Humping butterflies

The husband was trying to get a picture of two butterflies fighting (or mating?) on my butterfly bush and he actually got some cool pictures.

Preschool -already?

So I'm on the board for Abi's co-op preschool this year, I was asked to be class mom for the PM pre-k class. We had our first board meeting last night which was business as usual then before prayer (we always say prayer to end a meeting) the chair announced we are all invited to go out for drinks at La Palmera afterwards. I couldn't help but laugh that this was announced right before prayer, this is my kind of preschool. If I would have known maybe I would have been on the board last year. We shut the bar down (last call at 10:45) on a Monday. I was impressed that the teachers came out and it was a blast. I found out Abi's teacher this coming year has a daughter that graduated high school with my husband at Jackson in '98 and she also works in the lab at Seattle Childrens and I know her. Seriously a small world. I think both Abi and I are in for a good year :) and looking forward to our next board meeting......

My motto for this vacation (with some help from Sherdawg) was "we are going to have forking fun!", yes forking not any other f-word, it's the polite and kid appropriate way of saying WE ARE GOING TO HAVE FUN! -it's mandatory. Vacations come and go but this one was really special. Everything was really easy going and we got to spend lots of quality time with our kiddos and friends. We sang songs in the car -cheesy yes and silly. Mostly just Old Mac Donald because Abi likes to pick the animal and Ben likes to say "E-i, E-i, Oh". I didn't check my e-mail, go on facebook, or blog for a whole week. The kids didn't watch any TV or movies and spent all day outside. Abi learned how to pee in the lake, which is actually so nice. Brad and I talked a lot more than any given week with our busy work schedules. We sat outside and drank wine late into the night while the kids that should have been sleeping giggled at each other. We enjoyed the moon and the stars, things that otherwise pass you by on a busy day. I thought about my mom every night as I fell asleep and when I felt overwhelmed with sadness I thought about how this is exactly what she would want me to be doing. All she would want is for me to be happy, and I am mom. I hope you can read my blog from heaven -because we are having lots of forking fun. I just wish you were here to be part of the happiness too. Ben is saying words you haven't heard him say and Abi is getting so much more social, and we all miss you so so much.

Part Three- Lake Entiat

Or as we like to call it home away from home.

 

 

Loving some sandy beach at our lake place.

Pure joy, or drunk off sand and sun?

Cute hubby

This is what happiness looks like (not pictured -a cold beer in my hand). Not a bad way to end a week of vacation.

We stopped and got Ben a new (big boy) life jacket on our way. One without a big neck floaty, so now he can enjoy the boat! It made boating so much more fun.

90 degrees and perfect

Love the mountains and the water, and of course two of my favorite people. 

So sweet

All this guy wanted to do was sit in the drivers seat and pretend to drive.

Progress on our place- fence moved, giant rocks moved, grass growing

(very sore from moving giant rocks, and got props from the husband for the giant rocks I moved all by myself)

Next on the list- plant trees around the perimeter, move a few more giant rocks (with help), level the ground to park trailer below shed

Next, next on the list- run electricity, put in septic, tear down shed, build house and deck (ha, ha -someday!)

Part Two- Spokane/Lake Coeur d'Alene

Leaving Twin Lakes we took a baby ferry over Lake Roosevelt.

We were one of five cars, although I think it can hold ten.

Abi and Ben are pretty good car riders I will say, only a few melt downs by Ben. When all else fails give them a dum dum sucker, it shuts them up long enough to forget what they were grouchy about. Either that or Ben will see a big truck and get so excited he will forget what he was crying about.



Pretty view of Lake Roosevelt out the car window.

We stayed with our friend's Jon and Nicole in Spokane. We got two baby sitters to watch all our (5) kids and hit the town for dinner and trivia night at the bar. It turned out our team was one of three finalists to win outdoor chairs and an umbrella. So we sent Jon as our representative, he thought it would be a singing competition so he was practicing the star spangled banner. It was a dance competition but he didn't disappoint. 

He did the robot, worm, danced on a chair, took his shirt off. I laughed so hard my sides hurt, he won by a landslide, not even a competition really.

Slightly embarrassed by the crowd loving his dancing skills.

Prize!

At this point it was 1am and we are old and tired (and it was a Tues night) so we took our prize and left.

On the street a bum asked Jon where he got his umbrella and Jon told him he won it in a dance competition and the bum said "right on, man!".

 

 

The next day we pulled ourselves out of bed to head to Lake Coeur d'Alene for the day.

Beautiful view of the lake from Nicole's parents deck.

Love this picture!

Last nights prize getting some use on the dock.

 

These girls (Abi and Hilie) melt my heart. They would hug each other and say they are best friends forever.

Another day of fun in the sun. This time in Idaho with a swim dock and diving board. Vacation is not over yet.......

Part One-Twin Lakes

Twin Lakes was a blast. In total there were 28 people, 15 kids and 13 adults. We couldn't of had more fun. The kids got along great and the adults stayed up late around the camp fire.

 

Owen tried to wake board

Might be my favorite picture ever!

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband.

Major break through -Abi actually played with Ryan. We had to document with a picture.

Perfect way to spend a 32nd birthday.

Me on the jet ski

Abi loved the jet ski!!! They stayed on for almost an hour.

Love this picture

One of the two cabins