Fourth Grade...

OK, seriously. Fourth Grade! What happened? Wasn't I just blogging about kindergarten? UGH! She is so excited to be back to school, with the most favorite teacher she has ever had! Her school does 3/4 blends, so she is an upperclassman this year, you could say. The great thing about that, is there is very little transition, because she knows the ropes of this class and teacher so well. We are hoping for an awesome year this year! Isn't she adorable???

First day in her new class!

Reunited with a friend hanging up jackets and backpacks.

Here's to fourth grade! Go and get 'em Olivia!

Last Day at the Lake...

We spent our last summer Saturday at our favorite spot, the lake swim park. We took Grandma Maxine, Lesa, and Gabby with us. The kids had a blast soaking up the last bit of summer sun in the most picturesque setting.

The boys stayed in the kiddie pool!

Olivia and Gabby braved the cold lake!

Molly got about this far into the lake before decided it was too cold for her!

Goodbye, dear swim park. Goodbye dear summer. Oh how we miss you already!

I am a winner!

So, I totally won. I am a winner. And, my photographer is also a winner, and she can come listen to my awesome sound system any time she wants. Now, I need a stereo to hook my awesome speakers up to. And a new TV. Oh dear, it's like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. One thing leads to another, then another, and so on...

However, since I've never won anything this is super awesome news! Check out my prize here!

Final stop, Shirl and Glenn's

We were lucky enough to stay with Glenn and Shirline this trip, and it was so nice! Glenn got a big, new tractor with a BIG wagon and took us all for a hayride all around the neighborhood and church parking lot. Those neighbors were turning green with envy.

And, then he got out his "little" tractor and took the boys for another spin! They can't get enough!

Swinging in the backyard with Dad and Parker

A mean game of Yatzee.

The kids discovered two new loves. Babybel cheese and Nutella. Sorry we ate you out of it, Shirl!

We love going to Shirl and Glenn's. They treat us so nice and take really good care of us.

Hiking in Utah

We took a fun hike in one of the Cottonwood Canyons. Gorgeous. This is what I miss about Utah. It was a beautiful day for a hike and the kids totally loved it. Any time we can throw rocks in the river, they are in heaven. Why do we try to do anything more fancy than that?

fun at Grandma's...

We made a two week trip to Utah to visit family and friends. We played in the water a lot! It was so hot there! We went to Seven Peaks water park, of course, I was too busy chasing 4 kids with no husband to take photos, but we had a blast. We played at the pool with friends, and ran through these fun sprinklers at a park near Grandma's house.

I guess there are no shortage of pics of him...

Asa just tolerates my kids so well! And they LOVE her! It gives us our dog fix for a while!

Grandma's bath tub!

My dad's grave. His headstone was just installed while I was there. It looked nice. Still, not getting easier.

Thanks for a great time, Utah. We will be back, of course. And all of you there, feel free to visit us sometime!

camping with friends...

So, I am bugged we aren't doing more camping. I think it's the loads of work involved before and after that keep us from going out more, but we did do one fun camp-out with some fun friends, and it was a blast!

Here is Max with his lego-guy head lamp!

Double roasting twins

really freaking adorable youngest

Serious roasters

The kids had the time of their lives. We are definitely going to go again. Hopefully before fall arrives. Anyone want to come???

summer catch up!

So, this summer has gone really fast, we haven't done nearly enough, but we have had lots of lazy days, playing in the sand, picking and eating berries, and soaking up the few rays we have been lucky enough to get! I haven't taken enough pictures, as usual, but we have made some wonderful memories and had another summer to remember!

Ian is really too much!

Lots of sandbox. They never tire of it! All of them are in there so much!

Berry picking

Nice job, Molly. Almost picked as many as you ate!

We love this farm! And we picked a lovely, cool morning to go!

here today, gone tomorrow

After many years of deliberation, we decided it was time to nix the ginormous tennis balls Olivia had crowding her throat, causing her a nasaly voice and sore throat after sore throat (resulting in too many missed days of school at home driving mom nutty). She did great. She was very happy about the fun and attention beforehand!

She was all smiles as they rolled her off.

I wish I could say she looked as happy in recovery. But, many, many, many popsicles later, she is already improving and looking forward to a sore-throat free future! We are very proud of our brave little patient!

I couldn't love him more...

First of all, I feel like I need to repent, apologize, etc. for all of my prior whining, complaining years of pity parties for me and the lack of husband participation in holidays. Jon made up for it this year in a big way by planning the most awesome "golden" anniversary surprise date for us (golden=16th anniversary on the 16th!). I was so glad that, for once, I took my camera along and chronicled this great night. I just have to say, this was a much needed night for us, and for me, after the rough several months we've had. It was rejuvenating, to say the least.

The night started out with Jon bringing me the most beautiful flowers. Knowing how much I really long for anything tropical, he hit the nail right on the head with these (along with the sweetest card, which is a big deal from Jonny!):

Then, after dropping the kids off at sitter #1, he took me on a canoe ride on the Tualatin River. So much fun! It was beautiful! The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze. We rowed, rowed, rowed our boat, gently down the stream until we found a nice shady spot to pull over and my darling husband pulled out the yummiest spread of appetizers and goodies!
California rolls, pita chips and artichoke dip, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, dark chocolate, and sparkling lemonade. So yummy. So perfect.
Here we are after our trip (and before we had to haul that heavy thing up a steep ramp back to the rental place, which is why we look so relaxed...) By the way, aren't my anchor shorts so appropriate? I must be psychic, because I didn't have a clue we were going on a boat!
So, I am missing a picture of the next part of our funnest date ever. We got changed into nicer clothes (I love a date that includes a wardrobe change!) and Jonny took me to the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. It is so nice of Nordstrom to have a sale every year to celebrate our anniversary.

Then, we headed downtown where Jon had dinner reservations for us at 8:30 at a restaurant called Departure. It's on the 15th floor of an old building with open decks on two sides and fabulous views of Mt. Hood and St. Helens. And, it was such a gorgeous night, you could see the whole city, right at dusk. Amazing.

Here we are out on the patio. We actually ended up sitting inside, because it was a bit nippy, but there are windows all around the restaurant, so the view is still unbeatable. We ate the yummiest food, which Jon forbade me to take pictures of...but it was gorgeous and delicious!

Then, to top off our date, we went to Moonstruck and got a chocolate milkshake. Here I am with my "Smores" delight. So yummy.

Then, we headed home, and I took babysitter #2 home (we had to get creative in our child care). I could leave out the part where Jon said I had plenty of gas to take her home even though our gas light was on, and then when I pulled into her driveway I ran out of gas and her mom had to take me home, but then you would miss the funny note our date ended on, which is a metaphor for our whole lives and marriage in general. Tons of fun with lots of unavoidable bumps in the road that I would never want to navigate without Jon by my side. As hard as this time in my life is, he is my constant, and he adores me, and he never misses a chance to tell me that in his own quirky, perfect way.

I love you, Jonny. Here's to 16 more!

Father's Day thoughts...

Father's Day is traditionally a day to make known to our Dad's how much we love them and appreciate them. I find myself melancholy today because I don't get that opportunity. I keep thinking of the things I miss about my dad. The things I don't want to forget. The things I wish I would have said to him, or done with him. The fact that him being gone is unbearable and so unfair. The way I feel cheated not to have my dad with me today and to not be able to pick up the phone and call him. The list of things I miss keeps rolling through my mind. Here are some of the big ones:

1. His voice. The sound of his voice, simple as that may seem. My mom's answering machine still has that voice, and sometimes I call just to hear it. Sometimes I try to hang up before I hear it. He had such a deep, warm voice. I loved to hear him sing. George Strait. Johnny Cash. Gospel music. I miss the way he would ask me, "how's my gal?" and the way he would whisper to me how proud he was of me every time we parted. I miss hearing him laugh and talk and read to my kids. I miss the noise he'd make when he kissed them and hugged them.

2. His presence in a room. He filled up a room, not just because of his size, but because of his aura and who he was. He could be quietly sitting in his chair, but you knew he was there.

3. His eyes. They were so warm. They literally had a twinkle at times...

4. His smile. Hands down, my favorite feature. That crooked smile when he was amused.

5. His laugh and sense of humor. Sometimes his wittiness went right over my head, and I would only laugh at it days later. The biggest compliment to me is when Jon tells me, "you are witty like your dad." I hope so.

6. His love of animals. This ran so deep in my dad. From his horses to his dogs, he knew his animals and loved them and took such great care of them.

7. His love of my mother. I can't say much more without choking up, but my goodness, that man loved his wife. He went to hell and back for that woman. And we all know that she is worth it.

8. His love of his grandkids. They were a beacon of light in his life, especially when he got sick. He knew each one of them.

9. His honesty. He was the most honest person I have ever known. He never lied. Ever. And, he detested lying in others. He lived a life true to who he was.

10. The thing I miss the absolute most about my dad are his big, bear hugs. He gave a little piece of his heart in each one of them. I would give anything for one of those on this Father's Day.

Here are some pictures I love. Do you see what I mean by that smile? So great.

Eskimo kisses. Oh, and I forgot to mention how much I miss that silver hair, that tanned complexion, and those huge hands with the one crooked, pointy finger.

I miss you, Dad. Today and every day.

jon is awesome!

Even though I have no pictures to prove it, I wanted to give a HUGE shout out to my awesome husband who completed his first Half-Ironman this past weekend in Boise, Idaho. For those of you who aren't familiar with this type of race, here is the deal:

Swim 1.2 miles in open water

Bike 56 miles

Run 13.1 (half-marathon)

Amazing! Jon has been training for over a year, and for those of you who know him, you know that that means he has been extremely dedicated. He injured his back early this spring, and that set him back quite a bit, especially in the running department. But, he persevered. He didn't give up, as I surely would have with his injury list!

Then, last week, he got a yucky stomach virus accompanied by a horrible headache. And this is my boy who rarely gets sick! Poor guy even threw up for the first time since I've known him.

So, not great conditions, not ideal circumstances, but he had a great attitude and did it! And, he did pretty well with a 7 hour and 15 minute finish!

Way to go, Jonny, we are so proud of you!!! (unfortunately what he proposed as a "one time thing" has now become an obsession of sorts, so I am sure this is not the last event of this type).

should I worry?

Max ran downstairs giggling this afternoon and when I rounded the corner, this is what I saw. It totally cracked me up. I think he would make a pretty girl. Molly was quite put out that he was dressing in her Snow White outfit. I think that might be why he did it. It seems to be a theme he has going right now.

Now, this one is a little worrisome. The gun and the dress. The cackle, along with the dress and gun were a little disconcerting. Max is such a funny little guy. He keeps us laughing!

for your viewing enjoyment!

potty buddies

(back when they were still in diapers)

OK, this is just funny. Today, while Ian was napping, I was mowing my huge lawn all by myself (which is easy a two hour project), when Molly came out and tapped me on the arm. I pulled my tunes out and asked her what she needed. "Max needs wiped," she replied. Oh dear. I was covered in grass and was not happy about the prospects of trekking it into my newly vacuumed house. I hemmed. I hawed. I finally looked at Molly and said, "can you do it?" Her eyes got wide and she said, "I think I can." (that's the spirit. Must be all those bedtime stories with subliminal messages). And, she trotted off. I walked to the back door and called in to Max, patiently waiting on the potty.

"Max, Molly is going to wipe you, ok?" I call tentatively.

"Does she know how to did that?" he calls back.

"Sure. Make sure you both wash your hands really well!"

"OK!" they both call back.

I am sure this was a huge mistake, and could have been a mess. But, it wasn't! And, it's probably inappropriate on a number of levels, but it's me, doing my best. And, it made me smile.

More to life...

OK, enough about me, I know I am awesome, but scroll down my blog to check out how cute my kids are! I feel like my marathon post has just overshadowed my other recent blog posts!

I did it!

Here I am, finishing my first marathon, with my awesome running buddy, Brittany! It was so super fun! It turned out to be a gorgeous day. We ran in Newport, by the water, and the sun felt so good after 20 + days of rain in Portland! We ran well and felt good. That is me with the hot pink socks. I am so tough, huh? My time was 4 hours 19 minutes, which was just under my goal, so I felt good about that. Please forgive me if I gloat, brag, and walk around with a big head for a few days. I am still on cloud nine!

a clip! too cute not to share!

Molly's ballet recital

Here are some cute shots from Molly's ballet recital last week. She is the tall one.....they did a cute beach dance, and looked so great in their leis and sunglasses. She loves her class with all of her friends! She is so sad it's over for the summer!

Here she is with two of her friends that moved away on us!

our little ballerina! She loves it so much!

We are so proud of Molly. She is a sweet sister, and a darling dancer. She has a wittiness that makes us smile every day!

Olivia's research project

Olivia did a research project on Monarchs. This was a huge project that included poetry, original artwork, the tri-fold board and attachments, a creative writing piece, and a research paper. Whew! She worked on this from April until the first of June. It was overwhelming with our big trip right in the middle, and I am proud of how hard she (we) worked and how much she learned! Good job, Olivia! (and isn't her butterfly dress fun?)

weekend plans...

Please excuse me while I go run 26.2 miles, and then promptly fall into a large heap for a few days. Wish me luck!!!

Max's funny...

We were sitting at Target Cafe the other day having a d.coke (lemonade for the kiddies) and soft pretzel, when Max informed me that his pretzel had too much salt on it. I got my napkin and started brushing some of it off for him. Then he nonchalantly said, "my wife doesn't like me to eat a lot of salt."

Gotta love this guy!!!

A little clip from the Wizard.

Here is a clip for your viewing enjoyment. Olivia is the 4th soldier from the right. I especially love the spear routine! So cute!