Our visit to Kate's in September

This is a backwards post starting with the delectable cheese cake we ended a lovely shower for Mr. Elliott with.

Miss Kate enjoying her kid friendly dessert on the back patio

The beautiful table Joann set for us all.

The kids table out back, so cute!

A very cute idea for serving punch.

Mr. Elliott himself.

Sibling profiles.

Telling A. Tete funny stories.

Sharing babies, you hold mine...

..and I'll hold your's.

We did a quick one night trip with Grandma and A. Tete just to be there for Elliott's shower. We got in about 10:00p.m. as some fresh bran muffins came out of the oven. They were delicious enough to get these three wiggle worms to sit still, for a few minutes any way.

Except for the feet, those just refuse to hold still.

We've been house sitting for the last two months, and are finally back in our own house as of this week. It was great fun, but there's still no place like home. I couldn't upload pictures while there so that's my excuse ...this time any way. :)

To the Beach

We're setting a record this year for beach trips this being number two and there's the meeting one planned for Sept 6th. This day was not so bright and sunny and there was wind since we went to Canon Beach which lacks the handy rock wind barrier, but it was still the beach with sand and scenery. I recently upgraded my broken Canon Powershot for a new one and this was a great place to try out it's pros and cons.

A bird rock and lighthouse I found with the zoom some where far out in the waves.

Kate and Phi were delighted to see each other with so much sand around.

P: "Kate, your pants look sooo clean!"

K: "Yes, don't touch them I'm trying to keep them that way."

"Just a little scoop here, she'll never suspect"

"HeeHeee! fixed that problem"
"Grandpa told me to Mom"
Sandcastle fun!
So Kate's Mommy and I decided to make a sadcastle.. oops, typo there, but I guess that is what it looks like...
hey we were just getting started!
The progress continued...

"Woohoo! now we're talkin' sand pile."
A bit of this and...

a bit of that...

it's Haystack Rock !

A few drip castles...

Tunnels...

A pat here and there...
And a golf ball??
Yes indeed this is golf ball run castle. You make smooth little golf ball size tracks all over the castle starting high up of course and then run golf balls down them and see were they go.

Meanwhile our husbands sat up in they're chairs contemplating what may have come over their wives?!!?

See a certain Granpa Allen and Gramma Dee taught their son and his 7 siblings how to have fun at the beach. He then taught his 5 munchkins who have a hard time convincing any one else that a bit of work and creativity equal alot of fun and satifaction.

We ended the day with dinner at Mo's chowder house which was very busy (long waits) but also delicious.

Swimming Pool Days

Kate and her Mommy joined us for a day in the pool last week since we've been having such great weather! The pool is only half full currently and that makes it the perfect depth for the kiddos when they're floating in the lady bug. Phi thinks it's so cool that his feet touch bottom and he can walk around, Kate just enjoyed floating . We had it filled to the top but we're pretty sure a crazy raccoon we have pulled on the side and dumped part of it out. That sounds off the wall but he's been coming in our yard at night and playing with Phi's toys if we leave them out. He chews millions of little teeth holes in every thing like he's teething or something. When we shined a flash light on him the other night he looked full grown and was having a blast tossing a foam sandal of Phi's in the air and they chewing on it.. like a cat would play with a mouse. So strange! We haven't seen him much since then.. maybe he was embarrassed at having been caught. Anyway afew pic.s of the day.

"Huh! I don't know about this stuff mom."

Hee! check this out, more water!

"Each unto their own."

"Hey Grandma look what I can do!"

"Peekaboo!"

"Ha! they say these are unbreakable!"

Stylin'

Sharing a cheerio snack, they were feeding each other cheerios too, but of course I didn't catch that .

"Come back again soon!"

What's this???

What is that thing in your hair?!?

It's a dragonfly, silly and mommy put it there.

First two photos courtesy of Kate's mommy

We got to enjoy a great dinner at Dave and Jenn's on Saturday evening as she got a new piano they needed help moving. It was a very pleasant evening on the back patio, chatting with family.

Our Memorial Day

To begin with Daddy arrived home safely on Saturday.
He was an hour after schedule as they decided
the plane needed new wipers after they had
backed out from the gate in Anchorage, but he's here ! (;
There was an awesome thunder storm Saturday night
which Phi and us enjoyed from our bedroom window.
It lasted for an hour with almost continuous flashes
of lightening followed by very impressive BOOMS of thunder.
It was Phi's first storm like that but he thought it was neat to watch
and gabber about so long as we were there. Sunday was a relaxing day
with meetings and a rest in the after noon.
That night there was a YP sing out at
the pond which we attended. It was a bit drippy but the
real shower held back until we were
just done singing around the fire.
Then "the rain came down" and we hurried to
set up a canopy over the refreshment table. Leroy slept through it all,
cozy in his car seat, well Phi enjoyed some goodies. I forgot my camera
so that's why this is not a picture post. Some brave souls camped
put for the night but we went home to our dry beds,
and returned in the morning.

Jenn kindly gave me some copies of the pictures she took
as usual they're great. Leroy's curious about what she's doing?!?

Phi found some puddle which were in abundant supply.
there were quite a few wet kids through the day.

Miss Kate and I watched her daddy and mommy
and lots of cousins and friends play baseball .
They had a great game and the sun even came out
(almost) toward the end. By 5:00 everyone was ready to
head for their homes so we had an impromptu family gathering
for dinner and chatting at our house. I think I do better at spur of the
moment gatherings. the house wasn't entirely clean but we had a
fun time anyways!
It's back to work to day on what feels like it should be another day off.
Because of the thunder storm things started off busy at work, with afew
businesses having had power outages over the weekend and just finding
out their phone systems aren't up to par today. But it's good to have Daddy
back in town.

Our last few weeks

Where has the time gone? Yes we're still here, we've been starting on some projects around the house and had a lot of busy days. We're hoping to get our basement refinished as it flooded 3 years ago and has been unfinished ever since. We were able to find brand new berber carpet on Craig's list, (72 feet of it for only $400) and have found some deals on the padding, lighting, most the supplies so hope to be starting that project soon!! It will be great to have the basement useable again! We or more correctly Uncle AJ is working on a play house out side for the kids, this has a story of it's own that I'll have to tell later. I am also working on landscaping the front yard and hope to get farther on it soon as we reportedly have 80 and 90 degree days coming this week!!

Phi loves to be out doors and finds any excuse to escape when possible.

He also loves to be in the middle of whatever we are doing to "help" too!
And actually will help with putting away toys, putting things in the garbage,(so far it's been things that are supposed to go there) getting things for Mom, A's binky, something across the room etc. moving things from here to there, groceries to the cart, small pieces of wood from wheel barrow to the box. It's so fun to watch them learn.

Climbing on things is still one of his favorite pass times.

Here is the begining of the play house

And guess whose "helping"

"How fun, some new toys"!!

We had a mother's day dinner @ Dad and Mom B's on Saturday, to hear more about it you can check out Jenn's blog she got lots of fun pictures while we were there. Here are afew of mine.

Aunt Jenn and A.

U. Dave drying out his pant legs after a rather wet game on Disc golf.

And Gram'pa and Kate!

Speaking of Kate, she and her mommy came over for a visit yesterday. Us moms did a Tae'Bo workout together and then Deb helped make dinner and cleaned up my kitchen afterwards as a mother's day gift! Thank You! I also got to take an uninterrupted shower while she and Uncle AJ( who was working on the playhouse again after work) watched the kids. It was a fun evening and great to see projects getting done out doors and in!

Kate and her Uncle Gene watching the progress.

Kate and Phi reading a story to each other.

Kate: "Here I'll turn the page for you"...

Phi: "Wa,WA,WA,wa,wa"

"Next page, I'll get this one"

And this is my Mother's Day present
:0)

Little A is now almost 3 months
the smiles come very easily and he "talks' to us.
He's very social and gets fussy just sitting in his swing with no one to talk to.
He also loves to be held even when he's sleeping and usually wakes up within afew minutes of being set down unless he's really out. He likes to be outside too and will sit happily blinking in his chair in the bright light.

Smiles!!

The little towel man

Daddy and Little A. spending some quality time together. :0)

His safe place...

"fixing" his truck.

Mommy and Phi

There's Phi calling for breakfast got to run...