HELLLOOO Blog!!

Well, well, well a year and a half has passed since updating the 'ol Blog! Just goes to show 1) how busy we've been ??? 2) how facebook has taken over & the blog has fallen by the wayside or 3) just plain laziness to take the time to update the blog. I would imagine it's a combination of all three really..................

Our "busyness" still revolves around soccer (fall, indoor, spring with Suffolk FC Select~Team Chaos). Now we've added in his school "Crusader" teams (Varsity Soccer~yes as a 6th grader, & now JJV Basketball begins), Matthew's entered Middle School, job situations have changed~Mike's now in Florida with his job & my job ended in anticipation of our move, our home is for sale(has been since March 2010) and obviously the market has tanked & our home hasn't sold, and a plethora of other events over the past 18 or so months.

Not working since August 2010 has afforded me a lot of time to get back in touch with my laundry & housekeeping inner self(yea!~jk), my carpool mom skills & of course my middle school homework skills...... I've seen more daytime TV in the past few months then I've seen in 20+ years (and by the way have learned a lot, found some shows I really enjoy & found some commercials that are extremely ridiculous and annoying) I've also found that it's really neat to be able to go to a Ladies Bible Study during the week, have "quiet time" to myself, head out to a bookstore & Panera during the day & just relax with a book. I've enjoyed catching up with old friends via Facebook and finding neat sites to save money, look for bargains, share ideas with other moms etc. I've began a direct sales career with Thirty~One bags & have really enjoyed it and I've suddenly found this interest in writing/blogging/journaling.......think I've also realized what "growth" has taken place in my life, our lives as a family and in Matthew's life. Seems when you're working 45+ hours a week, stress sets in, & you're running at "mach speed with your hair on fire" you just don't take time to slow down & appreciate so many things!

SO, this is me appreciating this time in my life to slow down a bit & smell the coffee, or flowers or however the saying goes.....because I'm sure before long it will be back to the fast lane, whether I'm ready for it or not. I hope to share some new insights & to take time to appreciate each day. It's really strange to be at this time in my life & feel like I'm really "searching" for myself.....you spend so many years working at something you feel you were good at & then you sit back & reflect & say to yourself, "wow is that what I'm really good at?, is that what I'm supposed to be doing at this point in my life?, how did I fall into this "career" and what are my true interests?"....maybe the answer is that I've found my little "niche" in life, but maybe there's some other avenue I should explore. Don't know what the answer is right now but really feel the need to explore......

Hope to update the good1happenings, 'cause it seems we always have something going on and look forward to keeping in touch with friends & family once again.....need to update lots of pics as Matthew has grown & is maturing into a fine young man...........Who am I kidding "puberty" and 12 year old hormones could be the death of me!! No seriously, we're very proud of him and know this is a stage we all have gone through....just went through it as a girl & understanding the psyche of 12 year old boys is completely new to me!! Pray for wisdom & understanding on that one......

Welcome to another chapter in the life of the good1s................

Spring Soccer 2009

Spring Soccer!!! Matthew's Advanced Soccer team started it's new season today with a doule-header here in Suffolk!! It was a beautiful sunny day with temps close to 80!! They won the first game and tied the second!! We have 3 new players on the team this year and they really played together well today~Great teamwork!!

Here's Matthew & Logan working the defense at the goal!!

Matthew playing right forward in the second game...he looks very intense on this play!

Goal Kick!! Great kick keeper!!


The boys chilling before the second game in the new pavilion!!!

Pregame warm-ups....their favorite game "Lightning"!!

If today is any indication, it looks like we have an exciting season ahead of us!! They played tough today but both games were "nail-biters!!"

Hope you enjoy the pictures daddy!!! (Mike is up in Indiana) We miss you !!

We're praying for Grandpa & hope he's feeling better soon!!!

All our love~ M&M&C&B&P

SNOW DAY!!!

Snow Day~Virginia Style!!!

OK OK friends from home.....don't get excited...I know this is not a major snow event for Indiana or other areas north of here but this is a VA snow day & we were excited to see a little of the white stuff....This was 5 days ago & it was 20 degrees. Today was almost 80 & tomorrow should be in the 80's BUT wait there's more..I hear next weekend should be in the 40's....go figure!!

Yes a snow angel in an inch of snow.....

Looking down our street

Matthew making a few snow balls...see the puppies in the door!

He is just the cutest!!

..tis the season!!

...ok I don't feel so bad, I see a few of my other "blogging" friends have not blogged in awhile either so it's just not me!!! 'Tis the season to be so busy that you can't even get to your "to do" list!! The Goodwin's are still alive & kicking and not much happening except the hustle & bustle of too many things to do, too many commitments & activities to attend and not a lot of time to do it all!! More pictures and Goodwin happenings soon!!

We need to all pause for a moment in all the season's festivities and remember the total reason for the season: that a babe was born & HE would be our Savior and His sacrifice was for all of us!! It amazes me to think a young girl probably 13-14 years old gave birth and had absolutely no idea as a mother what she was in store for her & what was in store for her son's life....we can not possibly fathom!! So this season, in the hustle and bustle, stop and think of the cross and then think about the TRUE meaning of the season!!

We are so incredibly blessed!!

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family this holiday season!! May you enjoy a very blessed and special holiday with those you love!!

Adventures in 4th Grade

Matthew's class learning about the Phillipines. Tonight the school is having the "Around the World" Carnival and their class is constructing a "booth" about the Phillipines. There will be food, games and fun from several different countries!! The kids are really excited!
4th Grade Chapel Opening Wednesday November 5th
The class sang and taught the students about God being Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent!! You learn big words in 4th grade!!

It's Fall Soccer Time!!

First Day of 4th Grade!!!

Since the Goodwin's have been sooo busy with soccer camps, summer camp, field trips & work this summer I thought before I let the year get a way from me (and start posting christmas pictures) I'd do a little "catch up" posting...

I know Mar-Far is probably jumping for joy as now she won't have to kick me out of the blogging world again....ha ha

That's right it's time for the annual picture on the first day of school...4th grade.....seems like only yesterday we were starting "big boy" school!! WOW our boy has grown so much & is becoming quite the young man!!

It was great this year, Grandpa, Grandma & Aunt JoAnn got to be here for the first day of school (thus all the big smiles!!) And got to see Matthew off on his first day.......

Like the dead plant at the front door~how inviting~see how busy we are, we can't even water the poor plant......

End of Summer Beach Trip

Mom's handsome guys!!
....our "surfer dude"...or boogie board dude!!


We had a chance in August to take a long weekend with Dad & head to the beach in North Carolina....(he had to work over the weekend) so Matthew & I took the opportunity to relax at the beach!! It was a great day, not crowded....the only problem~the jellyfish were biting & Matthew got stung pretty good!!.........We still enjoyed the brief get away & can't wait to go back soon!!

Oh to have a permanent place at the beach......

Summer 2008

We always have fun at Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg!!
Matthew is such a fish-he'd stay in the water all day!!!


We've been to Great Wolf a couple of times but they had some new "rides" this year and new fun things to do!! We had a great time~too bad it was a "mini-vacation"~Matthew could have stayed for a week & still not stayed in the water enough!!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

VBS 2008 WRPC

This past week was VBS at our church and Matthew, along with "the children of Israel" built a life size tabernacle!!
The children labored in the sewing tent, painted with sand, baked bread and helped construct the tabernacle. They learned what the people of Israel may have faced in their day and they learned what it is like to work without all the "modern conveniences"..especially air conditioning-temperatures stayed above 90 all week!! It didn't phase the kids though they had a blast!!
On Friday we got to attend the "feast" and view the finished tabernacle!!!

Another year has come and gone.. oh soo quickly!!

Third grade is finished!!! I just can't believe it....I know, I know every parent must go through this, but this was my "baby" on the first day of third grade....(we take a picture every year in front of our front door to show how much we've grown!!)







Yeah, he'll be over that soon........

This is my "big boy" just last month on the way to my graduation.....He has changed so much this year, grown up A LOT and even now he thinks 9 is like being 18-You know they KNOW everything at this age!.......He has so much to learn!! He has a great career ahead as a lawyer, the child can argue anything into the ground . NEWS FLASH-Yes Son-We are still the parents and YOU ARE 9 !!

It really seems like we were just starting "big boy school" yesterday, learning our A,B,C's and colors. This year we're doing that "new" math (hee hee), going to sleep overs-having a "social calendar"(all the social calendar that a nine year old boy needs to handle!!) AND hubby likes to say things like, "you know he'll get his learner's permit in about 6 years" and "just think he'll be going to the prom in 6 years"......when he attends West Point (yeah dad's kidding...I think)..........."Honey we're half way done "raising" him".... Oh goodness if that's the case, we've got LOTS of work to do!!

End of Season Soccer Party!!

The boys celebrated the end of another great season!! Thanks Coach Mark, we appreciate all you do & we look forward to the fall!! U-12 here we come!! Go Suffolk United!! Dylan & Catrina thanks again for opening your home(& pool) to the boys!! We had a great time!!

Memorial Day!!

Fun in the sun!!!

Memorial Day, Kerri (my homeless at the moment friend-after the tornado, storms came through a week later dropping a tree right through her house) and I took the boys to the Y pool to enjoy the pool and the sunshine!!! Matthew is always around the basketball goal in the pool....he's a little fish, doesn't matter if it's cold, he loves the water!! Aaron was enjoying the splash park and the scenery!!! I do think Aaron has the potential to "run for office"-we went for a walk around the pool and he greeted EVERYONE with his "politician's wave"!!

just a question....

So today was a busy day (payroll day for me) so I decided it would be a drive-thru, quick pick-up for lunch...........My question is this........Is there a napkin shortage I am not aware of? I know there is not a ketchup shortage because they will throw tons of ketchup into the bottom of your bag-eventhough today I had nothing to put ketchup on-but they will give you 1 napkin, ONE, UNO....why?? Especially when I was at a "finger licking" good chicken place......one napkin!! So I guess on those days you're lucky enough to get a "handful" of napkins, that is when you need to open the glove box and save them............'cause you never know when you'll need it....

Graduation-Liberty University 2008

Ok so I tried my hand at a little creativity!!!

Time for a Change!!

OK so I've been checking out a lot of blogs lately and several of my friends have changed backgrounds and layouts, they use videos & slide shows and I'm feeling so "bloggingly challenged"!! Or maybe I'm creatively challenged....or I'm just getting old~as I've been reminded more times than I care to admit the past few weeks.....If one more person, doctor, friend etc says, "well now that you're/we're over 40"..........OK OK I get it!!! But don't expect me to take this getting older thing without fighting it every step of the way!!

I decided a new layout would "perk" things up a bit!! There are some ever so talented women out there just writing about everyday life and they are hilarious!! (thanks to my friend Jen for sharing some of her favorites-Jen's blog is also fantastic!! http://akersmemories.blogspot.com/ As is my good friend Kerri's http://teamthumm.blogspot.com/ ...) I laugh and laugh because they say everything we mother's are thinking.....you know exactly what they are talking about 'cause for some of us, we've been there, done that.....my challenges and daily fun seem like nothing compared to a women with 6 children attempting a grocery store trip!!! I really have nothing to complain about. It feels good to know other mom's struggle to get homework done, come up with interesting creative meals everyday of the week, really don't like laundry or grocery shopping and their children also find creative uses for markers and crayons!! The more I read, the more I want to jump in and share...........

so to all the blogging moms out there, thanks for sharing and thanks for bringing some comic relief to all the busyness around us!!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ME!! I FINALLY DID IT!!

THAT'S RIGHT 20+ YEARS IN THE MAKING!!! I FINALLY GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE THIS WEEKEND AT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY IN LYNCHBURG, VA!!

It was a wonderful weekend in Lynchburg and I'm so glad I went and walked the stage!! I promised my daddy I would finish this degree and I hope he knows I finally did it!! This one's for you daddy(and momma) I know they're celebrating in heaven!! Thank you Mike and Matthew for supporting me and leaving on the weekends for "guy time" so mommy could study and take exams!! You have both been behind me every step of the way and I know at times this took away from time we could all spend together!!Thank you for your sacrifices and for all the support!!

My sister came from Indiana to be with us for the weekend! It meant so much to have her here to share the big day with us!! We really enjoyed being together and celebrating! Lynchburg is really beautiful and the campus is quite impressive!! Thank you guys for so much fun this weekend!! You all mean the world to me!! I couldn't have done it without you!! Also thank you Grandma and Grandpa G for your support and blessings!!






I think Mike has been the most excited!! He's gone out of his way to make this such a special time for me!! He ordered these personalized plates for the Explorer for me!! He's so sweet!! (if you can't see these are LU plates!!)
Now it's his turn to finish that college degree!!

WAY TO GO SUFFOLK UNITED

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!

Soccer Tournaments May 3-4 VA Beach!!

It was an exciting weekend May 3 & 4th as Matthew's U-10 Soccer Team competed for the championship in their bracket in VA Beach. The team played 2 games Saturday and 2 games Sunday and WON their bracket!! Matthew played great as goalie, 2 games ended in overtime and went down to "points kicked" shootouts!!! A lot of pressure for a goalie!!! We are so proud of Matthew and he is truly blessed with a lot of athletic talent (must be dad's genes!!!)