Soccer Mom?!

**I was planning to catch up before Ellie started school with our recent happenings, but on our recent family vacation the camera was lost. It is somewhere in our friend's lake house, so with many prayers we are hoping it is found on one of their next visits. It was lost as we packed the car up, so we did get photos of our entire vacation! I completely unplugged on our vacation soaking in my time with my sweet family and took basically no pictures on my phone, so right now our memories of Duluth are solely in our brains. I am using pictures my Mom took to catch up some of our month!**

Ellie played soccer this summer. We are encouraging her to try as many things as she wants and when she finds something she likes we will do it more. We have 3 main rules: try your best with a good attitude, you have to stick with it and complete the season even if you know it is not for you and the main one, HAVE FUN!!! She has done swimming lessons, which is one we will keep up and may turn into joining a team as she gets a few more skills, ballet and now soccer. She did really well and came a long way. She scored goals and was a great team player assisting her team mates. We want her to play one more season to make a final decision as we think it would be good for her to get different coaching styles. Ben wants her to play outside, so that means that this sport is on the back burner until late spring/early summer. She has already picked her next activity to try: ice skating lessons, which she will do late fall/early winter. I am so proud of how brave she is to get out there and try. She doesn't know any one starting out, but she gets out there and she is so brave trying the activities and making little friends. She is growing up and we know she has traits to refine, but I am so excited at the little lady she is becoming.

She played on a team at the YMCA and they got a last minute parent volunteer to coach. She did good for being thrown in it at the last minute. This night of soccer another parent covered coaching for the regular coach and she coaches soccer as her profession, but takes the summers off. She had them assisting each other so everyone made a goal and did great drills with them. It was a great night to watch them play and the kids had a great time. I don't know who had more fun, the kids or all of the adults watching!

 Ellie likes to do warm up cartwheels!

 Watching Sissy play!

 Sometimes chatting is more important than actually playing! :)

Go Team France! 

It was only a seven week season and they played one hour a week on Thursdays with practice for a half-hour and then the game in the second half-hour, so it was very easy schedule wise and a great taste for Ellie!