Friday, August 26, 2011

Called to Serve!

While my parents were with us in Washington, some important letters arrived at their house in North Ogden.  They were being called on a mission!  We came home a couple of days early to find out where and when they would be going.  
How exciting!  
The whole family gathered together...
You have been called to serve in...
THE KENYA, NAIROBI MISSION!
YAY, YAY, YAY!  We will all miss them like CRAZY, but we know this will be an awesome experience.  I am so proud of them for doing this.  Way to go, Mom and Dad!  LOVE YOU!

The much anticipated trip to Washington.

What's that, you say?  Too many photos?  Well, I've decided to print my blog, and sorry, but there is no way I can cut any of these photos out.  Just be glad I whittled it down from the 2 million I took while we were there.
Getting ready to row across the lake to Gramma's.  Day one.


Dinner on the dock with cousins.

In Grammie's swing.

That's my girl.

Hey!  When did we get a teenager?

Looking for crabs.

Climbing the rocks at Boulevard Park.

Harper loves her brothers so, so much.

Finn contemplates life.

Racing with Uncle Jules at Boulevard Park.


Grandkids and Gramma in the hot tub.

Playing in the giant boxes that the hot tub arrived in.  Maybe this is our future?

Mardi Gras beads thrown from the deck.

Owen and Bennett performed 2 songs in Spanish at the talent show.  They were awesome!!!

And Jason played us one of his new songs.  Excellent.  Truly.

Aunt Elizabeth taught us how to make these drums out of buckets, giant balloons and duct tape.  So cool.

S'mores.

Finn painting his fish.  Deb had all the kids paint a fish in coordinating colors, which she will hang on her fence in a "school."  Every year the kids will paint a new fish, and they will also be hung on the fence.  It will be so fun for the kids to look and remember which fish they painted which year.

Elise, Elizabeth, Bennett and Gramma.

Justise and Finn.

We made Mardi Gras masks.

Games at Whatcom Falls Park.

Uncle Jonny helped Finn with the race.

Harper at Gramma Linda's.

Owen worked so hard on a story involving the characters of the game Candyland.  Illustrations and all!

At Larabee State Park with Grandma Katherine!


Natalie and Lee, the lovebirds.

Bennett at the rope swing.

JUMP!

Aunt Leslie and Harper.

Jake jumped in to Uncle Lee.  This was a really big deal, because it was before he conquered his fears of swimming, which happened a couple of days later.  Yay!  Brave boy!

Speaking of brave boys... here goes Finn!

Yay, Finn!  (with Christian and Jon)

At the Marine Science Center, checking out the sea creatures.

With my parents at the harbor.

I am a GIANT in this picture with Grammie Deb.

Having lunch in Fairhaven Village.  This is an outdoor movie theater.  How cool is that?  Logan needs one.

This is Lee rescuing Harper's shoe, which she dropped off the boardwalk, and which took about 1/2 hour to wash up onto shore.  I'm so glad we got it!  Thanks, Lee!  In the meantime while we waited for the shoe to drift to shore, we watched 5 otters playing along the water's edge.  It was amazing!

Grammie Deb and Harper.

Hanging out at Taylor Dock.  Is that what it's called?  Anyway.

Finn and Grandpa.

Grandma and sleeping Harper... so cute.

Cookie monster and proud Grandpa, downtown Bellingham.

Me and Jake at the lake.

We went to Harbor Days in Blaine to see pirate ships!

I love my mama!

I dare you to try to find a prettier place to eat dinner!

So precious.

The last day of our trip.  The boys had to jump in.

Owen's first time off the diving platform with no life jacket!  He passed the swim test this year!


Saying goodbye to Lake Whatcom.

Bennett took this photo of the girls.

Oh how I love these people!

Strolling along outside our hotel in Yakima.  Harper LOVES her Grandma!