Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

I have one of the Greatest Mom's a daughter can have! And I would also say that my kids have one of the best Grandma's too!!! We celebrated her birthday last Thursday by taking her to one of our new favorite spots, Plantsferry Park on the Spokane River. By the time we got down to the river it was dusk and my camera doesn't take very good pics then, so they are a little blurry.

Kambria helped make and decorate the cake! :)

Eli can never pass up a piece of cake!!!!

The 3 grand kids :) ....like Kaden's swimming shorts...or are they pants! :) LOL!

Grandpa showing the kids how to skip rocks.



Missy and Eli see something in the water.........

My dad told my brother that he would give him 5 bucks if he could skip this big rock! He didn't get the money, but he tried! :)

After we walked back up from the river it was getting late enough that we decided to stay and look for the US Space shuttle that was supposed to fly over our part of the world at 9:50. All the kids wanted to sit on Grandma's lap! :) We saw what could have been it at about 9:40 but didn't see anything else different after that, so we are pretty sure we did see it, it was just early.

We had a fun time together celebrating my mom's birthday! We also went to Silverwood on Saturday to continue the celebration. I will post those pics next! :)

More Family Time and the Beautiful Spokane River

I have had multiple things to blog about in the last week so I am still playing catch up...as usual!

Last Saturday evening we decided to have some more family time with just us! We really should have kept working on our house as we are preparing to paint it, but it was so incredibly hot and we wanted to cool off. So we packed a picnic and headed to Plantsferry Park by the Spokane River. It was so beautiful and peaceful! There weren't very many others there so it was actually pretty quiet. After eating our picnic dinner (BLT's YUM!) we walked the short paved jont down to the river. Wow! Even more beautiful! It was almost dusk and again there was no-one down there so it was quiet and peaceful! A couple times there were some people that had floated down the river and were getting out at that location but they didn't stay long and it was just us again! :)












I got in the water too, but I don't post swimming suit shots of me...........at least until I lose at least 30 pounds!


After playing in the water and throwing/skipping rocks, we decided to head back up and let the kids play on the playground before it got completely dark.




The cool alligator on the playground! Kambria wanted a picture with her and daddy sitting on his nose :)



Eli's turn :)



It was such a nice place to go! We are actually going there again tomorrow to celebrate my Mom's birthday! Yeah! .......and then also to Silverwood on Saturday to celebrate it again! :)

Pick'n Raspberries! Yum!

Every year we get a ton of raspberries! Last year I made raspberry rhubarb pie; we also have a ton of rhubarb. This year I decided I really want to make raspberry jam. So last Friday I got out and picked a bunch of them in preparation for doing so. (still haven't done it, am planning on it today :) I tried to pick what I could while Eli was sleeping, but he woke up and decided to come out and join me. He loves picking them and eating them! It is a daily thing! :) He is actually pretty good about picking out the ripe ones too!




"ooooooo.....I think picking from the bucket will be easier and just as yummy!"


"Yup, just as yummy!" :)




A one gallon bucket full :)



After picking and eating........raspberries:) Eli decided to go for a drive :) ...this is his "O" face that he makes a lot! My cute boy! :)



While Eli went for a drive, I decided to relax in the shade for a couple minutes; Princess decided to join me.

A rainy cool day doesn't stop my kids from playing on thier swing set! :)

Last Monday it was the first rainy cool day in a long time. I think it was actually very refreshing! After raining most of the morning, there was a slight break so we decided to go outside for some fresh "after rain" air and play for a bit.

Since Eli can't sit on the swing, this is how he loves to be on it; he will still swing back and forth for a while this way :)

My little acrobat! He loves to swing on this bar!

Wet slide = wet bum! :)

Kambria discovered that she loves having the swing higher one day when I was getting them out of my way while mowing the lawn. Ever since then this is the preferred height.

Last Saturday's family fun!

Last Saturday, after a very busy and very hot day, we decided to take a little time to spend together having fun with just our little family. The new Shadle Pool just opened up a couple weeks ago so went and tried it out. It was so fun and refreshing!!! It only costs $1 for kids 3+ and $2 for adults......what a great deal for some family fun! :) Eli wasn't sure when we first put him in, but after a couple minutes he started to love it!

Eli loved jumping off the wall into the water! (with us holding onto him of course :) I held onto his hands when I was helping him do it. He was laughing and smiling "ear to ear" :)

What a big boy! ....holding onto the side :)

All done! :)


I think the sun was in her eyes :)

Eli wanting me to wrap him up in his towel again

There is a pool just like this being built right by our house! It is set to open in a couple weeks! We are pretty excited because I can walk there with the kids during the week and have a little cheap fun! :)

My Birthday.....Friday and Sunday

My birthday was on the 10th (Friday), we celebrated it then with my family and on Sunday with Jon's family and with our best friends.


The Olive Garden is my favorite restaurant so we usually end up going there for my birthday.....I switch it up every once in a while. :)



It is usually me who is late.........but this time I got there before everyone and sat at our big table by myself for a while. Rhiannon and I were walking downtown for a bit, so Jon was gone picking up the kids from his mom's house.



Grandma K with her grandkids :)



This is my friend Amy. She was one of my best friends in 6th and 7th grade.



Eli's first restaurant kids cup with a straw! He is getting so big!




My yummy dinner! I used to get the same thing all the time, but I decided to get something different this time. Shrimp Primevera (sp?).......I'm sure I will order it again! :)




Kambria and Kaden




Singing Happy Birthday to me with an Olive Garden Italian birthday song :)




The Olive Garden birthday cake........I only wish they would give it to you for free for your birthday. It was yummy though!




Eli thought it was pretty yummy too! :)




My birthday present! I have been looking for some brown flip flops that I like and finally found some, so Jon bought them for me for my birthday! :) Thanks hon!




I was so happy that my grandparents could come to! They're the best! :)




My family! :)




It is tradition (as long as the weather is permitting) to walk around Riverfront Park a little after dinner. This year we just hung out at the fountain and the carousel. It was fun :)

Kambria telling everyone how wet she was getting from the fountain :)

Kambria and I rode the carousel one time for my birthday.....and because she really wanted to! :)

Kambria took this picture of me.

I gave Kambria a few of the rings to through in the hole after the ride.

Kambria insisted that I take a picture in front of this "elevator" sign :)

Sunday we celebrated with some of Jon's family by having a bbq at our house. I decided it would be fun and cooler to eat outside. It was warm in our house from the past few hot days before that.

I really want to get an outside table set next year! I love eating outside in the summer!

When we first got outside there were some clouds..........but then when we were eating....this rolled in. Thunder and all!

Rhiannon and Rosalyn decided they would stay out there unless it started to poor! What troopers! :)

After we all made it inside and it really started to rain we decided to have cake!

Me blowing out my candles, not knowing they were trick candles! :)

I actually got most of them blown out with a couple blows, but there were a few that didn't want to go out. So I licked my fingers and put them out! :) LOL!

Eli and his piece of cake........or at least it used to be a piece! :)

I think he was done! :) Bath time! :)

After I gave him a bath to clean him up, Kambria had gotten her jammies on. So Jon decided it would be funny to put her dress on Eli! LOL!

After everyone else left, we decided to go for a walk in the "after rain" fresh air. It was so nice! George and Rhiannon joined us.

When we got back, Kambria and Madeleine got blankets out and layed down on the porch while we talked.

Originally our plans were to go to Seattle for my birthday weekend. And I am still bummed that we weren't able to this year. But it turned out to be a good weekend anyway! Another birthday done and only 2 more until I turn 30! Crazy!