It's a good thing...

I find this after the kids have "picked" up everything for the night.  Because.....

It helps to remind me how cute they are when I find this all "picked up"

My Julia

Have I mentioned that I have the cutest soccer player around?  Well I do.  Soccer is in full swing and I will have to post more pictures soon but I just wanted to say that I LOVE my LONG-LEGGED girl!

Berenstain Bears

My family loves the Berenstain Bear books, I mean everyone including the father of the home. I walked into the room last night and saw this:

What a funny bunch!

True Confession

We have lived in our house for almost 10 years! 

I have never once cleaned the inside of the oven. 

Not sure if that say more about my cleaning skills or cooking skills?!?  Perhaps it is time...

Natalie's BIG Day

OH YES!! 

The day finally arrived, the 1st day of preschool.  It was awesome and she loved it!

All of my kids on their first day of preschool standing next to the same tree!

Ohanapecosh

For the past four years we have gone camping to Ohanapecosh in Mt. Rainer with some friends.  We look forward to this trip every year and has become one of our family's most fun traditions.  It is absolutely beautiful there. I would highly recommend this place to anyone!

(I actually took this picture with my lame camera.  It is so pretty there it looks like a postcard)

After the fiasco from our last camping trip this summer with rain.  Mitch was a little paranoid.  This is what I call "A fine Stuard production."  The weather turned out beautiful and warm!

The girls enjoying sitting around the camp fire

Every year the kids love to go to the Ranger Station and earn their Junior Ranger Badges.  Here they are hard at work on their books.

One of the best things about going camping here is that there is NO cell coverage or stores anywhere close by.  Everyone is unplugged and relaxed.  In this day and age that is somewhat of a small miracle. 

There is lots of time to go hiking and hiking we DID!

Lucy is being what is called a "meadow stomper"  We just could help but take a picture of her sitting among the wildflowers.

A group shot of all the kids in our group before we hiked to Silver Falls



Natalie and her hiking buddy, Doug.

We also hiked the Naches Loop where there are the most amazing views of Mt. Rainer.  It is so close it is crazy!  This hike was a little long for our kids but they did awesome.  This year was the first year that this trail wasn't covered in snow so we took advantage of it.

The bugs were hardly a problem this year but Natalie did get bit right between the eyes and on the cheek from a mosquito.  She has started to have allergic reactions when she gets mosquito bites and this time her eye swelled completely shut and the cheek completely drooped down by the second day.  This was taken on the first day!

Some of the more insane members got into the river.  It is glacier water.  It is so cold that after putting your feet in for 3 seconds it is intense pain.  To get to this rock the kids had to swim there.

There is also a spot to jump off the cliff.  Mitch, Dale and some other men jumped this year.  Cameron jumped off the rock (on the left in this picture.)  What a brave guy!  It is pretty high up and did I mention cold?

There were signs this year that said "This is bear country" and to make sure to lock up your food at night.  Laura found one of the bears in the park after she woke up from her nap.  This is NOT our bear.  Another member of our group brought theirs!  At least it is comforting to know that we are not the only insane people to buy this enormous bear from Costco.

Good- Bye Mountain Rainer!!  See you next year!!  And if you would like to join us, let us know!!

Hello, Friday!

These are the girls finisher prizes for reading this summer.  I had to call five different libraries to find one who still had these left, Thank-you Enumclaw Library!!

Coming in...Going out

Sisters

Yesterday I found these two girls playing together.  Natalie has missed the older two this past week so it was cute to see her playing with Lucy.

Back to School

Did you hear the choir of angels singing Glory, Glory Hallelujah?  Oh wait...that was me!  School has arrived just in time.  We have had a FUN summer but this last week showed me that it was T*I*M*E to go back to school.  The kids are both in looping classes so they have their same teacher and kids as last year.  It has made going back this year easy-peasy, which is just wonderful.  Cameron is in 4th grade with Mrs. Garmey and when he got off the bus today he said, "Well just a normal day in the 4th grade."  Julia is in 2nd grade with Mrs. Lagerquist and she was a bundle of excitement about two new girls in her class and  getting to spin the tooth dice at school today because she lost her other top tooth last night!  We did have some tears about the "teenage boys" in the neighborhood.  They seems to be so scary and of course they love to come to the bus stop and watch the elementary kids get off the bus which is causing Cam nightmares, but hopefully it will be smooth sailing this year.

 

Natalie was NOT thrilled that the kids were leaving today.  Preschool doesn't start until next Monday but I was LOVING not having to listen to the fighting and  Lucy baby finally got two decent, quiet naps today!