Christmas time is here!

Emmy has been racking up the goals this year on the 14UB team.  She got a hat trick +1 during a game and has had a goal almost every game.

While in Dickinson her team rented out an old hospital to have a nerf gun battle.  Robb was in on the fun.

While Robb and Emmy road trip for hockey, Bobby and I stay back usually for his basketball tournaments.  Grandpa and Grandma have been at every game so far since they hadn't left for Florida yet.  They cheer him on and Grandpa offers all his tips.  Bobby loves to learn from him and Coach Kelly has still got a lot of basketball knowledge to offer another generation of players.  I still remember a lot of what he taught me but I don't always remember how to teach what he taught me.  I love when he shared what he knows with Bobby and the best part is that Bobby loves it too.  Bobby does the spin move and is working on his defense.  He is quite the little player and can dribble left handed.

Heather and I organized a Xmas light fun run this year with the students.  We had a pretty good turnout on a nice night.  It was a great event to get into the spirit!

Bobby is the star of his school ball team and scores most of their team points each weekend.  Last Saturday when he showed up, the team cheered in relief!  He shoots back from the free throw line the traveling teams use and it is clear to see how much he has improved when you watch him play with the school team vs travel team (which is much more competitive).  He is always working hard and has such a great attitude.

 Emmy's hockey team played my good friend from college daughter's team last weekend.  We love when the girls face off so that we can have a mini-reunion.  These cute, tough, feisty little ladies work hard out there and I love that Heather and I were both blessed with these sweet hockey girls.

I really enjoy spending time with my sweet, funny, smart boy.  I came home from getting groceries on Sunday afternoon to find him shoveling the driveway (without being asked to do so).  I was proud to see him finding a way to help the family.  He had the stereo in the garage on and was blasting 90s country (another thing we love together).  Toby Keith's song "should've been a cowboy" came on and Bobby and I 2 stepped in the driveway while singing along.  One of my favorite memories with him.  That night Emmy, Bobby, and I laid in Bobby's bed and did our prayers together.  We got to laughing while practicing our accents.  Emmy is by far the best at accents!  She can do a Russian accent that makes me laugh every time.  She is really funny and Bobby and I were enjoying her humor.  We spent a half an hour laughing while laying there together.  I feel so blessed to have the time to just enjoy my kids.  God is so good to our family.  Emmy and Bobby are each blessed with their own unique talents but even more importantly......they are such good people. Kind, caring, and full of love that they give freely.  Often, I am the person who benefits since they hug, kiss, and cuddle me without me even asking.  I love my family SO MUCH!

Thanksgiving time

Bobby's school picture this fall had him looking very sharp!  He chose this outfit on his own and told me that his class has nicknamed him "The President" and he has several security now that assist him during the day.

Bobby has been enjoying traveling basketball.  Coach Ty is great with the boys and delivers lots of great knowledge from the bench.

Robb and Bobby have been doing some great hunting.  They made their own deer summer sausage, meat, sausage.  It's been a big hit at parties!

I love one on one time with my girl.  She is having an easier year this year at St. Mary's in comparison to last year.  She is managing to get through lots of girl drama and has shown resilience while still being the nicest girl I know.  I'm proud of my creative, smart, caring girl and we snuck away to have some frozen yogurt this day together.

We've got our tree up and decorated.  I love Christmas!  The kids decorate the tree full of their homemade and chosen ornaments throughout the year.

We got to celebrate Thanksgiving with family.  We are very blessed to live near each other so we can have these memories together.

The kids always love to decorate their gingerbread houses....but I think they like to eat them even more.

I've got a new workout buddy who is now old enough to be in the YMCA gym.  We did our workout then practiced our basketball moves originally taught by Grandpa Kelly.  Bobby is a fun student, always interested in learning.  He never gives up nor runs out of energy.
 

Bobby's team got 3rd place in the tournament they played last weekend.  They won 2 of 3 games.  The games were hard fought and they boys have improved so much!

I made a goal to hit 1,000 miles this year and I was able to reach it before the year was up.  I imagine I will get closer to 1,075 by the time 2021 is complete!

Emmy

 Emmy has been doing well in school and she made the B honor roll for St. Mary's this quarter.  She loves English, Art, Choir, and Math.  She has A grades in all those courses.  She is working so hard and always has so much homework to keep up with.  She also started hockey and she made the 14U B team so she gets to play with her older aged friends.  Emmy is mature and such a good friend and person.  We are proud of her determination and how kind and thoughtful she is!

Catching up in fall

I took a work trip to Atlanta, GA for the Educational Leadership Conference.  I'm a chair of a committee for ACAPT so I had meetings and events to lead.  It was a busy fun few days.

Bobby's team won the Championship game!  It was very excited and he really loved his first ever football season.

Emmy got chosen for an All state honor choir and also had a St. Mary's choir performance.  She loves to sing and is often singing at home.  She plans to try out for several more choirs this year.  She looked beautiful on stage!

Bobby's doing SO WELL in school.  His test scores are amazing and he is enjoying his class and teacher.  He brought home a stack of Rough Rider round ups that he'd forgotten to bring home earlier.  They all spoke to his helpful nature.  He is always trying to help the teacher, help his classmates, and be a studious learner.  We are very proud.

Bobby sometimes doodles on his school work.  Here I saw he had written about how "family is love" and he drew out each of Team Eckert to equal love.  It warmed my heart.

We had a cheerleader and a baseball player for Halloween.  Emmy had friends over for a party and then went trick-or-treating.  I took Bobby out trick or treating too.  Everyone had a great time!

Bobby loves to sleep in my bed when Robb is away.  Here I caught him completely sideways in bed!  He isn't real easy to sleep with at times.

 Bobby started basketball and is the starting point guard.  His ball handling skills and shot are much improved.  He has a good coach and nice kids to play with.  Some of his best friends play on a team they had to play against in the last tournament.  He was chatting with them on a break.  Everyone loves Bobby and he gets along well with everyone.  One night Robb was telling us that Tyson makes the McDonald's chicken nuggets and Bobby exclaimed, "MIKE TYSON?!"  of course Robb meant the Tyson chicken manufacturing company but we all got a good laugh.

Football, Cross Country, Volleyball, and marathon relays

Bobby participated in several cross country meets.  He always had an audience with Grandpa Bob, Grandma Launa and Grandpa Kelly and Robb and I there.  One race he even had Lexi there cheering.  He always placed in the top ten and most races was top 5!  He was great and he worked SO hard.

He started football and he has really enjoyed playing with his friends and learning the game from some excellent coaches.  He loves his friend group and we've enjoyed the parents so much: Flecks, Brauns, Schoch families.

Robb and Bobby went hunting and Bobby got a deer with his bow and arrows.  He and Robb butchered and made their own deer meat.  Bobby at deer burgers that night and he loved them.  Robb is such an awesome dad....he takes Bobby on so many adventures.  Emmy and I usually use that time to catch up and go for walks or play volleyball outside.  We've been working on her overhand serve.

I ran and won some female relay races with friends in September. My Bismarck female relay team once again won our division (and ALL the divisions except for one male relay team).  We got blankets as the winners of the female division.  Then my good friends from college and I ran the Fargo female relay and finished in even less time overall to win that race.  We had so much fun and ran really fast especially considering we went out for dinner the night before the race and drank a lot of wine.  We all ran an overall 7:30 pace and my miles were all close to 7 minute pace.

Bobby's football team the Oilers have had many great wins.  We enjoy going out with our friends to celebrate!

Emmy made the A1 volleyball team (the top team) and they have won more than they have lost so far.  She is a great passer and her setting and hitting skills are improving each week.  It is so much fun to watch her love a sport I loved!  She also has a great fan base with Stacy, Lexi, my parents, Grandpa Bob, and Robb and I cheering in the crowd.

Bobby wanted to dress up for picture day.  His classmates called him The President.  I'm very proud of his reputation at school.  My coworkers brother is an Aide in Bobby's classroom and he told her that Bobby is very intelligent, respectful, and funny.  He is very popular in class with the teachers and students and is a fun kid to be around.  

Action shots from Bobby's football game.

Robb and I got to enjoy a fun party with our friends where the theme was "dress as your spouse"  It was a fun time and our outfits were spot on.