We recently had the children's soccer team over for an end-of-season pool party.
I want to interrupt this message to thank the Lord again, that he saw fit to give us a pool...something I just never ever in my wildest imagination thought we'd get to have!
The whole party was Elisabeth's idea. And she brought it to fruition...from idea, to menu to decorations. She really is the hostess with the mostest.
And since the seven of us are still doing GAPS - and we did want to be able to eat and drink at our party - we took care to make sure all the offerings were GAPS-friendly. There are so many absolutely yummy GAPS-friendly recipes out there (and I'm finding more all the time) that planning a GAPS-friendly party menu wasn't hard at all.
To start with, we offered two different drinks, with the first being good 'ol water. (The only thing special about this water was that it had been filtered through our Berkey.)
Then, we had some Kool-aid.
Just kidding!
That red drink is some absolutely yummy Pomegranate Raspberry Lemon Tea. I was specifically looking for an herbal tea that would end up looking pink or red, and this stuff fit the bill. I just steeped some bags of Pomegranate Raspberry Tea, added raw honey to sweeten it, and then squeezed in some lemon and cut up some lemon slices to float around in the gallon. Pretty...and yummy! Easy, too. No reason to resort to powdered, chemical-laden fare when it's so easy to mix something like this up!
Next, we decided to have watermelon, because...well, what summer event is complete without some watermelon? That was pretty much a no-brainer.
Next, Elisabeth made a triple batch of Peanut Butter Brownies. Just four ingredients and so yummy. Another no-brainer.
We also offered some banana chips. Crispy and crunchy...these hit the spot.
And finally, Elisabeth fixed some of our newest favorite dessert....Pineapple Whip Treat:
It totally is a dessert, but I hate to call it that because that makes it seem like it has to be naughty...and this is actually good for you!
It has been fun findings things that my family loves that are good for us and GAPS friendly over these past almost 10 months.
What I've found over and over - this party being one more example - is that there are so many yummy, HEALTHY choices (thank you for how you've provided for us, Lord!) there is just no reason to have to resort to processed and nutrient-void fare!
Another thing this party showed Elisabeth: she thinks she'd like to be an event planner when she grows up. She asked me once when she was knee-deep in making lists for the party, "Mama, do people ever get paid for doing stuff like this?". Why, yes, baby they do! Was she ever glad to hear that!
Showing posts with label soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soccer. Show all posts
6.23.2014
5.26.2014
Soccer Tournament Weekend
So our first traveling soccer tournament is officially over.
| No, D didn't forget his blue jersey, he was the "keeper". I sound like a real soccer mom now, right? I've just learned recently that it's not "goalie", like I'd always thought...it's "keeper." |
This team has been playing together for less than three weeks. As of a week ago, they'd never practiced on a regulation-sized field like they played three games on this weekend. My kiddos have been playing for about a year and a half. I know that at least two of the other players have been playing for less than a year. We were the only team that was co-ed, which means we were playing against all-boy "club" teams.
So, ummmm, we were under-dogs.
I like a good under-dog story...but this one didn't end how I would have preferred...
The bottom line? We didn't win. Not any of our three games. By worldly standards, some people would view the weekend as a waste.
I think this is the real bottom line: It was a great opportunity for our children to learn, and to walk out some truths.
- How to not give up - never give up - even though things aren't going the way you'd like
- How to be nice and respectful...even if you're losing...and even if your opponent isn't being kind
- How to lose gracefully. And how to lose with your head up, because you played your best, and that is what matters
At the end of each of the three games, parents from the opposing side came over to compliment our team's attitude and skill. Now I'm not as competitive as I was when I was the one competing in sports - my focus has certainly changed with motherhood - but I would much rather our children play their best and with good attitudes than win at any cost.
Yes, we certainly had a good weekend.
And when people have asked how the tourney went, my honest answer is "good!"
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