Our First Family Camping Trip

Rebecca invited our family to go on a camping trip to Lake Kachess. We had never taken our kids on a real camping trip before and finally decided it was time to go. Jane has a pull trailer that wasn't getting much use and told us to bring that which made it nice that we didn't have to sleep in a tent or pack kitchen supplies. After a very late start on Wednesday night (8pm) and a few stops including back tracking to find a open gas station, we finally arrived at the campsite (Mia called it a website the whole time we were there -lol). Thursday morning after breakfast we walked down to the lake and the kids were in heaven! It had a great little beach and roped off swim area and some fun logs floating for them to play on. And the scenery was beautiful!!

Cameron bought this paddle boat on the way and it was a big hit.

Rebecca's friends, Cary and Melanie Mitchell also came and brought their boat, tube and skis. Cameron enjoyed being a passenger rather than the boat driver and was able to relax some on the tube!

The boys tried to fish a little in the creek and Collin fell off the bank and got a bit wet. Sadly, no fish we caught.

We sat around and relaxed around the campfire and eating all the delicious meals that were made. Cameron made some excellent pork and corn on the cob on the fire on our night for dinner. It was true camp cooking!

Mia loving on her blanket, Sydney and Morgan

Rebecca and her friend, Melanie working on their tans while watching the kiddos on the beach

I love the sheer look of terror on Christian's face riding with Collin and Logan

I heard Collin rode the tube the most but amazingly my dear little girl, Chelsea who normally has to be forced into it rode a ton also!!

Chelsea, Mike and Logan

Rebecca on the boat with her girls, Sydney and Taylor

This is a view of our campsite (website) from the trailer while we're eating breakfast.

Cameron took me on a "romantic" paddle boat ride

Jane came up and spent an afternoon with us and was not prepared for the hot lake weather!

The girls spent lots of time playing on the shore . . .

and playing make believe (like tinkerbell fairies) and posing in the trees.

Cameron and Collin took baths in the lake at night

We all ate way too many yummy smores!!!

Morgan became an expert at making the perfect marshmallow.

Doesn't that look so good!

Rebecca decided we needed to try waterskiing again.

It took me a while to get up and going and then I still felt out of control and my arms hurt! I want to get better again and want to buy a ski finally for our boat.

These are the awesome girl cousins on the last day (Saturday)!

Collin hugging his cousins, Logan and Christian

Cameron and Mike our cleaning up after our big breakfast

Yuck! It's time to go home because I went far too long without washing my hair! I am so glad Rebecca finally convinced us to go camping with them. My kids loved it and want us to go back there again before school starts (but we hope that the mosquitos aren't there as bad next time).

Faint

So an hour or so ago the girls and I decided it was time to change Morgan's earrings for the first time since it's now been 6 weeks since she had them pierced. After pulling out the first one I thought they didn't look quite healed yet but went ahead and put in the pink dangly one she wanted in and then did the other side also. Just as I was putting on the back Morgan said I feel really tired and then I don't feel well. And I looked and realized that she was once again about to FAINT! I picked her up and carried her to the bed and slapped her face in the process and she woke groggily. So was it the earring removal that caused this? I'm not sure because just over 3 weeks ago she came inside from playing in the very hot weather with Collin and said she didn't feel good. Then she sat on my lap and fainted! So what should I do? She is my only fainter in the family. She fainted at Walmart about a year or so ago after hitting her head on the kid cart doing a flip over the bar. And she fainted when she was about 1 when she hit her head on the ground after Collin accidently pushed her too hard going around in a circle on a baby car type toy. So is she just prone to fainting or is it something more? Should I take her to the doctor? Any advice?

Time for Tubing

My awesome husband took us out in the boat 2x this past week! (We were super happy about this since last summer that is all we used the boat the whole season) First, we went down one afternoon to the Columbia River to test it out and brought along Joseph Witters to ride. This was his first time tubing and although scared at first thought it was (and I quote) "freaking awesome!"

(There are lots of photos to follow but I wanted to make sure there was some of everyone who came along)

Collin and Joseph Witters

Me posing with Mia and Morgan

Collin, Joseph Witters, Mia, Me and Morgan

On Saturday, we invited the Yorgesen's and Bird's along to Mar Don to try boating out there. I had never been there and the men hadn't been there since high school. The water was way warmer and it was nice to have a sandy beach for the kids to play on instead of the rocky one found on the Columbia. We spent many hours here tubing, playing, getting sunburnt and very sore (including my elbows).

Collin, Matthew, Morgan and Cameron (covering himself up like in a scene from "the proposal") on the tubes

Collin, Matthew, Morgan and Leon

Chelsea, Me, Mia, Luke, Andrew and Leon

Chelsea, me, Morgan, Collin and Matthew

So the best close up picture of me was taken at the exact moment that a bug flew in my eye and I couldn't let go of the tube to get it out! You can tell by my lovely expression that it did not feel well and I was blinded until Cameron finally stopped and I could dig it out!

Cameron got to drive the boat most of the day and the only time he got on the tube I was on the shore without my camera (therefore no pictures of him having any fun)

Matthew, Leon, Luke, Collin and Bryan holding on for dear life.

Luke and Chelsea had a great time playing together all day long! I hear Luke has a crush on her.

Cameron needed some help with his relaxing along side Bryan and Leon and Morgan was kind enough to do that!
This was the last run of the day - Collin and Matthew were the only ones up to still tubing on the way back to the boat launch.
Collin asked yesterday if he could start his own blog so he could post pictures that he took. I told him no that he didn't have enough things to blog about yet to have his own. That I would just post the pictures he took. This is one of more than a dozen pictures he took again of his tractor toys that he wanted posted. I narrowed it down to this one because at least the girls are in the picture pretending to admire his collection.

My Car . . .

has been hurt again!

Cameron came home the other night and asked me if I'd seen my window. I hadn't been outside all day and had no idea what he was talking about. I walked out to find it broken out, shattered - the whole thing on the ground or in the car!

There were 2 reasons why this occured . . . 1. we don't have a garage 2. we are surrounded by an apple orchard.

This day the orchard man was mowing the grass in the orchard with a huge mower and probably didn't turn it off when he had to drive at the side of our gravel (and rocky) driveway. So probaby the mower picked a rock and hucked it at my window. The guy probably never even knew what happened since I think he wears those ear muff things.

So the next morning I got to drive to Tri cities and spend 3 hours waiting for a new window to be put in. I was not informed it would take this long and had the 3 girls along with me. We ended up walking a few blocks down to get our nails done to make the time pass a little faster!!

4th of July Fireworks!

After many fun filled hours hanging out at Courtney and Bev's awesome house on the river in Pasco, we went to the track to watch the fireworks. It was cool because we could also see Kennewick's fireworks going off on the other side of the river and the cool almost full moon. I didn't think to take pictures until after Kennewicks show had ended. Here are a few of my favorite shots- my camera has a fireworks option!

This one is my favorite and it was the last one that I took!

Catch Up Post of Events

Lots has happened the past 2 weeks here and I just haven't felt like blogging and have felt uncreative. I don't want every blog to be about what we've done but haven't taken the time to do anything else. I guess Facebook is taking away from my blogging time. I only have so much time that I can spend at the computer. So here is my catch up of events:

We drove over to Kent for the day to attend my nephew Logan's baptism. I got to give the talk on the Holy Ghost. Although the analogy I used was good (borrowed from a blog), my talk was not as well prepared as I would have liked and I ended up reading most of it. My Dad took lots of pictures at the baptism and these were some of my favorites.Morgan, Chelsea, Sydney, Mia and Taylor (up front)
The only family picture that I'd put on here.
My parents with Logan and Morgan
Me and Rebecca at the luncheon afterwards.
A few days later, it was time to get Morgan's baptism planned. I had Mirla Diaz come over to take pictures of the girls for the program cover. I had the one above on the cover and individual ones on the back.

My nephew, Jason, from SLC came to work for 2 weeks. I didn't see too much of him since Cameron kept him busy almost every day he was here for 12 hours or more! He just got his permit and Cameron let him chaufer him around and I think he got all of the driving hours he needed and improved on his driving skills. Mia still asks where Jason is. (You can see Cameron and his mechanic, Ted working on the spiker behind Jason)My parents and also Rebecca and her family came to stay with us for Morgan's baptism. Rebecca came the day after our birthday and so we had a cake to celebrate a day late together. Cameron took me to dinner at Red Lobster on my actual birthday along with my parents, his mom, Jane, Sam & Meredith Harker and Scott & Debbie Ashton. Above is the picture I emailed to Cameron telling him I was ready and waiting for my birthday date!

The morning of Morgan's baptism, Rebecca and I took the kids swimming at my friends house. I'm actually getting a pretty good tan for it still being June.
Sydney and Rebecca with the 3 youngest girls.
Rebecca is going to love that I put this picture on.
For some reason, maybe because I was trying to host the baptism. . . I never got my camera out to take pictures. So these are the pictures my Dad took for me.


Morgan with her good friend, Paige. We had lots of good friends who came (some from more than an hour away) come to support Morgan on her baptism day. I thought it turned out very nicely but I'm relived it is over.
My Mom is a great Grandma! She is really good at entertaining the kids. She loves to play games with them and this picture is of her playing a game called 9 hole golf with them on Sunday. She also made zuchinni bread and wheat bread with them and read stories with them. My girls were all sad to see her go!

Now our house is back to just us for the first time in almost 3 weeks. Now what else are we going to do to fill our summer?