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.

Turning 34

Happenings and highlights of the past year:
1. spending three weeks in Driggs this summer
2. Lyla starting school so all my kids are in school (sad, but exciting)
3. being the Relief Society President (learning to organize my time to get things done)
4. Oregon trip with the Phillips'
5. Squim trip with the Phillips'
6. learning to play soccer
7. improving my running pace and knocking off another 10 minutes of my 1/2
8. painting the cabin and almost getting it done
9. finally hitting my goal weight
10. Vegas trip with Phil
11. Cannon getting baptized
12. army triathlon
13. new friends in the new ward

This past year was fantastic and I know I am leaving off a million great things because there seems to be great things happening each day. Today we are off to play some birthday tennis and then heading to the temple and dinner in Seattle. I love my birthday!