HOME FROM GIRL'S CAMP

And seriously...these two are the funnest to work with!! We had a great week...and really NO complaints. The cleaning fairy (me) cleaned our cabin the 2nd day...then after that...we didn't have time to care about our cabin being clean! Our theme was "Virtue League". We based it off of the Justice league ( superheroes). Our daily themes were.. Monday, Your virtue is priceless ~ Tues. ~Never a better heroe, focus on Christ ~ Weds ~ Super Friends "friendship day" Thurs ~ Go the Distance "Endure to the end". And Fri ~ The hero within "Your superpower is your free agency" We had a 5k up at camp, and surprisingly alot of girls participated! Jaycee and I walked it in less than an hour...our 1st 5k! It was a fun theme with capes of all colors and makes! Talk about talent in our stake!!

Jaycee and I enjoying donuts brought up by our Bishopric on Testimony night!! Mmmm

These women ROCK!! They jumped in with me after our service project...it was SO hot that day!! This is the BRAVE bunch...clothes and all!! A few cheated and put their swimsuits on!! Janna was a virgin polar dipper till she met me!! YA!
Jaycee and Laura made these adorable buddie shirts before camp...it took them all day with imteruptions of every kind inbetween. They had to break for lunch...a little Wii-Fit fun, and just deciding which colors of fabric to use and what kind of faces to use on their gals!! They were a hit at camp...certainly one of a kind! She was so happy to have me up at camp...and I love it when my girls have been at camp with me...just so much fun! She really had a great experience her 1st year...she says it is definately funner than 6th grade camp!!
Licking the foil clean after making bananna boats in the fire for certification! I had to keep poppin in to the 1st year camp so I could get some photo's. I ended up taking over 500 photo's for the stake...alot being my own girls in our ward...but I was definately the papparazzi at camp!! I think that's a good thing!! I have posted alot more photo's on facebook f you want to take a peek! Too many to choose from to just pick a couple for my blog!
So a couple of months off then we start to plan for next year!! Whew..alot of work, but definately worth every bit of it!! Now catchin up on wash so we can leave for Utah in 4 days to see the girls!!! With boating and a BBQ and games in between...man...I guess we never slow down!!

In the 90's!!

I CAN HANDLE WEATHER LIKE THIS!! This is how I like to enjoy the nice warm SUN...tanning oil on my bod!! ( AND PLEASE NOTE...THERE IS NOT A PICTURE OF MY BOD!! HA HA) Today I took an hour break from all the camp to do lists...and there are more than I like to admit....and layed in the pool and tanned....soooo relaxing!!! (above photo op idea from Shyn!! Thanks dear!)
That is until Tan and Jace came in for a swim...which was great, because the water was perfect, when I flipped over and dove in...it wasn't even cold....such a nice day today!!!

It has been the BEST summer for Washington...we have had heat alot!! In fact the kids are sleeping on our floor in our room because their rooms are too hot, and we have a cooler in ours!

So I have to say that we are definately enjoying our pool this year!! Kevin has been so good at keeping it clear!!

I have been super busy preparing for girls camp...we leave at 5:30 am Monday morning...bright and early. So I will be a little pre-occupied next week...we come home on Friday afternoon!! We are going to have a great week at camp!! I'm excited...and Jaycee is too!! I'm so lucky to be called to camp when I have daughters that go....that just makes it all the more fun for me!!!

2000 miles in 5 days!!

AND A VERY PEACEFUL DRIVE AT THAT!!

We left at 5:15 am on Thursday morning and arrived in San Jose CA. at 7:15 pm. We had been talking about visiting Mom and Dad House on their mission...and we finally just did it!
Grampa House would grab Tanner everytime we went through a tunnel and tell him that it was the tunnel of love...he'd hug and kiss him and make him laugh!
Of course they had to show us around...lots of driving!!
We even got to celebrate their birthdays while we were there!! A bananna cream pie!!

After church on Sunday ~ they are the BEST missionaries...they have already made so many friends and are loved. They extended their mission another 6 months...they love it there so much!! So they will be home, back in SLC this time next year.

We drove through San Francisco...and ate at The Fishermans Wharf...the kids had more fun feeding the pigeons than anything!! WE drove over The Golden Gate Bridge...and the Bay was breathtaking....all the sailboats and beautiful water!!

in San Francisco

This made Jaycee's whole trip worthwhile. (She is holding a frog!)We had always talked about going down to see Kathy in the Redwoods and her and Jaycee catching frogs, they both LOVE frogs. We found it pretty ironic that this was the ONLY frog we saw the whole day...we somehow felt that it wasn't a coincidence afterall!! Kathy used to tell Jace time and time again how many frogs she came in contact with working in the Redwoods!!
We named her Jean (Kathy's middle name!)

Tanner playing in the waves in Santa Cruz.
...and more waves
(I'm wondering why it is that I took over 600 pictures!!)
Standing at the base of a Redwood tree.

We took the most beautiful drive through the Redwood Forest. We could have made a 5 day trip just here!! IF only we had more time!!

So after San Jose...Santa Cruz, Monterey to see my niece Melissa and visit The Monterey Aquarium...having authentic Mexican food in San Jose...The redwoods...we are safe and sound back in Puallup...until Girls Camp in 6 days!!! YIKES!! What a wonderful little fast vacation had by all!!

'THE FOURTH'

We were invited over to Sandbergs for the 4th this year, which was exciting, because they live on Lake Tapps and it was nice and hot~to enjoy the lake too!Barely snuck in a picture before we all submerged ourselves in the lake!!

"Jaycee and Tanner picking out fireworks at the local stands"

Kevin surfin on Tod's new board~pretty choppy water with all the boats on the lake, but still possible to get pulled!And so Tanner decided he wanted to give it a try as well! Amazing kid, he got on his knees and rode quite a distance his very first try!! He loved it!!
Rode and rode, and looked over to see if we were watchin' Are you kiddin? I had the camera in my hands all ready! Was wishin I was on the boat instead though!!

After he was through riding the waves, Kev brought him back to the dock to run and jump off the dock into the water with Jace, but 1st he came up to tell me how awesome it was being pulled behind the boat...and "did you see me Mom"~too cute!

He said "when I landed, the board came up and hit me in the head...do I have a bump right there Mom?" When I looked, there was blood. Yikes....and the back of his head was gaping a little...he wasn't worried until he saw there was blood. We were debating stitches, but decided to wait it out a little. Did we want to sit for hours in the Emergency on the 4th?! It was one of those cuts that could have gone either way~ So we put some ice on his head,(nurse Susan~Jo's sister held ice on his head~ above), stopped the bleeding and watched him a while. After an hour, he was ready to put his hat on and get going on the fireworks!

Tanner brought his own lighter, and liked lighting the bee's the best, especially lighting them off the dock, out into the water!! And yes, right after this picture I made him get some shoes on! He was doing pretty good too......that is, until........,

....he backed up a little too far from the fireworks, and landed right into the water!
Hat, shoes, and all! Luckily, the only thing hurt was his pride. poor kid~
That was the final straw for Tan. We got him all warmed up and blanket out to watch the fireworks, but he was exhausted! Long day, good food, great friends (Trina and Wade and little ones came by for a little while) So sweet of them to share Olivia and Kole with all of us!) All the pictures of them are on her camera~dang!

And the Fireworks were SPECTACULAR up at Lake Tapps. After the incredible show by Jordan and his cousins, Our Family and the Sandbergs went out in the boat to watch the ones put on by Tapps Island~I've never seen so many fireworks in one night EVER!! And huge ones at that!! Being on the boat and watching fireworks is like being at Disnayland!! So cool. Quite a day we had...certainly one to remember!!

Amen to this!!

I love that we have NOTHING to get up for in the summer...I'm sleepin' in tommorrow!!! (If I ever get off this computer and quit readin cute blogs!!

Beebe Bridge Campin'

We went to Eastern Washington for 5 days...the kids and I left on Weds afternoon with Tod and Jo and Brock. Kev came over on Friday with the Excursion and the boat. BEAUTIFUL weather everyday!! It was only SUPER windy one day, and that was an experience in a tent!! Whoa...scary!! We sold our motorhome a week ago, but when our friends said they were going...and NO school, I couldn't resist!! I haven't been tent camping in YEARS and decided that Tan and Jace needed to experience that!! SO shoot me if I ever say that again ok!!? I have been totally spoiled by having an RV to camp in...everything has its place...you don't have to worry about your tent and belongings getting wet with the sprinklers...not only once, but twice a day, air conditioning whenever you feel like it, and this buying ice for the coolers to keep the food cold is a JOKE!! It melts so quick!! Ok...really it was a wonderful week, and we had a blast...just makin some notes of the pros and cons and sharing them here on my blog!

We LOVE our boat!! There is nothing like feeling the wind in your face and cruisin on a glassy lake!!! Mmmmm! WE could spend all day in the boat...and HAVE!
Kev and Tanner

This is "Elvis" While we were camping...Jaycee noticed this crow hopping around and that one of his wings was missing! Tod went and wrapped him up in his sweatshirt, and put him in the back of his RV with some food and water...after realizing that he wasn't happy there, we let him go. We kept seeing him around the camp and down by the boat launch!!

Kev relaxin'
Jaycee being her silly self!!

I take a ton of photo's, so I couldn't possibly post them all here...you can check out my facebook and I have posted more on there!! Next is San Jose CA to see Kev's parents on their mission!! I've got to get girls camp stuff prepared..yikes..it's creepin' up on me!!

Happy Father's Day Kev!

HE truly is the BEST!!! As I'm sure all of my kids would agree!! He is so fair and reasonable....really~when I am not!! ha ha (kids would also agree to that too!!)

And THE funnest DAD EVER!!!!
FEELIN' the love here?!

Changed rather quickly!! They LOVE DAD!

Went on a nice bike ride, and cooked him some prawns and steak and baked potatoe...and had a wonderful NICE lazy day!!

Kev givin' Tanner some ideas!! Scary!!

It's great to have a day where you really celebrate having a Dad...I called mine and we talked alot...sure glad he is still around...78!! WOW!