Summer Fun & Projects

Jan and Mark just returned home after coming out for a visit. We so enjoyed having them here...but maybe attempted too many projects! They like to stay busy and are very handy-our landscaper stopped by at one point and said "I want them to come to my house next!"
Mark and Geoff started with adding a new zone to our sprinklers so we can have a drip line on our back deck...and with the help of Matt and PJ during each of their visits, Geoff finished this small rock wall a couple of weeks ago.

It has made a huge difference keeping the bark from tumbling down into the rock when Katy and Bear are running around on the top of the wall. You can also see part of Geoff's fence...he put in a lot of hours on that project.

Sunset:

Mark and Geoff worked on a bench, repaired one of our dining room chairs that was falling apart, repaired drawers and added a supportive base to a mini dresser I bought for $8 for the nursery. Dresser in progress:

Jan sanded and painted the dresser...here is a picture of the back of it:

Geoff is going to finish painting the front and we need to order new knobs. I am avoiding all painting projects due to the baby which is so hard not to do!

Jan finished painting the nursery, helped Geoff get a good start on putting putty in the cracks in our wood floor (not conducive to kiddos who like to spill), and spray-painted some frames for me. Whew. I am tired just reading that.

They also spent lots of time with the boys and loving on the dogs. Here is Jan helping them paint some dinosaurs they received for their birthday:

Geoff, Mark, Jan and the boys went on a rafting trip nearby and saw otters, deer, osprey, birds catching fish, tiny fish in the water, and turtles. We hiked caves at the Lava Tubes.

The boys really enjoyed hiding and spooking anyone they could in the caves. Here they are hiding in the Mushpot cave awaiting an unsuspecting Grandpa:

Boo!

And did I mention they celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary here too? And my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary just two days before that! Congratulations and Happy Anniversary to all four of you!!

W enjoying the Winnie the Pooh movie Grammy and Grandpa got for their birthday:

We loved having you visit and hope you got some relief from the 100 degree temps in Texas!

Another Year Older.

THE birth day.

And arriving home for the first time together a few days later.

1st Birthday. Panama City, Florida. Their first cake.

I even made it nut and egg-free. The pictures clearly state how they are feeling. J: Why I am wearing this silly hat and WHAT is that on my tray?!

And no words are necessary for W's reaction.

2nd Birthday. Spring, Texas at Grammy and Grandpa's house. Geoff was TDY on their actual birthday so we celebrated it a short time after. I do miss those blond curls.

3rd Birthday. Gallatin, Tennessee at Papap and Grandma's house. Geoff was deployed to Afghanistan. The boys blew out the candles on their vanilla cupcakes...

...and surprised us by bypassing them immediately for the chocolate chips on the chocolate cupcake.

4th Birthday. Our new home in the northwest. Funny these pictures are so similar. One is at a party at our house.

This one is on their actual birthday while on a mini-vacation to the Oregon coast.

5th Birthday. After a couple of years apart on the boys' birthday we are blessed to be all in the same place and all healthy two years in a row.

It was such a joy celebrating these little guys today. We had a dinosaur party at our house.

J and W were asking me endlessly the days before the party: "this day is our birthday?" "when are friends coming over?" "when are we having cake?" We had some fun activities for the kids (I'll post more pictures later). Bear and Katy joined in on the gift-opening:

Uncle PJ Visit

Uncle PJ just left yesterday to fly back to TN. It was a busy but fun visit. We started off going to Lake of the Woods and the boys played and played in the water up there.

Look at the commitment on W's face...he was intent on that log...pretending to build campfires and rafts and he was just as committed to bringing that log home with us. We eventually convinced him to "hide" it so it would be there the next time we returned. I guarantee he will not forget.

We drove seperate because I attended a baby shower that day so Katy and Bear got to come along and do a little swimming. And resting.

Good thing they got a mini nap because we then dropped off Uncle PJ, Geoff, and the dogs for an 8-mile bike ride (run for the dogs) while the boys and I headed home. Speaking of napping, I have vented enough on how little sleep our boys seem to need. I don't even suggest sleep anymore because then they will use all of their will not to sleep. But they relented with about 30 minutes of the drive left (please excuse all the towels and sheets in the back-that was for Katy and Bear) and passed out.

And they even woke up as we arrived home, but I must have caught them at the deep-sleep stage because they laid on the couch for a moment looking at me, then fell back asleep. And it was after 5:30 p.m.

The next day everyone but me went to CA for some boating on Lake Shasta. I got a much-appreciated day to myself at home to get caught up on laundry and projects. Then they headed back to CA the next day for more cave exploring.

Here is a picture of J--he made a helicopter with this Winnie-the-Pooh puzzle. He said Rabbit was the pilot.

Then we went out to Geoff's work to watch ten F-15s take off...one of them being Geoff. Here is W, J, and Uncle PJ in the back of the truck out on the runway.

There goes Geoff with another jet taking off right next to him.

Off they go...Geoff is the one on the right.

And one final squeeze from Uncle PJ at the airport before he returned home. Bye and thanks for the fun visit!