Guess what moved into our backyard...

Our House

 I have had requests for photos of our new digs, so here are a few.

I love that there is a place to hang my quilts!

Somehow I forgot to take a photo of the actual kitchen, but you can get the idea with a corner of the cabinets and countertops. (translation- I'm too lazy to go take another photo and upload it right now)

My office
Technically the dining room, but we are going to make it a library with bookshelves and a couple of leather chairs... eventually.

Going to the river

We had been invited to a local pool with some friends because it was scorching hot. As we walked up to the entrance at the pool, they put out a sign to close the pool because it had reached it's capacity. Luckily my friend knew about a cool place to go on the Rogue river not far away. It felt like we were on an excursion off a cruise ship. I kept thinking "I really live here?".

We were at a calm area of the river, but some rapids were just on the other side of the rocks. So the kids would swim to the top of the calm water and jump into the rapids for about 100 Ft then they would be pushed back into the calm section. It was perfect because I didn't need to worry about them getting swept down river and disappearing. 

There was a rope hanging from under the bridge.  Lucy was the only one of my girls that tried the swing, I was so impressed.  I have a feeling we will be coming back to this spot often. 

I think when I was getting my drivers license and registering to vote, they should also require all Oregonians to purchase water shoes. We were completely unprepared. Flip flops and crocks don't work well on the river.

Technically not a river, but we still refer to it as such, my kids love playing in emigrant creek at Lithia park.  It's not far from our house and they love walking up the rocks... and "accidentally" falling in the water with their clothes on.  

 

*Note to self- Must buy water shoes!

Learning how to do flips

Haley and Ruby have been practicing and trying to learn how to do flips into the pool. The other day Lucy asked me if she could try it and I said sure. With no hesitation she walked over the the side and did a perfect flip into the pool... with about a 2 inches between her head and the side. It scared me to death. I told her she needed to jump OUT as she did the flip. She did it perfectly and then she flipped the rest of the day.

Lucy's flip
Ruby's flip

Movie Night

Friday night is always movie night at our house... but tonight each of the girls invited one of their new friends to movie night. With double the girls of course we had to double the sugar consumption.

The candy tray along with carmel corn was probably a little excessive.

Everyone had fun and luckily no one threw up... at lease not while they were at my house.

The car wash

It's really disgusting... I know I am a pig. I have not washed my car for weeks. Sometimes that may be OK but we have moved and gone on 2 road trips during that time... trust me it was not OK.  Recently we have been to busy playing so the car wash keeps getting bumped. Today when I woke up my ONE goal for the day was to get my car washed. 

Not only did we get it washed, but here you get to stay in the car as it goes through the wash. My kids thought this was the coolest!

As always Lucy was sporting a sunning ensemble complete with Uggs and a baseball hat. 

As we were leaving the car wash I taking deep breaths loving the fresh clean scent of the car and feeling overjoyed at how beautiful my car looked. 

We had driven 4 blocks when we went under a freeway overpass and ...

NOOOOOO I screamed. 

I could not believe it. 

My clean car only lasted minutes. My kids started laughing hysterically, they thought it was the funniest thing ever. I got home and cleaned off the windshield and hood (yes it splattered that far). Ultimately I completed my one goal for the day. 

Thursday = swimming

There is a super nice lady at our church that invites all the children over to her house to swim on Thursdays. My kids totally look forward to this as it is no ordinary pool... it has 3 levels to play in.

Haley and her friend Anna lovin every minute of it today.

The Jackson County Fair

It was SUPER hot
There were lots of rides

Tons of displays, quilts and artwork...

and prize winning vegetables.

 
My favorite were the animals. We almost got ran over by a 255 lb pig named Mrs. Su-ee, but we all survived. We even got to see a little pig love. 

Wear your shoes!

I have picked out more splinters since we moved here then I can count.  I guess that's what happens when you have bark in all the flower beds and your girls like to explore barefoot. You would think after the 1st few splinters they would learn. 

Happy birthday Haley!

She woke up with the birthday quilt...

and had root beer and a push up pop for breakfast because...

 Haley is 11 years old today!

Here are 11 random facts about Haley:

1. She loves to read.

2. She hates to have her hair brushed.

3. She is very obedient.

4. She loves to snowboard.

5. She loves real animals and has more stuffed animals then anyone I know.

6. She loves to ride her bike.

7. She is incredibly strong and well coordinated.

8. She has a great sense of humor.

9. She has the messiest room in the house. 

10. She loves the color blue.

11. She is a super fast swimmer. 

Happy Birthday Haley!
We love you!!!

Look what came in the mail today...

You know the raffle to win an American girl doll in the children's section of Barnes and noble???  

Ruby always has me fill out a card for her as her sisters tell her "no one ever wins those".

Ruby did!

The children's festival

We drove over to Jacksonville (super cute town) to go to their children's fair. It was only $2 admission and I couldn't believe how much there was to do. They had tons of booths with all kinds of crafts (including pottery spinning) and there were different shows happening on the stage. 

My girls loved making the candles. 

And getting face painting.
I loved the hand hand sculptures they made in the sand. 

Haley also did animal bead making and made a turtle.  All the girls made hand stamped bracelets at the leather craft booth. 

Eric came and joined us after he got off work.  It was supper fun but we all came home really exhausted. 

Successfully sneaky

So if you had a desk in your bedroom... 

and if one of the drawers on that desk locked... 

and if your youngest sister kept finding the key and stealing your gum...

What would you do?

Where would you hide the key?

This is where Haley decided to hide the key to her locking drawer.

What, you can't find the key?

Either has Lucy!

(hint- the screwdriver is in the top desk drawer)

Jacob's baptism

Even though we are not really even unpacked yet, we packed up the car for a super quick trip down to the bay area to attend my nephew Jacob's baptism. Jacob is a really good kid, but when he and Ruby are together they tend to be criminal. Even with Ruby in attendance everything went well and there was no major home destruction or bodily injury. 

I don't really think the girls cared much about what was going on, they were just thrilled to get to hang out with their cousins for the day.

Grandma Bonnie gave him a set of scriptures

And most importantly Jacob was baptized!

Haley's calling in life

So we have tried all kinds of sports with Haley. Some sports she tolerated while others she considered abuse. She mentioned that she was interested in karate several months ago so I signed her up for a trial class. The day of the class she was adamant that she didn't want to go and I pretty much forced her into the building and told her she had to "try" one class.

During the class she looked really embarrassed and I thought she was thinking about how she was going to kill me after class... to my surprise she came out so happy and asked me to sign her up for the black belt program. She LOVED it so much she talked her new friend Anna into joining too.  She is so excited about karate she is a little obsessed... but I am just thrilled to see her so happy.  

Say What?

6/8/09

Today I bought Haley a new bedding set at Target because they were on clearance and super cheap.  Driving home she said:

"I can't believe I actually have a comforter now... I have always wanted a comforter and all I have ever had were quilts!" 

Can you believe how neglected this child is? I have forced her to sleep with my handmade quilts!  I could have saved so much time just buying her a cheep comforter at the store. 

6/17/09 Lucy was singing "shake your bootie, shake your bootie". So I stopped doing dishes, turned around and shook my bootie ... to which she responded "Wow, your bootie REALLY shakes.  It shakes just like jello!"

Later in the day Lucy and I walked into a public restroom that had a normal stall and a handicap stall. Lucy said "Look Mom, they have a little potty for my little bum and a big one for your big bum bum".  

6/30/09

While standing in front of Grandpa Ken's open casket Lucy in amazement says:

"I keep blowing on his face hard and he does not move at all."

To which Ruby replies:

"That's because he's dead! DEAD...you don't move when your dead."

7/5/09

"Wow they have so many butt streets around here." Haley 

I guess that's one way to pronounce butte.   

7/6/09 While sitting in DQ eating ice cream for our Family home evening treat:

"When you guys get divorced can I live with Dad?"-Ruby

"If the parents get divorced I am moving to the Neawons, yaa the Neaawons!" -Lucy  

"First of all we are not getting divorced, we are very happy together... but why do you want to live with Dad?"- Me

"Thats what happened to Kate" Haley

"Who's Kate?- Me

"John and Kate plus eight. They were happy and now he is wondering around NY looking for a place to live... and he had to leave on Father's day- so sad."- Haley

"Where did you hear all that?" Eric

"At Grandma Natalie's house. You guys were all busy with funeral stuff so I read her magazine that told all about it."- Haley

"Wonderful... well WE are not getting divorced" -Me

"You never know."- Haley

7/7/09

"Either we need a GPS to get around this Target, or you have lost your mind"- Haley

(In my defense the Target here is arranged completely different then I am used to.) 

7/7/09

While driving through a neighborhood here with beautiful old homes, Haley said "I'm glad we didn't move here, it looks like all old people live here"

I said "Oh these homes are great and lots of young couples fix them up really nice."

To which Haley replied:

"Ya but we both know you and Dad are not a young couple."

Saying good by to Grandpa Ken