Field Trip to the Fire Station

Bethany had her first preschool field trip of the year to the Felida Fire Station.

First they took the kids on a tour of the fire truck.
Then Fireman Dave got all dressed up so the kids could see what he looked like in his gear, so if they were ever in a fire they wouldn't be afraid of him when he came to rescue them. This was Sam's favorite part, he is so excited that he is even flapping his arms!

Then after he was all dressed, he let the kids come up and touch him. Bethany was a little nervous at first but after she touched him she wasn't as shy.

Bethany even stood right next to Fireman Dave so we could take a picture with him and the preschool kids.

After all the preschool kids walked away Sam ran up to have his picture taken with the fireman. Fireman Dave was nice enough to wait so I could take his picture again!

We had a great time at the first station and can't wait to go on the next field trip with Bethany and her preschool!

I Help Mommy!

Ben has been able to feed himself for a while now and I love it because it enables me to hold him off from really feeding him breakfast until I can get the other kids out the door in the morning.

One morning Cheerios and bananas wasn't quite cutting it! He wanted more so I made some cereal and fed him a few bites here and there while I got the boys ready for school. Then I heard,"I help Mommy!". Those words can be precious and frightening all at the same time.

But what do you know? Sam really was helpful!

He was so proud of himself for helping and so was I!

Ben was happy to have someone feed and entertain him while I finished taking care of everyone else!

Thank you Sam you really are a good little helper!

Scott the Scout

Scott got his first two rank advancements in scouts! He earned his tenderfoot and his second class badge.

He is a born scouter! He loves it, and we are so proud of him!

Nothing is Safe Anymore!

When I came home today I could hear the toy on the fridge singing its song. I thought Sam was playing with it but when I came around the corner this is what I found!
Ben was so proud of himself. He is getting to be really fast at crawling and isn't afraid to go anywhere. He mostly just tries to get himself to wherever the most action is. I've had to start vacuuming everyday and then some and also making the kids pick up their little toys so Ben doesn't choke. Babies always find the smallest things to pick up and they get into everything! Nothing is safe from our baby Ben anymore!

Older Brothers

Older brothers are so much fun and helpful. Ben was in his johnny jumper and I needed to get some stuff done. When Ben was ready to get out that is when Sam came to the rescue! First he started swinging Ben back and forth in the doorway.

Then he grabbed a hold of the jumper and ran around in circles. Ben was entertained for quite some time. But I had to keep my eye on the spinning to make sure Ben didn't get too dizzy.

After I had to stop the circling. Sam stayed by Ben and jumped up and down so Ben would jump too. They had a great time together and I was grateful for the time it gave me to get something done!

Soccer Season Begins!

It's that time of year again when our lives are ruled by soccer!

This is Bethany's first year and she loves it and really likes that her daddy is the coach! She is playing up a year which means she is playing with kids one year older but we thought she could handle it and she has done well so far.

The first game it was all about looking lovely but when I told her it was okay to take the ball away from the other team I don't think she knew what to say. These last couple of games it has finally clicked! So now she will actually go after the ball and has even scored a few goals!

I love the faces Matthew pulls while he is playing! He's always been naturally skilled at soccer. He is able to score most every game but he is also really good at knowing where the other players are on the field and getting the ball to them if they have a better chance at the goal. He is a great team player!

Matthew is a good little goalie for his team too. He has an amazing drop kick!

Scott took a few years off of soccer and decided to try other things like guitar and tackle football but in the end he decided he wanted to play soccer again. So after three years off he is back on the field and doing great! I've been surprised at how aggressive he is. I thought maybe he would hang back but he is not afraid to go after the ball and get in the other player's faces. His team is in the highest division and has won every game so far.

The last game he played was pretty intense, the opposing team came from a league that is known for being the best in the area. At this game Scott stopped the ball, passed it to his team mate who then kick it in for a goal! Scott didn't think he had done anything great but without the assist there wouldn't have been a goal at all and that point is what won the game! He should be proud of himself!

First Day of School

Bethany started her last year of preschool this year. Bethany loves preschool and I am excited because this year I get to be her art teacher every Thursday!

Timmy is in first grade this year and not very excited to be there. He was happy to see his old friends but he told me he really doesn't like school, it's boring!
Matthew is in third grade this year and is thrilled to go back. He loves the social part of school and doesn't mind doing the work either.
This is a big year for Scott. He starts middle school and is nervous but thrilled not to be in elementary school anymore. He loves that they have P.E. everyday!
We had such a fun summer that I am sad to see them go back to school but I hope they all have a fun year getting to know new people and learning new things!

The Last Days

I was not ready to send my kids back to school. So we partied up until the last day that they had to go back. Two days before school started I took Timmy, Bethany, Sam, Ben, and a couple of their friends to the zoo.

We always love our trips to the zoo. The Oregon zoo has great habitats and the animals are usually pretty active and fun to look at.

Sam, Bethany, Kaimi, Stephen, and Timmy.

While we were at the zoo Andy took Scott, Matthew and their friends William and Keiji to the Ape Caves. Andy has never been to the upper ape caves so we decided it was probably his turn to go and I could stay home with the younger kids. I was a little sad that I had the camera so Andy couldn't take any pictures but the boys said they had a really good time and that someone had actually put a rope in at the big lava fall so it wasn't as hard to climb.

One more day! What to do? We decided to finish out our summer hiking with friends. My friend Aaron, Shareen and her kids came with us to a place called June Lake. It's up by Mt. St. Helens and after you hike the 1 1/4 mile you are supposed to be able to wade in the lake but when we got there this is what we found.

A little waterfall going into a very murky pond, full of bugs! Yuck! That is not something I want to wade in. I think we waited too late in the season to go. Oh well the kids made the best of it and played on the rocks and had a good time looking at the scenery.

Timmy

Matthew

Bethany

Brevin, Scott, Bethany, Matthew, Timmy, and Sam

Timmy, Matthew, Sam, and Grandma with Mt. St. Helens in the background.

It was such a warm day that we decided to stop at Merwin Dam on the way home and let the kids go swimming. I didn't have any swimming suits but my kids didn't care. We blew up our little raft and all got soaked! It felt so good after a hot hike and was a great way to end our summer vacation!

Hiking with Friends!

My friend Mako was afraid to go hiking without her husband there to help but really wanted to get out of the house. I told her I had the perfect hike that we could go on together, without our husbands, that the kids would love. She agreed and we took our kids up to Horsetail Falls.

Taiyo, Keiji, Kaimi, Bethany, Timmy, and Matthew

Horsetail is right off the road so we decided to take the 1/4 mile hike up the hill to Ponytail Falls.

The kids love this one because the path goes behind the waterfall.

Matthew and Timmy in the alcove behind Ponytail.

Timmy getting sprinkled by the waterfall.

Sam was a little worried being so close to the waterfall because it was so loud but he eventually decided it was okay and played around on the rocks.We had a fun time hiking with our friends and can't wait to do it again!