Fun On The Beach!

We went to Lincoln City for one final hurrah this last weekend. We were able to stay at our friends cabin right on Devil's Lake and Brooke, Rebecca, Montel and their girls came. We got there late Friday night and the kids were up too bright and early Saturday morning. We went out on the lake on Saturday morning and everyone got a ride behind the boat that wanted one. Callie and Macyn couldn't get a long enough tube ride. Talia and Tucker wakeboarded and kneeboarded as usual. Our friends have a paddle boat and that was a hit with the kids. We went to Mo's for a late lunch and then went to beach in Pacific City. Usually the weather in Pacific City is better but it was very cold and windy on the beach so we didn't stay very long. Everyone is in sweatshirts and still cold and Tucker was in the water up to his chest. He said he was cold after he got out. Tucker can't go to the beach without getting wet. We enjoyed the big sand dune and the tide pools.




Sunday we went to the ward there in Lincoln City. After lunch and cleaning up the beach house we headed to beach again to brave the wind and it was a lot warmer. Callie and Macyn warmed up to the sand. Talia built a sand castle and Tucker built a sand dungeon that looked like an octupus. Notice the pictures. It was a miracle because Tucker only got wet up to his knees. We told him he could only get his ankles wet and then of course a wave came in. Luckily he was wearing shorts that dried quickly. We stayed for a couple of hours and then had to head home.





I found my name carved in the sand and thought I should have a picture by it!!


Talia thought that her name should be in the sand so she carved her name in the sand and was very pleased with herself.

Back to School

The dreaded day finally came. I shouldn't say dreaded but I certainly wasn't looking forward to it. My kids are just growing up too fast and I am not ready for my youngest to be a first grader. Even though I had a bad attitude I kept it to myself. The first day of school was Tuesday, September 2nd. Talia and Tucker were excited and little anxious with it being a new school. We had gone to the Opening Social the week before and they were able to meet their teachers and that seemed to make the transition easier. Their bus doesn't come until after 8:00 a.m. and that is nice to give them a little bit of extra time in the morning but then they don't get home until 3:30. Both Talia and Tucker love their teachers and are making new friends.





We live in Tigard still but are now in the Beaverton School District and they started school a day before all of their old friends. In the past we have always been invited to the Back to School Breakfast put on by the Cheslers (Talia's best friend's family). Even though we are in a new school and it was Talia and Tucker's 2nd day of school we were still invited. It is a traditionand the kids really wanted to go, so went to the Chesler's Back to School Breakfast for all of their nieghborhood. Then we came home and the kids got on the bus to go to school. So some of the pictures are from the first day of school and some are from the Back to School breakfast. They aren't the greatest pictures but they are the only ones I have. The kids weren't too cooperative that first day of school and really didn't want their pictures taken. Tucker really was more excited than he looked in the picture.

Weddings, Anniversaries, and Birthdays!!

For Labor Day weekend we went to Tri-Cities for Trent's cousin Kira's wedding reception and for his parents 40th wedding anniversary. The reception was Friday night and then Saturday night Trent and I and his sisters Brooke and Rebecca all went out to dinner with his parents at Bonefish Grill. It was a very enjoyable evening and the food was delicious. Trent's Aunt LaRee was nice enough to babysit for Rebecca and Talia and Tucker went to my sister Betsy's house for Ella's birthday party. Later in the evening Brooke surprised her parents by inviting several family members and friends to come over for cake. She had bought a big carrot cake from Costco and it was delicious. The weekend was full of celebrations. After church on Sunday we had a birthday party for Trent and Macyn. Their birthdays are the 6th and 7th of September. There was cheesecake with strawberry topping and cupcakes for the kids. Rebecca even had a pin the tail on the donkey game and everyone participated. We left Sunday evening so that we could do yard work on Monday (we have been busy redoing our yard and when it is all done I will post pictures of our new house but not until then). Thanks for a fun weekend Grandma and Grandpa.

The next weekend Trent's mom came to use her anniversay present from Brooke, Jodi and Benny. They bought their parents tickets to the Phantom of the Opera which was showing in Portland. Both Lee and LaRae were supposed to come but Lee ending up going to Utah to see his brother Steven who is quite sick. This was the weekend that he had a ride to Utah with LaRee who was going down for her brother-in-law's funeral and so he went. I felt bad that Lee couldn't use the ticket but LaRae invited me to go with her and it was a wonderful experience. I have never been to a Broadway show or musical and it was awesome. Thank you to LaRae for inviting me and to Brooke, Jodi and Benny for the ticket. I absolutely loved it and had to go and buy some of the music on itunes that same weekend. Wicked is coming next spring and I am really hoping to go. We went to the show on Friday evening. Saturday was Trent's actual birthday and we spent the day watching Talia and Tucker's first soccer games of the season. Then Trent and I worked in the yard in the afternoon. LaRae took the kids to see that new Star Wars movie and Tucker was so excited about that. That evening we went to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Trent's birthday and Brooke met us there. It was a long wait and the kids were getting impatient but the food was worth the wait. Happy Birthday to Trent! I am grateful to have such a wonderful, righteous and talented husband and father of my children. I love you!

The Last Week of Summer!!!

Talia and Tucker were getting ready to start school on September 2nd, the day after Labor Day. The last week of summer was here and I wasn't ready for it. Talia and Tucker were going to start school the next week and I wasn't excited for them to be gone all day at school every day. I really do enjoy having them home with me. My friend, Holly, and I decided to take our kids to OMSI and go on a couple of other outings during the week since school was starting soon. The kids had a great time at OMSI and one of their favorite exhibits was the static electricity exhibit and the spaceship exhibit. My friend and I also took our kids to the Wilson Pool which is a very fun outdoor pool. There is a big 3 story high slide, a smaller slide for younger kids, a fun little river with a whirlpool, and a deeper pool with a diving board. Talia and Tucker have come several times this summer with me or with the neighbors. I didn't take pictures but it was a lot of fun.

Talia the Artist

During one of our trips to the library Talia checked out a face painting book and then I bought her some face paints. She has had lots of fun with them. She painted her own face, Tucker's face and body and the neighbor girls also. She also took her face paints to Grandma's a couple of times to share her talents with her cousins. The face paints were a great source of entertainment and Talia just loves art and sharing her art with others!

Happy Birthday Brooke!

I am little behind in my posts but it better late than never. Aunt Brooke (Trent's youngest sisters for those who don't know) had her birthday the first week of August and she was camping on her birthday but we had her and her roommate Desiree over for a birthday the Sunday after. Brooke requested carrot cake and we even had candles for her to blow out. The masks were actually from Talia's birthday courtesty of Brooke and made for some cute pictures. We are glad that Brooke lives close and that we get to see her often. Talia and Tucker have loved all of their fun outings and sleepovers with Aunt Brooke. We love you Brooke!

House Boat Trip to Billy Chinook

During the third week of August we went on our last big trip of the summer. We were lucky enought to stay on a houseboat for Trent's work. It is a marketing trip or at least that is what Trent and Glen (marketing director for SD Deacon) say so that they can do this every year. They did have 3 business associates and their families come. The Belden family, our friends from soccer and school, were in Sunriver which was nearby so they came for one day also. With all 5 or 6 families it was cozy but fun. This houseboat was one of the newer ones and it is beautiful. There are 5 bedrooms and 2 baths. It is 2 stories high and has a hot tub on the top and a fun and fast slide. We brought our boat and there was another boat and 2 wave runners thanks to 2 other families. The weather was windy and a little cool but that didn't stop anyone from having fun. One day it lightly rained and the kids were still playing in the water. I even got in the water in the rain because I promised Tucker I would swim with him that day. We made a deal that if he went down the slide I would go down the slide and swim with him to this barge a short distance away. The kids would play in the water and then come and warm up in the hot tub and then go and play in the water again. It was movie night every night and they also played a lots of games. The kids had so much fun and look forward to this trip every year. I have lots of great pictures of the kids going off the slide and on the wave runners. One day we rented one of the party barges so that we get a water trampoline and the kids loved that. Trent gave the kids a pretty good ride on the wave runners. I agreed to let Trent pull my friend and I on the tube behind the wave runner because I didn't think that he could give us a very wild ride and boy was I wrong. He didn't dump us from the tube but he whipped us around pretty good.