Family Reunion and the end of summer…

The end of August is family reunion time.  We drove a few hours into the mountains to my dad’s family reunion first.  While most of the family camps, we usually only go for a day.  This year we arrived in time for the boys to leave with some cousins and two aunts for a hike.  I am soooo glad I decided not to join them!  We had a blast like we always do and didn’t get home until late that night.

The next reunion was Rick’s mom’s family up North.  The kids got to run around and play guns with several other boys.  Before heading home we stopped off to ride the train at one of the cousin’s houses.  The kids look forward to riding the train every year (even Trace).    

Cruz is 3 months old already!  I can’t believe how big he has gotten – and so much fun. 

The Summer Fair

Sorry about the picture quality!

The kids all look forward to the fair every summer!  They anxiously count down the months/days!  While Rick took the boys to spin themselves crazy on unlimited rides, Paige and I spent some time checking out the animals.  I was amazed at how long she wanted to sit and watch the horses!  Her favorite was the brown one. The sheep and goats were fun too.  I think she found the rabbits rather funny – the ones who’s faces you couldn’t even see especially!  In the evening my parents met us just outside the gate to pick up the kids.  Then Rick and I got a little dinner and wandered the commercial building together.  All in all a fun day!  Until next year…  

The ‘ole barn at the beach…

I decided to brave it and take the kids to the beach myself this weekend.  We set out with few expectations other than, well – to have no expectations.  Saturday we awoke to rain.  Rain that didn’t let up all afternoon!  The kids did puzzles, fought, played games, bickered, snacked and argued.  I read a little and played referee a lot.  After a few hours of that fun we decided to make a run in to town and play a few arcade games (along with everyone else in town!).  By the time we got back to camp the rain had let up enough to allow us time to build a fire to cook dinner.  Potatoes baked in the fire, hot dogs and giant marshmallows.  The fire was slow to start and quick to burn out, but lasted long enough to sustain us!  Around 2:30am I was awakened to Caden moaning in his bed, “No.  Nooo.  Nooooooooo!”  Followed by some sounds I’ll leave to your imagination!  After literally opening the door and tossing his sleeping bag out, we finally managed to get back to sleep.  Sunday morning I was in no mood to hang around.  We picked up, cleaned up and headed out before noon.  Along the way home I stopped to get a few pictures of the kids – technically this year’s school pics.  Well, Caden has been in a mood lately and really wasn’t having any of it.  So I’m lucky that I got what I did and we’ll just have  to try again another time!  Tonight, we are home, in our nice warm and reasonably clean beds!  Not too sure when I’ll be up for that again!

A Quick Trip…

We tried to take advantage of Rick having three days in a row off and go down to the beach.  Then Paige ran a fever and kept us home one night to make sure she wasn’t coming down with something!  We left the next morning though and were on the beach by 1:00.  The kids dug and ran for hours!  Trace decided to dig until he reached water and Caden made the path to Trace’s hole.

Rick had some fun flying his stunt kite and “chasing” the boys with it!  In the last picture you can see the tip of the kite’s wing.

Paige wanted Trace to bury her feet.  He went a little farther and she was very happy with the results!  What a couple of nuts!

The end of a perfect day.  The end of a too short trip.  The end of two days of bickering.

The end.

Hot Springs…

A friend and I were able to make an unexpected mid-week trek to the Hot Springs resort several hours away.  So we packed up the kids, the food, the inner tubes, swimsuits, food, sunscreen, towels, food, etc, etc… and headed off.

We ate lunch on the lawn when we got there then headed in for some warm swimming.  And I do mean WARM!  The pool must have been 95 degrees!  It is hard for me to admit, but it was actually a little too warm.  The kids had a blast though and swam until hunger took over.  So we headed back out to have a snack break.  Then back in to swim a couple more hours.  We finally packed up and headed to the COLD showers around 4ish.  Then we hauled out the cooler one more time for dinner before hitting the road.  I finally pulled in to our driveway around 8:30 with three very tired kids!  It was a really fun day and I’m so glad we were able to do it (though I wish the circumstances had been different!)

Little cabin in the woods…

Two days in the beautiful Cascade Mountains!  It felt like summer camp – well, sort of.  I don’t remember summer camp involving child care and cooking – but maybe that’s why this food was so much better!  Anyway, we went up on Wednesday night and spent all day Thursday and Friday covered in bug spray and soaking up the sun and beauty.  The guys went fishing several times both on the dock and in the boat. Rick and Doug also took the older boys out shooting with their pellet guns they all got for Christmas.  There was some hiking (I wouldn’t know anything about that though), and Paige and Carson threw a lot of rocks in the lake.  Did I mention how beautiful it was? 

Caden and Uncle Phil after one of their fishing expeditions.

Teaching the little ones the finer points of fishing…

Rick was great about taking the boys down fishing!  As is so typical of Caden, he made a friend while we were there!

Boating can be pretty exhausting apparently…

I think those ribs are as big as Caden’s head!

Just a few more memories for the kids…

Summer days…

“Look at me!  I’m a swimming girl!”  It took quite a bit of persuasion but Paige is finally in the pool without clinging to an adult – whew!

Caden loves to just be a goofball in the pool!  He is proudly learning to swim deeper and deeper this year!

After taking some pictures today, Caden and Paige jumped in for a shot.  I love this one of Paige.  It is such an open, pure(?) look at her little face.  What a beautiful little girl.

Then there is this guy.  Never takes a bad picture.  I don’t pose him or give him any suggestions.  All I said was, “Caden, let me take one of you.” 

Vacation…

 For the end of Rick’s vacation week we took off for the beach.  The lot we usually leave our trailer at was being bulldozed so we weren’t too sure how things were going to play out.  Turned out we were able to park the trailer on not have to move it again!  So on Friday we watched the huge power shovel flatten out the dirt and pick tree stumps out of the rubble.  In the picture above he is moving the fire pit ring!  I never knew what a skill it is to use one of those things!

The kids were getting restless so Aunt Cheryl and I took them down to the lake to try out some fishing.  They caught a lot – of weeds!  It was nice to get out for a bit though.  On our way there we passed “Rocky” isn’t that what all male raccoons are named?  I just think they are such beautiful little critters! 

On Saturday we spent some time down on the beach.  It was a beautiful day (for the WA/OR coast that is).  Any time you can be barefoot on the beach here is considered beautiful – even if you are wearing a winter coat in July!  The kids dug in the sand for a bit then the boys went out to play in the water (once you are numb it no longer feels cold) while Rick fished a little.

For the fourth of July we went to a genuine small town parade.  We nearly got soaked by the heavy mist while we waited for it to start but the minute it started the water stopped!  The highlight was the little local grocery store’s shopping cart drill team – what a hoot!

For the afternoon we just chilled out for a while before heading over to some friends for dinner and fireworks.  Paige watched her favorite “big girls” play games in our trailer for a while before crashing for a little nap.

The fireworks were a hit as usual.  Not quite the same adventure as last year because we didn’t actually go down on the beach.  It was too windy and cold so we opted to stay and do them in the yard.  Rick got a nasty burn when Trace unintentionally thrust a lit smoke bomb into his hand.  The “grand finale” was truly a GRAND finale as the mortar was apparently loaded upside down!  We were all scared to death and nearly deafened when the darned thing exploded in the yard rather than in the sky!  The kids couldn’t stop talking about that little bit of excitement!  All in all, another fun and memorable Fourth of July!