Couple of hours at Rock Creek

It was another hot day so we headed up to Rock Creek for a couple of hours. It was perfect the water was in the shade and it was cool and refreshing. Mason and the boys and some other people that were there as well caught a bunch of fish, newts, and crawdads.

Camp Baldwin

This last week Todd, Dallin and Hunter were at camp Baldwin for scout camp. They had a great time. Dallin was able to get 5 merit badges, Archery, horsemanship, canoeing, swimming, and camping. Hunter was able to finish 4 merit badges, horsemanship, canoeing, rowing, and swimming. He got a partial in fishing. You have to catch three different types of fish and Baldwin only stocks rainbow trout in their lake.

Dallin looking sharp in his order of the arrow sash and neck band.

I thought this was a really cool picture of Hunter doing archery.
Hunter on the horse hawk. He didn't like this horse because it was slow. His favorite horse was the one he rode on the overnighter her name was may.
Dallin riding lug nut. Dallin said he liked this horse.
Todd and the boys on the polar bear swim. They had to wake up at 5:40 am. They were able to get a really nice looking patch. They were the only ones in their troop to do it.

Klineline

I love Klineline. It has been my favorite place to swim since I was a kid. Now they even have a water park as my kids call it. Its actually just an area were water sprays in several different directions. They also have a playground. I spent six hours there today knowing that it would be a warm one. It was so relaxing.

Technically Dallin wasn't actually with us today because he is currently horseback riding at camp Baldwin. Todd has the camera with him so I put in pictures of two weeks ago. I had to add this one because I thought it was funny. Dallin wanted me to take this picture really bad.

I even had to take it twice because the first one didn't turn out to his satisfaction.

I find it interesting that whenever Todd leaves for whatever reason I have all of these plans yet none of them ever seem to happen. Somehow things always get crazier and I don't get anything done. Oddly I also think I will be going to bed earlier but that also is never the case. I'm so glad he doesn't travel often. I like him being around.

The 4th of July

Funny how traditions can change when you don't want them to. Due to Vancouver's decision to do away with the Fort Vancouver Fireworks we had to do something different this year. Ingela had decided they were going to take their family and the Swedish girls that were staying with them to the beach this year. So the rest of us decided to tag along.

We had a blast. We decided that even if the Fort does do fireworks again we may have to occasionally head back to the beach for the 4th.

The boys or I should say kids since Alaina is in the picture decided to make a Fort of sorts. Not bad huh.

The older boys went underneath the boardwalk and took turns burying each other in the sand. This is a unique burial considering that they buried each other standing up rather then laying down. Turned out it was pretty difficult to get out of. It kept them occupied for hours.

Mason found several jellyfish that he thought was really cool considering they were more intact then the ones he usually finds.
This is our little setup. The weather was great. There was a bit of a breeze thus the blanket on the back of the pop-up. No one really complained of being cold so it worked great.
The very beginning of people lighting off fireworks. It was like a war zone. This picture shows how smokey it got. This was only the beginning. Todd, Ingela and my mom had to go down to the beach to breath clean air a couple of times and Aiden, Hunter and Gavin had raspy voices for a couple of days after due to the smoke.

The fireworks around us were great. The fireworks that the city of Long Beach put on were 40 minutes long and wonderful. We were right next to where they set them off so we were able to get the full effects. All in all it was a wonderful 4th.

Rodeo

July 3rd we went to a rodeo. It was the first one my kids have ever gone to. This was the Vancouver rodeo which is only about a mile from our house and every year I say we need to go to that next year but then we never do. Money usually the reason. Anyway we were able to go this year and had a blast.

I always end up posting things out of order but that's what you get for not posting for months. I signed in with the new updated version of blog and by so doing it no longer allowed me to post to my other blog. After trying to post to my old blog several times I finally got tired of it. So I just started fresh with a new one. Anyway I am trying to get a couple of the events of the last couple of weeks in here and of course I uploaded them in the wrong order meaning the older ones are first and the new ones are last. Oh well I hope you enjoy them just the same.

This was the camp out that Todd and Alaina went on July 2nd. They had sooo much fun. It was a bit of adjustment for Todd however. He came back saying how different girls were. I think Alaina has a bug of some sort in her hands. I can't remember what Todd said it was exactly.

Alaina's favorite part of the camp out were the treats. She only had two bites of her hotdog and then put it down and said, "Daddy I hungee." Which we know to mean where are the sweets.

Todd decided this year that in addition to his yearly boy camp he needed to take each of his children camping by themselves. This las Friday was Gavin's turn. He couldn't have been more thrilled to have one on one time with his dad. They were going to go and camp on the siouxsan trail but it was washed out so they had to turn around and go camping at rock creek instead.

This was one of our favorite photos of Gavin during the camp out. It is so Gavin! The stick and his hand are in motion and yet he is stock still. I think he was acting out some sword play or something.