Brookelyn's 1st Soccer Game and...

We signed Brookelyn up to play soccer in Pocatello with Lukas, her cousin. For us Bowens, soccer is a serious sport and one that we are fairly good at (once upon a time in our younger years). So I had a very different image of what it would be like, but the important thing is that she is outside running around getting exercise. We will teach her all the correct basics when all this stupid snow melts. But here are some pics of her playing. She did pretty well, much better in practice then in the game but she is three and I can't complain. It was pretty cold and I am proud of her for not wearing her coat like others and for toughing it out. She did get tripped once and then this big kid landed on her. we had some tears but the next time it happened she just got right back up and started running again. I love my girlie.

The team!! The really tall girl is actually 5 and shouldn't be on the team but she is the coach's daughter so you know. She is the one that later steals the ball from Luke. (Full story below)
Run, Run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I am the Purple Little Monster (thier team name.)

No one really knew what was going on. Brookelyn and Lukas did a double team and got the ball. Go Cousins.!!! Everyone thinks they are twins, since they show up together and do everything together.

My girlie does one thing perfectly and that is her throw ins. The next few pics are the process in motion.

Just look at that form. Over the head, both feet on the ground, perfect follow through.

The end result. One throw in she threw right to Lukas who ran down the field with it and would have scored if the mean tall girl on his team didn't grab the ball with her hands, and take it from his feet, place it in front of her feet, and score. Poor Luke was so devasted he collasped right there in front of the goal.
Brookelyn and Luke taking the ball again. Go defenders, they are their mothers' children.

Things are good here. We are running around and keeping very busy. I am at school until 5:30 (that includes track practice) and then I am teaching a Basic Adult ED class until 7 so my sweet husband and taken to making dinner and having daddy daughter time for the next 8 weeks.

Congrats to everyone that recently announced that they are pregnant. I am so excited for you all. It must be spring! I know that there are many of you out there wondering when we are going to get pregnant again and well....

Just joking we are not! After two miscarriages over the past six or so months we are going to wait for a while. Let my body heal and get back to normal (as much as it can). We are not too upset. My poor mom and sister had to suffer much worse just to get the children they have. We don't think the time to right yet and are enjoying the girls. We are excited for all of you that are expecting and look forward to seeing your little ones.

fun at Gymnastics

On Friday we got a call from Lee inviting us down that day for the Gymnastics meet (USU was playing BYU, Arik didn't mention that part). Since we really had nothing planned we decided to go. We have missed not attending USU athletic events. Here are the two teams at the end before final scores were announced. USU won, their first win of the year.

I guess when they did the floor excerises the music was too loud because this is how we found Kira.

Arik being his happy wonderful self.

Kira wacthing the events.


Kira used to love Big Blue but this time she cried and freaked out. When he ended up over by us Kira kept saying Bye-Bye while she cried and jumped over me to get to her dad that was farther away then mom was from Big Blue. Brookelyn still does not like "Aggie" as she calls him up close. She likes him from a distance.

We went with the Crooktons and the Severinsens to the meet. Emma wanted to sit by me and have me take her to the bathroom. I was like the cool aunt that they want to sit by and have them do everything with them. I love this family.

Brookelyn being cute.

Tyler being silly.

Rob being the stud that he is.

My little family. Aren't they great. Everyone gave me a hard time for dressing my kids in Utah State stuff, and myself. But in my defense, my loving husband did not tell me that they were playing BYU.

I have some really cute pictures of Libby but I promised her mom and dad that I would email them those pics and allow them by threat that they would post those pics on thier blog.

Random pics and fun times

I found some really cute pics that I haven't posted yet so here they are. This girlie is so precious and cute. Just look at those eyes.

Dad was so nice to give the girls piggy back rides all over the house.

We went to a lot of viewings and funerals lately. I decided to put the girls in skirts instead of dresses and here they are posing. Brookelyn is so into the camera.

Kira wasn't too happy about going. Except for the turtle neck all the rest of the clothes are Brookelyn's. We also compared Kira and Brookelyn's feet and the only difference is Brookelyn's big toe. Kira really is going to surpass Brookelyn.

One night the girls wanted to eat at the little table for dinner. We had little space but it was fun.
Kira started asking "Why?" At 19 months you have got to be joking me. When Brookelyn started asking I finally just said, "Because Heavenly Father created us and loves us." That was the end. The one answer that seems to satisfy her whys. But Kira is different. Brookelyn likes being a mom to Kira and told her not to do something last night. Kira asked, "Why?" over and over and over again. Brookelyn finally said, "Stop asking why, it is because I said so and that is that." I started giggling because she used to drive me nuts with why and now Kira is driving her nuts. (Oh Kira drives me nuts with the whys also.)

Track Coach?

I am now coaching track. For some of you you may be laughing now. Me and Track? It will be fun and I will make enough extra money to pay for our trips to Texas and CAlifornia this summer. I am a little excited and it should be interesting.

10 pound barrier broken

Of course my mom is kicking my trash. But this week I broke the ten pound barrier. I have lost 10 pounds in the past two months. I can now where a dress that I have not fit since Kira and I now wear a couple of shirts that I would not wear before bcause of all the rolls. Of course I have more to lose, it was just nice to hit that mark.

Family Home Evening Smiles

I know that this pic is way old but I just needed to put a pic of my girls and I haven't taken any recently. Anyways, tonight we had family home evening. At Christmas we got the book, Behold your little ones. It is the Nursery lesson book for the year and they suggested we get it for our home and use it for family home evening, so we did.

Tonight was the lesson on Heaven;y Father and Jesus love me. So I started by asking them if mom loved them. Brookelyn said yes and Kira nodded. I then asked who else loves you. until this point Kira and ben running around. All of the sudden she sits down and yells, "DADDY!!" It was just too cute Arik and I giggled. we then asked if grandmas and grandpas love them and they said yes. we then asked if thier aunts loved them and Kira growled, "NO!!!" Arik and I started rolling on the floor laughing. It was just too cute. I then asked them who else loved them (through the giggles) and Brookelyn says, "Jesus." it was one of those, I am so proud of my daughter moments. She then jumps up from the floor and runs over to the picture of Christ and says there is Jesus. So then Kira had to run over and say, "Jesus." After that every time we said Jesus, Kira ran over to the wall and pointed to Jesus saying Jesus over and over again until Arik or I would say, "yes, that is Jesus."

I don't know if they learned much but they know we love them and they know where the picture of Jesus is in our house. Kids are just so much fun.

Other fun stuff. Tonight I bought tickets to Texas in July and I get to spend a whole month with my family in texas before flying to California for my great grandma's 100th birthday. Luckily, all but one flight is before Kira is two so she is free til that flight home. Arik is praying that the month of July is really busy for him so that he isn't home by himself too much for a month.

Light at the end of a tunnel????

On Monday night, we recieved more bad news. Pam Cartwright, a second grandma to Arik and his sisters, passed away and the funeral will be on Friday. How many viewings/funerals can one person take. That is four funerals in a row starting yesterday. I can't handle it emotionally. I went monday to the viewing for the dad of my 7th grader. My heart broke into little pieces as I gave her a hug and tried to let her know that I love her and am here if she needs me. How do you help? What can I do? I think this town has reached its limit. How many can die in a two week period? Isn't 5 enough? I don't think I can handle anymore bad news.

So if anyone has great news, I would love to hear it. Thanks to Mandi and Ben for sharing thier good news about thier friends. Please, I would love good news.

Be Grateful

The past few weeks have been hard for the community of Soda Springs and the Jorgensen Family (All of Arik's family). Two weeks ago a man got T-boned in his car and died. He had worked with Arik and dad in the Forest Service, he was also a teacher in Grace which is right next door to Soda. Last week Arik's great Uncle Paul died. When we lived in Logan we would got to his house and play games with them until Aunt Lillian got sick, she pasted away two years ago. We attended the funeral. Then one of my relatives pasted away last week also. She lived in California so we were unable to attend.

Then Friday I got a call from the Principal at our school letting me know that there had been an snowmobile accident caused by an avalanche. Three men were killed. One was the husband to a teacher at my school. When you only have 236 kids in a school there are not a lot of teachers and we are all close. Another one of the men that died was a father to one of my seventh graders.

This is my first class and so they are special. I will remember them forever and there is something cool and great about being a teacher's first class. These kids are like my kids and my heart has broken for this girl and her family.

They say that everything comes in threes. I feel like it got doubled this time.

Arik and I spent tons more time playing with the girls this weekend. WE ran around the house playing tag, we built a tent and played in it, we were the horses and let the girls ride on us. We just spent time together.

So I ask you, spend extra time with your loved ones. Let them know you love them. You never know what could, would, and will happen. Take advantage now!!