Official Sounders Fans

A Sunday night game in the rain...

Mason brought a couple of friends as a birthday present. 

Glam Shots

We had a wedding last night, so got all glammed up. They were arguing with each other and I had to threaten them to smile, but we got a couple of shots!

First golf

This is the first year that Mason has played in the annual Bolam golf tournament, and his first time around a golf course. He loved it -- and yes, I think we have a new sport.

Attitude and effort--Coach Michael

This is two questions out of Masons soccer eval...the two we care most about!

Sassy

 

Dinner time

While we went to the hospital Kenzie went out to dinner for a friend's birthday. Somebody's growing up...

Love and Gatoraide

As soon as Mason found out Lauren was sick he rushed to grab her favorite color Gatoraide "because she needs electrolytes." Sending love....all on his own. 

Cooks

The boys wanted to help me make dessert tonight. I told them "no flour on your shirts" and turned around to see this. Saving this one for the high school yearbook. 

More celebration

To celebrate Mason's ninth birthday, a bunch of his friends came over to play soccer, have a water balloon fight, then go to frozen yogurt. Again this year we lucked out with good weather, and the kids got to run free in the yard--or sit freely, as the case may be.

This year Mason decided that he preferred to collect soccer balls and donations for Ethiopia instead of presents. He collected two garbage cans full of balls, and a nice note from David and Daniel thanking him for thinking of the kids in Ethiopia. When we hand them out we promised to take pictures for Mason and make sure that the kids in the orphanage knew they are from him.

Cameron, Wil, David, Mason, Finn, Moreno, Zander, Mason J, Miles, Daniel, Kenzie, Olivia

Carrie and Puyallup

Last Christmas I bought Cindy and Kenzie tickets to see Carrie Underwood tonight at the Puyallup fair. Kenzie got one extra ticket and brought Gabi. The girls went to the concert while Randy and his boys joined Mason, Finn and me for a night of rides! The lines were surprisingly short. The boys each won a soccer ball with one kick each, so they were each content with a ball and rides. 

Funny essay

What is going on?

Mason battled with this kid the whole game. It wasn't until we looked back at the pictures that we noticed the rest of the kids in the shot.

Gunners U9B

Let's get this clear...

...so I can get as many warnings as I want and there are NO yellow cards in this league??

Warnings

Mason's making friends with the referee

Another view of San Francisco!

Cutie

The 9-9s!

Mason turned nine today on 9-9! And, of course he shared the special day with Grampy! We all went to Red Robin to celebrate...and get ice cream sundaes.

We have a soccer girl!

First game of the season and Kenzie ran her butt off! They won 5-0. She has been taking a conditioning class, and it's really paying off. She ran the entire game and was sweaty!

She had a great save at the line.

And she's sharpening her elbows.

Letter from agency

Ermias' passport is now done and the medical assessment has been done. Our staff in Ethiopia is just waiting to receive the required documentation regarding the medical assessment. They expect to submit your case to the U.S. embassy very soon.

Once your case has been submitted to the embassy, you will receive a confirmation from the embassy and will be included on all communication about your child's visa application via email.

The embassy will then complete their own investigation into the child's orphan status and determine whether they can grant him a visa/citizenship. About two weeks after the case is submitted, the embassy will ask for our assistance in scheduling an interview for your child's birth relative/finder if they were abandoned. After this interview occurs, if the embassy is satisfied, they will then contact you to say your child's case has cleared, and they'll ask you for 3 dates that would work to have your adoptive parent interview at the embassy in Addis. Again, you will be copied on all messages about this process so you will know exactly what is occurring.

Typical times from cases being submitted to embassy to families being cleared for travel range from 4-8 weeks. Things are getting very close now! Congratulations!

Soccer dudes

Third grade

It happened

Our creek

On Saturday we drove an hour to a lake. On Sunday we drove 45 minutes to a river. On Monday we remembered we have a creek in our backyard. The kids floated and caught frogs. This is such a perfect summer, it's hard to see it end tomorrow with the first day of school.