Bumble Bee Ranch ~ Hopekids Day

This picture is of the McPoland outlaws - 1886. ~ We were very blessed and were able to go to a Hopekids event today which was scheduled for yesterday but since it rained all day they rescheduled it for today, so we were able to go. The first stop was the old fashioned photo booth.

Time to ride the horses.

Madison loved riding her horse.

Mia wasn't so sure about riding a horse, even though that's all she's talked about for years.

Alyssa was even a little nervous too but she did it.

Lunch was really good, BBQ & all the trimmings and treats to go with it. It was SO cold out though the girls had to wrap themselves in blankets. Yes, it was cold in Arizona on this sunny April day - but we still wore shorts.

Miss Phoenix (Jennifer) was at the ranch too! She uses Hopekids as her platform. What a beautiful and SMART girl she is. Very nice and out going to everyone she meets. Jennifer is currently a sophomore at U of A and is running for Miss Arizona, and hopefully Miss America. What a great role model.

Ready to go!

I'm not sure if i can ever trust Ashley with a paintball gun...

The girls having fun on the bounce house. This was one of their favorite things to do.

The Hummer Off Road Tour in the Desert Dog

Oh my, this was so fun. I haven't laughed this hard in a long time.

We drove off the ranch into literally the desert...off the main road. Way off!

Make way for another hummer coming up...we're getting ready to go down.

Wave!

Here we go!!! It was so bumpy I couldn't hold the camera still. Like I said, we were laughing so hard. We went over a really big bump and through the water, the camera batteries popped out of the camera! I saved one of them but the other one is probably at the bottom of the river we flew threw. I'm thankful I got all the pictures I did get.

This picture cracks me up every time.

Girls, was it fun?!

Our family really enjoyed this very special Hopekids event. Thank you so much Hopekids & all the Sponsors for making these events fun for the whole family. We Loved it!

Mia's 68th Blood Transfusion

Mia had some special people with her at the hospital for her blood transfusion today. Her two big sisters Ashley & Alyssa. They watched her get her IV poke... Helped her pick out a cool toy... Cheered her up... And just hung out. Sisters are the best. *(Well, they can be. Unfortunately they bickered all day at each other - hence the grey hairs.) However Mia was glad to have them with her. I can't believe we are up to #68. When we reach 100 transfusions, we are having a party. Time to play the Wii! Lets not forget about the laptop...a special request. What would I do without technology to keep these girls busy?!?

This might look like a posed picture, but it's not. There's something about being at the hospital all day (doing...nothing) that is exhausting. All the girls were so tired...and lets just say that when we got home...there was a lot of drool. Right Ashley?

Madison's 1st Soccer Practice & Game

Spring is here, and so is spring soccer. Matt decided to coach Madiosn for her first soccer season ever. Thank goodness for hand-me-down cleats, socks, and shorts.


Madison practicing kicking the ball.

Lets just say coaching 3 & 4 year olds is WAY different than 10 year olds. Lets face it, we all know Matt can be competitive. (They're only 4 honey:)

But by the end of practice they had so much fun, even after a few tears. Avery wanted the team name to be the Mermaids. Perfect!

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Madison's First Soccer Game - Go Mermaids!

Time to warm up for the game. The only way Matt could get some of the girls to run and kick the ball was to chase them. Here he is chasing Madison...that'll get her moving.

But once the game actually started...there was a lot of standing and watching. (LOL)

Madison didn't like how the other team kept taking the ball away. It made her sad. A lot.

At the very end of the game all the kids get to dribble the ball and score a goal. Go Maddy!

Can't forget about the parent tunnel...the kids love it! It works best when they all go the same way :)

Of course the best part about playing soccer are the snacks, treats, & drinks after the game ends.

Way to go Mermaids!

A Trip to Visit Dad

I got the chance to go to Seattle to visit my dad for 8 days. It was such a blessing in so many ways. As most of you know, he was diagnosed with cancer last June. It's been really rough on him and the family, but God has used his illness and suffering to grow us all closer to Himself (especially my dad). I also got a chance to reconnect with my Seattle family, including my sisters, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles and friends.


Watching the Huskies basketball team win the PAC 10 tourney my first night there...against Arizona!




The Graue boys played me in a little horse...and beat me! They are sharpshooters. We finished our games off with lowering the hoop for a dunk contest.

It was a pleasant surprise when my dad came out to shoot with us. Thanks for shooting hoops with us dad. Since the cancer has wiped out most of his energy, he got too tired after a few minutes. I tell you what, I will always cherish that sliver of time spent with him on the court.

The original Dennis McPoland family - 2011

Dennis McPoland with the grandson's.

I must admit that I played some serious Xbox with my nephews...mostly Madden 11 and NBA Live. I was unstoppable in Madden...not so much in NBA.

Ryan and I strategizing our NCAA tourney pools.

Talking life with grandpa...aka "dad" to me.

OK - The tickle monster came out to play with the younger nephews. They were overpowered and totally caught by surprise. This moment was fun for me, I already knew that my girls like the monster so it was cool to see that the nephews enjoyed him, too. :-)

I finished off Ryan with the excruciatingly ticklish thigh/hamstring tickle.

Watching some tube with dad.

I finished off the trip with a family reunion with my dad's siblings, their kids, and their kids families. I remember all the holidays playing with my cousins...it was GREAT to see them all again. We're all a bit older, but still love and care for each other. They all absolutely love my dad especially, I'm really glad he got to see the family again, too.

This is my first blog post ever...posted by: Matt (more pictures to come)