We got spirit, yes we do!

We got spirit how about you? The North Mason High school cheerleaders put together a mini cheer camp. The girls were so excited to go to cheer practice for two days then cheer during the varsity football game and perform their dance during half time. I was a proud mama watching them out on the field. They did Awesome!! Jack was done about 30 minutes into the game and wanted to go home. He didn't care about no stink'n cheerleaders he was tired and cold. Papa kept him warm and he was able to tough it out until after half time.

*Family Pictures*

Hoh Rainforest and Ruby Beach

The last part of the summer we took a camping trip to the coast and to the Hoh Rainforest. Its was a bit foggy on the beach but it was so beautiful. Ruby beach is called that because the comming and going of the tide washes down rubies from the dirt off the coast and you can find them on the beach. We did not find any because we found all of this out after we had already left. Oh well, next time. The next day we went to the rainforest and camped. We hiked a couple of trails and looked at all the moss on all the trees. It was a real fairy land and we decided that this is were all the fairies live.

It's egg-citing

Last week my uncle was in town, he came over and saw our chickens and informed us that one was laying eggs already. I wasn't so convinced since we hadn't seen any eggs yet, but since he hatches his own eggs and raises his own chickens I thought well maybe I won't argue with him. The next morning I went to let the chickens out like I always do. They roam all day on our property eating all the yummy bugs. As I walked up the path to their coop I saw a wonderful sight, a little brown egg right in my way, it must of been laid right before we tucked them in the night before. We were so excited. So all day I kept checking outside on the path, in their coop, around their coop and all over the yard. It was like Easter for 4 days I was on the hunt, and nothing!
The Internet said each hen would lay 1 egg every 24 hours so where were all my eggs? We decided to build a big fence to keep them in a manageable area and it worked we found 3 eggs yesterday. This morning before church I let the chickens out into their new pen and went inside to finish getting ready. Not more than 15 minutes later I look outside and one(Daisy) is out, so out I go to track her down. I hear her softly clucking in some bushes. I dig through and see a shiny white egg and then right behind it I see a brown egg. Then I see Daisy sitting under the bush, I pick her up and under her were 14 eggs, yes 14! So now we know where all our eggs have been hiding. After church we fixed the "holes" in the pen and clipped their wings so hopefully in the days to come we won't be hunting for any more eggs, we will just be gathering.

It's that time again...

For crisp air in the morning, for yummy blackberries on the bushes(everywhere), for sweatshirts, hot cocoa, early mornings, sack lunches, and for SCHOOL. The girls were not as excited about school as I was but they are enjoying it as I knew they would.
Brooke is in 4th grade, loves Taylor swift, cowgirl clothes, soccer, is very much a momma's girl, always has a messy room, is overly cautious about everything, takes such good care of her brother, is growing up so fast and she is so B-utiful.




Emily is in 2nd grade, boy crazy, loud, full of energy, has the funniest most contagious laugh, and is the comedian of the family not to mention she too is B-utiful.She has another boy teacher this year but is OK with it since her teacher is really young and really cute! Heaven help us!

June

In June we took the girls out of school two days early to head down to New Mexico for my sister's wedding. She married Cody Wilkins on June 19th in Colorado and it was Beautiful.

Then it was home to celebrate Brooke's birthday(which was the same day my sister got married) She had some friends over and we had a little party. I cannot believe she is 10 years old and going to be in the 4th grade-it blows me away-.

Farmers?

Three kids, two dogs, two hamsters, one cat and eight chickens! Oh my. We have added eight chickens to our family. The kids got chickens for Easter this year and we are all so excited to have fresh eggs in 4 months. We wanted 4 or 5 chicks but the "farmer" informed us that a couple might die off the first few days. So not wanting to have only 2 or 3 left I bought eight in hopes for 5, well we must be suited for the chicken raising business because all eight are alive and thriving.

Anyone need eggs? We will be loaded.


Brooke asked the other day if having chickens made us farmers? Sometimes I feel like I wake up at 5am and work all day then go to bed at 10pm just to start all over again the next day, so "yes" we must be farmers.
Not only of animals but of children.

A Date

This was taken when I was thinner and Sam's hair was Thicker:)


Last night Sam and I dropped the kids off at our great friends house so we could go out on a date for my birthday. We went to "uptown" Gig Harbor and had some yummy Thai food. We had never had Thai food before but we liked it especially the crispy squid with sweet and sour sauce-YUM-. Then after stuffing ourselves we headed to Ben and Jerry's ice cream. It was a nice night just the two of us - we need that more often. He even gave up watching the playoff game just for me, ahhh. He loves me. Even though it was on at the restaurant - you should of seen him grin!

*TIMBER*

When I look in my back yard this is what I see. Trees, trees, and more trees. We had three trees that were a little too close to the house for Sam's comfort. Sam has been cutting down trees all over our property since we have moved in, in July, but these. If one of these trees went the wrong way it would be the end of our house as we know it. I like my house. So us doing it ourselves was not really an option. Our neighbor on the other hand is a professional lumberjack -Yeah us-. So today Mr. lumberjack came to our house and took those pesky trees down. It was so awesome to see him cut them down he made it look so easy. "TIMBER" I yelled in my head as each one fell down. The loud cracking and swooshing of the tree as they fell is the best sound, I was in awe.

my new neighbors

I am so excited to be getting new neighbors. Over Christmas my parents bought a house 15 minutes away from me. They sold their ranch in Texas and have decided to move to be closer to grand kids, and me:) Never in my life did I think I would be living in Washington and now my parents, will someone pinch me because I cannot believe it.

Soccer

We finally got the girls to join a soccer team. They were hesitant about doing any sports since they played t-ball 2 years ago. They were the only girls on the team and had to wear boy uniforms-yuck-. They are so girly. So they were so excited to find out they were on all girl teams. Brooke is on the Red Rubies and Emily is on the Thunder Bugs. They LOVE it.

Clueless

Brooke thought Jack was taking her picture. This cracks me up. It's like Napolian Dynimite the more you watch it the funnier it is.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy!!

Yesterday was Sam's birthday!! He is now 33 years old. We went to the zoo yesterday morning and saw all the animals then went to lunch. We had Waite tacos for dinner as requested by Sam. Peanut butter icing yellow cake for dessert as requested by Sam, I have never made him anything else it is a tradition, that's what his mom made him too. It was a very nice -laid back day. We love and appreciate him so much words cannot explain. He is officially the most LOVED man in the world. Brooke got a funny picture of him hitting himself in the chest with Jacked sword. He is going to hate that I posted it but how could I not.

First Day of School

Summer is Officially over. School has finally started. Every day this summer the girls would wake up get there own breakfast-get their brother breakfast and let me sleep, it was delightful! This morning I rolled out of bed at 7:30 and woke the girls up and realized I had no juice boxes or fruit for their lunches. Thankfully Sam was still home and I ran to the store while they ate breakfast. It was foggy and there was a crisp chill in the air, I loved it. It is almost Fall and the weather is starting to get a little rainy. The girls were excited yet a little nervous. They both have BOY teachers this year. Brooke was fine with the idea as long as he wasn't OLD or had long hair. Luckily for her he is neither. Emily's teacher is Fun. He is crazy and loud and reminds me of a grownup "surfer dude". As we walked away from there school on our way to the car Jack just kept asking Emme-Book (Emily Brooke) all morning he was so clingy and weepy. He is taking it hard. Mommy is boring. I'm OK with that. I hope the girls love their new school and hope they have a great year. Brooke is now in 3rd grade. Emily is now in 1st.

Nana's and Papa's Texas Style

Over the 4th of July weekend while Sam was climbing MT. Rainier I whisked the kids away for some good ol' Texas fun at my parents house. My parents now live in Texas as some of you might know and they have a little ranch were they are raising cattle oh and one donkey who is about to have a baby. We flew into Austin on a Wednesday and were supposed to meet my sister and her family but they got delayed until the next day. Walking into the airport to meet them might be a normal task for the normal person but my mom likes to shake things up a bit and decided to face plant herself off the curb and breaks her foot. So begins the Craziness of the week, well maybe the craziness started when Melissa was delayed in the Durango airport for 10 hours unable to leave!! The next morning we all left for San Antonio to brave the summer heat and mass amounts of people at SEAWORLD!! The day was Hot, but full of fun. The kids enjoyed them selves but were ready to leave before we even saw Shamu that's how hot and tired they all were. The hotel swimming pool sounded much more exciting to them. After a 3 hour drive to Bryan were my parents live we finally were able to relax and go see the Ranch. My parents have completely fixed up and gutted the ranch of all the unwanted trees weeds and put up a beautiful fence and a HUGE barn. Not to mention the new toy my Dad got, his tractor!! Oh and my mom's new toy a red 4 wheeler to match my dad's tractor. Early in the morning we would go out and feed the cattle and of course give the kids 4 wheeler rides. Brooke really impressed me normally she is the princess not wanting to get dirty but around the ranch she got the buckets filled them up went to the feeding area and called the cows and fed them even with her hands, she was in her element. One evening it was me in the middle of Brooke who was in the front and my niece aspen in the back on the 4 wheeler. As I was explaining the gears and brakes Brooke grabbed the gas button and we all flipped backwards. Thankfully it did not land on us , but little aspen was under all of us and got draged a good 2 feet. I thought I killed her! Seeing her laying there-horrible- That kid had a baseball size knot behind her ear and she told me that night that she cannot forgive me:( I'm just happy she was OK.
That was the end of the Craziness thank goodness.

Medieval Fun

Port Gamble is the cutest (I would go as far as saying its the perfect)little town. If anyone is a fan of Gilmore Girls you'll know what I mean when I say it looks like Stars Hallow only smaller. A waist high white picked fence runs through the entire town with a beautiful church and grass filled yards that are always manicured. An old country store that sells the best homemade pistachio ice cream sits on the edge of the bay with a small road lined with antique stores in the front. On the weekends the town host events of all kinds and one weekend some friends invited us to go to the medieval fair. We parked in a dirt lot about 1/2 mile from town and walked along a tree lined path to the fair.