gymnastics

"Jumpin' jelly beans... we have a gymnast in the house!"  Jane started gymnastics at the Gymnastics Training Center this fall with six other little girls from our ward.  One of the moms in our neighborhood organized it and coordinated the schedules so that we could all be together while the kids experienced their first go at gymnastics.  This is a sport that has always made me want to hold my breath as I watch all of the incredible flips and back handsprings, and other amazing tricks done by gymnasts on all the apparatus.  The way they twist and turn and fly through the air makes my heart skip a beat.  But, I figured it would be a fun thing for Jane to be able to go each week and be with her friends, and that it also might be a good idea for Jane to learn how to do things the "right way" since she already likes doing all sorts of "tricks" on the tramp downstairs.  I constantly find myself saying, "Be careful Jane.  Tuck your neck..."  

The night before her first class, I went out and bought Jane her first leotard… actually it’s the first time I've ever had to buy a leotard and I know I looked bewildered at Target staring at the rack of so many different colors, sizes, and designs.  The good news is that Jane really likes the leotards I chose, mostly because they have a sparkly design on the front.  Janie is having a good time at her class and is really very good at the sport!  She has a lot of strength and a great sense of coordination and balance.  Her favorite thing to do is to jump from the high beam into the great colorful pit of foam squares.  She still needs to learn the art of sitting still and following instructions, and her teacher, Lindsay, is very patient... Jane is by far the most rambunctious and wiggly girl in the class.  She just loves visiting with her friends and has really enjoyed going to her class each Tuesday morning.  It's been a fun thing for the two of us to go and do together.

All the cute girls from our neighborhood... they had such a fun time together!

soccer

This fall Joshua played in a pre-K soccer league sponsored by the Holladay Lions Recreation Center.  What a total blast!  The teams were made up of a bunch of three and four year olds, and it was anyone's guess as to how it would go, but it actually turned out to be just great!  The game at this stage of life very much resembles a large swarm of bees, except that you have twenty little legs and feet kicking at the soccer ball at the exact same time as they work their way down the field.  The great thing was that every little kid got to have playing time, the coaches got to run right along side the kids during the game and give them instructions on how to play, and everyone just had a good time!

It was really good for Josh to get out there and experience what it was like to participate in an organized sport.  He really enjoyed it and looked forward to the Saturday morning and Monday evening games.  We signed Janie up to play too, but when it came right down to it, she absolutely did not want to go on the field and play!  Fortunately, Rowan wanted to play soccer on the team with Josh and it couldn't have worked out better... two little cousins out there playing their hearts out at times, and at other times, getting caught up right in the middle of the game with a flock of birds or a jet stream floating across the big blue sky.  Josh scored lots of points during the season... some for our team and some for the other team, but hey!... everyone cheered just the same.

There are two main things that stand out to me as the best and most important parts of this soccer season.  The first was to see Joshua's good sportsmanship.  He really caught the vision that "this was just a game."  He never felt frustrated if his team lost.  He never got ruffled or upset when someone kicked him in the shin or plowed into him, knocking him over.  He would always high-five the kid who just scored a point.  And he always watched out for others.  Josh even stopped playing in the middle of a game to go back and help the smallest kid on his team who had been knocked over by the little swarm, and was still laying on the grass, even though the other players continued to kick at and chase the soccer ball down the field.  At first I wondered why Josh had stopped playing and why he was running the other way, but then all eyes were on Joshua as he leaned over to give little Dennis a hand to help him up.  Everyone cheered... not for the soccer game, but for that act of kindness.  My heart was so happy and proud of our little boy.  

The second thing about the season that is a "stand out" in my mind was our sweet Jane.  I have never seen a sister cheer for a brother as Janie cheered for Josh!  She was at every game, right there on the sidelines, engrossed in every minute of the game, and cheering as if Josh were playing for the World Cup.  I had just as much fun watching Jane cheer for Josh as I did watching Josh play.  It was just so cute and made such a sweet impression on me and also on the others sitting close by.

It is fun to give our children opportunities to see what they might enjoy and what their talents may be in this life.  I'm not sure if Josh will continue to love playing soccer and I'm not sure if Jane will always just want to watch and cheer, but this soccer season was a fun experience for our entire family and I'm so thankful we had the opportunity to participate all together.

gratitude

"Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love."  President Thomas S. Monson

November has arrived and what a wonderful time of year it is!  It is probably one of our favorites because of the celebration of our favorite holiday... Thanksgiving.  To us, this is the greatest holiday of all and we love the reason we celebrate... to simply remember our blessings and express our love and gratitude.  We are so thankful for a dear Heavenly Father who blesses us and loves us beyond anything we can truly comprehend.  Our faith and our family are among the greatest of our blessings.  How grateful we are to be the parents of Joshua and Jane... they are our best teachers, our greatest examples, and our dearest friends... because of them, we are reminded every day of the true meaning of gratitude.  Our hearts are also filled with great love and thanksgiving for our wonderful family members and our dear friends.  We have been so blessed because of the great people who have influenced our lives for good.

In the most recent General Conference, President Monson said, "To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven."  We hope and pray that we will live each day in gratitude, for we know that happy is he who has a thankful heart.