Coming to a close

The last week of summer! T and I went on an unheard of two date nights in the same week! Our first show of the new Broadway Season opened with Fiddler on the Roof, which was so delightful. We have even better seats this year which made a difference.
Our next date was to the temple and dinner with a couple from our ward. I am not an out-to-eat gal, so Todd jumps at the chance when I suggest it. I LOVE this place and my favorite dish of all time is the Chicken Scallopennie with a Ceasar Salad and that delicious bread! Who can resist?!

We took the kiddies to Yale Resivoir for one last outing on the boat before school. 3 boats were there so it was empty and the water was like GLASS. This only looks wavey cause we'd just brought the boat around.

Griffin and I both got over right and left wakes a few times without wiping out! Those were both our goals for this summer. Next year, maybe some jumps :>

At Billy Chinook our friends let me try this wakesurfing off the back of their nice boat. Got up, but given another go would love to get better at it.... lots of fun!

Marley and Me

Last weekend Todd grilled up some superb steak on the Traegar. I took care of delicious side salads....only Camdyn might disagree with the "delicious" part.

Brody likes to push his food away and be pretty much a 2 year old terror during most all our meals!

My cousin Tony brought up his son Arthur, age 10, to stay with us for 4 days while he was on an Ellsworth bike tour in Bend. The girls got along great with this cousin they just met!

Brody bowled a pretty good game. Oh, he was ALL over this sport!

Speaking of sports.....this occupies MUCH of our summer. There are not many other things I'd rather my kids be doing than out getting conditioned and playing with good kids and an even greater, devoted coach (in the background). He has taken Camdyn under his wing and brought out her confidence. I love watching these teams play at a higher competitive level. The games are pretty physical!

Timbers Summer Slam Tournament (at the fields right across from our home...which I loved!)

And I love getting action shots with my favorite camera!

Griffin's team took 1st place and he helped by scoring 2 goals in the first play-off and had a fabulous 4 game run.

We went camping at Lake Billy Chinook meeting up with 4 other families from our ward for a few days.

I loved the campground, so clean. Playground, showers, paved roads, lots of trails and our site was nestled in the best location.

Todd packed my bike so I could ride Brody around to get him out of everyone's way. He was pretty tuckered out and stayed asleep like this for 20 min. while I read a book beside him.

We nicknamed Brody "Marley" after that naughty dog in Marley in Me, whom the whole family loved and couldn't live without....but I tell you, Brody (like Marley) is all over the place!

The temps were in the 90's and the cool water felt so refreshing.

Six families from Tualitin Valley were there camping at the same time, in a different campground. We met up with them one afternoon and tied the boats together while the kids swam off all the different tubes, ate lunch and played water football.

Kenny, Todd and Jeff worked together for a few years. There were a lot of guns showing here today!

The only other place that gets Brody zonked is the lull of the boat. He'll sleep in my arms like this for over an hour, even with engine starting and stopping, kids screaming off the tube and choppy water.

The steep canyon walls offered a different type of beauty than the water we usually boat in.

A la natural....Nicole, Stacey and Christy.

After tying boats up with 4 of the families in our ward and jumping off high cliff walls (more scary than it looked down below)..... We kid swapped for awhile and let the little girls come on our boat to tube and do tricks jumping in off the back.

We had to take off to get back to yet another soccer tournament, so of course I had to grab one group shot before we left.

Our little family definitely wants to make this spot a tradition. We went on a beautiful hike, had delicious dinners, smokey campfires and beautiful starry skies. Thanks for the letting us know about this place Nic!

In My Minds Eye

My sister Linny reminds me of the Stacey I USED to be.....long before #4 came along. I have no excuse. I just lack the motivation I once had. To prove to myself that I CAN rise to the occasion.....I coerced the girls into doing a photo shoot for me.
Biking the back roads of Clark County I have eyed many a unique photo location, only to keep them in the back of my mind. Tons of barns, outbuildings, bridges and flowers. The Northwest is full of great spots!
The girls did super and stopping at the country general store was their treat for playing along!

Lakes summer escapes

The day after we got home from Utah both the girls had Girl Scout Day Camp. Today was "hippie" day. Mon-Fri 8:30-4:00. We ALL loved that week!

This last week Portland saw temps to rival that of desert cities! At least growing up in Arizona we had a pool! I took the kids to Cannon Beach for the day while Todd was working a 48 hour shift. We never go for the day....usually only to stay overnight. But in this oppresive heat, it was a nice change! Now I ask you.....why can't MY flowers ever look like this? These are GORGEOUS and they're hung all over the town.

This was the closest we got to WHALE WATCHING.

What would a walk through town be without a bite at Pizza a Feta?

The coastal breeze felt like a breath of fresh air

Brody mangaged to get sand in his hair, ear, mouth, eye, nose.....must I go on?

We had fun chasing the birds after feeding them an entire loaf of bread!

Kennedy frolicked in the ocean waves while collecting water for her sandcastle.

I had a craving for Cafe Rio Salads, and threw in a game of fear factor food and kickball to round out a fun evening with a few other families.

Camdyn attended Activity Day Camp

We hosted Camdyn's Soccer Team BBQ in our backyard. The girls all had fun playing games, eating lots of appetizers and jumping on the trampoline.

The kids and I (sans Brody) went to the Washougal river with some friends to keep cool on one of the 104 degree days.

Luckily I threw in life jackets because this watering hole was pretty big and deep in parts. It was fun to be able to swim out and do the rope swing with all the kids and not have to worry about Mr. Boy!

The hottest day of the week, 106....we ventured to Yale resevoir up near Mt. St. Helens. So beautiful. Clear, smooth clean water and only 4 other boats out on the water when we got there.

Kenna got up on the knee board,

As did Camdyn......


While Griff and I both got over the wake. Hooray!