Blogging Again!

Okay, so I am a blog failure. I always have good intentions and then it just doesn't get done. I am trying once again to start my blogging back up...a new goal for me.

Well, summer is fast coming to an end. It seems like it took forever for it to get going here in Washington, then it just took off and I can't believe it's almost over now.

The beginning of the summer I sat down and made a list of all the fun things we could do and tried to plan some out. Well, we didn't get to a lot of the things listed, but I guess there is always next year. Here are some of the fun things we did do.

*Camping trip with friends to Cape Disappointment. The kids had a great time as always playing on the beach. We saw lot of wildlife; deer, a baby seal and a brave and pesky raccoon who wanted to steal our garbage while we were siting around the campfire. Unfortunately we had to cut the trip a little short since the rain was going to be coming in.

My friend Angie demonstrating a new way to keep the smoke from

getting in your eyes while sitting around the camp fire.

*Abby celebrates her 13th birthday at Ocean Shores with a few of her friends.

*End of June my parents came for an unexpected visit, it is always great to see them.

*Abby and I did the Down and Dirty Mud 8K Mud Run. This was a total blast, we can't wait to do it again next year.

*Fourth of July we spent with friends on Long Lake. Turned out to be a nice day even got the Seadoo in the water. Lee, Vanessa and their 3 boys were here for a visit from Australia, it was great as always to see them.

*Spur of the moment Mom's camping trip with the kids at Cape Disappointment. The weather was awesome. The second day it was about 85 degrees on the beach, which here in Washington is very rare. It was really warm so we had bought 1.5 gallons of ice-cream and cones, brought it back to camp and told the kids they had to eat it all because we couldn't save it. The kids were so excited, "This is the best day ever" was one of the comments made. They did pretty well, there was only a little left after everyone had there fill. We even offered some to the neighbor campers.

Kids eating their ice-cream

*We enjoyed some of the Parks and Rec. kids series concerts in the park.

*Took the kids to Dirty Works. A local community garden where the kids can help out weeding and harvesting in the "children's garden". The food then gets taken to the local food bank. Every week they have story and a little talk about something garden related and then have a craft project to go along with it. I enjoyed going almost as much as the kids, it was so inspiring for me to walk around and see how they created all their wonderful garden areas.

*Fun with friends at Lake Sinclair

*Banks Lake, Steamboat Rock camping trip was great this year. We enjoyed the boat in sites once again this year, I truly think it is paradise. We decided to stay a little longer than we had planned it was so nice. Saw the laser show at Grand Coulee Dam and also hiked up to the top of Steamboat Rock just in time to see an amazing sunset.

*Lake-fair the boys got to drive/ride go carts for the first time...the had a blast.

Fire Power!

*Thurston County Fair

*Steven celebrated his 9th birthday with friends at the movies and then a sleep over

*Relaxing day at Volunteer Park, topped off with a Shakespeare play "As you Like it" put on by 

Green Stage Theater

*Boys went to football camp

*Goodenough Family Reunion

If everything works out we will be able to get one last trip in to Banks Lake before the summer end.

Then we are back in the swing of things with Classical Conversations will starting on the 2nd for Abby and the 9th for the boys. Wow this summer has flown by.

Well time has sure flown by. I keep meaning to come and update my blog, but life just keeps happening and I don't always get the time I want. Since school has started we have been so busy. Between ORLA, swim team, dance and homeschooling we don't have much time for anything else.

Steven had his first swim meet in October, he did really well for his first one, he had lots of fun. Did you know even just starting out and doing it mostly for fun they still have to follow all the rules/regulations as if they were swimming in the Olympics...it's crazy. There are so many disqualifications I am surprised anyone places. You can get disqualified for your arm not being bent just the right way or when you start out you kicked just a little wrong. Steven's coach's daughter was hoping to qualify so they could compete in a certain meet and she was disqualified for her shoulder being back instead of forward on the turn. Needless, to say Steven didn't place, but he had a lot of fun. I was bummed Pete forgot the camera so we don't have any pictures.

Halloween was fun! The homeschool group had a dance with trunk or treating before, so we deck

the van out and the kids went around and got candy. Then Abby stayed at the dance and Pete and I took the boys trick or treating. The boys got way to much candy which Mom and Dad had to check over first to confiscate all the "bad" candy! LOL

Steven was a Skeleton Chopper biker guy and Austin was Wolverine.

Abby I am not sure what she decided she was. She was going for a punker, but had gone to a friends house before and ended up not doing all that she had planned?

We just got back from Disneyland, where Abby's clogging dance group dance 2 days (once at California Adventure and once a Disneyland) It was a great time to go, the lines weren't bad at all, I think the longest we had to stand in line may have been 25 minutes. That was until Monday (11/10) when California schools were out Monday and Tuesday for the Veteran Holiday, then it was just crazy. Pete's Mom Marilyn went with us too, I think she had a lot of fun. She hadn't been to Disneyland since 1964 so a lot had changed.
Abby had the best time, Saturday Disney was filming their Christmas special, so the Jonas brothers and Corbin Blue were there. She was ecstatic that she was up front when Corbin Blue performed, she got lots of pictures and some video. We will have to watch for when it airs and see if we can see Abby. Here are a few of the many pictures that we took!

Abby and Emma(right) dancing their part in their Highschool Musical dance!

I love how Marilyn is looking at Goofy in this picture!

Gramma and Austin

The Boys

Dracula and myself (Austin took this picture, I thought he did quite well)

Austin didn't want any of the girl characters to sign his autograph book. I told him it was going to hurt Minnie's feelings and she did pout for a second or two, then Mickey gave Minnie Austin's book and she pretended to kiss and hug it and then she handed it back to him. He was like Ewwww! It was pretty funny.

The Incredible!

We were suppose to act like we were strong, but the boys must have decided not to?