The Great Wolf Lodge

There is a new water park about 2 hours from us in Washington. We all packed up on Monday and surprised the kids, they had no idea where we were going. Their faces were priceless when we arrived at the Lodge.... Landon and Madison always want to go swimming so this was extra fun.....We all had a great time Monday and Tuesday playing in the water.....Madison was the only one that would dare go down the Howlin' Tornado with Michael and Me.....So fun!! The boys went down the huge water slides on tubes with me and that was also really fun.... Makenna is our most daring child but she was still a little too short for the big rides....We had a hard time keeping her, Madison, Landon, and Braxton out of the Wave pool.....We had a lot of fun....We may have to go back next summer...I took some pictures, but quickly put away the camera so that I could play instead of taking pics....much more fun playing.... :)

Camping at Cape Lookout....

Our favorite place to go camping is Cape Lookout on the coast....it is only 1 hour and 45 minutes from home....fabulous....especially with gas prices...:)
We have so much fun there...the campsites are very nice and the beach is only a hop, skip and a jump....we have so much fun playing in the sand and getting up early to go search for sand dollars....We got a new trailer so that we can take all of the camping gear and all of our bikes....
The kids had so much fun riding their bikes around and Michael and I got some books read and some biking in too.....it was a very relaxing week....it was hard to come back to reality.....The kids love roasting hot dogs and sitting around the campfire.....only 3 of us got some mosquito bites...but the weather was so nice low 70's and overcast that I forgot to put on the sunscreen before it was too late....we all came home looking a little red....

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Wipe out

Our family likes to watch the new TV show called Wipe out....we think it is very funny....the things that people will do for money....the boys think it looks fun.....lol

The kids all around the computer watching it....and laughing....

In the good ole Summertime....

Makenna having fun relaxing watching "Toy Story 2" and eating some yummy baked bread....

First Monday of Summer break....Playing Settler's of Catan......Marshmellows.....what more could you want.... :) we have lots of fun together playing games....

Vampire Makenna

One day Makenna had been watching the "Littlest Vampire" and she put on her cape and cut herself some paper vampire teeth.....we thought it was very cute....Maybe she could be in the Twilight movie..... :)

The Planes....The Planes....

There were more Planes at the airport this weekend.....we went to check them out....

Happy Father's Day!!

The kids decorated some ties for Michael to wear to church today.....They were pretty fashionable has Makenna says.....He even wore them to church....

So long 8th grade...Hello High School.....

It just seems like yesterday that I was going to be a Freshman entering High School and now Braxton is.....Last night was the 8th grade completion ceremony.....458 kids.....the most ever to go through Brown Middle School.....We are very proud of Braxton he was one of only 24 kids that got 4.0 both years of Middle School.....Way to go!!

Rose Parade

Braxton very excited to be at the parade...lol....:) Thank goodness for books and snacks....
Madison(pink and blue shirt) front and center with her friend Veronica, all ready to see the horses.....

Makenna loved waving at everyone....she loved in when they would wave back...and she didn't like it too much when they didn't wave.... :) She really liked the princesses...

Landon taking a rest...a little after the parade started a float I guess ran out of gas or broke down or something so there was quite awhile with no parade activity....

Another thing that we like to do is go to the Portland Rose Parade.....This year was cold...mid 50's....and just a few light sprinkles....last year we got really wet... :) but the canopy keeps us nice and dry.....As you can see Makenna is showing us her back side...she didn't want her pic taken....and then when I'm putting them on the blog she wonders where the pics of her are....lol..go figure...

Another wild animal in the backyard

This morning I was looking outside and I saw something furry playing with the soccer ball....upon closer examination and from the safety of the window.....I saw that it was the mysterious raccoon that has been hanging around the neighborhood.....about a few months ago Landon told me that he thought a raccoon was destroying the pad on our trampoline of course i thought he was being silly why would a raccoon be on the trampoline....well, in May we all saw the raccoon in the backyard......we think that it has been eating the dog food that the neighbors behind us leave out for their dog....The raccoon was not even scared with me and Makenna looking out the window at it...I called some people that live trap wild animals, she told me that more than likely it has parvo and would have to be euthanized and that is probably why it is getting days and nights mixed up and getting more daring...... Kind of sad that it is probably sick, but scary for all of the animals and kids in the neighborhood. Well, that is the latest on the raccoon....we may be going around the neighborhood taking up collections to pay for the live trap....By the way, it totally had fun destroying the ball, we need to get another one but not leave it outside....you never know who or what might be outside playing soccer :)

Rose Festival Fireworks

One of our traditions is to go to the river front in Portland every May and watch the fireworks which are the start of the Portland Rose Festival.....Last Friday evening was no exception, come rain or shine we always head down to the river on the lawn with our blankets, chairs, snacks, glowsticks(that is part of the fun the kids think it is great), and camera. We have been doing this ever since we moved here, this was our 12th year....where has time gone?...

Annual trip to the Rose Festival Fireworks....the video was fun but of course they are much more impressive in person....

Nina

Last Saturday we went to the riverfront in Portland to check out a replica of the ship the Nina....it was pretty neat......

The Niña - Most Historically Accurate Columbus Ship Replica Ever Built The Niña is a replica of the ship on which Columbus sailed across the Atlantic on his three voyages of discovery to the new world beginning in 1492. Columbus sailed the tiny ship over 25,000 miles. That ship was last heard of in 1501, but the new Niña has a different mission. We are a floating museum, and we visit ports all over the United States.

The girls on the Trampoline.....

One of the best things we ever bought is the trampoline.

World War II B-17 Bomber

One of Michaels favorite things are any military type of plane.....The B-17 was at the Hillsboro airport this past weekend....I told him I think we need to save up the $400.00 for a flight for him..... :)

A bird in our bathroom????

This morning I went into our bathroom and a bird started flying around and I thought it was our parakeet.....I couldn't figure out why it kept trying to fly out of the skylight...usually it will land on your shoulder....well.....it wasn't Petey our parakeet...it looked like a chickadee....what....how in the world did it get in the house....I closed the bathroom door so it wouldn't fly out and went around the house to investigate where it could have gotten in....no open windows or doors....it is still a mystery.......I called Michael at work......I told him that he was the "chick"adee magnet....He came home and caught the bird and released the traumatized bird into the "wild".....Petey our parakeet thought that he had a new friend.....

Madison's Special Day....May 3, 2008

Madison was baptized

Saturday, May 3, 2008.

It was a very special day. She is our sweetheart and she was very excited to be baptized. We all had a very great and fun day. After the baptism we went and got Ice Cream, Madison's favorite.... :)

Horse riding lessons

Today Madison had horse riding lessons.....She wasn't nervous at all....She was very excited.....On our way home I asked her if she had fun, she said..."I didn't like it....I LOVED it!!

She is anxious to go again....The horse was named Lady and she was a very gentle quarterhorse...

Happy Birthday Madison!!

Happy Birthday Madison.....

I attempted to make a Horse cake. :)