Relaxation...here we come!

We just can't seem to get enough fun in this summer. Last weekend we were off on our annual trip to Lake Cavanaugh (just north of Seattle). This year was the BEST weather we have ever had. I LOVED soaking up all that sun shine. I spent most of my waking hours laying in the lawn chair reading a great book. The kids spent every hour playing. Seriously, how do they have enough energy to do that all day? Birch spent every morning and evening skiing until his arms couldn't hold on any longer. And to top it off...we were spending each moment with family that we love.

Where the fun and relaxation all happens!
Nate looks forward to these wave runner rides all year long. Birch and him were the first to take off for an adventuresome ride.
Nate got really brave and loved jumping off the dock.
We made this fun contraption for a cub scout team building project earlier this year. The kids had a blast filling the funnel with water balloons and then launching them.
Tuttu Chloe loving the lake water with her big brother, Alex.
The boys (Alex and Tyler) were a little more brave this year and loved tubing together.
So sweet!

Gangster cousins, Addy and Nate.
All aglow...Chloe Ruth.
Alysee loves hauling Chloe around; too bad it is not a little more two sided.
Wild Aunti Blayre and her mini--Alysee loved some fast waver runner rides together.
Tyler became four dollars richer after finally taking the plunge off the rope swing.
Alex had a great time on the rope swing.
Coop spent the first half of the vacation like this...hanging out next to the hot tub (while trying to keep his swim trunks on).
Coop spent the second half of the trip IN the hot tub. Once Mommy finally got in the water Chloe was one happy water baby. It was hard to pull Cooper out of the hot tub for any meals or bed time.
Daddy's still got IT!!
Mommy ain't got IT!
By the last day all the kids were tubing pros.
Chloe wasn't in love with her boat time...I wonder why?
These two girls are inseparable!!!! They spent EVERY waking hour playing in the hot tub and then running over to the lake. It is so fun to have them be at the age where they are not only nice to each other (cousins do have the capabilities to fight) but that they just LOVE each other.

Are we really half way done with summer? We're having too much fun to stop.

City Slicker

Goodness July is just flying by! Alex just had his first experience going to scout camp a couple of weeks ago. Since our family does not do sleepovers this was a pretty big deal to be away from home for three nights. Birch was able to join Alex on the last night and enjoy a full day following Alex around to all his fun activities.

When I think of scout camp I can't help but think of the first year my older brother Matt went scout camp. As my memory has it, our family came up for the last day of camp and Matt looked like a little black boy. He claimed that he was just suntanned when in reality he had a thick layer of dirt covering his white body. Anyway, I was totally expecting Alex to come home covered in dirt. His toes were on the dirty side but he was still definitely my white son. (And Matt, that is no bash on you--just a funny memory.)

Alex and his other troop homeys!
Making the final touchdown that won the competitive game of capture the flag.
Archery was one of Alex's highlights of the camp.
One morning Alex and Birch got up early and went to Mount Rainer to see the sunrise. This is one of Birch's favorite things to do and I'm thinking he is hoping Alex catches the bug.
You got to click on this picture to see Alex's neck straining. This captures when Alex was working on something for his first class. He says this is actually a lot harder to do then it looks.
Another favorite of scout camp was his trail ride on "Rowdy."

Alex also had a great time canoeing, riffle shooting, eating unlimited yummy food, orienteering, having camp fires, sleeping with his friends, and almost completing his first class badge. It's amazing how when just one of the kids are gone it changes the whole family dynamics and really creates a hole. We missed you Alex but we're so glad you had a great time!

16.3 lbs. of Pure Trouble

If Chloe is not sleeping, eating, or clinging to my legs she is out on a rampage. This girl is trouble! Sometimes I wonder why all the kids have to go through the same phases...you know: playing IN the dishwasher, dumping all the books off her little bookshelf, pulling out all the toilet paper off the roll, getting into cupboards, getting into their big sister's dress-up make-up, sneaking candy from their big sister's "secret" hiding place, getting into mommy's tampon cupboard, dumping over garbage's therefore requiring all garbage's to go on top of the toilet...you get the idea.

"Hum...I wonder what this is? Sure is a pretty box."

"Maybe I'll try eating it."

"Nasty!!" (Side note: Apparently Chloe did not learn her lesson because the following week our financial adviser was meeting with us at our house and Chloe came crawling out to where we were meeting "smokin'" a tampon cardboard. YUMMO!!)

"I come like little doggy as soon as I hear the dishwasher door open."

"I love sucking on old dirty dishes or throwing all the clean silverware on the floor."

Here's the catch...Chloe is just so darn cute while causing such havoc.
This week's 12 mo. appointment verifies Chloe's shrimp measurement's.

16.3 lbs BIG (1% national average scale)
26 2/4" TALL (2% national average scale)
44 1/4 cm Head Circumference (24% national average scale)

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

Last night Nate and Coop had the honor of throwing the first pitch at the our local semi-pro baseball game. The kids have all been apart of a program that encourages reading from birth, especially to help with school readiness by age five. Each month the kids under five years old get a hardbound book in the mail with their name on it. The nationwide program is called Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Our local chapter provides these awesome monthly storytimes where the kids get read to, snacks, and another free book.

I got a call Tuesday asking if Nate and Cooper would like to have the honorable treat of throwing in the first pitch at Wednesday night's game.

When I told Coop that he was asked to throw in the first pitch he immediately started rambling on about what he wanted to wear...his new baseball clothes that Grannie just gave him for his birthday. Nice arm Coop! You've got to click on this picture to blow it up. Nate's face expression tells it all. He was very nervous about this opportunity and wasn't sure he wanted to participate. Nate is a cautious kid but very talented kid. After putting on his game face he chucked that ball with all his might and made it straight into the catchers glove. The crowd went crazy! As you can tell from the picture "the crowd" was pretty minimal. We've never made it to a game that early in our lives. After each of the boys pitched, one of the real ballplayers autographed the boys a ball.
This ball will be treasured! We got home around 9 pm and put the kids all to bed. Chloe was totally wiped out and broke the family sleeping-in record (which isn't hard to break) by waking up at 11:30 am today. She had a morning snack of a bottle in bed at 7:15 am and then went back to sleep. I was wishing all morning that we could have swapped places.

We all had a great time at the game. We missed Alex who is away at 11 year old boy scout camp.

Wild Weekend...Wild Waters

We just came back from a great weekend in Spokane. Birch had a continuing education course for three days so we all went along and had a great cousin/Grannie weekend. We filled each day with lots of yummy food, a great course of miniature golf, swimming at the community pool, movies at Grannie's house, Alex and Tyler playing endless Yahtzee with Grannie, and non-stop crazy playing with lots of cousins. The camera stayed tucked away most of the weekend so not much of the fun was documented.

Nate was in heaven playing with one of his favorite cousins, Addison. Those two boys are a wild and fun combo.

Monday morning we packed up our stuff and hopped in the car and headed to Moses Lake Water park. We've heard lots of great things about this water park but had never made it there until now. For a water park the prices were great and to top it off you are even allowed to bring in your own food. Aunti Annie and her three kids joined us for a wonderful sunny day in the water. We all had a great time together but I do think that all the adults agreed that having one more BIG person with us would have been quite helpful.

Tyler loved the lazy river. Chloe really loves the water which made it extra fun to take her to the water park. This daddy sure loves his little girl. Chloe and her cousin Hailey are just a month apart. They were so cute together all weekend. Still not walking on her own...Chloe loved the security of her daddy's fingers and splashing in the water.

Birch tried his hand at surfing on this simulator thing. He wasn't too successful. I'm thinking if his brother's were there that it could have been quite a competitive quest. We hardly saw Alex all day. He bounced from water slide to water slide, down the lazy river, over to eat some food, and out to swim. Coop had a great time trying to be a fishy in the shallow water. I just love this little bum crack picture Birch caught of Coop while playing in the sand at their great playground. I'm still recuperating from my stupidity. Currently I could be wearing nothing and still look like I had a swim suit on. For some reason I didn't do quite as good of a job putting sunscreen on my poor white legs and other body parts as I did with the rest of the kids. This morning I was remembering a similar incident when I first arrived at BYU-Hawaii and forgot that I was a pale mainlander that only burns. I remember for days I could only wrap a lava lava around my neck due to the brilliant red color of my skin.
Nate loved the little kids water slides and digging in the sand at the park.
We loaded up the tubes with LOTS of children on the lazy river. All the kids loved floating along.

Everyone was tired by the end of the day and ready to head home. We stopped at Taco Del Mar for a yummy dinner before hitting the road home. They were having a special where kids eat free with a paying adult so we all ate for $10.00. Now that's some yummy cheap tacos! What a great weekend!!!

Piano Man

The big kids just had their first piano recital this past week. Alex, Tyler, and Alysee started lessons in January. We found a really sweet lady that comes to our house each week for a killer deal. Alex has picked it up quite quickly due to his trumpet playing. Tyler and Alysee have done a fine job too. My sister-in-law made us some vinyl lettering to go on the keys to help the kids learn their finger placement. After this last recital we're thinking that it might be time to take them off since two of the kids looked at the keyboard with a bit of a blank stare.

I'd love to put in my own bubble captions by each of their faces but I'm thinking for long term sakes I'll just leave it to you to fill in the blanks. The recital was a patriotic theme. I can't wait until they can play something really beautiful!