Have You Filled Your Bucket Today?

In my preschool class we are teaching the kids about this wonderful concept....Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? This idea is based on a book for young children and I do believe there is an adult version of the book also! Basic concept... simple pleasures, random acts of kindness, a smile etc...all of these "warm fuzzies" fill our invisible buckets. When our buckets are full we are happy and when they are empty we are sad. So, let's all remember to fill our buckets each and every day!!!

Soccer, Soccer, Soccer

It is that time of year again! Well, actually, we have been back in the swing of soccer since the beginning of August! Between both boys we are at the soccer field every night of the week! Parker is on a travelling and doing awesome! It amazes me how well his team is coming together! He plays a lot of defense, some offense and has even played goalie a couple times! Cooper is so happy to be playing on a bigger field, with bigger goals and with a goalie! I guess he likes having a goalie....gives him a little challenge on the field. He actually scored 4 goals last night!!! I just love watching my boys play. Not only do they love the sport but lots of life lessons are learned when playing sports!!! Yea boys!!!!

Fishing

The boys love to go fishing!! We went to a lake up in Red Lodge, Montana called Wild Bill Lake just a couple of weeks ago. It is a beautiful small secluded lake in the mountains and they stock this lake with fish so it is a super spot to help the boys perfect their fishing skills. I do believe that Cooper and Parker both caught 3 fish each!!

Little Big Horn Battlefield

Today we took the boys to the Little Big Horn Battlefield. We drive by it every time we make the trip from Casper to Billings. The boys have been begging to stop so we did. Since Parker is almost 10 he has learned a little bit about the battle and was curious about General Custer. We walked the trail and viewed the site where Custer fell and other soldiers by his side. There is a lot of history in that area and hopefully the boys received a little bit of insight as to what really happened in that area so long ago!

Father's Day Tornado

Wow....is really all I can say! We lived in Iowa....tornado alley....and never had a tornado touch down so close with so much destruction as we did in Billings, Montana. I am thankful that everyone remained safe....all a little scared and shook up though. My poor mom had a basement flooded and a virtual river through her yard and my little car was pelted with golf ball size hail. Definitely one for the memory books! The pictures are of the back window of my car and the inches and inches of mud deposited in my mom's yard!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Of course we cannot let the day go by without one goofy green picture to celebrate the day! Fun was had by all today...including a leprechaun hunt and a little sprinkling of "lucky dust"!!

Make a Difference Monday!

Our family has adopted this little concept called, "Make a Difference Monday"! We have talked about how it is easy to make a difference....whether big or small....on any day at any given time. But Monday's seem to be the day the boys really try to remember. They also follow this concept at school! What a wonderful thing to do! You don't have to climb a mountain to make a difference nor do you have to be perfect at what you decide to do. The pure thought and action of whatever you do deserves a high five, a hug, or a pat on the back. Putting a smile on someones face, making your environment a better place or helping someone in need are huge life lessons/skills to be learned, shared and cherished by all!! Here are a couple examples of what my boys have done recently to Make a Difference! Cooper decided to clean up the basement all by himself. No one asked him to do it. He didn't ask for any help. He just noticed that the room needed to be picked up and he did it!!! Parker was in the restroom at the Olive Garden here in town and noticed that there was a bunch of puddled water all around the sink. He decided to take the time to take a few paper towels and wipe up the whole sink! Small gestures that mean a lot by most. I love to watch my boys grow, build character and blossom into wonderful young ones!!