Soccer Season Has Begun

Soccer season Stiber Style has begun. It consists of four children, all in different age groups, all playing soccer.
Jinelle #2, is on the "Dolphins" team in the Tiny Tot division. She has had two games so far. In the first game, she scored three goals. This past week, I lost count! She is an awesome player....as she should be. She's had a soccer ball at her feet since before she could walk. This is her second year playing on a team. She is lucky enough to play with her best friend, Emily. They would do everything together if it was up to them. Jason and I coach this team.
Noah #3, is on the "Dragons" team in the Under 6 age group. He is awesome. He is a great goalie and an even better player. He mde three goals (HAT TRICK!!!) on Saturday, which was his first game of the season (first week of games he had a Bye). He has a great team, including his friend, Drex. Jason and I also coach this team.
Ari, #4, is on the "Sharks" Under 8 Girls team. She scored her first goal of the season (technically) this last week. (The first week she scored but the other coach called it no goal.) She is an awesome goalie as well. She isn't afraid to dive and grab the ball when other players are coming right for her. She is loving playing on a girls team, especially since Jessalyn, her best friend in the entire universe, is on her team. If she could, she would probably be with Jessa every waking moment of the day. Jason is assistant coach for this team and I am team Mom. The head coach is a friend of the family.
Aiden, #5, is on the "Mustangs" under 10 team. He is a great player as well. His team isn't doing so hot, but Aiden is a great player, nonetheless. He is one of the best on his team, and like his siblings, is a great goalie and player. He can play any position and for any amount of time. If he doesn't get to be a sub, he'll keep playing the entire game. Like Ari's team, we assist this team, with the head coach being the same family friend as Ari's team.
So what time means for our family is a lot of busy busy days and nights. On Monday and Thursday, my three kids and Jessa (she rides home on the bus with the kids on soccer days) get home from school at about 4:10 and I have dinner on the table. The come in, sit down, eat, change into soccer clothes, and get into the car. We drive to soccer....homework in hand. While Ari practices, Aiden does his homework, and while Aiden practices, Ari does hers. We
practice until 7:30 pm, and then come home, bathe (cuz they have been running around all night) and start getting ready for bed. Thank goodness they go to a new school and don't start early! And on Saturday mornings, we get up, usually fairly early, and spend the day at the soccer fields....plus usually have some sort of activity going on in the evening...like a birthday party the past two weekends. I love it though. The kids are active, and the running is great for them. I think they sleep a lot better too, cuz they are worn out by the time we crawl into bed.
Desi came and watched the kids this past weekend and got a god shot on her camera of Noah scoring. It was a difficult week, cuz we had overlapping games....so we didn't get to see all of the games for all the kids. Hopefully next week I will remember to take my own camera and take some pics of the kids. All four kids have the same jersey...a perk of being a coach is you get to pick the team colors. They are white with dark blue flames on the shoulders this year. (we've been bright orange, neon yellow, kelly green, and & blue with red and white stripes in past years)I have always had all my teams in the same color and they always have the same numbers... #2, #3, #4, and #5.( I guess if another Stiber baby comes along, they will have to settle for #6!) They are all so cute. So, until then....we wish them luck!

Back to School

We had a wonderful trip to Oregon. When I get the chance I will try to post more pics. We were gone for 9 days instead of 10....because I got anxious to come home and drove straight through 15hours to get home before Jason had to leave for work. We had a lot of fun. The kids got to spend a lot of time with my cousins from Oregon. We went to the Benton County Fair where my cousin Hailey had her pig up for auction. She got a wonderful price for her pig.....made about $660 over what she spent raising the pig. The kids got to ride on the rides and eat tons of junk. We also went berry picking and the kids actually ate some berries! I brought home some blueberries and some raspberries. I will be making my first home-made blueberry pie tomorrow! We got to go to the Portland Temple where Chelsey and Chris got married. Hailey had the task of watching the kids while we were inside. Thanks Hailey!!!
Then we partied at the reception! My girls looked so adorable in their dresses. I had so many people say they could just keep Jinelle! But of course, I wouldn't let that happen.
Now the kids are back in school and its back to our hectic lives. Soccer started while we were gone, so today is our first soccer practice. We have four different teams this year, so we will be gone a lot! Our Saturdays from now until November are booked solid!!!!! The kids are at their new school, Cypress Academy of the Arts, and were really excited to start. Aiden says he'll like school until his teacher gives him homework, while I have a feeling will be right away. Ari and Noah were excited, even about getting homework. Noah was most excited to be able to ride the bus home. He's been waiting to be allowed to! I will still be taking them to school everyday, but they will ride the bus home. It's our family compromise! (If it was up to me, I would take them and pick them up!). I took pics this morning as well, and as soon as I have a free moment, I will download them as well.
I have a full day of stuff today. I have to go shopping since we were gone for so long. We need to stock up the fridge! Then I have to catch up on laundry, cook dinner, and have it on the table when the kids walk in the door from school, eat, change, go to soccer, come home, bathe the kids, and off to bed they go. Then maybe I will get to relax a little before I go to bed. Then its a whole new busy day tomorrow!!!!