This was our first trip to Bellingham this summer, but not our last! Makenna got to have her very first one-on-one week and a half with Grandma and Papa - and boy did she have a great time! She loved going garage "sale-ing" with Grandma, doing fun sewing projects, going on a jog with Papa, watching movies, making treats, and just plain hanging out. The kids and I (Petey still workin' like mad) went to pick her up (in our new Tahoe by the way:) and decided to stay the week! We had a blast - it was so fun and SOOO relaxing for me as Mom spoiled us with yummy meals and a backyard full of fun. Oh yes - I didn't get a good shot of it, but all the improvements to the front of the house turned out AMAZING, so fun to see that finished!
We got in the day before the 4th of July and got to celebrate that fun event with Grandma and Papa, Nan and Pop, Greg and Dawn, and Eric! I didn't get any night shots unfortunately, but the kids loved lighting sparklers and watching the "snakes" grow out of the ground.
The next 4 posts are all about our fun visit to Bellingham - thanks Mom and Dad for spoiling us! We loved it!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Bellingham 2010
Backyard Bliss
We spent a good 3 days just lounging, swimming, sliding, sprinkling, reading, snacking, and "alligatoring" in the backyard at Grandma and Papas - it was pure bliss. Grandma got this great pool the kids could actually swim in and Charley coined the term "alligatoring" - with her hands on the bottom of the pool she would pull herself round and round, all three would join the fun and create a whirl pool effect that created this little current and they would coast on their floaties in circles all day. What a life.
I never new kids could just slip and slide and slide and slip all day - but they can. And they did. It was off to the races with this delux double slip 'n slide, complete with "surf boards" - so fun!
How do you finish off the perfect summer day? BBQ hamburgers and watermelon in the backyard of course! We were sure spoiled at Grandma's house!
Papa's Grand Slam Baseball Camp
On one of the hottest days we were in Bellingham we got to bring popsicles to Dad's baseball campers. Porter and Kenna had fun handing them out and we had fun watching Papa and being down on his baseball field.
The best part of the whole thing was watching the kids slide down the wet hill. Port was eatin' it up, he didn't want to leave . . . but he wasn't quite sure he wanted to join in yet!
Fun Visits
We are so lucky the kids have Great Grandparents to visit when we come to Bellingham. Grandma Carr is always SOOO happy to see us. This time when we came she was sitting by the front door of the nursing home and her face just lit up when we walked through the door!
We always love walking over to Nan and Pop's house that's just around the corner. Papa was out in the yard when we came and Nan was up on the deck doing some mending, cooling off in the nice summer evening air. We had such a nice visit - always wish it wouldn't end!
Down in the basement or "the dungeon" as Porter has named it, Porter got to try out one of Papa's trumpets. He really started getting the hang of it.
Papa picked up another trumpet and they just wailed away - we've decided when we come back in August Port's ready for some real lessons. Can't wait Pops!
Another visit to Grandma before we left for home. She looked quite a bit happier this day - and Porter was even willing this time. He said, "I think she really needs us to visit her." You're right buddy, how lonely she must get!
Birch Bay
it was so fun to spend the day with Papa especially since he had been doing baseball camp all week. The kids loved digging in the mud flats, wading in the warm shallow water, flying kites, and playing chase in the mud! Pretty much every kids dream day!
It was so hot that we only lasted a couple hours before hitting up our favorite place -the "C Shop." A place that has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl -lots of treats and sno cones and ice cream, just right for a hot summer day!
What a blast we had! Can't wait to come back in August when Dane and Britt's families are there too!
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Giant Redwoods and the Coast
What a blast we had over spring break! We were able to take a mini vacation for a few days down to the Redwood Forest and the Northern CA coast. Krissy, Ray and their kids joined the fun, and we are so glad to have made the trip together! These are only SOME of the great pics taken of this highly recommended trip. If you haven't driven down the Avenue of the Giants through the Redwood forest - put it on the "things to do before I die list" because the majesty and beauty of these breathtaking giant trees is something not to miss. Just a recap of the fun we had: sleeping in our cozy camper (that actually had heat!), koa campgrounds, hot showers, huge huge stumps the kids could hide in (and get lost in), agate beaches, fun parks, Ocean World, petting real live sharks, pirates, eating out (literally), eating in (to get dry), lighthouse tour, wind, rain, sun, heat, hot chocolate, smores, crazy campers, ants in the cabin, tent city (never trust an "RV park"), happy kids, grumpy kids, playful kids, carsick kids (well just one), throwing a hat full of puke into the forest that splat on a tree, laughing, napping, Avenue of the Giants, hikes, Paul Bunyun, Babe, driving through a tree trunk (well watching Krissy and Ray drive through a tree trunk cause the truck was too wide), tree houses, more beach, more agates, tide pools, tire swings, where's Kate, grilled cheese on the beach, bags of rocks, bags of shells, pockets full of sand, cars full of dirt, souls full of happy memories. We sure loved it!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
"Lamonia"
So tonight as we were finishing up at the dinner table I asked Porter, "So if people ask you why you were in the hospital what are you going to say?" He replied, "Lamonia." We all had to laugh. That was our weekend - a stay in the hospital while we tried to attack Porter's pneumonia. He had been sick all week last week - started a fever Saturday over a week ago. He just wasn't getting better - running high fever, coughing bad, labored breathing, throwing up, diarrhea, goopy eyes, the works. By Wednesday I brought him into our clinic here in Sisters - thought it could be pneumonia, but they couldn't yet hear any fluid in the lungs. Decided to treat the symptoms as a virus - but come Thursday his fever spiked back up to 104.3 and he had a horrible night - coughing, couldn't breath very well. We got him into the pediatrician on Friday - they tested his oxygen saturation level and it was at 82 (normal is upper 90's). After a nebulizer treatment, it was still only at 84 - they wanted to admit him. Long story a little shorter - chest x-ray showed pneumonia and we were not released until Monday morning! It was definitely a roller coaster - Porter is our more dramatic child when he is sick so you can imagine how he felt when he was not only miserable, but hooked up to an IV, oxygen tube, and probe to track his oxygen levels. The first genuine smile we saw was when his best buddy and cousin Josh and Aunt Trish visited and brought him balloons, yummy snacks, coloring book, and stuffed animal - he loved it. The second genuine smile was when he got the official OK from the Dr. to leave the hospital and go home! He is doing SO GOOD - but I'm not sending him back to school until next week so we can get his immune system stronger and energy back. Thanks for all your calls and prayers and concern for Porter and thanks to all our family who were able to help with the girls so we could be at the hospital 24/7 with Port. Lets pray for a much healthier spring!
(Didn't know Tiger Woods was a pneumonia model - gosh, what doesn't this guy do? hmmm, I think we know - be faithful!)
