Loving Summer!

We have had so much fun these last 2 weeks I don't even know where to begin!

It all started when we planned Tyler's Baptism and Blake's Blessing for this summer, then we invited all family who wanted/could attend.



The good times began with meeting my sister and her family, and my brother and his family, in Astoria, OR where my sister on law's parents live. We had a bonfire on the beach on the evening we got there, and the next day, went to Cannon Beach near Seaside and played in the tide pools, on the beach, in the waves, and the sand. We just love that beach, it's so beautiful with not a lot of people. We ate dinner, walked around a little in Seaside, and got taffy and ice cream, of course! Then it was back to our house in Washington with my sister's family for a fun filled week.

                                           

     

The cousins played and played together...  Tyler took her cousin, Afton to gymnastics with her a couple times, Austin took my brother in law, Doug on a mountain bike ride, my sister and I got pedicures, we played at my neighborhood pool, we went to Seattle Science center and had dinner at The Rainforest Cafe. So much fun!

Pacific Science Center Justin Bieber Laser Light Show

Space Needle, Seattle

     

On Friday the masses got here, Austin's brother, Jesse and his daughter Bella, my brother and his family, and Grosi and Vati, we had a full house! All day Friday afternoon we played at the lake in my community. We hired a paddle board instructor to come out with 5 paddle boards and everyone had a blast paddle boarding around the picturesque lake. We also had a BBQ with delicious food and great conversation with family, it was a way fun day!

    

Saturday morning, Tyler was baptized and Blakey was blessed at our church ward house in Yelm. Tyler looked so beautiful in her white dress and Blakey was just as handsome as could be in white with a bow tie. Tyler was so happy and smiling from ear to ear all day, we were just so proud of her decision to get baptized, she is getting so old and mature it's just killing me! It was a very special day for our family, one we will remember forever and it was so fun to have some of our family with us to celebrate these little special people and events.

After the blessing, my sister and brother left to go home to UT, Austin went to work and took Jesse with him, which that left me and the girls, including cousin Bella, to hang out with Grosi and Vati for the day in Olympia on the boardwalk, and out to dinner.

Sunday we went to church, then spent a few more hours with Grosi and Vati until they headed back to UT. The next few days were with Austin's brother, Jesse and Bella. Austin and Jesse did some major yard work and landscaping, which we were so desperately in need of some expertise help from Jesse! While the boys worked, I spent time with the girls decorating cookies, swimming at the pool, and playing!

Now that everyone is gone, my house is pretty quiet and I have a lot of cleaning and laundry to do, but we had so much fun and I loved every minute of it. We missed a lot of people that I wished could have come, especially my Mom and Dad, but I know we are blessed because of the missionary work they are doing in Hong Kong, and Opie (Austin's Mom).

We are so incredibly blessed and I am grateful every day for my wonderful family!