The Green Machines

The Green Lantern Rattlesnakes' spring season wasn't exactly full of victories, but it was filled with fun!  We are thinking it is time to retire any team names related to Green or Dragons or Lanterns or Rattlesnakes in the fall!

Another game against the Yellow Angry Birds meant lots of excitement.  Cornell and Braden's competitive sides were displayed in full effect!

Braden was ecstatic about his second goal.

Braden yelled to rally his team into action.  He took the game against Cornell very seriously.

Matt congratulated the boys on playing well.

So, back to the whole competitive thing...Braden and Cornell took it to a whole new level and let their anger get the best of them.  Dads needed to intervene and have the boys make up.  After all, Cornell is our neighbor and one of Braden's best buds!

Final game of the season...Braden didn't slow down until the last game was over!  He was convinced the shorter hair  contributed to the speed.

Showing off a very loose tooth! 

He deserved the Cutest Kid on the Team Award...well at least we think so!

Coach Steve Jones and Coach Steve Claton did an awesome job leading Carter, Zach, Zach, Braden, Caden and Maxx...Again!

This sums up our crazy team!

The coaches treated the team to a party....

and gifts....Spoiled kids, but they deserve it! 



Kickin' Up Dust

It's heating up in Southern California, but we decided to make a day trip to Apple Valley before temps hit more than 100 degrees.

Daddy taught Braden a few tricks while showing off a few of his own.

Braden and I had fun together too!

Celebrating the Sacrifice

We celebrated Easter weekend by giving thanks for the great sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. Braden also enjoyed a couple egg hunts, an over-stuffed Easter basket, and way too many treats!

Braden showed off his favorite egg that he dyed.

Always tough to get a serious photo of this guy!
The next president?

Or perhaps, and preferably, the next Justin Bieber?

The two most handsome boys heading into brunch.

Braden informed us this wasn't the real Easter bunny obviously. The zipper on the back gave away the big secret!

Our sweet boy shared some eggs with a younger child who hadn't collected many.

Picture perfect weather to celebrate a wonderful day!

Displaying the loot!

Deja Vu?

Spring soccer has started and we are excited for another great season. A few things look awfully familiar...uniforms are bright green again (albeit, a different shade) and Braden has all the same teammates and coaches as he did during the fall season. Last season, the boys struggled to agree on a team name, so they ended up being the Green Lantern Rattlesnakes. This season? The Green Dragons...although none of us can keep it straight, so we just remember to root for green!

Braden and Carter always find time to crack up on the field...

a lot!
Braden may be a Green Dragon, but Matt's mascot was a bulldog when he played high school soccer. Enzo could barely squeeze his fat body into Braden's old Silver Knights uniform. Braden was so excited to have a furry cheerleader on the sidelines.

He sure loves his dogs!

Enzo huffed and puffed as if he had played a game of soccer!

All that cheering is exhausting!

Braden and Carter both scored, so they were congratulating each other and planning their next moves.

Just doing a little victory run after scoring!

This is the 'oh shoot I got caught' look...

With a huge rivalry at hand, Braden displayed his muscles before a game against Cornell's team. Unfortunately, the red face and bulging veins wasn't quite enough to scare off the Angry Birds. The Green Dragons are eager to play them again and get a victory though!

After being aggressive with each other on the field, these buddies chuckled together after the game...# 5s stick together!

It's great to see their competitive sides during a game, but even nicer to see their adorable smiles afterwards!

It was tough for these goofy boys to stay adorable for long though!

Birthday Blowout

What do you get when you combine boot camp, guns and camo? The makings for an awesome birthday party, of course! Throw in some pizza and cake, and it's a perfect way to celebrate Cornell's 6th birthday!

The perfect Halloween costume is one that is worn two years in a row and then to a birthday party too!

The bean bag race was entertaining to watch!
Braden skipped over the tricycle stage, so riding one on wet grass was probably a bit challenging!

He raced through the tires with ease though!

Braden attempted to toss the grenade gently at first, but quickly discovered that it's more fun to toss a water balloon so that it breaks on his partner!

Ready for war!

Braden and the birthday boy were getting seriously ready for action.

Watching the kids running all over the field firing at each other was hilarious. They could have done it for hours!

Once Braden found out his buddy got shot in the eye, he went after the suspect with gusto....and lots of yelling!

Creating Chaos

Whenever we've gathered as a family, it is very loud. Now that there are 5 kids in the mix, 'loud' is an understatement. Regardless of the volume and chaos, we love getting the cousins together!

Sorry Aunt Maria, looks like dainty little Journee already wants to play with the boys!

She'd better toughen up pretty quick considering her youngest cousin, Tucker, is already harassing her!
It's puzzling that the boys chose these 'hats' considering Braden has more hats than any 5-year-old should ever have!

You never know when you may run into danger at the park, so it's a good thing Braden wore his hard hat. He couldn't resist these adorable bulldogs. Enzo would be worn out at the mere thought of walking to the park!

One big happy family...well, 3 out of 4 ain't bad! Aunt Kristen had her hands full walking back from the park, but as usual, she handles it all with a smile!

Heading to war with his cousins, Braden displayed his most intimidating face!

Journee seemed entertained by the shenanigans of Charley, Miles and Braden. She can't wait to run around the house getting sweaty with her cousins!

Sweet Tucker dodged bullets on Uncle Matt's lap.

Uncle Billy got back at Braden by firing a full load while Braden's gun was empty. We've never seen Braden do such a dance to avoid getting hit!

Rink Rat

Ice hockey is an exhilarating sport to watch and play, so we let Braden try it out for a couple months. The verdict was that it was fun to learn how to skate with some of his buddies who also took classes, but he prefers some of the other sports he plays instead. It is very expensive, not close to home, and involves a tremendous commitment....so that decision was fine with us!

We improvised on the hockey gear, but Braden still looked cute out on the ice.

Braden loved racing across the rink.
Posing with Quinn, Braden didn't quite have his scowl down...

Attempt number two to look like a tough hockey player was a little better, but still looks like he's going to bust out in laughter!