Summer Trip to Oregon

We had an amazing trip to Oregon to visit my parents' beach condo! It was such a relaxing, fun trip! The kids were amazing in the car and Michael drove the entire 10 hours there and back! Poppy and Mimi showed us a great time and it was just wonderful to get to spend a whole week enjoying their slice of heaven! It would be a very long blog post if I mentioned all the fun adventures we had, but here are a few of the top memories we made:

• Building sandcastles, flying kites, playing football, jumping waves, and relaxing by the beach.
• Swimming in the pool and relaxing in the hot tub.
• Crabbing! This was a first for all of us! It was an adventure and so fun! We only caught one that was big enough to take home, but we had a blast doing it!
• Exploring the tide pools at the bottom of Cape Perpetua and the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. We saw sea urchins and starfish.
• Hiking and picnicking at Cape Perpetua. It was the most beautiful view of the coast!
• Having fun at the local county fair… it was pretty "red-neck," but the kids had a blast and the motocross show was amazing!
• Exploring the Newport Aquarium again. It's such a nice place with an amazing shark tunnel!
• Resting in the condo… reading books, playing games, going on bunny hunts, riding bikes, etc.
• Golfing… the boys went golfing twice, once taking Connor for a round of 9 holes. He was so excited to get to golf with Daddy and Poppy!
• Playing at the park, sliding down the ginormous mountain slide, and then enjoying Tillamook ice cream!
• Picking fresh blueberries from the blueberry farm.
• Shopping at the outlets (while the boys golfed).
• Enjoying a bonfire at the beach and roasting delicious marshmallows. 

Other summer activities….

Connor has been great about doing some academic prep work during the summer. He usually does a few pages during Maddie's nap. He is really amazing in math and he's learning to read as well. I'm excited for him to begin kindergarten! He is absolutely ecstatic about starting school!

The kids have been spending lots of time outdoors! I think this picture captures the fun we've been having this summer. What's better than enjoying an ice cream outdoors?

We've also been blessed to enjoy Danielle and Brian's new pool. 

It's absolutely gorgeous and so refreshing!

Maddie and I took a trip to Fairytale one day while Connor was at Zoo Camp. It's so fun to see her personality when she gets to be the leader! Kirsten and Mallory joined us too and we had a lovely day!

Zoo Camp 2014

Connor attended Zoo Camp at the Sacramento Zoo from July 7-11th. He had an absolute blast! His friend Lilliana attended too and he enjoyed it just as much as last year. Madeline also enjoyed exploring the zoo one day after we picked Connor up from camp! I was amazed that she was brave enough to pet the animals! We also really enjoyed attending the art show at the end of camp, in which all of Connor's art projects from the week were displayed. He is very creative and a beautiful artist!

Happy 4th of July!

We had a great 4th of July this year! We started the day out in Clarksburg at a little country parade. It was very small and cute and just perfect for our kids. Connor left with pockets full of candy and Madeline enjoyed seeing the "horsies." Madeline got a lot of attention in her festive dress that Mimi got her... in fact two strangers stopped us and asked us if they could take photos of her. That happens often actually... I'm thinking I should start charging. :-) We then went over to The Old Sugar Mill and had a picnic with our neighbors. The dads were so nice and played with the kids outside while Rachelle and I went inside and tasted wine. We had a great time. Then we came home so Maddie could get a nap in. Mandy, Chad, and CJ came over, along with our neighbors for a bbq and some water play outside. We then did fireworks and ate dessert outside. We thought about driving to see the big fireworks display at Raley Field, but there were so many big fireworks going on near our house, there was no need to drive anywhere. It was a fun-filled, perfect day! 

Our 9th Wedding Anniversary

We celebrated our 9th year married this past week. It's hard to believe it's been that long, although it seems like we've been together forever... in a good way... a very good way! I feel blessed to get to share my life with Michael. He makes everyday bright, happy, and wonderful. He fills my life with so much joy! I know we're not newlyweds anymore, but it still seems exciting and awesome to get to spend my life with him. We celebrated by having dinner at the Melting Pot and going for a massage afterwards. It was a great night!