I Survived Scout Camp

Tyler and Jeff went to scout camp the last week in July at
Camp Black Mountain,

near Mt. Baker. It looks like it was a beautiful camp.

This is the side they camped at, and then had to make a 1/2 mi. trek around the lake to the mess hall on the other side for EVERY meal!

If they volunteered to help with KP, then they got to back in a boat across the lake. There's motivation for ya!

The long walk to lunch.

Tyler with his buddies, Charles, Jared and Alex.

Do they look hot??

This was the week it hit 103 degrees!

Merit badge time.

I think this was leather works.

Lunchtime!!

All the boys at camp.

Don't they look sweaty??

Bored??.. or tired?

Maybe HOT!!

Canoeing with his buddies, Mark and Alex.

Rock wall climbing.

Stick pull.

Mountain boarding down the hill...

Just the leaders got to do this.

They have a brake they hold with their hand to control the speed, and I understand that when Jeff did it, they told him that was the slowest they've ever seen anyone go down!

He likes to be cautious!

This is Tyler attempting to build his shelter to sleep out by himself for the

wilderness survival badge.

(The leaders determined the location for the boys wasn't safe because of the steepness of the hillside. Looks like they would roll right down. What do you think?

They had a chance to complete this merit badge later on at a safer location!)

Well, it looks like they survived the HOT week! They were definitely glad to be home, and Maddie and I missed them a lot!

Boy, you should have smelled the laundry...!

What do you do on the hottest day of the Year?

You play in the sprinklers at "Bumpa's" house!

"Come on Bumpa, let's go!"


Maddie playing with cousin, Jessie.

Silly girl!

It's Officially Seattle's Hottest Day on Record!!

103 in Seattle today!

We're dying without AC!

All stores have sold out of fans and AC units!

This is how I feel!!

It's too hot to blog on the computer tonight!

I think I'll kick my feet up by the window with the fan and read a good book!

Time to Catch Up!

Well it's been too long!

Too much to post and not enough time!

But the "boys" are gone this week at Scout Camp and it's just me and Mad, so there's no guilt if I stay up late and blog, right!

It's funny how I look forward to this time alone to think and not be interrupted, but the minute Maddie fell asleep at 8:00, I realized I was alone.

It's weird, wanting quiet time and then when you get it, wanting someone to be around to talk to.

Jeff and Tyler will be gone for 5 nights and with Maddie going to bed early, I think I am going to start to feel it.

Sometimes I wish I could be more content in the moment and not wish for something that's not there.

Anyway, enough of my personal ramblings, and on to posting the real stuff!

(I have to remind myself to keep it simple, and only do a little bit every night, so I don't get overwhelmed!)

Aquafest

We did the Children's Parade for Aquafest (which is our town's festival around the lake. Maddie's preschool participated in the parade and of course, just as she was last year, Maddie was not thrilled about walking in the parade. I had to remind/bribe her that every child that participates gets a ticket for one free ride at the carnival. The theme for her preschool entry was Hawaiian, so all the kids were dressed so cute! She wanted the sunglasses, not only for the sun, but because she said, "no one will be able to see me if I wear them!", and like any good mother, I said, "that's right, you wear em' then!"

Not looking real thrilled!

Posing with her good friend Madison.

Isn't this dog just the cutest??

Maddie and her friend couldn't keep their hands off her!

Here's a picture of all the kids before the parade. Maddie was being difficult and wouldn't get in it!

Here she is happy as can be after the parade on the carousel.

Tyler is such a great big brother to offer to go on it with her!

We had a fun night afterwards watching the kids go on rides, browsing through all the boothes, and pigging out on yummy fair food --- mmh, teriyaki, elephant ears, icecream and strawberry shortcake, yum!

Fun at the Ocean - Pacific Beach

Jeff's parents bought some property out at Pacific Beach by Ocean Shores, and built a manufactured home park model on it. We went out there for the day to see it with them. (We were so excited to get down to the beach, that I forgot to take a picture of it!) But we'll get some later. It's beautiful with a huge window in the front and looks like a little log cabin. From the picture below, it's up on the bluff and near a trail that leads down to the ocean. What a fun place for the family to go and spend time!

Maddie and "Bumpa".

Their favorite thing was to follow the waves as they were going out and then run back to shore before getting all wet!

I had to take a video:

(Why I forget, and take all my videos sideways on the little camera,

I don't know! So sorry!)

Pure joy!

I love this picture below of Tyler and Maddie in the waves.

Tyler has a new thing! Ever since seeing some older teens skimboarding out on the Olympic Peninsula last summer, he really wanted to try it. So we got him one and Grandma and Bumpa got one for the beach house.

Here are Jeff and Tyler ready to try it! It definitely looks easier then it is, they kept reminding me!

Maddie loved playing in the waves.

Fun day!