

Family pictures - part 2 - kids

I can't say enough THANKS to Cori. She made us look good!

Family Pictures - part 1

The last time we had "official" family pictures was when Brady was 5 months old - yep - finally getting around to it 5 years later! I subconsciously must have remembered how crazy I felt trying to match/coordinate everybody's outfits for weeks before, stressing, buying too many clothes, returning the ones that didn't work, etc. 

Jared and I have been talking casually about getting new pictures taken for the past month or so but thought we would just take our camera and tripod up the canyon and do it ourselves.  We decided Friday night, about 10pm to take our pictures the next day - too late to shop for anything, thank goodness. That was the key to less stress.  The next morning, Saturday, our church had a Christmas breakfast and I asked my friend Cori where she had taken some friend's photos. She had previously told me about a fantastic location and I thought I might work.  Well during the conversation, Cori offered to take our pictures for us if we could meet her about an hour or so later because she had commitments in the afternoon. We jumped on that offer and ran home to get ready. Miracle for a couple of reasons, Cori loves to take pictures and her camera is much nicer than ours.

Total Kudos to Cori! She took about 389 pictures in about an hour and we all had a blast. I thought I'd post some fun ones now with a few of the family ones.

We are definitely having a hard time chosing because Cori did a fantastic job. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do... I'll post more of the kids' photos.

Wonderful Thanksgiving

 I honestly am not sure the last time I had Thanksgiving with both of my brothers. I have to give Chris credit for initiating the start of this great weekend. Knowing he was coming out to visit, he asked if we could have Thanksgiving at my house. Sure! Then within a few days it hit me that our Mom was already planning on being with us for Thanksgiving and we just needed Erik and Christy. I called them and the invite was made. I really wasn't sure if they would be able to come because Erik has been doing a lot of travel for work - around the globe travel! Anyways, within a week he called back to say that Christy had made all the arrangements! Awesome....

 I'm not a great picture taker so I didn't get photos of every activity, but we did cram in a lot of fun - movie, eating, bowling, swimming, eating, cards, eating....

 The cousins had a great time together and so did we. My brothers even continued on the Robertson family tradition and taught all the cousins penny poker - "Texas hold'em" and a little "Guts". The kids were hooked and even sat at the dinner table for 3 hrs as Uncle Erik patiently was the dealer. It really looked as if Rachel, Evelyn and even Josee might win, but Erik finally won it all! Actually no one took any pennies, everyone kept giving them away to keep the games going.

 I loved being around my brothers. Reminesing and also a lot of laughter all weekend.

 This picture cracks me up - holding guns up to Uncle Erik, even Aunt Christy shooting him too! Erik definitely dished out the teasings and the kids for the most part figured out how to dish it right back.

My heart was full on Thanksgiving as we all sat around the table saying what we were grateful for. Luckily I was last and just about everything I was thinking had already been said. I was grateful not to say much because I was honestly a little choked up, yes I was emotional. I was given a little reminder glimpse on the importance of family, my family. With my parents being divorced, holidays are a little tricky. I definitely thought lots about my Dad and Pat and sent my love to them. But as I looked around the table with my hubby, my kids, my mom and my brothers and nieces and nephew...my joy was full.

Soccer Season again!

The beginnings of fall always brings the anticpation of starting school, pumpkins, autumn leaves, soup, and of course, in our house, SOCCER SEASON.  I must say I am a soccer mom, not just because that is the current "favorite" little person sport, but because I have been immersed in it way before it was "cool".  In fact I think we (my twin bro) and I were 6 years old when he brought home a flyer from school about soccer at the YMCA.  He and our older bro got registered and thus my immersion into soccer began.  I actually didn't play on a team until I was 9, I think.  But even then, our yellow jerseyed team and coach only relied on my bro to score.  The whole game plan was "pass it to Chris".  So for me, in the back field, I just played with my barrettes (the ones way back then that you made by weaving different colors of ribbon on a barrette) and was bored.  So I didn't play again until high school.  This isn't to say that I wasn't still at games.  My brothers played all the time from grade school, middle, high school, traveling teams, and college.  In high school my older brother graciously agreed to coach a girls indoor team for me to be on.  A bunch of us girls, most of whom had never played soccer, played for 2 seasons.  Throw in an outdoor season on the high school team - I played right midfield.

Jared played growing up too. So by the time Ethan turned 4, we were chomping at the bit to introduce this love of soccer to him.  They are so cute at that age, running in a big wad together, trying to figure out how to use their own feet.  He too loves soccer.  He has played since then on outdoor rec leagues, competitive leagues and recently on indoor leagues.  This season, we are on a new frontier, he has gone over to the dark side!!! Referree.... I'm just kidding about the dark side, it is actually the neon yellow side with stripes/ or the  bubble bee look is more accurate.  He reffed his first game last week, Luke's age group of U8, and really liked it. In fact, he will ref 3 of Luke's games during this season.

Speaking of Luke, his age group has moved up to bigger fields and more kids on the field and a goalie.  He really has improved.  He is on a good team this year and hopefully he will continue to understand the game more and more.

Brady, on the other hand, is just trying to get a feel for the game.  He has played outside with his older siblings.  But as he found out last Saturday, that is much different than actually being on the field for a real game.  Brady looked quite confused on the field with everyone running around him.  He came off the field quite upset. Jared did get him calmed down.  Later that evening, we talked about just playing to have fun. No pressure to score or anything else. Just have fun.  Within a little while, Brady proclaimed, "I wish my game was now because I think I'm ready now."

Rachel played soccer for a couple of seasons and is now ready to try something new...more on that later.

Kindergarten at last!

Jared had the camera yesterday morning and took some great and funny pictures of Brady, Luke and Rachel before the big first day of kindergarten.

Okay, I took this picture of Dad and Brady.  I must admit that since I was still in my pajamas with no makeup, I declined to have my picture taken to remember the morning.
On your mark...get set...goooooo!

There is the "K" for kindergarten. Yipee.

Love this piture. They look like brothers but still definitely have their own "look".  We refer to them as "the littles".  Maike actually was the first to nickname them and we've continued with it. 
In the chaos of getting everyone ready and helping Rachel with some last minute school stuff, I was so caught up in making sure that they caught the bus that I didn't "savor" the moment of sending my last one off to school.  So, no tears, no choking up...  Did I get jipped? Wasn't I supposed to cry? I am emotional in that I even cry during commercials, but nothing with this....?  On the other hand, Brady was ready and I was excited for him. (also, I was going to the school in less than an hour to help in Rachel's class, so I could check on him if needed).  So all is well, all the kids in school, learning and growing.
 
The first day was yesterday. So this morning, DAY 2, I told Brady that he needed to go get dressed for school.  He quizically looked at me and asked, "Do I have school EVERY day?" Nope, I quickly responded, "only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.  No school on Saturdays or Sundays."  Picture the slight breathe in of the chest as he realized the magnitude of his new school schedule.  He's ready!