Smiles

Kohlton is 2 1/2 months old now. He is smiling all the time. All I have to do is look at him and he smiles. He loves it when Marissa talks to him - her voice makes him smile instantly. He also really likes to look at his own hands and is also loosing his hair. He is such a sweet baby. He looked a lot like Kyle as a newborn but is now looking more and more like Marissa as a baby. He is a beautiful mix of the two.

Quilicene

My parents have owned property on the Quilicene river for a long time. I grew up playing there and loved it. It's so fun to watch my kids now enjoying the river!

Trying to catch fish with her net

Grandpa likes to see how many rocks he can stack without them falling

Vacation Bible School

Marissa really enjoyed VBS this year. She learned a lot and loved having lots of her friends there with her. Both Kyle and Marissa just love the music they learned there and listen to "Crocodile Dock" almost daily. Marissa sang up on the stage several times - her favorite to sing was "This little light of mine". One the third day they asked all the children who remember the verse from the second day. Marissa raised her and and said the whole verse (including the book, chapter, and verse number) on the microphone. I was so proud - it actually brought tears to my eyes :) She used to be rather shy and now to see her singing on stage and speaking in front of so many kids just overflows my heart with love for her and how she is growing up. There is nothing more important to me than teaching my kids about Jesus and watching Marissa share God's joy with other children is so wonderful.

The main gathering stage for singing and plays

Our friends Chainden and Sadia Gresham with Marissa

Marissa on stage singing

Marissa and her friend Olivia

Playdate

My long time friend Alicia came over with her kids. Our girls are a lot alike in personality and we both homeschool so it's really fun to "compare notes" on parenting issues. The kids played really well together. Both girls really like to jump rope right now so they did that together.

Alicia and Noah

Marissa and Naleah picking raspberries

4th of July

This year Paul's parents held a huge party for the 4th. I think we counted somewhere around 55 people. It was really neat because a lot of his cousins came from Utah that we haven't seen in a very long time. We spent two nights up there. The was an amazing amount of food and it was delicious. Cousins Tim and Deanna brought their really nice boat and the guys were catching lots of crab. At night we all headed across the street to the beach in Oak Bay and all the houses/parties were doing fireworks and having bon fires. I have never seen such beautiful and HUGE fireworks like it - that weren't for a city's celebration. It was an awesome celebration for the USA and for our families.

Family photo

We all headed to Fort Flaggler for some beach fun

This was the cutest tent that the neighbors let us borrow for the kids. It was the first time the kids have ever slept in a tent.

Aunt Karen playing Ring Around the Rosy

Deanna, Kathy, David, Karen, Sue

Paul cooking hamburgers

Hannah and Marissa

Our friends came for awhile. Ashia, Gina, Todd

Family from Utah

Ben, Tiffany, Jerry, Kathy, Anny, Bethany, Regan, Brittany, Ryan, Noah

(Stephanie and Melanie couldn't make it)

Kyle

The other day Kyle had a stick and was waving it around. I said "Is that your sword Kyle?" and he replied "No, it's my bibidy-bobidy-boo". (From Cinderella's fairy godmother)
That's what happens when you grow up with a big sister :)

BBQ and Pinic

Our church had their yearly BBQ at Raab park. It was a lot of fun. They had games for the kids and lots of good food. Such a great way to fellowship!

Marissa & Hannah for the 3-legged race

Marissa & Hannah for the balloon race

Kyle and Hunter playing on the toys

Ashia and I also took the kids a week later to a homeschool group picnic at Salsbury Park

Hannah, Marissa, Kyle and Hunter

On a crab hunt!

Baby Birds

This is a baby bird nest that Marissa and her cousins Dane and Natalie found out in the grass of our fruit orchard.

Ballet Show

Marissa had her third yearly dance show at the end of June. It was call "The Fairies of Pixie Hollow". She was a dewdrop. She did so good. Much less nervous that the past two years. Marissa just loves to dance. She is always dancing around the house. We keep asking her if she wants to try other sports or activities but she loves ballet so much she doesn't want to quit.
Just like her momma I guess :)

Kyle loved the show too and playing backstage

On stage! What a beautiful smile

Fast asleep on the way home with the flowers her daddy got her

Last years show (2008) she as a garden gnome in Rumplestilskins

And her first year of ballet (2007) she was a baby swan - so precious!

The Cabin

Here is the cabin out at Uncle Bob's diner. My uncle Frank (who passed away spring 2008) built it. It is so cute. The kids all adore it and love staying in it. It's right by the pond.

Marissa, Movae, and Kyle cathing frogs and tiny fish

Natalie and Aunt Pat by the camp fire

Carter holding Kohlton - he was so excited to hold a baby :)


Cousin Shela holding Kohl

Cousins

Some of our cousins came up from Texas. Finally! Marissa has been waiting patiently since last summer. My cousin Movae and her kids Dane (13 yrs) and Natalie (11 yrs) came up in mid-June to visit. We had a blast with them. They played with all the kids so much. They all stayed out in my Aunt Pat's RV at uncle Bobs diner. They got here just in time to help Uncle Bob through his open heart surgery. Praise God, Uncle Bob is healing well. The kids all had so much fun playing together.

This picture is from the first night they got here.

Marissa, Natalie, Kyle, Dane

The kids playing on the beach at Salsbury Park

We had a little Birthday party for my mom at my Papa's house

Papa and Mom

Movae and Dad

Mom and me

The cousins all played in the pond & creek at Papa's

Dane got stuck in the mud (gross) and Paul had to throw him a rope and pull him out. It was pretty funny.