Catching Up

Ok, grab a cup of coffee and a comfortable chair because this might take awhile :) The end of summer has been creeping up on us lately and here is what we have been up to.

We went on our first camping trip as a family of four! I was actually feeling pretty good about it to start with and it went pretty well. Lauren had some issues at around midnight the first night (she was getting her molars at the time) and Aidan didn't want to go to bed at first. The second day however, neither of them had a nap. Aidan was asking to go to bed that night and they both slept like logs. During the day they had fun digging in the dirt,

sitting by the camp fire,

walking around the campground,

and playing at the playground.

Hmm... this looks like trouble.

We tried to take the kids swimming but in typical fashion, they were not too into it. Aidan did get into the water finally but shortly after this picture, he slipped off the railing and went all the way under, much to his dismay.

Lauren never did warm up to the pool.

Aidan eventually got over his dunking but decided to stay higher and dryer afterwards.

Even though they don't like going in pools or lakes, they love playing outside by the kiddie pool and dumping water all over (including themselves.) Here Lauren is showing me a rock she found outside.

Discovering the joys of sunglasses.

Watching airplanes go by.

Singing and dancing on the "stage" (notice they are wet.)

We enjoyed watching the Olympics as well. The kids would get excited for the track and field races. Lauren would point to the T.V. and say "running" and then they would both run laps around the house.

Aidan has been working on a new sport. Trick Tricycle Riding. I think he'll be bursting on the Olympic scene in 2024. Look at that extension and eye contact!

He has also been modeling for me. He works for bribes :) To get him excited about doing it, I told him we were going to a log just like Frog's Log (on Word World.) When we got there, I said, "See Adain, isn't it just like Frog's log?! He replied in a disappointed voice with drooping shoulders, "Noooo, dat's not yite frog's yog" But, he was still a good sport and let me take the pictures.

The past two weekends (before and after her sibling reunion) Mom E came to visit us. We decided to take her on a hike at Mt. Rainier the first weekend. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. Mike said the hike would be a little steep. It was pretty much steps all the way up.



Good thing Mom is in good shape. Lauren lost her hat and Mom went down quite a ways to go get it and bring it back.



I wasn't kidding about the steps!

We made it up to Panorama point where we saw Mt Adams and Mt. St. Helens in the distance.

What a little mountain man :)

We had to cross snow a couple of times and on the way back down, Mike dared Mom to do a snow angel.




Besides hiking, Mom helped us with a lot of yard work and house work so the second weekend she was here, we took it a little easy. We went to the Olympia farmer's market for some lunch and shopping.

Lauren snuck this apple out of a bin and starting eating it. We went to go pay for it and the guy said it was free for an Iowa fan (Mike had his Iowa hat on.) Mike starting talking to the guy and it turned out that his great great uncle was Nile Kinnick (of Kinnick stadium fame.) Anyway, I guess you have to be an Iowa fan to appreciate that, which Mike did.
Mom picked up some peppers for a chicken dinner she made for us that night. Another winner. I think we are going to have to make this a tradition since she's done it twice in a row now :)


So that is what we've been up to these last weeks of summer. I can't believe it is Labor Day Weekend! Hope you all are enjoying it.