Main Street Mile

Our family did the main street mile for the second year in a row. John's firm was part of a corporate team challenge where each company entered 5 individuals. John' firm got 9th place out of 11 teams, but John got 17th place overall out of 59 people, with a time of 5:49.

Ian and Mason did the 1/2 mile race. Out of 341 kids, Mason got 168th place, with a time of 6:26. Ian got 28th place with a time of 3:49. Ian was very proud of himself.

Next week Ian and Mason are running a 2 mile race, and John is running a 6 mile race.

play date

Earlier this month I invited my friends Nancy and Diana and their kids over for a play date. The kids had fun playing in the blow up pool.

When that got old they did what kids do. They chased each other around the yard! Then they ate chips, cherries, donut holes and PB&J sandwiches.

We girls ate these and they were oh so delicious!

We decided we wanted to do this more often. It's not only nice for the kids, but its nice for us moms to get together and get some real conversation from someone other than a 3 year old.

Summer time

Here are some pictures of the kids playing in our little pool. Lauren really loves the water. When Claire was a baby, she was the same way. I actually got some good ones of claire. As of late, she has been hard to get a genuine smile from...BUT, this day she was having a gay ol' time and I got some cute smiles.

Look at this freaky spider that we found lurking on the pool. It was just waiting for the opportune moment to come and bite my kids. I took care of that mean ol' spider. wa pow!

I cant help myself

I just have to share these....

Swimming Lessons

Claire started swimming lessons last week. It is a two week course, monday - thursday. They teach the kids how to do free style arms, butterfly arms, scissor kicks and dolphin kicks. They also help the kids go under water and start to teach them how to dive. Claire is by far the worst swimmer in the class. She is in a class with 3 and 4 year olds, who have taken swim lessons before...but I think she should have been with the 2 and 3 year olds. This is Claires first experience in a class-like environment. The first day she did the best, because she didnt know what to expect. Since then, she has been a little hard. She NEVER wants to wear her goggles, and the teacher has a hard time lifting her out of the pool to do a dive. Claire will straighten her legs and lean back all while screaming, "no, no, no.." In this picture she is really mad because she didn't want to go to swimming lessons that day.

She cant seem to figure out how to do the free style arms, she does more of a doggy paddle. Her favorite thing is floating on her back, and she suprisingly hasn't cried at all after she goes under water...She just freaks out before. Her teacher did say that Claire does really good going under, so I am pround of her for that.

Today, the start of the second week, she did so much better! She didn't cry at all and she let her teacher lift her out of the pool for a dive. I have hope yet. Here are some pictures of her during swimming lessons last week. Not one day did the sun come out and twice it rained!!

Afterwards they get to have some free time in the pool. Claire loves this boat. It makes going to swim lessons all worth it for her. All the other kids use intertubes but claire has to have the boat! -gotta love her!

Happy Birthday Jill

Jill is now officially 30 years old.

For her birthday, John took her for a 3 day weekend in Cascade.

We spent Thursday afternoon at several bike shops before heading to Cascade. We found tons of cool bikes we want, we just can't afford any of them.

We spent Thursday evening at Jill's family cabin in Cascade.

Friday morning we went to this really cool hot springs called Gold Fork Hot Springs.

Then we checked into the Ashley Inn for Friday and Saturday night.

It rained most of the trip, but we did manage to squeeze in a bike ride around the lake and a round of golf between thunder storms (John was very happy with his game, Jill was not, but the scenery was nice).

Other highlights of the trip include the free Cookies and Milk at 8:00 both nights at the Ashley Inn (John failed both nights to reach his goal of downing 8 cookies, but Jill easily reached her goal of three each night), a trip into McCall, a very good breakfast and a not-so-great dinner at the only Cascade restaurant that looked sanitary, and lots of swimming in the hotel's pool and hot tub.

All in all, it was an almost perfect weekend without the kids.

Thanks to Grandma Vickie and Grandma Suzie for watching the boys.

Feeding the Fish

We had a fun day feeding the fish at the train depot. Ian, Mason, & Blake couldn't go because they had dentist appointments. Too bad, we had a lot of fun!




Lauren just ate the bread.


I guess they did do a little bit more than just feed fish. After all, they are kissing cousins!

Lots of fun feeding the fish.



Ashleigh stayed close because she didn't want to jump in to rescue the child who might fall in.

Oops, We already saw this picture.


Throwing the bread.

Yeah, the fish are eating all the bread.

Peter Pan & Wendy

One of Claire's favorite things to play is Peter Pan. This week she found a worthy Captain Hook.

Watch out you Captain Hook!



Watch out Peter Pan, no one can beat the mighty Captain Hook.



I am not afraid.


The mighty duel continues.

Take that you Captain Hook. Once again good triumphs over evil and Peter Pan has won!