Week 7/17/10

It was a busy week of preparation and fun.

Prep for Grandma & Grandpa Payne who were coming in this week and also prep for John and I for our big Race over the weekend, The reason for our Grandparent to come...and watch our kids for our getaway.

Grandma Payne flew in Tuesday morning, not soon enough for the girls who had been counting down the days for over a week-when I told them she was coming. Even Tate was exuberant about her being there and didn't hesitate in playing with her. There were Tea Parties and Puppet Shows and all sorts of fun.

Grandpa flew in Wednesday night and received another warm welcome. Thursday we spent the day at the Point Defiance Zoo-I love that Grandpa takes so many pictures, because I don't feel the need to get my camera out much and just enjoy the experience rather than trying to capture it.

Friday Morning the kids were practically shoeing us out the door so they could spend the day with their Grandparents. They went on walks, played in the yard, watched movies and even took a trip to McDonald's and Mudd Mountain Dam. I was glad to see that they were excited to see us come home and that we hadn't been replaced. Details on the race will be another post. We had a great time and can't wait to do it again. Hopefully our Babysitters will want to come back.

Monday & Tuesday were spent with John and his dad working in our basement-they finished or rather put up drywall and built me a beautiful wall of Food Storage shelves-they even found a wallet in the wall that had fallen in about 7 months ago. The Willits loaned us their pressure cooker and Mom taught me the art of canning meat. SOOOO Easy and I can't wait to taste it. Gotta get me one of those soon. I really want to start canning more and getting our storage together and learn how to make more stuff with all the wheat and rice we just bought.

Mudd Mountain Dam

Walks in the neighborhhod

Wednesday and the last day I'll report on was spent preparing for our upcoming trip to Utah! We did find a free/abandoned blueberry patch in Tacoma and then went to Pt Defiance to visit the Japanese Garden and the Rose Garden. The rest of the day I did laundry and packed, and packed and packed...

Pt Defiance: Tacoma Garden & Japanese Garden

A big Thank you to Grandma & Grandpa Payne for coming out and taking care of the kids and for all your help. You teach us many, many things when you come and we value your time with us!

Covington Days

Outpatient Therapy sponsored a Fun Run walk/5K/10K race Saturday (17th) morning for Covington Days. John was recovering from a sore foot, so he took care of the kids and supported Sarah and I on our 10K run.

Sarah took 3rd place for the Womens 10K

I felt pretty good about my time of 52 minutes

We found out there was a parade afterwards-the kids couldn't have been more thrilled! We haven't seen one yet this year so we hung around to watch.

The One and Only Float-it was beautiful!

The Seafair Clowns paid us a visit-they were pretty funny!

By the end the kids had so much candy it was almost worse than Halloween!

Very Fun!

Week 7/11/10

It was a another busy & fun week

Tuesday -Library had a puppet show. Little Red Riding Hood and The Shoemaker and the Elves. First puppet show the girls have ever seen-which they loved! Tate...well he didn't really get into it much so we mostly played around the library.

Wednesday- Books and Crafts at the Library. We read Little Red Riding Hood and a book about apples.

Thursday-Les Gove Park with the Justeson's- They've updated this park since the last time we were here a couple years ago.

Tyler went running in to play and ended up sliding :)

Tate was feeling a little hesitant about the water. Trisni decided to give him a little pull into the fun...I somehow caught why he didn't like the water so much.

The water park is still the same but the park behind it...WOW!

Kids Still LOVE the Sand!!!

Huge Xylephone

Slide and some other fun swings & activities

Sadly this is Tyler Shaking her "bootie" in the fountain.

We had a great time at the park!

We've been going, going, going all week long. It was finally Friday and the kids and I had planned to go to the zoo, but when I found out that the zoo would be closed I frantically tried to think of something, someplace to go. Nothing felt right, and then with the cold temperatures and the lack of sun...I was out of options.

That morning as the girls were getting dressed and I was cleaning out their drawers we were trying to come up with a plan for the day and then there it was. The dress up clothes. It was time for another day to Just PLAY!!! So we dressed up in our girly skirts, shirts and beads and decided to bake-not just chocolate chip cookies but also cupcakes. There was also plans for making up a show which led to an "unbirthday party" and when the girls weren't getting the concept I pulled up the clip from Alice in Wonderland and showed them. It...Alice in Wonderland was a hit, as were the fun desserts. Yes I even put on my skirt and beads....and Tate thought the party was great even if he wasn't in a skirt.

Week 7/5/10-Hot, Hot & HOT!

It was a very HOT week. Not that I'm complaining, after all the cold and not soo sunny weather we've had. It also turned into a very busy week. I love all the things you can do and place you can go for free. Free School Lunch everyday at Daffodil Elementary, Story and Craft Every Wednesday at the library, not too mention various other events the Library is putting on during the summer and their promotion to encourage summer reading. Regal Movie Theater even has free movies on Tues & Wed at 10 am, we haven't made it to that one yet, a little early and nerves of Tate in a movie Theater.

Monday-Was perfect weather and although technically a Holiday we did Yard work since our Dad home. Tate stuck pretty close to his Dad-sometime before lunch he asked His Dad to push him in the swing-the result: Guess he was a little tired.

Tuesday-87 Degrees-Mud Mountain Dam with the Justeson Clan. Tyler was thrilled to spend an afternoon with her BFF Evoni. There was a lot of hand holding and giggling. McKenna was thrilled to be playing in the water despite the cold temperate. Tate would have nothing to do with water so cold, but did like splashing in the mud and playing at the park.

Wednesday- 95 degrees-Library for Arts & Crafts-afternoon in the pool that afternoon with McClellan's & Pink Pancakes for Dinner. That was a big hit-kids to play with and dinner was such a big hit I had to make a 2nd batch.

Thursday- 97 degrees-Back up to Mud Mountain Dam with McClellan's & Brower's.

Friday- 97 Degrees-the girls were asking for friends to play with..although with my cold becoming progressively worse they settled or dealt with an afternoon at home. Despite the hot weather they decided they were done with the yard and that the Van was a great place to play. I asked if they wanted to get out of the HOT Van and go play in the pool, the response I got from Tyler was: "We love the Hot Van". Not exactly my 1st choice of places for them to play but it was in the carport and all the doors were open-so safe enough.

Who wouldn't want to play in the car-check out the snacks...

The driver and her passengers

With Weather this hot-you have to have popsicles and Ice cream Cones

Make sure you cool yourself off and take a bath if you need it!

4th of July!

4th of July was pretty Low Key for Us-Being on not only Sunday, but Fast Sunday we spent much of the Day at church. After the Block we had Break the Fast with the ward with lots of yummy yummy Food!

We then went home and put on our 4th of July shirts-and the girls stayed up until the fireworks starts-then we walked to the neighbors and watch the hillside and valley burst with color.

McKenna was quite funny-she was very particular about how close I could get to take a picture and changed her hair a few times-wanting a picture of each change. I won't mention how she puts the buckle on the side of her pants-can't figure out how she actually gets her pants undone to go to the bathroom. Ok maybe I will mention it.

My Grandpa Jay Harris was honored in the 4th of July parade in Layton Utah for his military service. I love him and I'm very proud of him and can't help but post his picture!