Our Weekend

We had a nice weekend. We went up to Mattawa, WA, for a family reunion (Jason's side). It was great to see family and spend time with each of them. Great food, good entertainment, and some relaxation. Poor Lauren though. She wasn't feeling very good at all. She has six teeth coming in at once. She wasn't much of her happy, entertaining self. Oh well, atleast she is almost done with teething. That'll be a relief after going through these six.
Lauren has many cute cousins. They are so fun to be around. From left to right: Karlee, Brynlee, Aubrie, and Lauren.
When the camping was over, everyone headed to the pool. It was refreshing to all!

Road Trip

Yesterday was a fun day for Jason, Lauren, and I.
Our plans started out as just a trip to return our ripped tent to Cabella's in Post Falls, Idaho, but, turned into a sightseeing adventure. We made a loop through Coeur D'Alene, Moscow, Pullman, Washtucna, Kahlotus, and back down 395 to Pasco. We covered 400 miles of beautiful mountains and rolling hills. I had only been to Coeur D'Alene before, so it was a great trip. I love traveling and seeing new places. Because Jason travels to all these places every month, it wasn't anything new to him, but it's the company that counts!
By the end, we were all ready to get out of the car. However, we made a few great stops along the way.

Our first stop was in Coeur D'Alene. We parked at North Idaho College, a place that is quite familiar to me from my basketball playing days at the College of Eastern Utah. Actually, the gym was the only building that looked familiar. The college is right by the lake, so we walked down to the beach. We watched a pontoon plane land right in front of us on the lake. We loved that!
Our next stop was in Moscow. We went to the University of Idaho and parked at the Kibbie Dome, so we could run around on the turf field. We had the field all to ourselves--not another person to be seen anywhere. Just the way it should be sometimes! Lauren loved it, as did we. We ran up and down and all over the field. I wish the day would have lasted forever with the three of us together. Now another week is before us, but I am so glad that there will be more times like this ahead.

A side note: Jason and I love going to different universities. Most universities have interesting buildings and beautiful landscapes. One of my favorites so far is the University of Oregon in Eugene. We happened to go through there during Spring when everything was in bloom and greening up. It was incredible. Knowing this, now you know why we went to NIC and U of I. Next time we'll have to go through WSU in Pullman.

The Campout

We had a ward campout this last weekend. I was kind of reluctant to go. Don't get me wrong, I love the outdoors and I enjoy camping. I was just worried about the weather being really cold, which it was, and about Lauren. We hadn't been camping with her yet, so it was a good time to start--with all the rain and cold temperatures I guess.We got up to Teancum Timbers, the church campground, and picked out a campsite. All the fun began from there. It started pouring, our brand new tent ripped, Lauren was crying, our dinner wasn't getting cooked...our moods were changing for the worst.
Infact, Jason even said he was never going camping again. That says a lot because he came from a camping family!
Once Lauren went to bed and we had some dutch oven potatoes and chicken, our spirits were back up. The next morning, Jason was in charge of cooking the bacon for breakfast, and Lauren was hanging out with her friends, Aidan and Kenly. Overall, it was a fun experience. The good will usually outdo the bad, right?

Happy Birthday To You

Here's a happy birthday wish to Joel and Sharon!!Not too long ago, the world became a better place...the day Joel was born!

Joel has achieved much in his life. He is a man of many talents.

In his younger years, he was a boxer and was an All-star football player in high school.
He has given much of his time in boy scouts as a scout leader, which he enjoyed and believed to be a good cause.

He knows the tools and trades of constuction work.

He loves to "tinker" with hobbies of all kinds, from model airplanes to his garden.
Joel is also a great father. He has always been one to support each of his children by always being apart of their lives.

What an amazing man!!!

Happy Birthday Joel!

(Joel on an Oliver tractor.)

...And You

Happy Birthday to you Sharon! I am so fortunate to have Sharon as a mother-in-law. From the first time I met her, I noticed many amazing qualities. Her qualities are endless.

She is someone I need to be more like. The three pictures of her were taken around 8 years old, around the time she married Joel (I'm guessing), and when Lauren was born.

What a beautiful lady!

Here are some qualities of Sharon that I am grateful for: gentle, kind, loving, giving of time and effort, and unselfish.
Also, she is an excellent school secretary and homemaker because she does her best in every way.
But, the greatest quality of all is: she makes the best cherry pie!!!

We love you both very much!!!

"The Walking Group"

Lauren and I have become part of a walking group, which we look forward to each day.
Every morning, (if weather permits), we begin from the parking lot at my place. It started out with just two of us walking, and has grown to four...with three happy boys and one happy girl being pushed along.
We have great conversations, from gas/food prices to childbirth...go figure! Whenever there is something interesting to see, the kids are all lined up with a view of their own.
The walks have been awesome and a lot of fun, as well as the company I am with. So if any of you Pasco women(or any of you Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Texas, or Arizona women for that matter) want to come join us, here is your invitation! You can bring your children like us, or your dog, or anything else you like to walk!

(From right to left: Lauren, Aidan, Brennan, and Colton)


Some-
times Jason and I go on walks in the evenings too.
It is fun to go with Lauren because she enjoys our walks and being outside so much. At the end, she likes to walk with us. She tends to take her time because she has to investigate every rock or weed. So, we are constantly saying, "Come on, Lauren, let's go!" Then, when she is ready to go, she is in a dead sprint, and it is sometimes hard to catch up to her. So, we are constantly saying, "Wait! Slow down Lauren!"
No matter how fast or slow we go, all these walks make good memories.

Our Circus Act

Here is a short version of some words Lauren can say and some animals she can imitate. She wasn't in quite the right mood to perform in front of the camera tonight, but if it was a roomful of people she'd put on an unforgettable performance. She's our little circus act. Lauren loves attention and loves to have people laugh at her.