Camping

Camped at Nisqually and then spent the next day clearing a trail to the river. The kids loved sleeping in the tent and breakfast the next morning. Phil and I decided if we were going to camp we needed to get something to sleep on so we aren't on the hard ground. I am too young to feel so old after sleeping on the ground. We walked the rope bridge and the kids thought it was super fun to bounce on while I was screaming for them to stop. I am such a big baby and hate when I feel I am up in the air (even when it is about 6 inches over water less than 4 feet deep. Phil tried throwing the machete back over the little pond and didn't quite make it so he had to fish it out. He tried with a golf club from the car and then just jumped in and got wet.

Summer Nights

Playing kickball at Nisqually before building a fire for a cook-out with friends. Nothing like kicking up dirt, throwing a ball and laughing with friends. The summer is always so busy with people vacationing so we didn't get to spend very much time with the Elsworths and Paces, but it was fun when we got together.

5 Mile Loop

This tree had fallen down the hill and the kids were excited to walk up it... until Cannon laid down on it because he was ready to come down. It had great huckleberry bushes around it and some thimbleberry bushes we ate our fill of.

Phil got in one picture just to document that he was actually with us.

Phil told the kids to climb out on this tree over the water and of course Miya fell in. She had a nice wet hike after that.

These beauties before getting a nice summer hair cut.

We had a few Saturdays this summer that didn't have a million things on the calendar so we took the kids on a few hikes. This one was just the 5 mile loop in Tacoma. It takes you down around the Sound and then up behind the zoo. The kids thought is was great and it took us just about 2 hours so it was just right for them and let us stop and look at things. We really want to do some long hikes with them next year and try our luck at backpacking around Rainier. It is crazy and so fun to have the kids growing and so much easier to get out and enjoy activities.

Hey

I love staying at Steph and Ty's house when we are in Driggs. We get to see Steph's great hair in the morning while we read scriptures and say prayer at breakfast time.

Boys

Will and Cannon



Oliver and Caleb
 

The four boys are so fun and have a great time together. They all have great little personalities and are different in a lot of ways. It is so fun that with the majority of girls we had four boys with a year. Cannon loved playing with Oliver and talking science and experiments with him. All the boys could spend hours talking about a game they were playing on the computer. I love how excited little boys can get about video games. They are all such nice boys and I am so glad they have each other and can be good examples to each other as they get older.