The Coveted Lake Time

After being home only three days from Spokane I was honestly dragging my feet at loading up again for another trip.  In fact, I may have been a bit grouchy as I loaded the car and we headed to Lake Cavanaugh.  It might have had something to do with the stress of shopping for Alex's high adventure food for his scout trip and the three meals that our family was responsible for at the lake.  I think a calculated that in one shopping trip I bought enough food for 78 mouths to eat at the lake and 99 mouths at Alex's scout trip.  That warrants a little insanity doesn't it??!!

Chloe and Aunti Blayre

Coop loves to pretend to be apart of the lake.  He prefers land swimming, land tubbing, and land wakeboarding, though he insists on wearing a wet suit...just in case.

Tyler and cousin Emmett

Coolest dudes on the lake...Birch, Henry, Coop

Lovely ladies

Chloe enjoying the muddy "sand"

Mom and Chloe keeping up with all the rage and paddle boarding.

Alysee was a tubing maniac!

Something possessed me after sitting in the warm sun for a day.  Grannie decided that with her new fangled hip she was going to go tubing.  I figured that if Grannie was going tubing that it might be a safe time to join in since the drivers would have to be gentle.  I think it has been six years since I have gotten into the lake -- I'd just rather soak in the sun.  It started out so nice until I thought Grannie was starting to sink.  Like the beloved daughter-in-law I wanted to save her life and reached forward trying to pull back on Grannie's tube.  SPLAT!  I went face first into the lake. As you can see from the picture I found out that I am officially weak...very weak.  It took Juje pulling me from one direction, Julia pushing from another, and Jenna holding onto my tube until I finally was able to get back on.

I was TOTALLY wiped out!!!

  Ironically, everyone except Grannie ended up falling off their tube. 

  After my wet adventure tubing I all of a sudden got this crazy urge/courage to try wake-boarding.  After the kids all about died with excitement that their mom was going to actually get her swimsuit wet AGAIN I received some wake-boarding instruction from Birch.

I was horrible.

And it wasn't that fun.

And I biffed it and hit my head hard in the water losing the wake-board.  And I decided to swim back to shore and not get in the water again for another six years.  The End.

 Nate took to wake-boarding like it was nothin'.  I think he had an advantage over me because he is a good little skateboarder.

 The big boys disappeared for.like.ever on a competitive game of who-can-try-and-get-someone-hurt-game.  This shot is of Kelly dumping Birch.

 Birch busted out his birthday bingo set.  It was a real hit (especially because of the sucker prizes).

 Lots of jumping off of the boat!

These girls idol cousin Malia!  Alysee came home having learned all sorts of cool hairstyles from Malia.

 Daddy loves him some tubing.

Alysee on the rope swing.

Awesome Daddy on the wake-board.  Oh, so that is how it is supposed to look!!!

Cute Owen loves his Uncle Birchy.

Awesomeness

There was no shortage of GoPro video going on as each person loved filming.

Daring Alysee

 Sweet jump Nate

Nate and Addy love to hang out with each other and went on several excursions paddling in the canoe.  We had a few moments where we felt like failures as parents and we found them independently paddling across the entire lake.  Yikes!

Addy, Nate, and George

Blayre and Owen loved bubble time!

Tyler loved knee-boarding this year!

I packed Birch's ukelele that doesn't get the chance to be played very much.  

Best buds...Lucy and Alysee

Logan and Birch make good noise together!

We even threw in two photoshoots of two darling families.  I love these pictures of Logan and Julia's family especially because the photoshoot was totally spontaneous and the outfits were thrown together from all the cousins clothes.  Didn't they turn out awesome!

Blayre and Ryan have created the cutest little guy, Owen.

Love this shot!

The girls always put on some sort of dance each year.  Malia did the choreographing and the girls performed the dance perfectly.

 Some booty!

After our most excellent Sunday School lesson on Gratitude by Jenna and Juje we took our family picture.  Talk about an awesome bunch of people!!  I feel lucky!

All the grandkids that were at the cabin (minus Emmett who was snoring).  These kids adore their Grannie!!

Want to live vicariously through the GoPro lens of Kelly Ditto?  Click here:  http://youtu.be/WdWgLTli5sU

A'int 38 Great??!!!

I started my birthday off with my favorite people (my family) and ended the day with my favorite people! We PACKED the day in with projects, family time, and celebrating with dear friends!

 The kids all made a delicious breakfast in bed for me.

 

 Birch planned a special little party for me that evening with the Cox family. We dined on a delicious ice cream cake and cup cakes.

This picture brings a smile and tear to me at the same time.  This week also brought the news that the Cox family is going to move to Utah in just a couple of days.  This is family is not related by blood but has ties just as strong. Due to vacation schedules this picture is the last time we will all see each other...for a while.  We have all cried and rejoiced for the upcoming adventures for the Coxes.  Mostly we are sad for ourselves but we all have faith that our friendship is eternal and can endure the miles that will be placed between us.

Hanging in our living room to give us courage!

Birch is Farty!!!

Birch's birthday was much anticipated not only because he was turning FORTY year's old but also because it landed on the day of the Coeur d'alene triathlon. 

Before the race the officials write your age on your calf -- this 40 also meant that Birch was bumped up into the older age group.  Yikes!!!

This year Birch and his brother Logan competed together.  I don't use the word "competed" lightly either.  These brothers have extreme love for each other but they also have a hearty dose of competitiveness too.  Julia (Logan's wife) and I wondered throughout the race if one of them had a flat tire or something would they stop for each other?

 Birch is hard to miss in his borrowed old school red tank top wet suit.  Last he rented a nicer wet suit but found it much too constrictive.

 Can you spot him?

 Birch really struggled on the 1.5 mile swim portion this year.  He said that it took him longer to get into a good rhythm and find a spot to swim where there were not so many competitors flailing legs and arms.  I got a little teary when I saw how tired he was coming out of the swim and knowing he was only a third of the way through the race.

 Next up was the 40K road bike portion.  This is usually a really strong point for Birch so I was hoping that he would make up time from his swim.

 Score!!  He did awesome!

 The final leg of the race...10K run.

 The cheerleaders!

 The finish line in sight!

 There goes Dad and all the kids!!  Not sure if the other racers appreciated the extra six runners but they certainly are their dad's number one fans.

 It was a dang early morning!  Julia and I loaded up our kids around 6 am so we were all tuckered out.

 Proud family!

These brothers were SO dang close in their times!!!  Logan beat Birch hands down on the swim portion but Birch was able to gain some of his time back in the bike and run.  If I calculated it right they were 92 seconds apart from each other.  Birch holds his spot...barely. 

 I was so proud of my hubby as he has had very little time to train this triathlon with life and his new church responsibilities.

 AFTERNOON FUN

 Our time in Spokane was really limited so we packed it full of fun.  From the triathlon we headed to the lake for lunch with Annie and Kelly's family. The kids all had a great time play in the water and going tubing.

 Chloe, the sand monster

 With Kelly's encouragement Birch dragged his tired legs onto the skis and took a quick birthday ski.

EVENING FUN

 Next stop was Manito Park for a birthday party for Birch.  Emily had done a super cute job decorating a little area for the party. I kind of think this mommy might be proud of her son.

 Aunti Annie made an awesome cake for Birch sporting his favorite Beaver colors.

 Lots of Birchy love to be had!!  We all participated in the cutest tribute to Birch that Grannie planned.  It involved singing, a bit of dancing, and spelling words that represented Birch.

 Logan and Julia were sure to remind Birch of his ol' age with this epic bingo set.

 My parents got this sweet bike jersey for Birch while in Fiji.  Sure wish we had opened it in the morning so he could have worn it during the triathlon. Birch can't wait to put it to good use. 

 My mom also fulfilled Alex's dream with an apron just for him.  Father/Son twins!

Now that's a lot of candles!!!

 

 Love this man!!!!

Wish you were a Ditto??  Watch the movie that Uncle Kelly made here of the afternoon fun at the lake:  http://youtu.be/n-ItNh_xLi0