Poolside

And what did Grace get to do while the kids were in camp?

My friend Steff invited us to their community pool one morning. Her older two were in camp also, so just the toddlers were at the pool. They had a lot of fun wading in the pool and sitting on my lap, trying to drink my diet Dr Pepper...



Getting in slowly. Grace, sadly, has had very little experience swimming in real pools...

Grace and Berkley. Some of the cutest blonds around.

Afterward the crown towel stayed on for the rest of the day!

Thanks Steff!!

Camp Tillikum

This year the kids got to go to Camp Tillikum, but I had another name for it..... Camp Heaven. The kids were in Camp and I was in Heaven..... Just kidding. Well a little. It was definitely the needed break in Summer that we both needed.

I cannot even tell you how much they enjoyed all the activities. I thought by mid-week they would be asking to stay home for a day. But every morning they were more than excited to get out the door.

The Camp site is just beautiful and huge. There were so many activities for them to participate in (canoeing, hiking, rafting, tree houses, big swings, and of course the skits and songs) and the counselors were College kids going to the Christian College in the Community. Super uplifting and fun!


Jake on the first day. My how far we've come since three's preschool, when he cried EVERYDAY (up until the very last day of the year) when I dropped him off. On this day, I could barely hear him say good bye as he ran off to look for fish in the water.




Family Night at the Tree House


The entrance to the Tree House trail. The kids were more than proud to show us all the sights.

Jake getting off the Big Swing.

The Old School House. I think about 100 years old. I made them pretend to be students...

Overlooking the lake.

Best Friends Jack and Grace with Jake and Avery on the last day.

A good time was had by all .... but I think maybe Mom benefited the most :)

Nifty Nifty Looks Who's Sixty

Today is my Mom's 60th Birthday! What an accomplishment and How she has done it with such grace. I can only hope to become like her.

To celebrate today, my mom, sister Hill, Me and a friend of my moms are walking over the Glen Jackson Bridge (I 205). We will start on the Oregon side, walk to Washington over the Columbia River, turn around and walk back. It should be just under 5 miles.

What a way to celebrate !!!

I thought it would be fun to List 60 things I love about my mom so here goes:

1 She love to read. 2 She Keeps a faithful journal. 3. She loves her kids. 4. Rare have a heard an ill word come out of her mouth! 5. She loves my Dad. 6. She is an avid walker. 7. She has done Yoga. 8. She loves Sushi. 9. She can sew. 10. She honored her parents. 11. She is a talented artist. 12. She loves doing art with my kids. 13. She loves cooking with my kids. 14. She always sends my kids letters. 14. She is fashionable. 15. She goes to church. 16. She speaks and studies Hebrew. 15. She loves frogs and snakes. 16. She can decorate. 17. And has great taste. 18. I have only heard her swear twice in my life, and once was on purpose. 19. She has beautiful, unique rings. 20. She loves to go on car rides with my Dad. 21. She learned to ride a motorcycle with my Dad. 22. She is generous. 23. She makes a great vegetable, bean salad among many other things. 24. She was a tremendous support to me in High school, when I was going through a very difficult time. 25. She likes to play sports with my children. 26. She encourages curiosity and learning. 27. She is kind to all of the in-laws in the family. 28. She loves to shop. 29. She has been walking with friends for about 20 years. 30. She is a wonderful teacher. 31. She is supportive grandmother. 32. She doesn't criticize her children's parenting skills. 33. She always help do the dishes when she is over. 34. She stayed with my kids when Bri and I went to Hawaii. 35. She buys name brand sugar cereals for the grand kids when she comes to visit. 36. She love missionary work. 37. She feeds the missionaries. 38. She values education. 39. She helped pay for mine (which I really think has helped me be able to stay home and be with my children, ie no student loans.). 40. She is fun. 41. She doesn't complain about the messes her grandchildren make when they are at her house. 42. She makes my dad breakfast every morning and knows what he likes. 43. She makes great low fat desserts. 44. She loves beautiful surroundings. 45. She has continued to learn and get smart. 46. She laughs and is happy a lot. 47. She is frugal and yet generous. 48. She doesn't have fake nails. 49. She asks questions instead of critiques. 50. She eats dinner leftovers for breakfast a lot. 51. She taught my children to love brown rice and peanut butter. 52. She loves to catch wild animals with my children. 53. She is unique. 54. She is a great example of a wonderful, supportive wife. 55. She always tells her kids how beautiful they are. 56. She eats healthy. 57. She is not afraid to try new things. 58. She doesn't need a real cut Christmas tree, fake is fine, and in fact beautiful. 59. She loves my husband. 60. She is beautiful in so many ways.

I'm sure I could go on.

I KNOW I am blessed!



Happy Birthday to a Class Act. I LOVE YOU!

Sleeping on Hard Surfaces

Brian had promised to take Jake camping this Summer all by themselves. I can't even express the excitement Jake had about this.... Sadly I used it as a bribery tool all week to get him to be on his best behavior or he would not be going. (Jake has really gracefully assumed the mean big brother role lately).

They headed up to Clear Lake near Mt Hood and camped in the back of the truck (Hard Surface). This only sucked for Cassy because there was no place for her to go....thus, she stayed behind with the other girls..



Check out the bottoms of his feet. His socks were just as black and headed straight for the trash.



He can be the best little helper!

Up at Timberline Lodge Jake got his picture taken with their St. Bernard. Although I think this pic make the dog look a little like a pit bull.

Mt. Hood as the final stop.

Just one of the things Bri does that makes me love him more.... This July weekend will definitely be a memorable one for Jake and Brian.

The Cousins are Coming

All the Cousins made it up to my parents for the Fourth of July. I really hope this becomes an annual trip for all. It was so fun to get all 11 of them 8yrs and younger together. The older they get the better the visits become.....or at least the longer they can go without someone crying or getting hit!

The Crew Consists of:

Savanna 8, Jake 7, Warren 6, Avery 5, Chase 4, Max 3, John 3, Reese 3, Grace 2, Auriel 1, and Atlas 9mos

When we were young I think we had shirts saying the Wrecking Crew..... We really should get some made up for this bunch!

Here are some Highlights :

Leland John and I in front of my Parents. Seriously one of the funniest kids I have ever met.

Aunt Kiran and Auriel Kiran Holly Hansen

Popsicle mania. I wonder if my parent's freezer has a Popsicle maker....they seriously ALWAYS have them!

Max, John and Grace

Avery and her 'mini-me' Chase at the Burger King play structure.

Still more Cousin posts to follow...

The Fireworks....

Brian caught this pose and it summed up some of our night.... Too funny!

To say there were fireworks would be an understatement. The house above my parents had some teens setting off fireworks, the only problem..... fireworks pointed toward an empty, dry, grass field. It looked like a bomb going off. Sparks shooting off and everywhere they landed, a fire started! It was hilarious and totally scary at the time. I said, call 911, they will be here soon! The men however, had a different save the day plan!! They ran toward the blaze!!!

Men and women are so different, I don't care what anyone says.

They had the fire put out before the Fire Fighters got there!! My brother Will was running back to the house for more water to throw on the fire, yelling at us to "Get the video camera". We never did find it but I thought It was so vintage Will.


Hillary summed up the night by saying, "just when you think that men can't do anything right, they go put out a fire for you!" We all had a good laugh at that .....




Before the blaze went down.

Watching fireworks on Mom and Dad's deck over looking Washougal. Grace was Dad's lapmate.

BFF, PJ, Cousins.... The beginning of a fun filled, laughter packed, tear spilling next few weeks....

More Cousin Posts to follow!!!

Birthdays in July

Patsy's Birthday in the Park Celebration. All her children and grandchildren were there to celebrate at Willamette Park. It actually started to rain....you would never know if from the pictures of wet kids in towels. What is a little rain to stop kids from swimming in the wading pool??

Patsy requested pie as her cake this year....lemon meringue, and apple.




All the grandkids and proud Grandma. Dylan, Zach, Eli, Rachel, Jake, Avery and Grace.



Fried chicken in July - what could be better for a picnic?





And our newest July B-day..... Robin. We celebrated with a little dinner at John and Patsy's house. 27 again I guess!

Some of Robin's biggest fans.