Summer Plans 2013

Been awhile. So we are about 3 months from summer and I am finalizing summer plans. Initially we were planning on visiting my sister in Germany and then I would also get to spend a week in the London area and some time in Paris. But when my sister's family came back to the states our family took a vote on whether we still wanted to visit Europe or do a road trip. Well 3-1 road trip won. I will have to see London on some other trip. I was pretty bummed about it for MONTHS!! But the more I think about it it might be better for the kids to be older when we go see some of those amazing places. So we are heading on a 3 week road trip. We will head South through Idaho into Utah, then into Arizona onto New Mexico finally finishing up in Texas. From there we will head West through New Mexico, Arizona, peak into Nevada and onto California before we head North home. I am getting very anxious to start this trip. So many cool places to see along the way. We will visit 5 National Parks, 3 National Monuments, visit one of the BEST waterparks in the US, visit Sea World and San Diego Safari Zoo, see a Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas, put our hands together at the corners of 4 states, go sledding on the white sands in Alamogordo, see Pueblo living at Sky City and visit my Great Aunt Mildred while in San Diego. There is so much more too. I am excited. So even though I do not get spend Bastille day in Paris I do get to spend our Independence Day in Park City, Utah and I won't get to see castles in Great Britain but I do get to see some of the most glorious landscapes God created. Should be a spectacular time!

Ethan's "itchy"

When Alicia was born her great grandmother crocheted her a blanket. She never took to it but when Ethan came along it found it's calling. Ethan took it everywhere. To church, to friends houses, on vacations. It has seen a lot. It is not soft and the colors are a bit girly but he loves that thing. He calls it "itchy." But about a year ago it got to the point that we couldn't really patch it up anymore. It's not like fabric where you can patch it, it's yarn that unravels. I have told Ethan he can have the blanket as long as he wants but I am done fixing it and when it's gone it's gone. Right now it has separated into two pieces. I also find small pieces of yarn all over the house. It's sad but it has gone 8 years.

 ***********So this post is to itchy********* 

  This is Halloween 2005, itchy is in his lap

Early 2008, itchy at his face.

This is hunting camp August 2011. Itchy is in the blue bag at his feet

Goooo Ducks!

A few weeks ago we decided to surprise the kids with a trip to the Ducks first game. Ben and I love going to games but we had never taken the kids. We sat pretty high up but in the section that we like best. Thankfully there were many families around us so the drinking was minimal and the language was non existent. (The last game we went to was pretty bad and we were unsure about ever taking kids.) Here are some pictures.

We came early so the kids could explore Autzen Stadium and shop a bit.

Ethan's favorite part was when our Duck came out on the motorcycle! Big smiles

I was trying to get a good shot of the sunset. O, well. you get the idea

The last week or so of August Alicia and I headed to San Diego with my sister-in-law Donna and my niece, Anna. The boys were all off at hunting camp and when I asked Donna if she wanted to meet us to paint pottery she upped the ante and said how about Sea World? Well. . . how about it! So we spent an afternoon at San Diego Zoo Safari, a day in Sea World, and a day at San Diego Zoo. We felt like the Lord blessed every second of our trip and we couldn't help but comment on that throughout every day we had together. Everything ran smoothly and we got to do all we wanted to plus more. Thank you Donna for such an amazing time and great memory maker for our girls.

Donna and Anna waiting at the airport.

Girls had their faces done at the Safari zoo. Alicia has wanted to do that for years so it was fun to have them do it together.

The first show we went to at Sea World, One Ocean, we sat in the Splash Zone. We did come prepared and were so thankful we did as we would have been far wetter then we were.

At the San Diego Zoo Donna and the girls were chosen to go up front and do some juggling before the Chinese acrobat show. Just another great moment on our trip.

The day our plane flew out we had a few extra hours at Sea World. We signed up for a tour and got to go to their rescue area. This is also where they house the mommy dolphins. The girls were not allowed to touch the dolphins but the dolphins kept sticking their little heads up to see us.

Was running through my summer pictures and thought I would share how hard my son worked at stretching before his soccer camp this summer. :) And don't you love their pink jerseys they turned into capes?

Hot summer days of 2012

The kids have been wishing all summer that they had a pool. Instead we have been giving them a bag of water balloons almost every hot day. We started out with a couple of bags and then went back and bought more and then finally the last time we were at the Dollar Tree we bought 13. It is the best dollar spent. The kids get hours of fun out of one bag. When Ben gets home he plays a game where he takes turns throwing the balloons to them and then they get to try and hit their sibling. :) It's pretty fun to watch because half the time they don't catch them and when they do they usually pop in a few seconds.

Alicia missed the balloon Ben tossed at her. Bummer!

Great shot Ethan!! Love the water flying off her.

OOPS broke as Alicia caught it.

This is how we roll watching the Olympics. .

Scones with cream, jam and tea

Their huge Costco bears come downstairs to curl up on in front of the tv.