Kylee's First Basketball Season

Sticking with the basketball theme...Kylee finished her first season at the end of February.  Skylar was delighted she was willing to give it a try as long as he was her coach and we got a girl from her class on her same team.  Well, Skylar worked really hard learning about the league, signed up to teach a bunch of Kindergarten and first graders and accomplished getting another girl from Ky's class on her team who in fact taught us about the league.

 Kyleigh and Kylee 

It definitely became a family event as Lex and I often tagged along to Wednesday night practices and got excited for the Saturday morning games.  I enjoyed being Kylee's own personal coach at times and even walking her through step by step on making a basket during a game.  The most important thing of coarse is that she had a great time and was always excited to go.  She had a desire to learn but boy we wish we could have given her a shot of aggression.  On the flip side we loved watching her progress and even learn how to take her position on the low block leading to a few baskets.  She was darling as she would look to Sky and I for our approval after everything she did.  We had a great group of kids and Ky loved socializing with all...even the boys!!!!! Oh my I couldn't believe it.  Do I have a flirt on my hands already?

THIS FORM DOESN'T LOOK TOO BAD TO ME!  Will she play again next year?  Only time can tell!  We hope so and it is a dream come true as she does enjoy going outside and shooting hoops with Dad and the neighbor kids.  For being the first time she had ever played she picked up on stuff pretty fast and loved earning her stars.   The season was an absolute blast for all!  Check out this video

IMAGES OFTEN SEEN and QUOTES OFTEN HEARD 

"Spread out everybody"  but look at Ky's defense

"Mom, is the buzzer coming soon?"  Lexi often looked like this on game day.  My over sensitive little girl couldn't stand the buzzer but we got the routine down pretty good and she would always walk around with her hood on as well.  She was the teams sidekick and loved being involved where possible.

The Perfect Weekend!

It doesn't get much better than going to the Temple, taking the kids to an awesome Children's Museum and being at Duke with my family.  Wow, are all three of those in the same sentence?  At the end of January when Kylee had a long weekend Sky took a day off and we headed down to Raleigh, North Carolina for a night and packed it in.

The DC temple is our district but with traffic you have to allow a good 4 hours at least to get there so we headed the other direction to the Raleigh temple which was a first for Sky and I but a great discovery.  It took about 3.5 hours.  We found a perfect hotel with indoor pool not too far from the temple.  I headed over the first night while he swam with the girls and then he headed over the next morning while me and the girls enjoyed our fabulous continental breakfast.  Then we were off to the Children's Museum in Raleigh where the girls were in heaven despite the fever that presented for Kylee during it.  She was a trooper and refused to pass up on all the cool entertainment but wasn't able to give it her absolute all...however we know we will return many times in the future.  We were glad the girls had something fun to do after supporting us being able to go to the temple which had been way to long.

They had an awesome interactive grocery store and kitchen where Alexis had an absolute blast.  The miniature frig was even cold inside.  Both girls had fun shopping and then preparing meals for us.

Another area was full of every dress-up and accessory you could imagine to get a taste of several different occupations...some included, doctor, firefighter, mailperson, nurse, etc.

 Look at this acting job...Kylee did a great job taking care of her in the back of the ambulance in her dress-up clothes she refused to take off.

Kylee definitely knows how to play the role and made sure she got a few minutes in at each thing especially taking care of her babies and even in a NICU just like Lexi.

The girls even put on a few plays for us but were then off to the money room where they discovered this ball machine.  Lexi was the cutest thing filling up her buckets of balls and Kylee was busy seeing how many she could shoot in.

After the museum and a nap in the car for Kylee we headed into Durham where I got to show my family DUKE University!  This campus is just beautiful and it was so fun sharing many of my childhood memories with my girls and Duke hating husband.  I can finally say, he was a trooper and way supportive of the moment.  He even appreciated the beautiful chapel and thought it was pretty cool to just walk right in and stand on the floor of Cameron Indoor Stadium. 

I was a giddy little school girl and pointed out where I sat just a few months earlier with my Dad for my first game.  The girls got pretty into it and hopefully one day will understand how significant this moment was.  They had a blast hiking through all the seats and sitting in Coach K's chair.  I wish I had the picture of me on this floor around the same age as them but it isn't scanned onto the computer.

Me and my girls on Coach K's floor

The list of black male shots that I have on Skylar just keeps getting longer and longer.  You better believe that all these shots are real and will be cherished for a long time.  If anyone needs copies, I'll be glad to get them blown up and mailed to you.  I know you may need to pick your jaw up off the floor after seeing some of these of Skylar.  A moment that is almost unbelievable.

 Another moment for Skylar that wouldn't have ever happened if he hadn't married me...I really do make him a better man!

 A Hater 

 A Lover

And 2 Undeciders....torn and confused darling little girls! 

What a great weekend...hanging out as a family just doing the things we love to do!  And with March Madness int he air, GO DUKE! 

CHRISTMAS in February

Before Spring is completely here I must recap Christmas which will be hard to revisit as it will bring back such awesome memories.  For the first time ever, we hosted Christmas at our place and were thrilled to have the space to do it.  My sisters family came in from Idaho and my parents plus Heather came down from Jersey.  We had 10 people under our roof for almost 2 weeks and loved spending the holidays with family and finally having Santa visit OUR home.

Christmas Eve Family Pyramid with G-ma as the photographer!

The girls had a blast with this...grandpa on the other hand looks like he is ready to be done!  The girls have asked to do this again since Christmas but our family of 4 doesn't quite cut it, anyone ready to come back for another round?  Let's not forget Laura is 7 months pregnant in this shot as well.

Christmas Eve

• Grandpa's famous Onion Soup
• Each Family Sharing their Secret Santa stories 
• Reading the birth of Christ in the scriptures
• Watching Nativity Video
• the girls leading Peyton outside to sprinkle the yard with reindeer food
• getting santa's cookies and milk ready
• putting on x-mas jammies
• the girls trying their hardest to fall asleep and an almost sleepless night for the elves under this roof trying to pull a perfect Christmas morning off...their Mother has taught them well!

There was no question Santa and family had come. Kylee did her spying and was amazed to see this!...    We were able to  hold the girls off for a little while by giving them their stockings and paused for a yummy breakfast prepared by Grandpa.  (I loved having my Dad cook me my x-mas morning breakfast just like old times)  We were then off to the FROG to spend several hours opening and enjoying gifts.  Like always there were several surprises, tender moments and some great laughs!

Some of Kylee's highlights were her new bike, own personal digital camera, new clothes and bed for her American Girl Doll and of course tons more...they are always spoiled and well loved by all family members.  Kylee was found taking pictures of everyone all morning, narrating her own videos or soaking up time with her cousin Peyton.  These 2 have a relationship which is hard to describe but both love each other tremendously and at such a young age too, pretty special.

Alexis was in heaven with her Ariel vanity, camera, Rapunzel dress-up, scratch and sniff books and cinderella gem box.  I love how she spends time with each gift and enjoys them right then...there is no rush in her mind yet to hurry and open each one.  She was still opening stuff the following day.  You can tell how engaged and into her own world she was at times.

Both girls were ecstatic to get singing Rapunzel barbie dolls and finally their very own barbie house to share.  Grandma was a trooper and spent forever setting it up with them.

I love these cuties and not much beats watching their delight on Christmas morning while being together as a family!

I 

I always have a great time trying to get Skylar and this time the girls got into it with me.  Lexi gave him some brand new undershirts.  She has caught several glimpses of his dirty armpit stains and has given him heck over it several times.  "Ewww dirty armpits"  as she points and laughs in her silly cackley voice.

Kylee got him with his very own Webkinz! Yes, that is right, his own Webkinz.  He follows Kylee's closer than she does and most days without fail you can find him on the computer in the webkinz world having a grand old time and I am  serious.  He claims he is doing it for his daughters and sure I am thankful for the countless times I see them there together and that he spends his time guiding them through instead of me...thanks babe!  However, Kylee probably has the most webkinz cash in her account than any other 6 year old thanks to her Dad's fabulous game playing skills. 

Meet Dori, Skylar (and Lexi's) Webkinz!

He got plenty of other practical things that we just never take the time to buy.  One of which was this HEAVY fire safety box which has been under the tree forever spiking curiosity for all.  Sorry for the disappointment crew.  He surprised me with a huge gift which caught me off guard and is now getting the reaction I should have given Christmas morning...I got an awesome new camera that I love and can't believe how nice the pictures look.  I have so much to learn and am thrilled with the surprise but more so with not having to do the research or decide on which one to get.

Kylee and grandpa had a tender moment as she with the aid of grandma gave him a cardinal for his office.  The 2 of them let each other know when they spot one and both love this bird.  Us Virginians now have it as our state bird and just for Ky and Grandpa proudly have it on our license plate.  I with great Duke pride gave him a priceless pictures of me and the Duke Blue Devil himself with his traditional wallet.

I love the MAGIC of Christmas and all the beautiful thoughts, memories, traditions and love that come with it.  I get so excited to listen to X-mas music, see the lights, bake yummy goodies, bring out decorations and think about all the gifts our Savior has given to us.  This was definitely another memorable Christmas!

My sister thought she was escaping from the snow for the holidays but we were thankful she brought it with her for a few days.  Virginia Beach had one of their biggest snow falls in a long time for our first Christmas here.  The snow began late Christmas night so I qualify that as a "White Christmas"  We set records in Charlottesville and brought those records with us to Chesapeake.  We couldn't believe it and apparently the town couldn't either as things were shut down for the next 2 days and roads were never cleared.  It brought some great laughs to the Idaho folk who thought we were wimps. 

...and to think our neighbors laughed just a few days earlier when they saw we had a snow shovel!

The kids had a blast in it and when sleds were no where to be found boogie boards came to the rescue...only in VA Beach!  We went a little stir crazy but dance parties to the music from Tangled kept us entertained and in time it cleared and we were out having fun at several places and even playing in the snow with no jackets as temperatures rose and it melted fast!

Amazing how fast the weather can change in just a couple days.  Snowball fights and throwing competitions in 60 degree weather!  By evening this poor snowman was completely gone.

We had a great time taking the crew to the aquarium a place visited frequently with guests as we are season pass holders and then headed over to the beach.  Quite the sight to see snow, sand and ocean all in one view.  We are always up for firsts and this was a first for us.  Another first was watching Ky and Sky throw snowballs into the ocean.

We even made it up to Colonial Williamsburg which was a first for the Alsop crew.  Kylee was so excited to go since it is where her American Girl Elizabeth grew up.  She thinks it is the neatest thing that the actual place discussed in the books is only an hour from where she lives.  She took pictures on her camera of how the people looked and was excited to buy a mini chalkboard and chalk imagining that Elizabeth used a similar one.  She was more excited to take it to show and tell when school started up than any of her x-mas gifts.  Alexis was into the handmade soaps and brought a couple home as this girl loves to wash her hands and smell them.  "Look Mom, how clean they are now...smell them"  We are excited to go back when it is warmer and we have more time.

Our last day trip was going to the Nauticus museum in Norfolk and also getting to walk around the Battleship Wisconsin.  I was really impressed and love the teachable age that Kylee is at right now.  She was so excited to get to walk on one of the big ships that she has been eyeing since we moved here.  She still wants to tour an aircraft carrier and see in person where the planes land that often are practicing over our neighborhood at times.

Pretty amazing stuff to learn about and try to comprehend.  We loved seeing the living quarters and different size rooms for different ranks.  I don't think I could make it for one day but am thankful to live in the country that we do.

Grandpa and his girls

Really cool touch tank that my girls soaked up as always!

One rad escalator that the kind workers let these darling ladies ride several times!

The adults and kids both stayed entertained and following the museum hurried to catch a quick ferry ride.  Apparently it was a little too much hurrying as Laura almost went into Labor (JK) We enjoyed going across the water with an amazing sunset and looking around.

Thanks Kylee for your photography skills...I was impressed she got us all in...not too bad!

Other Highlights, Moments, Memories I don't want to forget...

• the 3 girls riding on the back bench of the minivan together with their stashes of toys and constant giggles
• FHE when Ky taught the lesson on "gifts for Christ" and had us all name some we would work on
• Kylee's cuddles with Uncle Taylor and comments about how mature Kylee is getting
• Both girls taking great care of Peyton and thrilled to be together
• Us all laughing hysterically as Peyton would call for Kylee
• The girls own little dinner table and Kylee doing a great job getting everyone to eat in between rounds of laughter
• Watching the girls say goodnight 
• Workouts at Jim's Gym with my Dad and being so glad I had a place for him to jog
• Fitting in lunch and Pedicures with Mom and Laura on the last day as we were determined to get some girl time
• Games and amazing food as always with numerous runs to the grocery store by G-pa
• Heather doing really well
• How cold our house always was for Uncle Taylor
• Lex loving Peyton's toys (ie: makeup bag) and carrying it with her everywhere 
• Our "Pretty toes" party on the last night

Oh, and this classic picture reminding me of how many pictures we took with someones eyes closed.  At least on this one they were all on the same page.  When I stop and try to put myself in the mind of one of these kids they have got to be wondering why we ask and make them take soooooo many pictures.  Ky looks like she is in pain. Thanks for being troopers ladies.

and 

sometimes 

you capture a shot like this

and you know you will treasure and cherish it forever!  GOTTA LOVE THE HOLIDAYS!

A few of Kylee's videos...and I couldn't leave out a short segment of "Pretty Toes"