SPRING BREAK 2011

The kids and I spent another Spring Break in Washington and, again, had a great time! Luckily when we vacation in Washington it is for the people that we see and not the weather!! We definitely got to experience the rain that we moved away from.

We arrived on Wednesday morning and spent the first couple of days with Megan & Alex while they were on Spring Break. The kids really love each other and have a great time together. Rena and Maleah immediately attach themselves to Megan and Cameron and Alex manage to get all of the Lego's out in about 5 minutes. It's so great to see these cousins having so much fun together......

The kids love Mike's dogs too -- this one is Hershey.....

Stacy likes to spoil the kids when they are there -- ice-cream for desert the first night.....

.....and doughnuts for breakfast (this one was actually thanks to Mike!).....

Just hanging out.....

The kids also like Mike's quads -- here's Cameron on the little one and Mike on the big one.....

Here's Maleah on the little one and Megan on the big one.....

Maleah was so funny -- she loved driving this and had no fear (unlike her mother watching her!).....

Alex had a couple of games (Life & Sorry) waiting for the kids and they played them more than a few times throughout the week......

On Sunday we went to the Children's Museum in Olympia......

Maleah & Megan getting ready to do a show for us (although once they got dressed up they gave up on the show!).....

This was a wall of soft pins that you could lean against to leave the impression of your body.....

Notice Mike......this was about his funnest part of the day -- making different goofy faces at me while I was taking pictures (I think next time Mike will find something else to do when we go to a Children's Museum!).....

This water table was a big hit with the kids......

.....even Mike participated in this one.....

Rena liked the sand table......

On Monday the kids went over to Grandma Lynne's for the day. They had a great time hanging out and playing with her animals. She has 3 cats and 3 birds. I'm pretty sure those animals will never be the same after these 3 kids got their hands on them.....

The bird kept getting stuck in Rena's hair.....

Even Megan got to hold the birds when we went to pick the kids up.....

On Tuesday we drove up to Snoqualmie to visit our friends, The Mudds. We first met The Mudds when Max and Cameron were in Preschool together in 2005 and love that we have stayed in touch and that we get to see them when we go home to visit......

Isabella and Rena also went to Preschool together when they got old enough to go.....

The boys played some Lego's and, of course, squeezed in a couple of video games.....

A great friend to me, Pamela -- we have kept in contact through the years and through all of our moves and I just love being able to see her and catch-up in person -- so nice to talk face-to-face rather than on the phone.....

On Wednesday we headed back up to Snoqualmie to visit with our PEPS group of friends. We all gathered at The Brenne's house and the day was filled with fun with The Hardwicks and The Battistels, who drove down from Vancouver, BC so that we could all be together. I have luckily kept in touch with all of these friends and love how we can get together and it feels like it was just yesterday that we saw each other. I met these moms and kids when Cameron was just a baby (before Rena and Maleah) and am so thankful that they are still part of our lives.

Rena, Campbelle, Beckett, Maleah and Marcus (with the rest of them also making a mess around the table) eating Jill's great lunch that she made for us.....

All the kids playing.....

Cameron & Marcus.....

Cameron & Christian......

Sara & Rena dancing.....

The whole group -- Marcus, Adam, Cameron, Sydney, Christian, Rena, Campbelle, Sara, Maleah and Beckett.....

These are the moms that have seen me at my best and worst of parenting moments! :) Laurel, me, Stephanie and Jill.....

We have a few laughs when we are together......

On Thursday we headed up to Issaquah to visit with our friends from our old neighborhood. Allison and Rena went to Preschool together also when we were living there.

Allison, Rena and Katie.....

Cameron & Jake -- Cameron manages to find a video game at every house we visit!.....

Maleah, Rena & Allison......

Cameron, Maleah, Rena, Jake & Allison.....

Another great friend that I am thankful has kept in touch with me through the years, Sherri.....

Time for a little bit more fun at The McCullough's -- dancing to the XBox Kinect.....

Maleah and Uncle Mike hanging out.....

We got outside a little bit when it wasn't raining. Rena wanted nothing to do with the quads, but she loved feeding the dogs and neighbor's horses.....

Maleah taking Cameron for a ride.....

Cameron wants one of these now......

Maleah loves hanging with Megan -- even when she's asleep.....

Our last day -- it was dry outside so we went to The Daffodil Parade in downtown Puyallup......

Rena was sooooooo excited that she found a daffodil. We actually had to carry it home with us -- it eventually ended up in my purse and is actually probably still there today.....

Back at home -- our goodbye's always start (and end) with lots of family pictures.......

I really love how much fun they have together.....

Me and my sis -- wish we lived closer, but LOVE our times together......

The kids love their Aunt Stacy.....

At the airport waiting to go home......

TIRED kiddos after a fun, fun, fun 10 days.....

We are already looking forward to seeing all of these great friends again at Spring Break 2012!! (Unless, of course, anyone wants to take a trip to SoCal before then......we are always ready for visitors!!)

FRIDAY FUN

Last week the kids Elementary School spent the week celebrating the school's 25th Anniversary. It started with 80's day, then they had a 25 cent book sale, a 25 cent breakfast, 25 cent popsicles and on Friday they had an assembly and a bbq lunch. Maleah was pretty excited because all of the Kindergarten classes went to school in the morning and they all got to go to Friday Flag for the big assembly.....

Friday also included an art fair. Here's Rena and her fish.....

Maleah and her strawberry hand print (top left).....

Cameron's crazy scary mask (he was too busy outside playing to have his picture taken).....

Gabby and Maleah were first to get food! Gabby goes to afternoon kindergarten, but since it was all morning kindergarten she got to eat the bbq lunch with us. The girls and I joined Rena in her classroom....

Friends at school -- Taylor, Gabby, Rena, Simone and Maleah.....