Happy Birthday Jack and Wyatt!

Yet again, I am playing catch-up.  Big time catch-up this time.  The boys have been 8 now for two months!  They wanted a birthday party this year and we did an obstacle course/America Ninja Warrior-themed party.  Geoff set-up a fun course in the back yard and we kept with our morning birthday party tradition.  The weather is always nice and we have a shady backyard in the a.m.

We bought pool noodles for the kids to play with and take home (even better they are on sale in August!)  The party went so fast that I didn't get too many pictures.  I barely got one of them blowing out the candles on their chocolate muffins.

I don't even have pics of the actual course.  :(

    The boys had a great time and of course loved celebrating with their friends and opening their    
    gifts.  Eight years with these two has felt like two.  Every day with Jack and Wyatt is a gift.          


   Happy Birthday!!!!!

Grammy and Grandpa Visit!

Grammy and Grandpa arrived!  

 Geoff broke out the boxing gloves.  Check out the very innocent-looking but really channeling her inner "Rocky" self here.

She looks so sweet.  But she will take you out.

 ...she has fists flying even while smiling...

...uppercut!

Favorite strategy #1:   sneak up from behind

...and then she goes in for the KO.

  Favorite strategy #2:  Grab you from behind at waist-level and pull you down with all her weight...

The next morning we left early for Grants Pass to ride the Hellgate Jet boats.  

And I can't find any pictures.  I know I took some.

It was fun but we all were pretty tired from being in the sun and being in the car!

The boys had an art class that night and they painted flags.  They turned out really nice.

   We started off our day-before-4th of July with the fireworks Geoff bought for the boys.

On the 4th of July, we went to our friend's Kelly and Michael's cabin at Lake of the Woods.  The kids had so much fun playing on the dock and riding rafts on the water.

Wyatt was happily paddling around the dock shouting "Happy 4th of July!  Happy 4th of July!"

The kids are so giddy happy on the water that it makes me want to get a boat.  Almost.
The community at the lake has a boat parade/water fight every year.  Some boats were decorated (see the very patriotic boat below) and pretty much every boats had ammunition for a water fight.  One boat even had a fire hose built in that had us all running from the deck.

Here is our brave crew...

and their fearless leaders...

They are stocked up on water balloons...

and I am sure no one else had Captain America.

And the fireworks at the lake - were AMAZING.  It got really quiet and the fireworks echoed around the mountains.  I have never heard that before.

Baby girl had nothing left when we got home.

We played tennis one afternoon since Jan teaches tennis lessons-we have to take advantage of her expertise!

   Geoff set up the tent on the last night Mark and Jan were here.  Avery's first time sleeping in a tent.

 Jack wanted to look like he was reading in the picture.

A was trying to give us her pouty lip but she was also trying not to smile at the same time.

K to the T.  (one of our nicknames for Katy)

Thank you for visiting Grammy and Grandpa!  We had so much fun having you here.