Update For April, 2019!

Yes, it has been awhile since the last update...okay it's been a little over a year! But, with as busy as life has been around here, it should be no surprise! First, let me just say that the girls are now in the 7th grade and are still doing great with their schooling! Hope especially continues to make great strides with her schooling, due in part to the one on one that Amy is able to give her, where the Public School system could not. Hope has really benefited from this. And, with all of the outside extra curricular activities that all three girls are in, Hope's socialization continues to improve as well. Most kids can't even really tell anymore that she has Asperger's. So that Occupational Therapy that she goes to every week is helping her tremendously!

And of coarse, all three girls are still involved with 4-H. We are also crediting 4-H for the socialization for all three girls. The kids involved with this program have incredible morals and are extremely polite. These things are all rubbing off on our kids. Especially when they see how the older 4-H'ers treat other people, especially their Elders. They have nothing but respect for everyone, and we are especially proud that our girls are around kids like them. Plus, with the kids having to work on projects for the program, most of the work having to be done by them, it helps them to form a good work ethic, letting them see how hard work and determination really does pay off, all while letting each kid explore their creative sides. So if there you, yourself were thinking of putting your children in a 4-H program in your area, Amy and I would highly recommend it! It is such a great program!

And, of coarse, all three girls are still playing Soccer...year 'round now! Yes, they have discovered Indoor Soccer! Which is great, because they are keeping up with their skills through the Winter months and it has made all three girls better at the positions they play for their Travel team. While all three girls have vastly improved at their positions, Faith had been discovered by a professional Goalkeeper coach, who has been coaching Keepers for over 30 years. He was so impressed with Faith after her first Indoor season last year, that he volunteered to coach her. He told us that he hasn't seen a Keeper with as much raw talent as she has in quite some time and he wanted the opportunity to develop her. Not to mention that over the last year, she has been courted by one of the Premier leagues, and has finally decided to sign with them! Faith is now an official NWI Lions FC player! Her first games were at the beginning of April with the new team. This past weekend, she went to Indianapolis with the team to participate in the "Indy Burn Cup" Tournament. In the first game, Faith had been shot on 16 times and saved each shot! Oh, for those of you not Soccer lingo savvy, when we say that she "saved" a shot, we are meaning that she stopped it from going into the Goal. During the second game of the day, she was shot on 18 times and again saved 16 of those shots! The only two goals that were scored on her...one came off of a freak bounce that just happened to bounce the right way, the other came into the far upper corner. Both of those type of shots are very hard to defend.

Faith with her new team, NWI Lions FC at the "Indy Burn Cup" in Indianapolis, IN April 13, 2019

Faith making a save in the first game of the "Indy Burn Cup" April 13, 2019!

Of coarse, Faith's biggest fear about joining this new team was how the girls on the team would accept her. It appears that the team has accepted her pretty well! Now, as far as the Travel team here in Rensselaer, the season has not started as of yet. Their first game was supposed to be yesterday, but due to the crazy weather we had, games were canceled. Now, the team has another two weeks before their first game with the Lady Pumas. Which is okay! You can never practice too much! So as soon as I can get some pictures of all the girls with the Lady Pumas, I'll be sure to update again and post those here! Faith is not the only one of the girls on cloud 9 right now! Charity has become a certified Referee! Back in February, she sat through a 12 hour class to become a certified Soccer Referee! She has all of her gear now, including a Ref Uniform, flags, a coin for the coin toss, and her cards for carding players not following the rules of the game! She is super proud and we are just as proud of her! Faith was not the only one in the spotlight this weekend either! Before Faith's team took the field for the second game of the "Indy Burn Cup", One of the Refs was a little late getting to the game. Faith suggested that her sister, Charity fill in since she just got her certification! So, Charity got to be a Line Ref for the first ten minutes of the game! She was so proud, and very great-full to Faith for suggesting Charity to do the job!

That little figure dressed in black back there holding the flag...yep, that's Charity reffing the "Indy Burn Cup"!

Yep, Charity was feeling pretty good about that day! And, of coarse, Amy and I were very proud of her for stepping up to do the job! She did great! Okay, that's about all I have right now. So until I have more, I'm going to let you all get back to life in your neck of the woods! Thanks for being patient with the updates and...thanks so much for reading! I will do the best that I can to update more as the year goes on! But if you have a busy schedule like we do, then you'll understand if they aren't very often! Thanks again everyone!