Hunter is finally walking...

(Just not in this picture) 'Bout time, huh??

Is the table really that comfortable??

Camping at Soda Lake

Sometimes last minute trips are the best-- such was this one. We woke up to a dreary Saturday morning (July 3rd) and decided to get out of the gloom and go to the other side of the state in search of the sun. A few hours later, we'd packed up and headed out of town, intending to stay in Moses Lake/Pot holes (but everyone else must have had the same idea, and our hopes of getting away didn't include a crowd). Amazingly on our way out of town, we happened to turn onto a deserted, dusty road and found this place-- Soda Lake. So perfect; we set up camp overlooking the lake, and loved the fishing, the dirt, and the escape to nowhere!
We only stayed for 1 night (lots of wind and noisy coyotes convinced us to move on). We drove down to Pasco on the night of the 4th (where Rusty and I lived when we first got married), and enjoyed the firework show as we drove into town. We crashed in a hotel for the night, and visited old friends and old haunts the next day. We really miss that area! It was beautiful weather and though we were sad to end our last minute trip, it's always good to get home. Only bad part about the trip-- some of the things I forgot to pack in my haste (um, hair brush or comb-- let me tell you about wind-blown hair!, toothbrushes for the kids, and a few other things we survived without), and we were sad to lose Cole's glasses on our way out of town. He's been struggling a bit this last week without them, but we have ordered 2 more pairs and he is excited about new glasses.

Really, the kids are happy to be home (can't you tell by their faces?)

Can you believe it's been 7 years?

July 12, 2003

Hail the Preschool Graduate

Cole completed his first year of Preschool (June 2010)

This was Cole on his first day of Preschool (Oct. 2009)

It seems like he's changed so much!

May 2010

Mixture of things- from the month of May

I'm finally getting our photos loaded to the computer, and it seems that we've been busy this last month. Here's a look at us in picture form:
Rusty's swollen jaw. He had to have a root canal, poor guy. His tooth had been in pain for quite a while-- And when dad ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

And the climbing for Hunter continues; he is non-stop and as you can see, into everything:

And this is just a sample of where he's been!

Cole has become quite the photographer lately-- he's always grabbing the camera and taking photos (it's an interesting surprise to upload photos and find where he's been with the camera) His photos are mostly the self-portrait kind, but often of his brothers too. And he always gets them to smile perfectly, while I struggle to even get them to look in the camera's general direction, let alone smile. Here's proof of his work:


We made cookies, and boy is the waiting tough for these yummy treats! Good thing we didn't stray far from the oven! This first picture is so funny to me because of the tight grip Hunter has on Cole's hair on the left and on Mason's shoulder on the right. He always wants to be right where they are!

Peering in the oven; And even more waiting

And here are a few more cute photos from the month of May (ya know, in case I didn't share enough!)
Love these boys!


And ending this with some good 'ol fashioned brotherly love!

A Few Anniversaries

The month of May has marked a few 10-year anniversaries in our lives that I wanted to be sure to make mention of. It is crazy to me that time passes so quickly, cuz it really seems like just yesterday....

May 12, 2000: I went to the airport with my mom to welcome home my brother's best friend from his mission. He had been a good example to my brother and my parents wanted to thank him for that. So that is how I met Rusty-- coming off the plane from serving a mission in Toronto, Canada. We started dating right away, but it took 3 years before we finally married. It's been fun this month for us to reminisce on the conclusion of his mission, our meeting, first date, kiss, and all the fun dating adventures we had. Can't believe it's been 10 years!


Our Dating Days

Hunter has an obsession of climbing into things-- usually laundry baskets, tubs, toy drawers, and anything else he can find. Earlier today, he was trying to get into the toy box, but got stuck on his belly teetering halfway in, halfway out. Must have been quite traumatic for him, according to his squeals. He reminded me of a truck that confidently tries to go over a hill, not knowing they would get their middle stuck on the highest point.
His favorite thing to climb into lately, are the pans from the cupboard-- he empties them out, and one by one, tries them out for size. Here is the one he seemed to settle on the other day:

Anyone for a cooked baby bum??

He's super cute, so I'll bet he'd be yummy-- especially with his silly grin, consisting of only 4 teeth!

Needing a nap-- Part 3

It happened again---

See the first time: here

See the second time: here

At least he made it to the table this time...

Driving to the Mountains

Rusty loves the mountains; he is home there! We used to drive up four-wheeling often when we were dating and first married, but haven't done so for a long time. (We almost died sliding off an icy cliff there while Christmas tree hunting about 6 years ago on some back roads and I haven't been real anxious to return since. It was traumatic!) Well, Rusty's been wanting to take the boys up on a drive and I was more than willing now that the snow and ice are gone. And drive we did-- out past Enumclaw and Greenwater on Hwy 410, to some back roads where we used to go. Beautiful Sunday afternoon-- 3 boys squished in the back seat of the truck:

(This is the zoned-out look I get when I try to get their attention away from their movie to look at the camera; I promise they really were having fun-- ignore Hunter's mean face, Mason sticking his tongue out, and Cole's shades!)

What a beautiful drive:


And what trip would be complete without boys (of all sizes) throwing rocks (of all sizes) into the river.


Love my boys!

I think I soon will have a walker!