Midsummer Day's Dream

During our stretch of being home for four days in a row, we went for a bike ride to the Fairwood Rocket and then to G-G's. The ride was a bit more arduous for Josh than we expected.

Happy Birthday, Anthony!

This sweet boy turned 3 on July 27! We were excited to go to his party at Shadle Park--it was a beautiful day. The whole picnic table pavilion was decked out with Anthony's favorite: Toy Story 3! A perfect theme for a boy who is no longer two!

The birthday boy! Check out the Buzz Lightyear tattoo!

Gracie was excited that "now Anthony and I are BOTH THREE!"

Joshy loved Aunt Angela's cupcakes--his hair and chin and cheeks loved them too, apparently!

G'ma Colleen made Anthony this Buzz Lightyear cape! He loved it from the moment he opened it.

I wonder when they were able to take it off him...

Colleen, G'ma Dorothy, and Jen--Baby Henry about to make his grand appearance!

Sunriver, 2011

Whelp, we're finally home from our many July vacation excursions and can start catching the blog up on all the fun we've had! :)

Our week in Sunriver was so great. "Bruce's Cabin" was amazing! Times we'll remember:

The year the kids shared a bike trailer! Gracie was very gracious with Josh--handing him his binky and letting him lay all over her--and Josh picked on Grace incessantly. I remember her saying, "Joshy, I don't want my shoes on!" when he kept leaning over trying to put her crocs back where they belonged--on her toes. Even though we had a few fussy returns to the house--thanks, Josh!--it was a GREAT improvement from last year.

The house we stayed in was right on the 7th hole tee box. I am Swede's auntie who took a picture of him being naughty--he was so excited to greet golfers! We love this sweet doggy! Gracie started calling him Swedo-Speedo on this trip. (It had to ring like "Silly Lilly")

Nothing like a kiddie-pool on the back deck to entertain the tots for hours! This pool gave us many minutes of entertainment right beside our lounge chairs.

Great outside dining...

Silly Josh.

Each night the dogs and their owners got to take over the golf course. Great evening strolls.

Drew and Annie with Lilly and Swede

Drew...tonguing the moon.

Deer in the backyard.

A look inside the place--I am kicking myself that we didn't get a group shot this year. Somehow Linda completely escaped my lens. Did I mention that we took turns getting sick this week? Stuffy, snotty, sinus pressure...I remember Linda buying a whole case of cold medicine at Costco to share...

Swede entertaining Slick.

Gracie got to cook breakfast with Annie and Drew one morning...

...she was the biscuit queen! What fun. Now she always wants to help in the kitchen--she's often found getting her stool.

At the park...Josh pouring rocks on his head. That's just the silly kid he is.

Gracie showing her dad around.

This trip she also decided to become the big sister who PUSHES Josh in the swing. So far it's all innocent pushing...

So sweet.

The photo booth was not there this year! We were so excited to go get MONKEY FACE pictures with Annie and Drew, so we had to improvise and make our own! :)

Ice cream instead of photo booth pictures...

Not a bad replacement!

The kids took baths in the HUGE spa tub. Loved it.

Eating Mac & Cheese with Aunt Annie.

Josh loves Brody. Brody is getting used to Josh. :)

Drew and Annie found some golf balls on their evening walk and the guys hit a few at dusk...

...and Ellie swung a club like a softball bat.

Swede and Brody playing

Annie introduced Gracie to the game Twister. Very silly!

We wanted to get out on the lake on the last day, but the weather wouldn't cooperate--coldest week in Sunriver for us in 4 years!

We threw rocks...

...and threw rocks...

...and threw rocks...

...in FREEZING COLD WEATHER! Then we tail-gate picnicked as quickly as we could and got back on the road for home. Memorable! :)

My photogenic boys. :)

There were all sorts of activities that we didn't capture with pictures--kids waking at 5:30 and being entertained with Mary Poppins in bed, Drew beating us every night in Carcassonne, going to the pool, bike rides in the evenings, Jeff's bike ride into Bend--and of course the group picture was overlooked. We'll have to go again next year! Thanks for a fun week, family! :)

Sunriver, HERE WE COME!

We have been counting down the months to our Sunriver vacation week for MONTHS! As the time drew nearer, we realized that we had lots of friends and family that we wanted to see (namely in Seattle and Longview) but we knew that making TWO trips might be insane with our wee travelers, so...we took off a few days early to make a few stops along the way!

We first got to see our dear friends, the Schneringers! We just drove over the pass and stopped to see them at the park for lunch. Caleb and Ali are way bigger than last we saw them--just in October!--and Grace and Josh had a great time swinging and sliding with them. Troy and Lauren are expecting Zoe, baby #3, in August, and they both looked great. So fun to catch up with them.

Next we jetted over to Kirkland to see the Websters, who had moved back from the Midwest last fall. Liam stole the show with his kid-sized guitar-serenading ("Baa-Baa Black Sheep" never sounded so good!) and he was such a good sharing kid--sharing toys with Grace and his crib to Josh, who was desperately in need of a nap. Kristin and Jer showed us their lovely apartment and we got to catch up on Jer's new job and Kristin's somewhat-new job! :)

That night we stayed with Brock! He's been in his new house for two years and we're JUST NOW getting over to see it. We had a great time bringing toys into his tidy abode and putting food on the floor during dinner. :) We watched a Mariner game on the tube, visited, and took him out to breakfast at our favorite little diner on Alki Beach. So fun to catch up on his life!

Then Sooz and Marc showed us a good time--pirates on Alki, park loitering with hungry kids, relaxing in their toy-filled living room, and lunch from a great FOOD CART that we'll never forget. (What was the name of it?) :) Grace and Josh got to steal naps at their house, but it was hard for them to give up any minutes of playing with Baby Jacob! That boy is the cutest thing ever! I got lots of Auntie kisses in, FINALLY! :)

Leaving the Nelson family's house, I finally remembered to take pictures! I'd told Jeff to remind me to take pictures of everyone we visited and HE FORGOT, just for the record. :)

Then we were off to Longview, WA to spend a couple of days with Aunt Annie and Uncle Drew...

Our stay with Drew and Annie was filled with fun moments: Gracie running laps in their front yard, Joshy peeing on their rug after baths, a trip to the park with Swede and the kids, a great coffee shop with play area, and a visit to Slick and Twinkle's house (toys and a kitty cat!). We all caravaned down to Sunriver together--the two Lochhead clans and the Swanson fam. Our one big stop (before the meltdown in Madras) was at Mt. Hood. We wanted to see Timberline Lodge--Jeff kept chanting, "Red Rum...Red Rum" in an eerie voice. Apparently "The Shining" was filmed there, and from his impersonations, I don't plan on seeing it. :) :)

Next stop...Sunriver! (Actually, there was that meltdown I mentioned earlier that took place in Madras--forcing us to eat at a KFC--quite memorable...and that stop alongside the road to change a screaming, stinky 15-month old...but after that, SUNRIVER!)

She's A Grand Old Flag

The day after Sasquatch was the 4th--and we started it at the Johnson Parade. Josh LOVED to wave his flags this year--all we had to do is start singing, "She's a grand old flag..." and he'd go wild with flag waving.

Cousins Abby and Megs posed with Gracie as we walked to the parade.

Gracie with G'ma and Papa
Our crew--the Sasquatch crew, the Morrows, Lochheads, Senior and Junior Mosers...and friends of the Morrows let us squeeze in with them at their prime spot.

What a great gift! We ran into my good friend Anna McGarrah and her family at the parade. Her family recently moved back to Moscow to plant a church.

The fly-by started the parade

The bagpipes are my personal favorite. Must be the Lochhead in me...

Gracie with Uncle Ben
Josh's turn with G'ma and Papa

One of the Druffel floats--Toy Story!

John and Alma were Woody and Jessie

Walking back to the car with Aunt Kelly and the loot of candy

Stopping on the way back for visiting with Mosers

Next we stopped at G'ma Trudy and Papa LeRoy's for a visit. Brooke found this baby bird and took great pictures of it, after chasing it for most of our visit.

She also got great shots of baby birds in Papa's birdhouse.

The creek

We had a great visit with G'ma Trudy and Papa LeRoy--pop, summer sausage, Cougar Gold, Ritz, and zucchini bread...yummm.

We continued the 4th with NAPS, swimming with the Morrow's at George and Connie's pool, and then FIREWORKS in Clarkston. A great day to celebrate our country!