Down Under

A week ago today Grant and I got back from a WONDERFUL trip to Sydney, Australia. It was amazing. Anyone that knows me knows I love to travel, and love it I did! After a 3 hour drive to ABQ, a 2 hour wait at the airport, 2 hour flight to L.A,. a four hour layover and then 15 and a half hour flight to Sydney we were half way across the world. Grant and I could not get enough of this view. It was unreal that we were seeing it in person.This Opera house is unreal. It was so fun to go inside and look at it up close and personal.
We honestly did not take that many pictures, and this might very well be the only one with both of us in it. I think we were enjoying too much and did not even really think about pulling the camera out.
This Cathedral was across from our hotel. Grant had never been in a big cathedral like this before and was in awe at the size and the beauty. It never escapes me when I go into these amazing works of art how different it feels than our small simple chapels and relatively simple temples. The spirit is discernibly different.
We walked A LOT. Really we walked anywhere we could. One day we were able to account for at least 6 miles of walking. One day we found this fun fountain in the middle of the wharf, stopped, took off our shoes, and just enjoyed!
One of the things that surprised me about Sydney in particular was the mix of historical and modern. This picture shows that blend right in the middle of downtown. It was that way every where.
This was our view from our hotel room. We seriously always get the last room in a very long hall no matter where we stay. We were laughing about it as we were walking to our room. But then we opened the curtains, and not complaint was ever again uttered!
Things we did:

• Did a city tour by bus
• Hung out at the Rocks Market (a fun local Market on the weekends)
• Explored downtown
• Watched our first Opera in the amazing Opera House
• Took a ferry to Manly beach to scuba dive for the day
• Went to the Famous Bondi Beach and body boarded for half a day
• Went to Local art Museums and Churches
• Walked in several of their parks (beautiful, huge, and full of very active adults working out not matter what day or time of the day...seriously does no one work?)
• Explored two different harbors
• Ate amazing food (very fresh sea food)
• Gained some weight
• Took a few naps
• Read a couple of books

I do have to say that the best thing about the trip was being with Grant 24-7, uninterrupted! We have so much fun together and love the same things. It was a most wonderful time!

Different Experience

Soccer is a complete different experience with and for Asher. He is not at all aggressive, and quite honestly not all that invested. But it is all his, his practice and his team, and that is important for him!He typically follows the game around at a distance if he chooses to follow. (He is the one in red all the way to the left.)
Other things often are more appealing than the game, even when he is in the game. (Like last game when he was much more focused on licking the oranges off of his hand than kicking the ball.)
But he has a huge grin on his face when he is on the field and says he loves it!
I do think he loves the snacks after the game more than anything else.
But as long as he loves it and it is all about him, we will root and cheer and watch this little guy play (or lick his hands!)

Intense

Intense....that is one word to describe Caleb. He is intense in about all he does, and soccer is no exception! He is all about business and the game!He is such a hustler. Very few kids can beat him in a foot race. (There is one kid on his team that can beat him, but he is two years older and at least a foot taller, so his stride dwarfs him. I would venture to say that 8 year old Caleb would smoke 8 year old Max, but that is just me.)
This year they started throw ins. Caleb loves it, he always wants to be the one throwing the ball in. He takes that pretty serious too!
It is unreal to me the positions in which he can contort his body to get more energy for kicking the ball. (He also does this thing with his tongue but you cannot see it in any of these pictures.) Grant says the weird body contortions are good...I will take his word for it.
I love this picture, this is him scoring a goal. Just look at the angle of the boys and the drive. It is really fun to watch this kid play! The best part about it is how much he loves it!
So I think we are going to be a soccer family for awhile, and I am way okay with it (but also ready for the season to be over and life a smidgen less crazy.) Go Arsenal!

Secret Handshake-Hug

James and Bub have one recess at the same time. When I realized that I asked them if they ever saw each other. They said sometimes. I told them I thought they should find each other every day say hi and then go back to playing with their friends. Together we all decided they should make up either a secret handshake or a hug, find each other, do that then go back to business as usual. So, all on their own they made up a secret handshake-hug. They find each other every day and do it. I think it is about the coolest thing ever. (Note: the purpose of this picture was for them to both show off their front toothless grins, how often do siblings experience that together.)
Asher and Mique were not about to be outdone. They too made up their own secret handshake hug to do when they are in school together. I am not sure they still remember it, but they were all about it for a couple of days. What cuties huh!
I do not expect the kids to be best friends. But, I do hope they are always friends and ALWAYS stick up for each other. Such good kids!

Introducing...

Introducing King Henry II. So Jamison got a new fish and she is just as enamored with him as she was with Henry. She wanted to name him Henry too, so I suggested King Henry II, cause quite frankly I am sure we will have a King Henry III, IV, V, VI....and so on. She just calls him Henry though. Jamison sobbed when I told her, almost to the point of not being able to breathe. I just hugged her. I asked her if she wanted to flush him or bury him. She wanted a burial. We took pictures and she put him in the flower garden so when the flowers bloom she can think of him. I asked her if she wanted to go pick a new fish, she told me no. I had her call Grant to console her and after she came to me saying Dad told her she could go pick a new fish (did I not offer the same....then again I killed the first!) On Monday Grant took her out all by herself and they found King Henry. Grant walked back in house after and said she is officially a girl. To which I asked, "well why????" He said he took her to petco where there was a WHOLE wall of beta fish and the one she immediately picked was the most expensive in the store. There was no dissuading her, and Henry has now taken up residence in the Allred family bowl. (He should be safe in there, it is just when in the cup mingled with dirty dished that he should fear.) All peace and happiness has been restored. A few tears were shed in this process, but many more laughs were shared (including my own.) Oh the life of the Allreds!!!

Beware...killer on board

So, I feel terrible. I killed Jamison's beloved fish Henry. Apparently when I get overloaded I do not pay attention well enough and others suffer. I have had Perry and Christi's kids for a week, and we leave out of town tonight. I am trying to get the laudry done and folded, all people packed, the Webb's repacked and all theiristuff gathered, wrap Asher's presents, pick up the house, do the dishes, feed the kids and clean it up, clean the fish bowl and feed it, and have all the stuff loaded in the car in two and a half hours. I was on a roll, got the fish bowl cleaned out and was waiting for the water purifyer to finish it's think before I put the fish back in the bowl and feed him. While I waited I figured I would do the dishes...and totally threw Henry down the drain. Caleb looked at me when the dishes were done and asked where Henry was. My heart sank. Thank goodness I did not do the disposal, and after digging around found him in tact...but dead. I killed him with hot water. James is going to be devastated. I feel so bad. When she gets home from dance we will do a flushing ceremony. Caleb promised to help console her. I killed my daughter's pet....I hope she is only mad at me for a bit!

Soccer Days

So, I am officially a mom of two soccer players. Caleb is doing fantastic and loves it (More bragging on him to come!) Asher....well Asher is having a blast. He does not really know what he is doing, but he tries to be engaged. He is happy as a kid could be out on the field. He has the biggest grin on his face, and it never leaves. He runs with a little skip every few steps. He does not care who scores a goal, as long as it is his team he does a fist pump. He is mostly excited for his team party at the end of the season. He had a game today, and as he was walking back with Grant he said, "You know dad, everything I did today was pretty much awesome." I am seriously laughing as I type this. Yes Asher, YOU ARE AWESOME!