The New Pool in Town!

Just as summer is coming to a close, we stumbled across the coolest, new pool in town!  After hearing about it from a friend of mine, I looked it up on the computer yesterday and learned that it is closing down for the season on Monday!  Ahhhh!  So my friend, Megan, and I quickly made a plan to drive out to Tacoma today to check it out with our kids.  We were blown away by how great this park is--it's new, clean, and complete with a wave pool, a kiddie swimming pool, and the cutest wading pool full of fun toys!  There is nothing like this anywhere around.  We spent a fabulously fun afternoon there and are kicking ourselves that we didn't find out about this until the end of the warm season.  I think that we will become a regular fixture at this place come summer 2013!
 

 

Lia and Kaylee going at it with the water guns!

 

A future Charlie's Angel.

 

The girls frolicking through the fountains.

 

And running through the water tunnel.

 

Best buddies!

 

 

Logan, Lia, and me relaxing in the warm water.

 

Basking in the sun!

 

Blake Island Camping

We just returned from our third annual camping trip to Blake Island with my family.  Oh, how I love this place!  This was the first year that I attempted to go camping alone with two children instead of one.  I think that it would have really been a success had we not ended up being three feet away from another tent with a one-year old that cried most of the night.  Although Lia and my mom slept pretty well, I spent most of the night awake either stressing that this child would wake Logan up or rocking him back to sleep after being woken up.  Needless to say, I was a bit of a walking zombie on Saturday and completely forgot to put sunblock on Lia or me which was a problem since we were blessed with incredibly sunny weather.  I returned home Saturday evening sunburned and exhausted, but still grateful that we went; however, I made Ron promise that he will be accompanying us from now on! 

 

Lia hanging out with some of her cousins while dinner was being cooked.

 

My brothers working on the foil dinners.

 

My mom helping me watch Logan while eating dinner.

The two baby cousins:  Logan and Trenton all bundled up for the evening.

 



 

Since we have been fortunate enough to have gorgeous weather all three years, we always have a stunning sunset and view of Mt. Rainier.  Here are Rebecca and Logan joining me for a quick photo!

 

 

Mt. Rainier in all her glory!

 

 

After dinner, Eric got the kids together to play a "game" of football. 

 

This game included a pig pile that even Lia decided to jump on!

A few of us walked down to Tillicum Village during their evening feast and performance.  Here are Brynn, Rebecca, Logan, and I posing with the totem pole out front.

 



 

Lia spent quite a bit of time on Saturday morning playing on the campground playground with some of her cousins.

 

Vivi, Lia, and Callie sliding down the slide that Riley covered with rocks.

 

Three cute girls!

 

 

After most of the group left on a walk around the island, Riley joined Lia on the beach for some sand play and beachcombing.  It was so fun to watch these two play so well together for over an hour. 

 

Riley and Lia looking for cool rocks, shells, and empty crab shells.

 

Our beachcombers hard at work! 

 

Riley and Lia running back to show me their spoils!

 I just love this photo.  Two cousins hard a work with the Seattle skyline in the background.  It truly was a glorious day on Saturday.

 



 

Lia, Logan, and I all packed up and ready to head back to the "mainland." 

 

 

Lola's Visit!

This morning we wrapped up an eight day visit from Lola.  Although we have seen her several times in various states around the country the last few years, we have not hosted her for three years!  So she was long overdue for a visit!  Plus it gave her the chance to meet Logan for the first time.  We kept a fast and furious pace while she was here doing all things that Lola loves best--shopping and eating out!  We also squeezed in some fun local activities and saw her brother, Uncle Oscar, and Aunt Pat a few times!  It was a fun week and we were sad to see her leave this morning. 

 

After Lola arrived last Wednesday, August 15th, we took her to our favorite park in town after dinner for some evening fun at the playground.

 

On Thursday, we ate at our favorite Japanese restaurant, Kanpai, and dined on everything from gyoza to sushi til we could eat no more!

 

Since the weather got in the low 90s on Friday, we drove up to Issaquah to spend the day cooling down at Lake Samm.  My mom was also able to come out and join us.

 

Ron swimming with Logan and Lia.

 

On Saturday morning, we brought Lola to our local Farmer's Market that we love!  She had the time of her life shopping at all of the different vendors and booths.

 

 

On Saturday night, we hosted some family and friends to another one of Lola's Filipino Feasts!  She spent many hours preparing for this dinner and it did not disappoint.

 

Some of the group out on our deck after dinner.

 

On Monday, we drove out to Tacoma to meet Uncle Oscar and Aunt Pat for some more Filipino food at Roger's restaurant.  Apparently, we just can't get enough of this stuff!

 

Lia enjoyed eating purple ice cream for the first time!

 

On Wednesday, we took Lola to the Pt. Defiance Zoo in Tacoma for the afternoon.  First stop:  the carousel and, of course, Lia chose the half horse/half mermaid, Seaweed, to ride.

 

Enjoying the penguins!

 

 

 Lola and her west coast grandkiddos!

 

Thanks again, Lola, for a great week!  Although Ron and I probably each gained five pounds, we had a glorious time with you!  Thanks for everything. 

4 1/2 Years Old!

Happy Half Birthday to Lia!  She is four and a half years old as of today.  She's growing up way too fast!  It's hard to believe that in a year, I will be putting Lia on a school bus and sending her to off school.  Time is sure flying.  Lia is still such a sweet and pleasant little girl.  In the last three months, she has really grown up in quite a few ways.  Lia has finally become independent in a lot of her playing with both her toys and with her imagination.  She has also gotten a lot more gentle around her brother which has made things a lot easier for us.  She is a really good helper and likes to clean up her room now all on her own and happily assists with anything we need for Logan.  Lia still loves coloring, crafting, and creating anything she can get her hands on.  She also still LOVES the princess Ariel and the color turquoise.  As a result, she is fascinated with all things mermaid and under-the-sea.  She LOVED her trip to Disneyland and still talks about it daily.  She is much more confident swimming in the water (with her life jacket on) and has had a lot of fun on all of her trips this summer to California, Priest Lake, and the Washington coast.  Lia is very excited to start her preschool on September 10th and is looking forward to resuming swim lessons and beginning gymnastics lessons in the fall!  That's our girl in a nutshell!

20 Pounds of Lovin'

Look what Lia's been carting around these days!

Priest Lake Again...

We just returned from another ten days of summer fun up at Priest Lake.  We joined my parents and both Brent's and Chris' families and had a great time.  Lia, Logan, and I hitched a ride up with my mom and dad as Ron had to work, but he was able to join us at the end of our trip for a weekend before taking us back home.  We had some of the most glorious weather I have ever seen up there--every day was in the 80s or the 90s and the lake temperature reached an unbelievable 79 degrees!  Incredible.  We loved all of our time playing in the sand and on the dock, tubing and skiing behind the boat, swimming in the water, and watching the Olympics at night!  I also fell in love with paddle boarding and tried to get out every day on my brother's windsurf board for a cruise along the shore or out into the middle of the lake.  As always, I can't wait until next summer comes again.

 

The cousin line-up on the boat.

 

Logan's usual position from inside the tent.

 

Lia hanging out with some of her cousins.

 

Grandma rocking Logan to sleep.

 

Riley and Lia on a mission.  I always love watching these two play together due to the extreme differences in the hair color!

 

 

Big cousin Spencer was a HUGE help to me all week long while Ron was back at home.

 

Brent holding the newest additions to our family!

 

Sucker madness!  This is how I found Logan one day in his crib after a nap.  It made me laugh so hard to see him sucking on one pacifier while holding the other two in both hands.

 

Paddle boarding along the shore! 

 

Mama and Lia.

 

A typical day on the dock--lots of people, toys, and activity!

 

Logan's first swim in the lake.  He was pretty mellow about the entire thing.

 

"Swimming" along!

 

 

Lia swimming with Sarah Mae.

 

Lia invented this "mermaid dive" where she jumps off the dock and throws her feet back like they are a fin.  Yes, she is obsessed with all things related to Ariel.

 

Some girl time on the swing!

 

Lia's older cousins, Brynn and Kelsey, were kind enough to go on a calm inner tubing ride with Lia one night after dinner.  The excitement on Lia's face says it all.

 

And they're off!

 

We took the gang to Fairy House Beach one day to play.

 

The next generation of Priest Lake lovers!

 

After Ron joined us on our second weekend there, he and my dad completed their annual swim across the lake on Saturday morning.  Here they are at the end of the swim!

 

Paddling around with some of the girls!

 

Thanks to morning naps and willing helpers to watch Logan, I was able to go on a morning ski with my brothers most mornings while we were there.  We found almost perfect water each day and had a glorious time cutting it up.  Oh, how I love this sport.

 

Not too bad for a nursing mama in her mid thirties and six months postpartum. :-)

 

Eric's family joined the group the night before we left.  As a result, we were able to get a picture with grandma and grandpa and all of their grandchildren on the deck before leaving Sunday morning.  Look at that beautiful posterity!

 

My entire fam minus two sis-in-laws, Rebecca and Susie!