Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A New Year of School
I have been so pleased this year with how well school going. The kids have great teachers and they are enjoying learning and being at school. Warren has Mrs. Logsdon this year for 3rd grade. I couldn't ask for a better fit teacher for Warren. She is a warm person but very consistent with the students. Warren is having success with his work and learning to be responsible for his time and work. Lucy has Mrs. VanQuill for 1st grade. Mrs. VanQuill is very even tempered with all of the bouncy 1st graders and is VERY organized. Mrs. VanQuill's classroom environment is really helping Lucy to bloom in her learning. Blaine is going to a co-op preschool I am doing with 3 other mom's. It is a great group of kids. They are a mild group which makes teaching easier. Blaine is the kid in the group that is all about rushing through the work so he can move on to playtime. We are working on it. The nice thing is he is the first of my kids (I have done a co-op with the older two when they were little) who does not act out (aka. be naughty) when I am the teacher. This is a pleasant change and both Blaine and I are really enjoying being able to be a part of this preschool. These are a few pictures for the first day of school.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Fall Harvest
This year was the most fruitful year of gardening Tyler and I have ever had. There is such a satifsfaction in harvesting and preserving a garden you have cared for all spring and summer. This summer we were able to grow 4 watermelon plants, 3 pumpkin plants, 4 tomatoe bushes, 2 pepper plants (they barely survived), a lot of carrots and corn and a few onions. I have enjoyed watching our garden matured and then canning or freezing the fruits of labors. I am looking forward to another garden next year but also will enjoy a little break from the work gardens bring for the next few months.
Jane taking a taste of as many tomatoes as she can get her hands on before anyone realizes just what she is up to.
Jane taking a taste of as many tomatoes as she can get her hands on before anyone realizes just what she is up to.
Red Fish
We are building a tradition of going camping each summer with some really great families we have known since we first moved to Boise. This year, unfortunately, I was not able to go because I was really sick. Even though I was sick Tyler and the 3 oldest kids were not about to be held back. They camped at Red Fish Lake with our friends and had a fabulous time. The weather was a little more chilly than anyone had wished so instead of skiing and boating they visited around the campfire, rode motorcycles, and paintballed while the kids ran around, rode bikes and just overall had a lot of fun. I am so greatful for good friends and while I am sad I had to miss this year's adventure I am looking forward to next year.
Tyler, Warren, Lucy and Blaine enjoyed the weekend with the Simmons, Carrolls, Tolmans, Giles, Walters, Millers, and Fuhrimans.
Aaron, Tyler, Jared and Mike getting ready to neglect there wives and kids (aka. go riding)
Hanging out on the dock. Notice how everything is wet from the rain and everyone is in long sleeved shirts. It was not the warmest weekend in August.Friday, October 16, 2009
Oregon Coast - 4th of July
Over the 4th of July weekend we took our family on our first real family vacation. It was a bit spur of the moment but I am so glad we did it. It was definately the high light of the whole summer. We took the 4 day weekend and camped along the Oregon Coast. Wednesday evening, July 1, 2009, we hit the road for a few hours and camped at a great place named Rufus on the Columbia River. The river was so beautiful and we spend quite a while just throwing rocks in the water and collecting seashells (come to find out there were a lot more shells on the river bank than there was at any beach we went to along the ocean.)
Thursday, July 2nd, we drove to a series of waterfalls including Multnomah Falls. They were so beautiful. The hiking trail at Multnomah Falls was great it went from the bottom of the falls to the top. We lugged all of the kids all the way up and it was such a pretty hike. The kids were great troopers and everyone made it (although there was a little while I was sure I wouldn't make it.) The only advice I would give to anyone planning on doing that hike is to bring water. That would have helped us a lot. After the falls we packed up the family and finally made it to the coast. We played for a long time at a beautiful Cannon Beach. The water was warm enough to wade in and Warren and Lucy got wet enough we finally just gave them their swimsuits. This was by far the most pleasant (meaning warm) beach experience we had the whole trip. If I would have know how cold the rest of the trip was going to be I think I would have planted our roots there for the rest of the trip. Anyway, after our afternoon on the beach we drove down the coast a little more until we got to Tillamook, OR and visited the Tillamook Cheese factory. I had really hoped we could watch them making the cheese but we were too late in that day. We did get to watch them packaging the cheese which was interesting and of course we bought some sqeeky cheese which was delicious. After the cheese factory we drove to our campsite, just a few miles up the road, which was literally right on the beach. They had built up a burm where the sand ended and we camped just on the otherside of the burm. The beach was once again very beautiful but the sky was overcast and the rain drizzled so we didn't play in the water on that beach.
The morning of Friday, July 3rd, it was still overcast and wet so we went to the beach and collected seashells and built sandcastles. Once again we loaded the family up and headed down the coast. We stopped to look at some sealions at a lookout point but they were far away and with the kids that didn't last long. We keep moving down the coast until we got to Newport Aquarium. It is an amazing aqurium with a lot of very neat exibits. The kids favorites were the Nemo and Dori fish and the shark tank (the kind that go over and under your walkway). I really enjoyed all of the unique small fish so many of them look like something out of a science fiction show. After the aquirium we were off next to Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. They have a nice vistors center there with kids activities that my kids really enjoyed. Then Warren and Tyler went up to the top of the lighthouse. (The other kids were to short so I stayed down with them.) They both said it was really neat to learn about how lighthouses work and how they are taken care of now and in the past. When we were done at the lighthouse we went to our next campsite on Newport Beach. This campsite was not nearly as close to the water as our previous campsite, although still within easy walking distance. This campsite did however have lots of trees which was nice. The kids really enjoyed running around through the trees and decompressing as little bodies need to do after moving from one structured activity back to the car then to the next structured activity and so on.
July 4th, Saturday, we started the day down at the beach collecting shells and building sandcastles. That morning the wind was too strong and cold for Jane so we didn't last too. The other had a fabulous time even though they all came back cold. After we got our car loaded again we drove down the coast looking for tide pools. We weren't having much luck when we came upon a cute little town that was having a BIG 4th of July celebration. We stopped and walked around the town, watched their entertainment and then watched as they dropped 1200 rubber duckies in the river for a rubber ducky race which ended right before the river entered the ocean. It was such a fun and festive little town. When we were done there and got back in the car we decided to stop heading south looking for tide pools and just head back to Newport. When we got to Newport we realized the tide was low and found some incredible tide pool right there. It was amazing to see starfish, sea anemia, sea urchins, moluscus and crabs in their home enviornment. That stop was by far Tyler favorite of the whole trip. Originally, our plan was to stay in Newport for 4th of July evening celebration and watch the fireworks being shot out over the ocean but when we realized how cold and crowded it was going to be we decided to start heading home and stop for fireworks along the way. We drove until we got to Sisters and it was started to become dusk. We asked the locals where the fireworks were and they said they didn't do them there we had to go another hour to Bend. We were sure we wouldn't make it but we drove as quickly as we could. We got to a parking lot at the bottom of the hill less than 15 mins before they started the show. It was a great fireworks show and the funniest part was Jane was totally not interest in the fireworks. She spent the entire 45 mins of the show crawling circles, she was a good trooper about all the driving we had done and I think this was her way of letting out all of her pent up energy. The fireworks ended a little before 11pm so instead of finding another campsite we decided to stay at a local hotel. The kids were excited to stay in a hotel but were so tired the excitement wore off quickly. The next day we finished our drive home and ended our adventure.
I am including a few picture from our trip. I forgot our camera so we bought a little disposable camera and I have to say of the pictures that did turn out they turned out pretty well.
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Jane and Coralee LOVING the sand at Cannon Beach
Blaine (not fond of the water) at Cannon Beach
Warren and Lucy at Cannon Beach
One of Jane's favorite activities of the whole trip was to stand in the drivers seat and bounce. She spent a lot of time being strapped to her carseat or in the baby backpack she was THRILLED anytime we let her move around.
Warren in the Lighthouse
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Blaine chill'n (literally) at the campsite
On the hike up Multnomah Falls
Thursday, July 2nd, we drove to a series of waterfalls including Multnomah Falls. They were so beautiful. The hiking trail at Multnomah Falls was great it went from the bottom of the falls to the top. We lugged all of the kids all the way up and it was such a pretty hike. The kids were great troopers and everyone made it (although there was a little while I was sure I wouldn't make it.) The only advice I would give to anyone planning on doing that hike is to bring water. That would have helped us a lot. After the falls we packed up the family and finally made it to the coast. We played for a long time at a beautiful Cannon Beach. The water was warm enough to wade in and Warren and Lucy got wet enough we finally just gave them their swimsuits. This was by far the most pleasant (meaning warm) beach experience we had the whole trip. If I would have know how cold the rest of the trip was going to be I think I would have planted our roots there for the rest of the trip. Anyway, after our afternoon on the beach we drove down the coast a little more until we got to Tillamook, OR and visited the Tillamook Cheese factory. I had really hoped we could watch them making the cheese but we were too late in that day. We did get to watch them packaging the cheese which was interesting and of course we bought some sqeeky cheese which was delicious. After the cheese factory we drove to our campsite, just a few miles up the road, which was literally right on the beach. They had built up a burm where the sand ended and we camped just on the otherside of the burm. The beach was once again very beautiful but the sky was overcast and the rain drizzled so we didn't play in the water on that beach.
The morning of Friday, July 3rd, it was still overcast and wet so we went to the beach and collected seashells and built sandcastles. Once again we loaded the family up and headed down the coast. We stopped to look at some sealions at a lookout point but they were far away and with the kids that didn't last long. We keep moving down the coast until we got to Newport Aquarium. It is an amazing aqurium with a lot of very neat exibits. The kids favorites were the Nemo and Dori fish and the shark tank (the kind that go over and under your walkway). I really enjoyed all of the unique small fish so many of them look like something out of a science fiction show. After the aquirium we were off next to Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. They have a nice vistors center there with kids activities that my kids really enjoyed. Then Warren and Tyler went up to the top of the lighthouse. (The other kids were to short so I stayed down with them.) They both said it was really neat to learn about how lighthouses work and how they are taken care of now and in the past. When we were done at the lighthouse we went to our next campsite on Newport Beach. This campsite was not nearly as close to the water as our previous campsite, although still within easy walking distance. This campsite did however have lots of trees which was nice. The kids really enjoyed running around through the trees and decompressing as little bodies need to do after moving from one structured activity back to the car then to the next structured activity and so on.
July 4th, Saturday, we started the day down at the beach collecting shells and building sandcastles. That morning the wind was too strong and cold for Jane so we didn't last too. The other had a fabulous time even though they all came back cold. After we got our car loaded again we drove down the coast looking for tide pools. We weren't having much luck when we came upon a cute little town that was having a BIG 4th of July celebration. We stopped and walked around the town, watched their entertainment and then watched as they dropped 1200 rubber duckies in the river for a rubber ducky race which ended right before the river entered the ocean. It was such a fun and festive little town. When we were done there and got back in the car we decided to stop heading south looking for tide pools and just head back to Newport. When we got to Newport we realized the tide was low and found some incredible tide pool right there. It was amazing to see starfish, sea anemia, sea urchins, moluscus and crabs in their home enviornment. That stop was by far Tyler favorite of the whole trip. Originally, our plan was to stay in Newport for 4th of July evening celebration and watch the fireworks being shot out over the ocean but when we realized how cold and crowded it was going to be we decided to start heading home and stop for fireworks along the way. We drove until we got to Sisters and it was started to become dusk. We asked the locals where the fireworks were and they said they didn't do them there we had to go another hour to Bend. We were sure we wouldn't make it but we drove as quickly as we could. We got to a parking lot at the bottom of the hill less than 15 mins before they started the show. It was a great fireworks show and the funniest part was Jane was totally not interest in the fireworks. She spent the entire 45 mins of the show crawling circles, she was a good trooper about all the driving we had done and I think this was her way of letting out all of her pent up energy. The fireworks ended a little before 11pm so instead of finding another campsite we decided to stay at a local hotel. The kids were excited to stay in a hotel but were so tired the excitement wore off quickly. The next day we finished our drive home and ended our adventure.
I am including a few picture from our trip. I forgot our camera so we bought a little disposable camera and I have to say of the pictures that did turn out they turned out pretty well.
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Jane and Coralee LOVING the sand at Cannon Beach
Blaine (not fond of the water) at Cannon Beach
Warren and Lucy at Cannon BeachMultnomah Falls
One of Jane's favorite activities of the whole trip was to stand in the drivers seat and bounce. She spent a lot of time being strapped to her carseat or in the baby backpack she was THRILLED anytime we let her move around.
Warren in the Lighthouse
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Blaine chill'n (literally) at the campsite
On the hike up Multnomah Falls Surprise Jill
On the June 30th my friend Carrie and I went down to Utah to surprise our friend Jill at her 30th birthday party. It was a quick trip down one afternoon and back the next evening but we had so much fun and it was great to give Jill a little suprise for her birthday. The evening we arrived was Jill's big birthday bash. Thankfully the pool was open because it was a really warm night. The next day Carrie and I took Jill to Lagoon. I haven't been to Lagoon since Warren was a little tiny baby and I LOVE amuzement parks. It was fun to go and do all of the rides as a girls trip. We all had a blast.
We went on Rattlesnake Rapids twice that day. It was a truly comicial sight to see. None of us wanted to get very wet so we spent the entire ride hopping around the tube and on too each others laps. The big waterfall did end up getting us everytime inspite of our extreme efforts to stay dry.
This was the first ride of the day, "The Spider", it had been so long since I had been on a ride like this I screamed the whole time. Lucky for me I wasn't the only on screaming.
We decided to go for old fashioned photo. It was nice to be somewhere air conditioned for a little while on that hot, hot day.
Saying good bye. It was a great day.Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Kids say the darnedest things
I have been trying to chronologically document our family's going-on's in my blog but I am so far behind and this is an in the moment kind of thing I am going to share it "out of order."
Last Saturday the 3 oldest kids were scrambling to get ready for soccer. Blaine couldn't find his soccer socks and came to ask his dad for help. Tyler said "Maybe the little elves under the stairs stole them." Blaine thought about that for a few minutes and then said "Not the little L's but the little S's. Socks starts with S." I just about died laughing while complimenting him on figuring out the socks didn't start with L but started with S. Since he was very proud of himself for correcting daddy neither one of us wanted to tell him what an elf was.
Last Saturday the 3 oldest kids were scrambling to get ready for soccer. Blaine couldn't find his soccer socks and came to ask his dad for help. Tyler said "Maybe the little elves under the stairs stole them." Blaine thought about that for a few minutes and then said "Not the little L's but the little S's. Socks starts with S." I just about died laughing while complimenting him on figuring out the socks didn't start with L but started with S. Since he was very proud of himself for correcting daddy neither one of us wanted to tell him what an elf was.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Memorial Day Weekend
This is moving backward in time a little but I would hate not to include this trip in my blog. Memorial Day weekend we went camping with some really great friends. The Amadors, Romneys and Warrens joined up at Grayback Gulch for some good time camping. Tyler went up Thursday night with Blaine to reserve our spot. Then when the kids got out the school on Friday the rest of us went up and joined them. The kids had a fabulous time running around and playing with their friends while the adults enjoyed some fun conversation. The next morning we all headed into Idaho City to do a little walking tour of the ghost town and then enjoyed some ice cream. It was a great trip and I am thankful to Amanda Warren for sharing her pictures with me as I naturally, once again, was with out a camara.
Warren, Simon Warren, Andrew Romey and Brahm Warren had a great time with many exploding sound effects.
Ava Warren, Lucy just doing cute girl stuff.
Blaine and Ava Warren taking a little break from all of the fun.
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