Rain???

I hate to say it Seattle but we need some rain.  We need rain not just for the garden but for my sanity.  If you don't live in Seattle or a similar climate then you don't know about the mania that sets in come late July and August.

  The sun is out, there is a warm breeze, kids running through sprinkler, light until 9pm, sun up at 5am BUT it only lasts for a month so we all become MANIC. 

 This year the weather has been glorious for a few months now.  I'm not complaining.  Apparently global warming is awesome.   There was some hope yesterday with the morning fog but it burned off and the sun drove us on.

  What I am saying that my family is having fun and is exhausted.  We just can't stop being outside and active from sun up till sun down.  We had another block party on Friday night and Elizabeth came up to us and actually asked to go to bed.  She then told me that 'little girls need to sleep more and we have been outside too late'.  OOps. 

 

So we need some rain so we can slow down but please no rain on the weekends as we are camping, and not on Monday's cause we are going swimming.  So maybe just some rain on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Thanks!

 

Camping with Friends

 I was telling Elizabeth about our coming plans in the next few weeks and she asked when we were going to have a just family trip.  It has been a super fun stretch of camping with friends but this weekend we are hunkering down at home.

I love this photo below of Mark play screaming at the kids.  Nobody even flinched except for Jeff.  HA!!

 The weather has been awesome.  Global warming rules (very much kidding).

 Henry has been an amazing trooper.  Being passed around, sleeping in all sorts of places, skipping nap after nap and just smiling all the way.  He is starting to get a bit of a temper.  He will hold his breath, grunt and turn RED RED RED while screeching.  The other day E called me in the living room with exasperation 'Henry is red momma and he needs to stop it now.' I explained to her that he doesn't have words yet and has to use other ways like crying to let us know.  She sighed and said 'I'm gonna tell him that it would be easier if he just learned words.  Lets teach him today.  This screeching has to stop.'

 

 Notice the matching sleeping bags above for all three girls.

Below is from our trip with our school friends.  These little kids spend their week together and are simply the best of friends.  Henry is basically their mascot.  

 A moment of quiet play brought on by a Ranger led activity.

 But just a moment of quiet.

 They are making Jeff work for this push up.

Forced Family Fun Sunriver Style

Prior to Lake Chelan we were camping and prior to that we were in Sunriver Oregon with the McGregor clan. It has certainly been a summer of fun and it has really just started.  I felt that I missed last summer so we are making up for it in spades.

 The Corvalis Crew joined us as they are also family.

  Elizabeth spent weeks talking about meeting up with her cousin Kathryn.  I was careful to give Kathryn her space but she was really a gamer.  Kathryn is the sort of kid that is always on the go that is until she crashes.  She was happy to come along on any of our outings and so patient with Elizabeth.

 The shock to the system was James.  He is now a teenager and it is wild.  Basically just makes me feel old.

 There were bike trails galore and we were out on them constantly.  Elizabeth can now sort of ride.  She will ride if Jeff is running alongside of her which has gotten old for Jeff but keeping him extra fit.  We are hopeful that with a couple more camping trips with her bike riding friends she will be taking off.

Forced family fun included a hike a mile into a cave.  It was probably not a great idea as it was quite the uneven terrain and it was DARK.   There was mostly fun.  HA!  Dad even announced at the end that he had some second thoughts we we started but decided what the hell.  No one can escape the forced fun!

 The best part of the trip was the evening dinners.  During the day we often all went in separate directions depending on energy levels, interests, kids, etc.  Every night though we had a big dinner and just hung out.  Per our family tradition we would all share our favorite part of the day and thereby hear what forced fun occurred.  One night Elizabeth announced that her favorite part was dinner cause everyone was together.  Sigh!  She is a keeper.

 I hope these cousins stay close through the years!  Even though life may bring them apart we have some awesome memories.

Lake Shezam.. Chelan

 We crashed our friends vacation and spent the 4th with them at Lake Chelan and I can't believe we have never been before.  Eastern Washington is far different from Seattle... ie there is much sun, much heat and bonus a lake.  Super bonus we rented a house with a pool.  Perfection!

 The kids barely left the pool and when they did it was in utter exhaustion although they were rejuvenated by a bit of ice cream

 We kept sweet Henry on the move but he is such a trooper and would just pass out in the stroller.

 Anneka and Elizabeth are just the best of friends.  They are both a bit bossy but with such sweet hearts and have really been able to find compromise.  It is awesome to sit in the other room and over hear them scheme, play pretend, disagree and find their way in what I hope is a life long friendship.