Dimples

Here is the face of a girl...

Who couldn't be any happier!

Star Wars anyone?

Parker has become obsessed with Star Wars.  He has never seen the movies, but luckily, Grandpa and Grandma have all of them.  Parker settled down for a nice long marathon.  Then I got put in charge of building the Star Wars Lego Battleships.  Ok, so truth be told, I volunteered.  They are a lot of fun to put together!  I have never been a fan of Luke, Leia, or Chubacka...but like them or not, Parker LOVES them!
Do you see the little Lego Luke and Darth Vador that are watching the movie with Parker...so cute!

shhhhh don't tell...

One of the benefits of being out in the middle of nowhere...

teaching your children to drive, at a VERY young age!  They thought it was great!

(Don't look at my attire, I had just gone for a run.)

disgusting

My mom and I took the kids to a dairy farm down the road. Kasidee walked in to where they were milking the cows, walked out and said, "Mom, don't go in there, it is disgusting." I had to agree, but that didn't stop me from going back home and having ice cream!
The baby calves were SO CUTE!!!

You scream, I scream, we ALL scream for...

ICE CREAM!!!!

My dad got a soft serve ice cream machine last summer, right as we were leaving...

this summer, we get to enjoy it!!! So much for eating healthy on this trip!!! (At least there isn't a McDonald's, Taco Bell, or anything else within 20 miles of here!)

Best Seat in the House

I love the tire on the zip line!!! Everyone can jump on at the same time.
Bailey likes to sit and ride back and forth, over and over again.

Addison wishes she could ride...but she is too heavy to be pulled back up the hill. Bailey is the only one who is allowed to ride back up. She sits and laughs as everyone tries to hang on, and sometimes they succeed and sometimes not.

I think Kasidee weighs the same as Bailey, you think I am kidding but I'm not, so I think she should be able to ride up every once in a while...but no such luck. Unless your name is "B-A-I-L-E-Y" you are huffin' it up the hill.

That is one lucky girl!

Grandma who?

It is so confusing when there are so many grandmas around. But to make matters worse...
P, K, A, B, and R's Great Grandma has a big strawberry patch. The kids have been here for a couple seasons now, so they refer to her as "Grandma Strawberry." You're thinking...

That's not confusing, that helps them keep their Grandma and their Great Grandma apart...but wait there's more.
Mark affectionately refers to his mom as "grandma strawberry" because of her gorgeous red hair. So now the kids are all confused!

Grandma Strawberry, Grandma Judy, Grandma Gilbert, Great Grandma?!?!?
Which grandma are we talking about?

But what a great thing to be confused about! My kids are so lucky to have so many grandmas in their life who love them so much!

A very important job

VERY important!

Countless hours of training had to be implemented in order for these young apprentices to be ready for the task ahead of them. Only a few were selected, some were too young.

The required safety gear (foot protection) was not for the faint of heart.

The precision needed, not everyone possessed.

Luckily, Parker, Kasidee, and Addison were up for the job!

Who else could personally place each pebble in it's exact necessary location?!?

HOURS people...HOURS and HOURS and HOURS of this!

Happy Birthday?

Bailey kept trying to sing Happy Birthday to my dad this morning. There were presents, she was close.
It has been a long time since I have been able to spend Father's Day with my dad (thanks Mark, I'm sorry we aren't with you too). There aren't words to describe how much I love my dad...but I will try.

He is MacGyver! There isn't anything that he can't fix. He made the zip line safe for my kids using only a plastic block, 2 anchors, and a bungee cord.

He cries when he talks about his family.

I will never forget when I was little, maybe 4, and he just came home from work. We were outside playing in a little plastic swimming pool, and he sat down, work boots and all, in the water with us. That is the type of dad he has been, all in!

He has always been there for me. Giving me hugs and teaching me. Giving me blessings and sharing his testimony.

Thanks dad for being my hero. There isn't a super hero who can compare! I love you dad!

Cold, yes I said COLD!!!

We are enjoying some cold weather here in Washington. I brought the kids here to visit for almost the whole summer. We are not used to this chilly weather!
We roasted hot dogs for lunch in the fire pit. There is a fire, and they are still in jackets.

Snow hats...your eyes aren't playing tricks on you...snow hats!

It warms up quite a bit when the sun comes out, but the girls couldn't wait, they had to get out on the zip line first thing in the morning.

They look like a bunch of hoodlums with their hoodies and black hats! Up to no good!

They drag each other up the hill, and then take turns. Everyone is exhausted by the end of the day. I am in heaven!

Bailey is getting so big. She is right there with the big girls.

We miss everyone in Texas already, but we are sure having a fun time here in Washington!

2 min of prep=2 hrs of FUN

My neighbor showed me this cute idea that she saw online.

All you have to do it cut off the bottom of any pop or water bottle.
Cover with an old rag, or I used old kid socks...

Fill a bowl with bubbles, or dish soap that is watered down a little...

And the kids can blow bubbles to their little hearts content.

They don't pop easily, so they are fun to play with.

Parker made a bubble dome.

The tighter the sock/rag is, the longer the bubble worms you can make.

And here is zero prep and hours of fun as well!

Who doesn't like to gnaw on a good ol' spatula every now and again?!?