Tuesday, July 22, 2014

July Summer Fun

Here are a few pictures of our summer:
 
Erika and I took a hot walk from Grandma's to Target.  We had to stop and rest a bit!

Erika went to see How to Train Your Dragon 2 with Aunt Sarah as a reward for completing her summer workbook.

Laurel enjoying a summer night on the way home from eating ice cream!

Lazy summer mornings.  The kids insist they are cold every morning

A little mishap in the $1 store!

Running around without a shirt on

Making huge loom bracelets!

Eating pancakes for breakfast

Erika and Laurel "painting" each other's faces with clover

Erika started a week long soccer camp

And got a bit sunburned!

Wearing swimsuits more than regular clothes!


Friday, July 18, 2014

Nehalem Bay State Park

We spent last weekend camping at Nehalem Bay State Park and had a blast!  We bought a pop-up tent trailer in the spring and this was our first trip with it.  I am so glad we bought it!  It beats tent camping for sure and was even more comfortable than the yurt we had while camping last year.  Our family absolutely loves camping (all except our dog!)....there is nothing better than just relaxing, no rushing anywhere, no technology, camp fires, food...it is the best!
 
We started our trip at the Tillamook Forestry Center.   
 
They had a lookout tower that you could climb with a set up of what it was like when people lived in it to observe the forest for fires.

It was really high!  Here is Matt looking up at us while we are in the tower.

Inside the center, they had a bunch of activities for the kids and different forestry items to view.


We attended a talk on bald eagles.  This is what Laurel thought of the talk.

Walking along a trail at the center.

After a quick stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, we were at our campsite.  Three little campers were thrilled to be there!

Here is our setup
 
By the time we got the camper set up, it was dinner time so we started the hamburgers and hot dogs over the fire.

Oh, the joys of eating during camping!  Smores

Peanuts
 
Cookies and raisins
 
Smores by sunlight
 
Smores in a tree
 
Breakfast cereal
 
In the camper, the kids slept

And watched movies.
 
Outside the camper, they colored
 
And played in the dirt
 
And ate peanuts by the fire pit.
 
We also went to the beach, made countless trips to the playground, and rode our scooters.  It was a perfect family vacation!

Except this guy didn't know why he was outside and not inside his nice warm house in his comfy bed 

And why he was forced to lay in the dirt.
 
So, camping is apparently just for the humans in our family!

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Independence Day

The Fourth of July is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays because of how much the kids love it!  From the time they woke up on Friday, they were asking if it was time to set off fireworks.  We let them do some Pop-Its in the morning so they would quit asking us to do fireworks.
 

 
In the afternoon, we went to a small carnival in Sherwood.  We went to the same carnival last year and the kids have a great time with it!  In addition to the bounce houses and carnival games, the kids got to try a Velcro wall.  It was adorable watching them try to jump in those heavy suits and get high enough to stick to the wall.  Luckily they had a helper to throw them up the wall so it could be a little more fun!






 


 

 
 
 
Erika and Laurel got to beat each other up in the jousting ring.  Poor tiny Laurel could hardly lift the big arm to fight with!




 

 
 
Levi supporting his favorite president

 
And, Erika participated in a pie eating contest!  She was so excited!  It was pretty funny to watch her...she chose a chocolate mousse pie and only ate the whipped cream!  Lucky for Laurel and Daddy, they got to finish the pie piece after the contest was over.





 
After a barbeque dinner, we went outside to light off the fireworks we bought as well as watch the fireworks from our neighbors.  It was impressive how many large, booming fireworks were set off around us!  We got to watch them from our front yard. Laurel spent all 4th of July with her fingers in her ears....loud noises really bother her.  She loves watching the fireworks, but wishes they were silent!