WET DOG~~end of summer fun!

This picture of Sophie reminds me of those silly pet greeting cards where the dog and cat heads are giant and the bodies look tiny.




I dropped the family at a park near my friends home last night while I went to help her for a little while. I packed them a nice picnic dinner and their baseball mits. When I came to pick them up, Dan and Sophia were playing catch and Spencer and Maddie were twirling on the merry-go-round! As I got closer I noticed they were soaking wet!! As soon as they saw me they needed to show me again how cool this park was!!

Peaches are ready!

The other morning Sarah and I took the kids up to Green Bluff and went peach picking! At the farm we got our peaches they had a really cute teepee and log cabin for the kids to play in. As you can see i didn't get many pictures. The kids barely held still for one picture...they were all over that place! It was crazy! The new picked fruit made a really delicious pie!

AN ACT OF INDESCRETION

While a large group of us were swimming down by the boat launch at Farragut, our friend Chris Small's dog, Sid, took a wicked steamer right in the middle of where everyone was sitting and laying around. Chris couldn't have been any more angry or embarrassed when our dear Spencer points and yells, "LOOK WHAT THE SMALLS DID!" It's my goal as his father to instill a better sense of tact and discretion before he starts asking women how much they weigh and whether they're pregnant!

Good Friends!

These are our good friends from Portland, Corey and Damree. (on the right) Last year just after my diagnosis of MS, I found out that they sponsored me in the Portland MS Bike Ride. (which they were already planning on riding before my diagnosis) This is the 2007 team picture of the friends who rode for me just a few weeks ago. It is so weird seeing my name in print that someone is riding for me. It means so much to me that I have so many friends all over doing good for the fight against MS. Thank you guys so much! My positive check up a few weeks ago goes to people like this that work at raising funds for researchers to find the medicines and hopefully one day cure! Thanks guys! we love you!

FAMILY CAMP 2007

These are some of my favorite pictures that came from family camp. Probably because they capture the emotions.. Spencer melts when it comes to being around babies! He would follow this little guy around all day if we would let him!

The smile and joy that seems to be coming from Dan's face just before the baptism service began really shows the joy that everyone was sharing in the Small's life!

The kids all in all did well but there were times that if they has lazers to take one another out they would have! Spencer stole Sophia's drink AGAIN and she has had it!

Lastly camp is over and the kids were tired and delirious....as you can see the girls have created "snot" with their tissues to make the ride home seem fast and fun! wow!

A GREAT END TO A GREAT TRIP

We had a great end to our family camp! Our friends Chris and Kelly and their daughter Tasha were all baptized in the lake on the last day. It was such sweet moment. They are such wonderful people and it has been so great watching them grow in their faith. It has been a blessing for our family that they have become such good friends with us! We continue to laugh at how Dan and Chris worked together in Portland and we moved to Spokane at the same time with no knowledge of the move for one another! God obviously had a plan for us! We love you guys and are so happy for you!

SNAP SHOTS

Our campsite is right next to a little wooded valley and the kids played in there every chance they had. Logan, Spencer, Maddie and Sophia created a "fort" the first night we were there. It was there home base for the weekend!










The ride from the swimming hole is about 3 minutes.....Averie was one tired girl! Didn't last 30 sec0nds once the truck hit the road back to camp!

Not sure what kind of strategy Spencer is using here in his game of croquet!

After Sophia had her huge accident and scraped up her elbow...she was into wearing the long sleeves!

Destiny came by to borrow Dans bike and some asked for some water! We were teasing her about her turbo boosters!

FOOD, FRIENDS AND FUN!!

I believe Averie is guarding her cinnamon roll with everything she has!! We had a lot of good food and fun times with friends this weekend!

OFF TO THE LAKE

the troops headed for the swimming hole a couple of times! the weather was great and the kids (and adults) had a ton of fun!

BIKING

It seemed that many people had their bikes this year. Kids and adults alike. Before we went camping I told Dan that I wanted to get a bike and well we didn't end up getting one ...YET! We were in a hurry one day packing up the kids to get to the lake for some swimming and I needed to go to the bathroom which happens to be at the other end of the camp ground...so I hopped on Maddie's new bike and raced down! A little small but I was cruising. ON Saturday evening Sarah and I took the husbands bikes and went for a really fun ride....woo hoo without kids! Saw a bunny!
The men went on a huge ride Saturday AM and as you can see our dear friend Spencer is just about fearless when it comes to taking any dare! The boys convinced him to to ride down this huge hill that lands in the lake! Good picture Dan! And on the very same boys ride...poor uncle Bill gotten eaten alive by the vegetation on a narrow trail!
The kids circled the loop numerous times each day and we only had one spill...Sophia fell over one time and skinned her arm and knee pretty bad. It was a a lot of fun on wheels this year! And when I have a little extra $$$ I will surely be getting a bike!

CANNON BALL!!!

This last weekend we spent an evening with our friends, Chris and Kelly and their daughter Emily. The kids have not had swim lessons nor have they really been swimming very often. But they were really wroking into getting comfortable in the water this night. by the nights end....Spencer even did a cannonball from the ladder! Even the though the hottest days of summer have passed (knock on wood) the kids still love to play in the water!

A taste of Oregon

Back in Oregon I remember walking everywhere in the summer when we were kids on summer vacation. In any field in any part of town there were blackberry vines....they were all over the place! The other day while I was checking to see what was growing on the well known Green Bluff of Spokane...I found this one farm that was having it 's opening day for blackberries this last Friday. I took the kids and Averie and we had a blast....I can't believe I had to pay to pick blackberries but it was worth it. Maddie and I made a huge pie for dessert that night and now I am hoping to just get the jam made before Spencer eats them all!

Growing Up...princess to mongoose style!

SOOO.....while Maddie was on her extended vacation in Oregon this summer, we had a drop in from a couple of the boys in her class last year. They wanted to ride bikes. I explained to them that she would be back in a week and to drop by another time. About a week after she came home the doorbell rang and a pack of boys from school was out riding around wanting Maddie to ride bikes....well we were getting to ready leave so I told them to come back later....two hours later I drive up to our home and 4 boys are riding bikes around the front. Maddie jumps out of the car and runs off and I assume it was to go get her bike. I went to check on her to see what she was doing and as I walked into the garage she is in a panic ripping off anything princess from her bike and screaming for me to get her some paint so that she could paint over the princesses on her bike. I asked her what the problem was and she told me that she is too embarrassed to ride her bike. I asked her why she never told her dad and I and she simply replied "it was between myself and me, MOM" to which I sharply replied "well, seeing as it is mom and dad's money that would be buying a new bike for you.....you may have wanted to tell us that you were having such an issue with your current bike!" She soon corrected the attitude and when Dan got home from work, we were off to find a new bike. it is not just princess that bothers her either....it is pink, purple or any white tired bike that she refuses. the self proclaimed "sporty girl" ended up buying the red boys bike....the next morning the boys came by again and she was out in flash! They ride almost every day about 5 times a day now!

the garden seems to be doing well. Though it is full of weeds....it is producing much fruit. This summer has come and gone it seems and with all the unexpected plans...the garden sort of took the back burner. This last week we tried to thin out some things and I pulled all of the carrots...we never had time to thin them when they were small, so many of them grew into one another. Maddie told me that "these two must be married. they look like they are kissing" what a cute girl!

Spike and Dig

Dan was invited to play in the Spokane Spike and Dig volleyball tournament this year. Their team were the champs of their division! They did a great job...the kids has lot of fun watching Dad and learning to play between games ...Maddie had told him when they went into their last game "dad, if you win the championship, then you will be a volleyball star" He wears the title proud!