responsible for just one!

SO Parker and Abe have been in Texas for a week now.. It has been really strange just being responsible for one little girl.. I must admit these days she feels like WAY MORE than one little girl. NOt even kidding..
We have been BUSY having fun.. We have been to the beach, the pool two times, bike rides, exercising.. temper tantrums at the post office, commissary, and PX.. Whew that is hard work.
we picked bluberries.. have been hanging out with our little firends.. I know Violet is loving the just me and mommy time.. Daddy isn't here either.. So it is just VIolet and mommy best friends forever.. BFF.. We have done all these fun things and I keep forgetting my camera.. I put it in my purse though and should be taking some new ones.. BTW it is HOT as blazes here.. Yes, I do know that it is hot all over .. I get it.. BUT you have AIR CONDITIONING and we DO NOT!!! :)

Cannon Beach

I have alot more beach pictures to post.. a special thing about Cannon Beach is that you can ride horses on the beach there. Our cabin was actually on the stable grounds so the kids spent ALOT of time watching, talking, FEEDING the horses.. :)

philadelphia

Last week, I went to Philadelphia for a Work conference. We did not have much free time, but on our banquet night MCEC the military childs education coalition, rented out the ben Franklin Science Museum.. It was so neat. Afterwards we decided to walk down to the art museum where Rocky runs up the stairs.. There were TONS of people there running up the stairs..
xx

waiting for ice cream

The farm we visited had 3 different kinds of lavender ICE CREAM! Abe had lemon custard and Violet and I tried the peppermint lavender.. yummy! Grandma likes to smell lavender not eat it!

cherries!!

While at Sequim, our friend Heather found a cherry tree at one of the farms. There was a kind gentlemen in the tree picking cherries for visitors. Abe LOVES cherries. We stood there and ate them for way too long... :)

Lavendar festival

This past weekend we went to the lavender festival in Sequim. The drive was amazing..Through the Hood Canal.. so amazing and only two hours or so.. away.. a street fair with yummy food and a bus that will take you to any of 8 lavender farms...

4th of July

This is my favorite picture from the 4th of July.. I tried to get a good one of Abe too but only got this one of the girls..:)

ahhh the big sister..

Just an example of the way Parker tortures Abe.. I was going through some things in Parkers room and came across this.. I had to giggle..

Even Grace

Even Grace loved the hammock!!

hammock lover

Ron brought a hammock and put it up at the cabin.. Violet and James got some action in the hammock. Parker said she was sleeping in it at night, but quickly changed her mind when the sun went down!

beach bums

Luke and Vi kept really busy just digging in the sand. It is true the first day there Violet certainly was screaming, "I don't like dirt! " at the beach numerous times. This is crazy because she loves dirt.. and she was one who was screaming , "I go back to BEACH!!!!!!!!!!!" as we were pulling out on the last day!

sunset at Indian Beach

Sunset at Indian Beach, OR and that is a lighthouse (the Tillamook lighthouse )of the cheese fame to the left..

Indian Beach

Indian Beach, Oregon is in the Ecola Park in Cannon Beach, Oregon. It seems most people go to Cannon Beach , Indian Beach is Amazing!!! They have similar views but Indian Beach is great at Sunset and you can build a campfire on the beach- a real treat! You have to go into the park to get there, I can't remeber if it isa state park or a national park but either way it costs three dollars to get it, and is soooooo beautiful. If you go to Cannon Beach, it is worth the 5 minute drive to go here.

it IS windy..

It is true.. the beaches on the west coast are very windy! I am standing up straight taking the picture, but it is sooo windy there the the trees grow crooked! :)

COSI- big machines exhibit

While at COSI in columbus, they had an amazing exhibit there for just one week. Outside on the patio they had MANY big machinery set up . The best part was that someone was there to teach the kids how to use the machinery. SO we didn't just look at it, the kids got to get in and learn how to use it!! It was really fun for Parker and Abe.

the digger

I think Abe's Favorite was either the digger or being lifted by a big crane.. Parker loved the crane.

COSI

MOre heavy machinery!!

the neighbors

I forgot to post this from our trip to Ohio!! We were so excited to spend time with our friends RY, sav, and Bay! It had been awhile since we were able to play but it was just like old times!! We miss you guys!!

the classroom

Abe's classroom was decorated to look the river leading to the estuary of the puget sound, it look fabulous! Last year they did a Korean dance and played Korean instruments and Abe wouldn't even go on the stage.. also partly why we were shocked to find out he was one of three narrators.. quite a turn around!

the pep talk

For Abes end of the year performance this year the class re- enacted the life cycle of the coho salmon. This makes total sense becasue they raised Coho salmon in their class. Studied all about them and then raised them and released them in June. Very cool.
So these are the three narrators. When he came home and said he was a narrator we were a bit shocked. HE has been reading for awhile but his script required many hard words. He praticed alot and did a fabulous job.
The entire class participated and at the end they sanga song about the life cycle to the tune of she'll be comin around the mountain..

narrator Abe

Here is Abe narrating his portion. He practiced about 6 times a day the three days before the show! He really did a great job!

the coho salmon life cycle

This is one of the groups acting out their portion of the life cycle.

taking their bows

here is the class after the performance. :)

everyday

Everyday there are many battles with sweet Violet- I have been calling her "cry-let" lately.. The shoes/clothes battle is not one I am willing to fight- because serioulsy I will lose..