Week #27: Shaving Cream Fight and Fourth of July Backyard Barbecue

This Week...

...Paul went to a friend's birthday pool party. They had a blast! His friend Evan Purvis had the party and he invited Zack, Osvaldo and his brother , and They had more fun with the shaving cream fight. 

...We had the Barneys over for a Fourth of July barbecue. We also had the Sandoval kids too. Jason grilled the burgers, we set up tables in the backyard, and had a great picnic. Then we went up to Capitol park for the fireworks. Adrian and Angie Sandoval came with us.

...Claire and Ben started swim lessons. They were super excited for this because I forgot to get them signed up last year.

...we took Marty back to the River. This is Jason's all time favorite thing to do, now that we have a dog. The kids enjoy enticing Marty out into the River to see how far they can get him to go. Marty plays along for a while, but then it gets too cold for him to handle. He mostly loves running off to check out other people.

The Ferry is always a novelty-watching passengers and crew members come and go.

...we went to a swim party at our friend Naya's house. The kids swam and the moms talked a little PTO. It has been the best year working with these women on the PTO board. I'm so glad that I stepped up and had the time to devote to helping at the school this past year. 

Getting ready to jump in!

The chaos in the pool

Bella and Lainey trying to get warm

...Jason gave the Elders HUGE ice cream cones. Elder Johnson and Elder Barber didn't even bat an eye. They ate it all.

...Jason was off to a meeting.

...Shelly Norman invited us to her neighborhood breakfast. She invited her neighbors and the Elders did the cooking. She also had the Cub Scouts do the flag ceremony. It was well attended and really fun! I enjoyed helping at the tables and getting to know her neighbors. Missionary opportunities are all around us.

...we've been watching a little too much Big Hero 6.

...we had a crazy dance party. I was playing songs that I used to listen to while growing up. I would crank the tunes and clean the house or work in the garden. The playlist included: Chicago, Wham, Sheena Easton, Journey, Paula Abdul, Boyz 2 Men, etc. Marty watched us through the sliding glass door. He was thinking, "Crazy!"

...we made a visit to the temple. Peace, comfort, and happiness are almost tangible when within the walls and on the grounds of the Temple.

...here's a Dahlia from our own yard. 

...we made a day trip to Hat Rock (and Boat Rock). We've been talking about going there for some time. I finally just decided to go do it. We packed lunches and ate them in the park area. Then we went exploring. It didn't take long, but it got us out of the house and out on a new adventure.

Week #26: Marty Gets a Haircut

This Week...

...Marty got a trim. We've had him less than a week and he already has Jason wrapped around his little paw.  

...we had softball games. It's been a lot of fun playing with these ladies, even though I'm not as fast as I thought I was.

...my Girls Camp leader buddy, Kristin O'Reilly, and I went hiking. It was a great day for a hike. The drive to the trail head isn't always my favorite, but the view from the top of the trail is amazing.

There is nothing like stopping for a rest where the natural spring water runs out into this log. The water is so cool and refreshing.

We met some backpackers when we got to the top and we were asking them all sorts of questions/advice about the spot and the hike. They were helpful and friendly, a little leery of me wanting to take a picture with them, but helpful and friendly nonetheless.

We walked out the ridge to the Ranger Outpost to see the view and actually met the Ranger! She's out of the Pomeroy Ranger station and she lives in a little cottage at the edge of the Butte for quite a bit of the summer. She acts as a relay for hikers and a lookout for forest fires. She was super friendly and informative. 

...we're diggin' our dog. He's such a cute, cuddly fur ball. When I'm missing a kid inside, I can usually find them outside by Marty.

...we had the Bagley kids over to play. It was just like old times when we used to live closer to them.

...we took Marty to the river. He loved it! Ok, I can't say that he loved getting in the water. He did really enjoy playing with the kids on the bank.

...Aunt Shelly brought a Hi-Chews taste test to us. The kids were thrilled, as can be expected. There were some interesting flavors. Surprisingly, Benjamin liked the one that no one else really did. Needless to say, Aunt Shelly gave them all to him.

...Emma had her summer orchestra concert. She had a lot of fun participating in a week long orchestra summer camp. Her teacher from the school year, Ms. Giorgi, was one of the instructors and she helped Emma get into the advanced group. They were able to push a little harder to learn a harder piece.