Just Catching Up

I can only shake my head at my well-intended notion that when summer started, it would be a time of lazy days and quiet schedules. We wouldn't HAVE to do much of anything and we could relax and lounge to our heart's content.

HA!

What we have had instead is a schedule just as busy, though the items on the agenda have changed. So far the best part is not sheep herding people early every morning, though it's still nice to enjoy the quiet early hours of the day.

Now, nearly three weeks into our vacation, the big girls have been babysitting and spending time with friends. We've had several sleepovers and in order not to completely lose the morning to sleeping in, have established an "in your room by 11pm and out of bed by 8am" rule. So far, so (mostly) good.

The big girls are also enrolled in the local library's summer reading program and so many minutes are spent drifted away in other lands and inside other people's heads and lives. The little guys are also benefitting from quite a (hastily grabbed) library stack.

A new TV found its way to our livingroom (Happy Father's Day, Kurt!), so we've caught up on some movies both thru Redbox (and free, thanks to codes), and watching some from our own stash.

The weather isn't quite sure what to do with itself yet, so while we've had a few warm days that give us hope summer is venturing this direction, we also have had a lot of rain and even wind and even twisters not too far away.

I don't know that some of the other calendar items are worth mentioning (and if you're still reading, this might be a good place to click to somewhere more interesting), but we've been to the temple and to other church meetings on their normal, regular schedule. We've helped a friend of Liz's with his Eagle Scout project, and had friends' kids come over for short chunks of time while their moms got some things done or made it to an appointment in better peace than towing little people would have provided. We've had a few dr's appointments of our own that span everything from the chiropractor and the eye doctor to Emily's follow-up with the Pediatric Orthopaedist. Oh, and the dentist. Can't forget the dentist!

The two biggest girls and their momma have been working on their Personal Progress, trying to take advantage of the summer months to get as much done there as possible. Mom even started a FB page to help others who are journeying through.. (find it at Personal Progress for Young Women, IYI)

Kurt and the three youngest got to see the local air show a week or so ago. They are still talking about it. Nathan got to climb through one of the Life Flight helicopters and when he turned to his dad to tell him he wanted to fly one someday, the pilot said to Nathan, "make sure you do well in school". Nathan paused and then said, "uh, I'm in Pre-school...". The pilot's wife was there and started to laugh, while her husband told Nathan, "well, do well in Pre-school then!". To which Nathan said, "ok!". Not much of a dull moment when he's around.

We've also been to BFD's summer family picnic, and when Kurt said hi to Roy, a fellow FF, Nathan overheard and promptly came up to tell Roy that he "had him at home". Roy had a funny look on his face until Kurt explained that Nathan's FF figurines were named Johnny and Roy (hello RTV and Emergency! reruns...). Roy's response wasn't what Kurt thought it would be: "you mean they have action figures?!". Kurt had to explain that these weren't official Emergency! figures, these were just generic FF, but it made things that much more funny that Roy was interested in the toys. Kurt said he has the TV show on DVD even....something to think about as a gift idea for Nathan. He loves that show!

Our darling Emily will be turning two soon, and lately has skipped completely over 2T and 3T in her clothing. She wears a size 8 shoe and is nearly a square at 34lbs and 36inches. She has been cleared by the speech pathologist (with fun homework to do like chewing on stale licorice and sucking thick shakes....wouldn't it be great if all homework were that tasty!), but has an appointment in a month to see a Pediatric ENT who will evaluate the unusual shape to her palate. We also discovered her labial frenulum (that little piece of skin that attaches your top lip to your gum line), comes all the way down between her two front teeth. So, we'll see if there's anything to be done about that before she is old enough to get into orthodontia. In the meantime, her vocabulary has exploded and she's putting together two and three words at a time. "I'll get it!" is a favorite when the phone rings, though actually putting her on the phone just gets us head shakes to answer grandma's questions. We also hear "I'll get it" when we print something. Emily is such a super helper and wants to pull the paper out right when it's done. Ahem!
Sadly, she is addicted to pacifiers and although she only gets hers when she goes to bed, she's discovered the collection I have in my jewelry box and just this morning tried to hide her little handful behind her back so I wouldn't see. (in explanation, I've keep a pacifier from each of my babies who has taken them...) She'll say "ok" every time I tell her to go put them back, but seldom do they actually make it back to the right place. If she weren't so cute about it...

Otherwise we are still couponing and paying bills, eating meals and squeezing in "dates" to the store and the gas station and other glamorous and romantic places like that. We have a lot to look forward to yet and will share the highlights as they come.

Happy Summer!!

xoxo

October Rose

We had a special visitor with us over the weekend. Elizabeth brought home October Rose, her 'baby think it over' doll for her Child Development class. It was Liz's responsibility to take care of Toby (what we called her) just like a newborn, and the doll was programmed to perform a lot like a newborn would.

Elizabeth got to name her and chose October Rose, nicknamed Toby. "Toby from Nairobi" "the Tobster" "Tobalicious"....ok, that's probably enough.

Toby was set on "random" which meant that she could be easy or tough for different periods of time. Liz was looking for as real an experience as she could get and has come away not only sleepy (Toby got her up at least two times each of the three nights), but appreciating a bit more just what it takes to care for a newborn. Of course there wasn't a way to replicate the hormone craziness and the physical recovery that's needed (not to mention the RAVENOUS hunger that comes from nursing) after giving birth, but for a doll, Toby delivered a pretty life-like experience.

Elizabeth was very conscientious and took great care of Toby. She raided the doll clothes and the baby clothes, so Toby was a very well-dressed little lady!

Toby had to be fed and changed and soothed at various intervals. Liz kept track of her eating schedule and her diaper changes on paper all weekend.

All of Elizabeth's sisters had a little turn caring for Toby (so Liz could shower). Emily learned to say "Toby", which was so cute. Not sure just what Em thought of the doll that everyone was making such a fuss over. She didn't seem to mind when mommy held the new baby, which is considerably different than what happens when mommy holds Nathan in her presence.

We were glad to have Toby with us, and since she was programmed, that particular doll and setting doesn't really exist anymore. When Liz turned her back in on Monday, she said she could hear a baby crying at different points during the day. She thought she was going through 'mommy withdrawls'. (though I don't think she missed Toby so much on Monday night when she got to sleep the night through without interruption)

At not-quite-15, Liz is definitely not ready to have a baby (not that she was running out to make that happen any time anyway...). But she had enough 'fun' with Toby that another baby is coming home for another weekend soon (for extra credit).

Liz came up with quite a tale regarding where Toby came from, just for fun... A story that included a honeymoon to Africa and poison darts and an abandoned baby in a Moses basket.... quite an adventure!

xoxo

Open House at Station #12

Kurt has recently been reassigned to Fire Station #12. Just last Saturday the department held an Open House at the Station as it's now housing Paramedics full time.

The station serves a part of I-84, and Highway 21 which is the road that leads to Lucky Peak. Kurt is excited to be there and has had a good experience so far with a good crew.

I came separately with some of the kids, including Emily.

When she saw Daddy, she was his and no one else's!

Nathan Jumped in to work on his medical skills. He wore his "fire" boots and helmet for the occasion. (His shirt also says "Fireman in Training", but that was his mommy's addition)

When she finally put daddy down, Emily was an incredibly good sport and let the big kids strap her to this backboard. In reality, she was mesmerized by the buckles.

Ready for transport! (kinda) :)

Then, not wanting to let the board get the best of her (and because of her fascination with buckles...), Em spent some time as the boss of the board! It was so fun to watch her little mind work ~ I snapped and snapped away.

I was worried I'd lose her when she caught me taking pictures, but she was so enamored she went right back to her project.

That's a little over 80lbs of kid Kurt's holding... (and such cute poundage, too!!)

xoxo

Mr. Smarty Pants

Melissa has decided to teach Nathan "home school" every Friday, even going so far as to research just what and how to teach a 3-year old. She learned that there needs to be lots of play time, something she hadn't anticipated.

Melissa is absolutely the product of her two big sisters' influence, so it's fun to see her "pay it forward".

Today was the first day, and it was a success. Not every day will be this good, but it's nice that things started off on the right foot.

Melissa started with the letter "A". She took Nathan through some pronounciation exercises and then took a 'recess' break. They read a couple of books and then took another break for recess. When Nathan didn't want to come in when the whistle was blown (yep, she has a whistle!), Missa was flexible enough (with just a little bit of encouragement) to let Nate stay out a few more minutes. It was the first day, afterall!

Finally Nathan wanted to write and he took the white board and had his "A" down before we knew it.

Here he is to tell the story and show off his first attempt:

He's so excited and she is really motivated. Surely good things are yet to come!

xoxo

Spring Break

We ventured back to the tiny town where we lived for nine years for Spring Break and had a fabulous time! We were greeted with wind and rain and more wind and more rain ~ what a welcome home!

Traveling all day Saturday, we were able to attend church Sunday. It was wonderful to see friends and to sneak updates between classes (ok, a little bit during classes!). Our tiny twig of a branch does not currently have a nursery, so Nathan got to attend the Sunbeam class (for ages 4-7) with his buddy Drew. Just the two of them made for an interesting time for dear Sister Coty! Emily spent her time playing with toys and exploring the halls, while we looked after her. She especially enjoyed the stairs and thought she was pretty big stuff climbing all the way to the top, where the teenagers have their class.

After church we were lucky enough to be there for a baptism of a girl we've known since her mom was carrying her. Hard to believe she's eight already, but it was wonderful to share this special day with her family. Great timing!

We were lucky enough to be taken in by our dear friends the Towery's, who totally and completely opened their home and suspended their lives on our behalf. We were completely spoiled and so appreciate their hospitality! Kurt and I and Emily slept in their motor home the first night, putting Nathan and the big girls to bed throughout the house. The next morning though we learned that Nathan had been up "exploring" most of the night ~ he'd hardly slept at all! So, he got to come bunk with mom and dad from then on out. He loved sleeping in the bed that was so high up (over the driver's seat in the motor home).

We spent a lot of lounge time (we were on vacation after all), but were able to get in the stuff we had at the tops of our lists ~ mostly. :) It just means that we' have a great excuse to go back again I guess.

Elizabeth's priorities were seeing friends and the sights. I think she accomplished most of the list she made ~ she spent two different nights with two different friends, got to go horseback riding, see the jetty and enjoy the great ice cream from our friends' shop.

I was excited to visit my very favorite thrift store ~ and came away with a bundle of clothes, shoes, a cool plate and tried to convince Kurt I'd bought a bookcase and a headboard. We were so tight on space coming, I knew he'd get a little excited about where those things were going to go. But, I was only kidding. lol.

Of course we made several stops at the fire station, Ocean Shores' NEW and beautiful fire station! On one of our stops, the guys were headed to the store and asked Nathan if he'd like to go for a ride. Is the pope Catholic?!? So, they put him in a seat (daddy took another), slipped a headset on and away they went.

Our friend Joe is driving. Looking good there, Nathan!

Elizabeth spent time on her buddy Scooter. He belongs to our good friend Barb, who taught Liz for a while when we lived there.

Liz got to take the saddle off and brush Scooter down. She even brought apples for him and the other two horses.

Pausing after her ride with Barb.

The weather was blustery to say the least while we were there, with gale force winds at some points...we always have to smile at 40-ish mph winds around Idaho. Just a stiff breeze compared to the regular 60+ we got accustomed to in WA.... one year a guy's wind meter broke at 109mph. That's the kind of wind you can lean into and not worry about falling to the ground. What a sport!

But, between wind and rain, we saw some pretty amazing vistas. When the sun decides to pop out, the view is always breath taking.

Elizabeth took this picture I think of the moon through the trees over the river at our friends' house.

We got to go out and try our hand at crabbing. The weather was so kind that day and only dripped on us for a few minutes. We had a fantastic time!

I asked Nathan to smile for me....this is what I got!

The beautiful Pacific Ocean

Thumbs up from Melissa, who is ready to head out

Liz and Kurt in the cabin as we head out to where we'll drop the pots.

Our good friend Kasidee and Kathryn taking the birds-eye viewpoint on top of the cabin.

Nathan and our good friend Jeremy (he and Kurt have been friends since they were 5!). Nathan thought he was pretty cool, getting to drive for a while.

One of the first pots we pulled back up ~ turned out to be a nursery! Not any of these were keepers.

Gratuitous ocean shot

Nathan climbed up on the cab for part of the ride back. That's our buddy Kaleb in the background.

Nathan and a crab pot

We had a great time on the boat and paused for a picture at the Marina. The background is a place called Damon Point. Even though the area is known for its rip current, guys (and girls) actually surf out there.

The day's crew, minus Jeremy who is taking the picture.

The day's catch.

Nathan wasn't so excited to have the crabs running around on the concrete. He jumped up on the porch to watch from a distance.

Crab catchers are now crab eaters!

how do you like your crab there, Liz?

it didn't take too long to finish it all off. Not everyone wanted some, so those who did had a bit of a feast.

While we were crabbing, Emily spent the afternoon with our friend Verlee. They had a great time and Emily was happy to see daddy when we got back.

This chair got named the "taco" chair because you can fold up the cushion around you like a taco. It became one of Nathan's favorite places!

We trekked down to the jetty one day to see the water and the rocks. There's always lots of logs washed up on the beach. Makes for fun climbing!

Another gorgeous ocean shot

the beach

Elizabeth getting a free pedicure

Proof that she was there!
what day at the beach would be complete without a few sand drawings?

Emily was so cute bundled up and fascinated by the water and all the sand.

building castles and motes and vocanos in the sand (l-r: Emily, Nathan, Melissa)

Emily was fascinated with the kite this guy was flying. It was windy enough that the kite was humming!

This just might be the picture on our Christmas card this year! :)

We have a few favorite places to eat in Ocean Shores. One of them, of all things, is a Mexican restaurant called Las Maracas. I know it seems funny to go for Mexican at the beach, but we were so glad to get to eat here this visit!

Two other favorite places to eat and visit are Bravo's Pizza and Murphy's ice cream, both owned by our good friends the Harnagy's. We went to visit them and the kids had a blast reconnecting. Emily found a pair of sunglasses and knew just what to do with them.

then the big kids decided to dress her up. She loved all the attention!

We decided to extend our trip and learned that there was snow in the passes, which made us worry that our trip home was going to be especially long (as if 11 1/2 hours wasn't already long enough!). We were so glad to find that the roads were barely wet through the Blues. We did opt not to take White Pass, but instead go through the Gorge (which we can't remember the last time we did ~ sure loved all the windmills along the way. Ocean Shores could use a few!!).

It was wonderful getting to see friends and the sights and the changes that have come in the two years since we last visited. Kind of hard to believe it's been three years since we moved away! We loved our time there and miss a number of things about such a special place. We were so thoroughly spoiled by the Towery's and enjoyed catching up with other good friends and hearing about the latest in their lives and sharing the latest in ours. Surely this Spring Break trip will be a treasured family memory!

xoxo