Halloween 2014

 We hosted Trick or Treating again this year in our neighborhood.  Many of our friends came and we had so much fun!  We started out in one huge mob but soon it was the runners and the walkers.  After we hit our neighborhood we all came back for some cider and treats.  Then it was on to the next neighborhood spook alley!  So proud of Bryant making it all the way to the front door and candy.  Although he wouldn't go again with Kacie, who was too afraid, to see Ms. Jeppeson at the door.  She is a second grade teacher at his school.  It was fun to see her there.

 Taylor was a mummy, Sydney was from a Jane Austin novel and Bryant was a Red Ninja this year, just kidding about Tay, she is seventeen and no fun!

Pintictin, Canada 2014

 The first weekend in August we headed to Canada for the West family reunion with Todd's family.  We got to meet Kim, Darren's fiance' and we agreed that we like her and he can still marry her.  We arrived Thursday night, had a late dinner and it was off to bed.  Friday we had a day to ourselves and Papa treated us all to Parasailing!  I was a bit nervous but it was such a smooth ride and super fun!  If you notice I am lower than Todd and Sydney, for some reason my harness made me lean back farther than theirs, a little uncomfortable but better than holding myself upright the whole time.

 Cousin time.  Spence taught the kids some hand game that they played like this forever!

Sydney and Kristina drawing and reading before the big family reunion dinner.  Great Uncle John Wright and Bryant playing Pass the Pigs game.

 Like I predicted, our family stuck together and didn't mingle much at all.

 I can't believe I don't have any photos of Nana and she was the reason we were all there together.  Thank you Nana for a fun weekend with cousins!

Temple Square

 

In April we headed to Utah for a long weekend to attend Emily Hansen's sealing in the Salt Lake Temple.  We have known Dave & Janae' Hansen since 1991, twenty two years!  Here's a funny story:  I was telling David's brother how cool it would be to see someone you knew at temple square, but there are so many people that that would never happen.  Not thirty minutes later I see a guy I know, then a lady I didn't know, his brother and then I saw his mother my friend from Oregon!  I ran up to her and hugged her tight!  I haven't seen her in years, it was so nice to say hi and visit for a few minutes.  I miss Mary.



Happy 9th Lego Birthday Party!

 This may very well be that last fun little kid party we have so we went all out!  Bry wanted a lego party, well since that is all he ever does anymore!  He just wanted a home party with lots of games.  Taylor set up the Ninja Run in the hallway and the kids loved it!

 We decided to make our own pizzas, which was fun.  While they were all at the table eating they began telling jokes!  It was so funny to listen to them from the kitchen, they were having a blast!  The best joke came from Kacie, "What do trees drink?   Rootbeer!"

 How embarrassing!  The table was set so nicely too, but ten nine year olds tore it apart!  Also the cute display of candy had been taken to be put into the goody bags.

 Gifts... they couldn't get close enough to Bryant!

 Every thing turned out great.  It was definitely crazy with eleven nine year olds!  They were loud and so full of energy!  Todd limited them to half a cup of rootbeer then water.  While we waited for parents to arrive we had them jump some energy off!  Happy Ninth Birthday to my favorite son who always has a huge smile on his face! 

Pre-Christmas Activities 2013

 So not sure what happened with this photo, but it is kind of cool!  This is Taylor holding Summer Smart at our ward Christmas dinner.  Below is Sydney and Emmie talking with the snow fairy at the Snowflake Lane in Bellevue.  Every year we meet up with the Rigtrup, Allen and Paternoster families for FHE and head to Snowflake lane for dancing fun!  The kids get lollies from the  high school students dressed as nutcrackers and then the drummers come down the street and play for twenty minutes, so fun and festive.  This helps me get into the holiday spirit every year!

 I finally got a photo of both Jon and Bry looking happily at the camera!  They always have fun dancing and trying to avoid the girl fairies!

San Juan Island

 We got up very early to drive to Anacortes, Wa to catch a ferry to the San Juan Island.  It was a bit socked in weather wise but the sun came out about 11am and was perfect!  It was a bit chilly when we first got there as you can see Bryant refused to get dressed in his shorts and chose to stay in his pajamas!  Above, we had hiked to a lighthouse, which was small and disappointing.  Down from the edge they are walking to is this down in the next photo.

 The kids spent forever climbing all over the rocks searching for sea life and seaweed!  Bryant also found a yellow balloon, go figure?

 We stopped by the American camp and the English camp, how fitting as our guests are from England.  The English camp was so cool, it was situated on a nice little bay and neatly laid out unlike the American's camp that wasn't around anymore.  We just went into a small interpretive center to learn about how the two countries were arguing over who owned the islands.

 Bryant, Stayson and Adam are watching a man clean a salmon in Roche Harbor, where we stopped to eat lunch.  Below is called Lime Kiln Beach or "whale watching beach".  The kids again just had fun playing on the rocks and looking for sea life.  No whales, darn!

 and climbing trees...

 This is Friday Harbor and it is such a quaint little port.  The guys are talking sail boats as Stayson has purchased a fixer upper one and has yet to do anything to it.  Below is a photo of the babies fast asleep after a long day.  It is an hour and twenty minutes to drive to the ferry in Anacortes... late night.

Taylor's visit

 Mt. St. Helens was pretty amazing.  We tried to go to the Ape Caves too, but they were on the other side of the Mountain, darn!

 We took the Taylor family who was visiting from England to go clamming.  Here they are shucking and eating oysters!  Even little Bry ate one and said it wasn't bad at all.  Sarah in the end didn't do it, she tasted the salt water and gave up.  James put a huge one in his mouth and it wouldn't go down and he ended up spitting it out, gross!  Stayson said he ate four or five!  Those were the brave ones!  Sydney found some baby star fish, they were so cute!

 After a quick lunch we headed to the other side of the spit to dig up clams.  All you do is rake the top layer of sand off and dig around with your hands and they are everywhere!  We collected 140 clams and then the next day we had my friend Stephanie come teach us how to steam them, actually not bad at all!  Everyone loved them! 

 On the way over to the spot to clam we took two trips shuttling everyone, but on the way back we decided to make one trip.  Our poor little fishing boat couldn't plane and was slow...running at full board.  That's a lot of weight!  We had a beautiful day at the beach and so much fun too!