Happy Birthday to Me!!

For my birthday this year Tim took us out to the Rainforest Cafe. The kids and I had a great time, especially looking at the fish in the big fish tanks. Some of the animals, like the elephants, were quite overwhelming to Hailey, but we all still had fun. The triplets have not been to a zoo yet, so this was kind of a "warm-up" experience! I think when the time comes, they'll do just fine!

Molly, being her regular cutie!

Me and my girls!

Hoping for a modeling career?

The Fish

Hmmm, who let the triplets loose? Attempting a kid shot!

Megan having a heart-to-heart with the elephants...
Aunt Tee Tee came along to help!
Guy cleaning the fish tank...extremely fascinating!
Time for birthday treats!

Thanks Tim for such a great idea! It was a fun way to spend my birthday!

Lopez Island

A few weekends ago Tim and I had the opportunity to get away for a night to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We headed up to Anacortes, enjoyed a of couple hours walking around and eating lunch, then took the ferry over to Lopez Island. We visited a very small winery and did some tasting, then checked into our cottage at Lopez Farm Cottages. Beautiful, quiet, refreshing! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice getaway. We had dinner at a local hangout called The Galley , with a great view and delicious food. We watched the Husky game and just enjoyed the opporunity to exist without children for a few hours. We were blessed with beautiful weather and time together!

Waiting for the ferry...

Arriving to Lopez Island

The Vinyard

The Galley...delicious fish tacos and fish and chips!
Beautiful view...
Heading back!
A great big thanks to my mom and sister Tori for taking care of our kiddos while we were away! We certainly should do this more often :-)

Well, it happened...my little girl turned 6! I tell ya, in a blink of an eye they grow up and you find yourself wondering, "Where did that little baby of mine go??" This year we decided to celebrate Megan's birthday with dinner at Applebees, of course, followed with cake and ice cream at home. Then, thanks to Auntie Brandi and Uncle Tom, Megan was able to share her love of the farm with her friends for her birthday party. We had horsey rides, a scavenger hunt, and then a craft. Because, what would a Megan party be without a craft??? The girls had a great time and I feel so blessed to have shared my life with this amazing girl for 6 years now! I can't wait to see the young lady that she grows to be over the next 6 years! I love her with everything I have and I'm so incredibly proud of who she is!

Garlic Fest

A few weekends ago we ventured down to Chehalis for some fun at the Garlic Fest. Turns out it was more of an ADventure than a venture. We have this new vehicle now, well, new to us, and we we haven't gotten to know all of the quirks yet. It just so happens that the gas guage is a bit of a fibber at times and doesn't always tell the whole story. So, there we were, two adults, one teenager (my neice Alex), and four children, stranded on I-5, out of gas! Fortunately we were just shy of an off-ramp where there was a gas station, so Tim lovingly ran his rear-end to the station and back for some gas, not once, but over the course of about 2 hours, 3 times! And what a sight it must have been, woman with baby on back, double stroller, and teenager walking hand-in-hand with the 5 year old down I-5...yes, we finally had to leave the car and head to the diner by the gas station because the kids can only sit for so long in their car seats! So, off we went for some lunch, Tim stayed with the vehicle until his mom and dad came to help out, and we finally made our way to Garlic Fest. Although we were frazzled and already done with the day, we managed to enjoy some lemonade and find the garlic we wanted. It was more involved than we planned, but we made it home and now are looking forward to our home grown garlic next summer! And, we introduced Alex to Elephant Ears!

My little guy, scopin' things out!

Had to get a group shot!

In seach of the garlic....

Apparently the kids will settle for lemonade!

In line for a refill!

"Nobody better touch my Lemonade!"

Now, where's the garlic?

Found it, and Alex thinks it smells delicious!

Crafts for Megan...

Pony Rides!!!


Overall, the trip down was full of surprises and unexpected challenges, but we got our garlic and that's what matters :-)

Happy Birthday Tim

Okay, so this was almost a month ago...I said I was far behind in blogging! We celebrated Tim's birthday in August with a night out at the Mariner's game for the two of us. Later that week we had cake and ice cream with ome family and he opened some great gifts! It was a good time and now, just a few more years until the big 40!! Better start planning now!

Preparing Dad's Birthday Treat

So cute, and so Megan!
Cake and ice cream with the kids!
Always studying something!
My two handsome guys!
Awwww....just precious!
The Weber Grill Stand...YES!
Love!

Quick, she's smiling!

Oh, that explains it :-)

UK Elite Soccer Camp

This summer Megan attended a soccer camp that is run by coaches from the UK. She had a great time and it was an amazing opportunity for her to learn and practice some new soccer skills. The coaches stay with host families and since a few of them were hosted by my cousins, they were able to join us on a couple of our camping trips. It was quite fun seeing them camp for the first time :-) Hey, when in the northwest, do as the northwesterners do, right??? Here are a few pictures from camp...

Coach PhilExplaining the rules...

Goin' for the ball!
Cousin Mallorie scores on Coach Dan!

Team Hug with Coach Dan!

Pep talk from coach Phil

Making playdate plans, I'm sure!

Happy to see mom :-)

As I watched Megan play her first games this past weekend, I could definitely see an improved level of skill in her soccer abilities. The UK Elite coaches definitely love their sport and their little players and I think that makes a strong impact! We are hoping for a great soccer season this year...well, as great as it gets with Pee Wee soccer :-)

Back to It!

I'm so far behind in blogging that I have no idea where to start, so I'm going with the events that have the fewest photos and can just be posted as is!! We had a very busy summer with lots of camping, visiting with family, and home improvement projects. The kids are growing constantly, keeping us running, and overall doing very well! Megan is back in school now, first grade, and so far is enjoying the experience and her teacher! Here are a couple of pictures...

First Day of First Grade

Mrs. Carr, the new teacher!

Third day, Mom's Favorite Outfit

I can tell this is going to be a successful year and I'm very excited for Megan! Her teacher seems very nice and even more, she has a sister who has 26 year old triplets! What are the chances of that??

Well, like I said, I'm very far behind in blogging so you will be seeing some random things pop up over the next week or so. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the changing of the seasons! This is such a great time of year!