Visitors from Idaho - Part 1 - Fun in SW Washington

Our very dear friends from Idaho came to visit us before heading to the Oregon Coast for Jack's eighth birthday. We enjoyed showing them our house and our yard and our slip-N-slide and our favorite parks and waterfalls.

There! I'm all caught up from backlogged posts so I can devote more time, hopefully, to more current events like Part 2 - our trip to the Oregon Coast. Be watching for more updates soon! :-)

Swimming Lessons

The boys have been taking swimming lessons twice a week since the beginning of May. They are both doing great! Thankfully, we have a lesson slot all to ourselves, so the boys are learning a lot every time. Taylor can swim 15 feet all by himself with no problem and Aric is excelling at reaching down to the very bottom of the pool to retrieve things.

A Day at the Lake

We spent an afternoon on Merwin Reservoir with the Hendersons and their sailboat, the Christina Marie. We all enjoyed the sun, the sand, and the fellowship of good friends. Everyone except Ascha enjoyed the sailboat. We didn't take pictures of her tears, but the lifejacket was a bit too restrictive for her liking.

Thanks, Henderson family, for a fun visit!

Taylor's Special Day

At the beginning of May, Taylor was inducted into the "5 Book Report Club." In order to be a part, one needed to read 5 chapter books and then write corresponding book reports. He was the only kindergartener to join the ranks, along with selected first graders. He was the focus of a special "circle time" with his class and another kindergarten class and the principal came to present the award. He received a bright yellow button, an award certificate, a coupon for a free kids meal at Taco Bell, and a hug from the principal. :-) ("That part was silly!" he said.)

We are very proud of the hard work he put in! Good job, Taylor!

Ascha at 10 months



As you can see, she's got a lot of teeth (five now) and a huge smile.


She's going everwhere she wants...she's an expert crawler and cruiser.


She's also getting into everything! What else would a 10-month-old want to do?