Hodgepodge-- Soccer, Horses and Exchange Students

We have been enjoying our last full week before our kickoff to homeschooling this next Tuesday.  Activities have already started for the school year however, so we are in full swing with the extracurriculars already!  Soccer for 6 has been fun, but ever a challenge to see who can bring whom where at what time for practices, games etc!

Everyone had their first games this past Saturday.  Schuyler and Kierstyn are on the same team and they won theirs!

Mr Gray-Man has been playing for three years now.  Getting really good with that foot!  Watching him boot it into the goal with such force last night at practice made this mama proud!

(they won their game Saturday too!)

Schuyler has also started back with her riding lessons.  She loves it and is getting to be quite the horse-woman!

Schuyler and Fudge

Returning from a trail ride

So love this girl and LOVE her affection for animals.

But perhaps the MOST fun and interesting experience we had this last week was getting to meet our new friend Zoe.  Zoe is an exchange student here from of all places.......

Beijing, China!

He stayed with our neighbors for a few days since his plane to Vermont was delayed because of the hurricane.  He has been studying here for one month and already speaks English quite well.  Turns out, when I was in Beijing the first time this past January, Evan and I actually visited his neighborhood-- the Hutong area of Beijing.  He lives in one of the very old and historical houses there.  So cool!



We had a great time hanging out with him and talking. He is a sweet and very polite young man! And he is also a great soccer player, so the kids all were playing soccer together many times a day and well into the evening hours.  So fun to see my front yard filled with 11 kids all playing together and having a great time!!  :)

The whole gang-- sorry it is so dark!

So we have been having fun here, hope your week has been great and here's to a relaxing Labor Day Weekend!

We are going to FINALLY get some family pictures taken this weekend.  YEAH!!!!  Sooooo looking forward to that..... and some BBQ-ing on the grill.

Enjoy your time with family, we sure will!