first day of school

The kids were excited to start school this week. We waited until Phil started school, so we could enjoy summer vacation with him.

Jared is in First Grade this year.

Caleb is in Kindergarten.

Gracie is in Preschool.

Lily is in Preschool, too.

So far, their favorite thing to do is rotate through our math, reading, science and art centers during Center Time. Here's Lily exploring our Science Center.

Gracie drew a really great picture in the Art Center.

Caleb found a good book to read in the Reading Corner.

And here they are doing a little bit of schoolwork.

time away

Phil and I went away for a belated 10th Anniversary trip. Corinne very graciously came and stayed with our kids for a week so we could go away before Phil began his year of clinical rotations.

First off, we stopped in Leavenworth, WA, and stayed in a beautiful bed and breakfast on the Icicle River. The rooms are all very cozy and had lots of fun amenities. One of my favorites was an old typewriter.

We had a feeding tray on our back deck for blue jays,

a backpack, picnic basket, bikes,

...even homemade bubbles!

Talking to the kids

Phil had to attend classes in Seattle for a few days, so we drove over and stayed in a hotel in the University District. I love Seattle in the fall!

With me, no vacation is complete until I find really good Tiramisu.

To top it off, we made reservations at The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant.

Yum!

We had such a great week, but it was nice to get home to the kids. There's just nothing like being with our little fan club!

first baby shower

This past week the girls were invited to their first baby shower. We went to Target and they had a wonderful time choosing baby girl gifts. Lily chose a green outfit (because green's my favorite color) and purple Baby Magic Bath Wash, and Gracie picked out a pink outfit and pink Baby Magic Lotion. We watched a Shirley Temple movie while they wrapped the baby's gifts. Aren't they precious?

aquarium

We visited the aquarium at the Point Defiance Zoo last week on our way home from Seattle. We loved watching the giant walruses swim up to us and brush up against the glass.

Both Lily and I stayed here for awhile to watch.

I told everyone to look scared. Good job, Jared.

Lily's trying to find a purple starfish.

I just love how Gracie's sweet little face pokes out of this costume.

point defiance zoo

We stopped by the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, WA on the way home from Seattle last week. We were able to meet up with some friends from Phil's school!

Jared studied this tiger's pacing route. He noticed that he always turned around right in front of the gate, and thought the tiger was just trying to figure out a way to get through the gate.

Lily made herself at home in the turtle sandbox.

Just in case you're wondering why this picture is so red, it was taken in a red-domed tent. Caleb is peeking through a magnifying glass.

I just love it when I catch my boys doing this!

Phil and his good friend, Ben, from school

trip to seattle

Chelsea, Mallory and Sondra

Phil, the kids and I drove over to Seattle last week to attend a graduation. We stayed with our good friend, Wendy, and her family. I taught her girls, Chelsea and Mallory, back in 2001-2002 school year. They were in the Second grade back then. Sondra (on the far right) was also in our class. She stopped by to say hello one afternoon. All three girls are taller than I.

My girls adored Chelsea and Mallory! When I taught them, Chelsea always wore pink, like my Gracie, and Mallory always wore purple, like Lily. It didn't take Grace and Lily very long to each "pick" a twin! All four girls dressed alike and did their hair and nails during our stay. Mallory was so sweet to change her outfit one morning to accommodate Lily's outfit which consisted of a red Valentine t-shirt and a purple hooded sweater. I'm going to have to ask the girls if I can post the wonderful pictures they took with their phones.

my caleb

Corinne took this picture when our family stayed in Big Bear this summer. Caleb is such a sweet, sweet boy, and this picture captures his thoughtful and gentle nature. Thank you, Corinne, for sending this along!

this and that

We dried our tent out in the backyard last week and decided to "camp" in it one night. I just love our beautiful backyard. The trees are so majestic. It was just like sleeping in a campground tucked away in the forest.

Phil completed the pergola. He did such a great job!

We're off to Seattle tomorrow for a little family vacation! I can hardly believe the summer is almost over. We've had a wonderful time with Phil home from school!

Good news: I get my braces off in 2 weeks!!! I went in today for a routine check-up and my orthodontist (who was as surprised as I was) suggested we "de-bond" them this Thursday, but we'll be out of town. So now I have to wait until the day after Labor Day. I only had them on for 9 months!

family camp out

On our way to Glacier National Park, we ran into a few obstacles.

But once we arrived, and before the rain started, we were able to set up camp in record time!

Wouldn't you, with all of this help?

glacier national park

Even though the weather was cold, wet and dreary, Glacier National Park was still beautiful! I asked Phil to take me back someday so I can see the peaks up against a clear, blue sky. If it was this magnificent in fog and rain, I can only imagine what it would be like to visit on a clear day!

Here we are starting out for the day. We thought we'd hike for a bit in the rain, but then we decided to board the shuttle bus, instead.

Ahh...much better!

We made it up to Logan Pass. This was my favorite spot in the park. The grass up there is a shade of green I don't think I've ever seen before in nature...so pretty!

It was a little cold and windy up there--about 40 degrees and rainy. The water was ice-cold, too. We stopped for a bathroom break and got right back on the shuttle.