Its FOOTBALL season!

Football is in full swing!!

Last week was our first week so the boys could not wear pads. Being 100 degrees most afternoons, I feel part of the reason is to get these poor kids acclimated to running around in the heat.

This week is full pads... meaning it is hitting time!! I was a little nervous having Aydin moving up this year from the 5-7 year old team where he was by far one of the biggest kids in Pop Warner for his age group to playing with 8-10 year olds. Not too sure why I was so concerned... my kid is a beast. He is one of the biggest kids on his new team this year which made him a little more comfortable about playing.

He is doing well... I know he can do better but we are still on week one. I just hope he has a great season and enjoys it considering this year will be our last with football for a while (since we will be moving to Spain next summer).

He is #7 while at practice... his game jersey is a different #

The poor kid in the white pants... was just tossed by Aydin...

Today our team had a scrimmage game against the other Pop Warner team. They did amazing considering we were one week into wearing pads. Aydin did his 'job' and even had a sac in the end zone on the last play of the game... I was SO excited!! This is going to be a fun season if they continue to play like they did today...

Liam Liam Liam...

15 months and counting!! What can I say?? This kid is into EVERYTHING!!! We cannot do anything without making sure the chairs are pushed in, the dishwasher does not still have the silverware holder, the bathroom door open (if he is not climbing onto the toilet to climb into the bathroom sink… he is playing in the toilet), Aydin’s bedroom door (he climbs up the bunk bed ladder and jumps on the top bed), and anything else he thinks would be fun…

This is a daily routine... emptying out the wipe container.

He also loves looking at the fish!

Our fish tank is behind the couches… I thought I heard him playing with my grass fillers in the vases but nope… it was the whole entire can of fish food emptying right behind me. The worst part- is I didn’t think anything of the sound because I really thought it was something completely different!

This kid has his way of being so mischievous but yet so cute at the same time… How can you not smile at this kid?!

More Steve pics...

Central Mosque in downtown KabulThis was taken this morning, during a EUM visit at an Afghan Army base. He was sweeping their trucks to make sure they hadn't been stripped down and sold. Same base. He said its the worst possibile tactical location. There is WAY to many elevated vantage points for his comfort level. ISAF biergarten- Where he wishes he could stay and play... ISAF outdoor fireplace

Update on Steve...

Finally got to see a few more pictures of Steve and what the beautiful country of Afghanistan looks like...

I have been very lucky while Steve is gone and get to skype with him almost everyday. Because we are 8 and a half hours behind(yes... Afghanistan is so backwards they are working on the half hour), when Steve gets off of work it is around noon here. I love hearing from him everyday so much, we plan our day around his calls. The kids and I will either do something early and be home by lunch or wait until his call and then leave after. I am not too sure how it will all work out once school starts but I am sure we will figure something out.

As for Steve, he sounds like he is doing well. He has been staying busy most days and extremely boring on the other ones. He is required to be at work at 8am and stay until 8pm- 7 days a week. Fridays are the days he does not have to be to work until 1pm so he normally will spend his time walking the Bazaar. Unfourtunalty for him, this month is Ramadan so the whole town shuts down during the day to reflect on their own individual faith, fast, pray, and spend with their families (sleep too, I am sure).

Having the job he has, he is able to leave base and make deliveries. Here are a few pictures are of him out and around town...


Him stating point of a dismounted foot patrol in Eastern Afghanistan.
Rough country.

This is near the ISAF soccer field.

He saw a 'large' body of water and had to take a picture of it.

Mountians

Typical Kabul side street. Most people are selling whatever they can grow or steal from somewhere else.

This is in downtown Kabul, note the lack of any rhyme or reason to the traffic flow or pedestrian traffic. It's a tough environment to operate securly in.

Zoo trip

Today we went to the zoo... knowing it was going to be a while until we could go again. With school starting, football, soccer, games, etc., we thought it would be fun to make a day trip out of it... well, morning trip. It was HOT!! We ended up spending most of our time at the sprinklers!

Liam, Isabella, Julianne, Morgan, Tristen, Aydin and Jimmie Frank
Looking at the Warthogs...

He saw the babies...Looking at the African loop-

Aydin, Jimmie, Morgan, Tristen. Julianne, and Isabella

by the elephants
Aydin and Isabella

Paper chain

We love Auntie Heather and cousin Taylor!! Like I have said before, if you don’t have an Auntie Heather… you need to find one!! Today we got a fun surprise at the door.

Auntie Heather and Taylor send three boxes, one for each of the kids full of paper chains. These are not your regular chains... these chains are for the kids to put around their rooms as a count down until Steve comes home. All 365 days!! It may not seem like a lot to you… but let me tell you… these chains wrapped around the kids rooms once and then some.

They were SO excited… they had to play with them first before we hung them up.

And then play in the boxes... or in this case... eat breakfast

Kids pics...

Yes yes, I know... it is about time the kids had their pictures taken.

While in Vermont, All the grandkids gto together and had their group picture. After they had the group photo, they took individual family and individual pictures.

I think they are great... even if they werent... anything is better than the 3 month old picture of Liam that has been on my wall :)

Aydin...

Morgan...

Liam...

All of the Blonski cousins..