Daddy Camping Trip

Forrest and our neighbor, Dennis, took our kids plus the neighbor boy, Tyler, to Lake Easton this weekend to go camping. The fishing was terrible, the water and weather were too cold for swimming or kayaking, but they all managed to have a good time regardless. Forrest and Dennis slept in the trailer, Alyssa and Rachael slept in a tent, and Noah, Tyler, and Kaitin slept in the Expedition. I don't think anyone slept very well as they came home grumpy. They're already planning next year's trip. They don't want to drive more than two hours, and they definitely want better fishing. Forrest and Kaitlin took most of the photos so you'll have to look carefully to see Forrest who just barely snuck into the corner of one photo.

Hanging out at Home

Alyssa and her friends are busy making cards and looking through yearbooks making fun of the boys with afros today.  Noah had a friend spend the night, and they've been practicing their golf swing at our local park.  Now all the kids are watching a Billy Bob Thornton movie called "Woodcock" about a sadistic P.E. teacher. Forrest is adjusting to working four, ten hour shifts for the first time this week.  So tomorrow will be his Friday.   He's going to take the kids camping this weekend with our neighbor and his kids. The moms left behind are going shopping, out to lunch, and maybe getting pedicures while they're gone.  This is one of our few carefree days left as football starts next week.  The parent meeting is Monday and the boys hit the field Tuesday night for three hours a day every weekday till school starts.  Once school starts they only practice 2 hours a night 3 nights a week.  My folks asked to see some photos of Noah with his Hawaiian tan so here they are.

Forrest's Project

Being the good son that he is Forrest offered to paint his mom's house rather than have her pay someone thousands of dollars to do it with the proceeds of her reverse mortgage. Mary Lou has always wanted a blue house, but my late father-in-law would never let her have one. She was also leary of having a blue house because she didn't think she could have anything but brown because she has brick on the front of the house. Last month we convinced her that blue and brown can co-exist and that she should have the color she's always wanted. She picked out the colors in Spokane, and then Forrest and I bought the paint for her at a Sears near our home. You'll notice that her blouse matches the house and so does the sky. It's a bit bright for me, but she's very happy with it. Forrest's next job will be to go car shopping with his mom. I bet you can guess what color Corolla she wants.

Long Weekend

While Noah is in Hawaii and Forrest 

was in Loon Lake painting his mom's house Alyssa and I took a long weekend in Portland with my family.  As usual my parents took us out to wonderful restaurants including the Stone Cliff Lodge. It's on a cliff above the Clackamas River.  We watched several people rafting and tubing from the edge of the cliff.  The restaurant's salmon chowder and house salad were amazing. 

While we visited with my parents, my sister, and my brother and his wife, I didn't take a single photo of any of them.  Sorry guys. My mom, my sister, and Alyssa and I spent a girl's day out downtown shopping and going out to lunch.  We were amazed to see at least 60 people waiting in line at the mall to buy a new iphone.  We walked past this group that was roped off in the middle of the mall several times.   Incredible! I guess those must be the same people who will camp out overnight to be the first in line to buy a new video game system.  My time and sleep are more valuable than that.  I can wait.

On the way home Alyssa and I stopped to look around her first choice of colleges, Saint Martin's University in Lacey.  It's a private Jesuit university with fewer than 1500 students.  The school has several new dorms and a beautiful campus of old and new brick buildings.  Alyssa was very impressed.  She kept saying how grand everything looked.  Hopefully she'll be able to earn enough scholarships and grants to attend this school. I wasn't able to attend my first choice of university because it was private and my scholarships weren't big enough. Now 26 years later students have a lot more options. Although I still think of her as  my little girl, watching her on campus I started to really see her as the accomplished young lady that she's becoming.

Life's a Beach

On Monday I took Alyssa and the neighbor girls to Kayak Point for a picnic lunch.  Alyssa and Rachael braved the cold water.  I lounged on the beach reading about the 6 wives of Henry XIII.  Kayak Point is a county park that borders a private beach area.  From the edge of the park I took a photo of my dream house. It has a beautiful lawn sloping down to the beach and a small guesthouse.  I've been close to this house from the water and it's a real beauty. Maybe if I hit the lottery some day I'll be able to have a place like that.

Miscellaneous

Forrest and the neighbor (who also works for the county) had a late night July 3rd.  They worked traffic control at a fireworks show put on as a fundraiser for a local volunteer fire brigade.  They got home about 2:00 AM on the 4th.  They've pulled the same shift the past couple of years so we've fallen into a tradition of celebrating the fourth with our neighbor and his family.  Forrest cooked up a mixed grill of salmon, ribs, and hot dogs.  I made Emeril's potato salad with ranch dressing and bacon, Missy, the neighbor brought berries and watermelon, and Alyssa and the neighbor girls provided ice cream treats that they concocted. I snapped a photo of Alyssa and Rachael after they finished decorating the backyard.  Dennis had to show off what a complete job he did stripping a rib bone clean.  Noah inhaled his last dinner at home for two weeks.  We drove him to the airport to travel to Kauai with his friend's family Saturday afternoon.  I almost got a photo of our lab, Boo, licking the tablecloth clean, but she jumped down just as I took the picture.

After we left the airport Forrest and I stopped at the Northlake Tavern in the U district for the best pizza.  We rarely get to go there because minors aren't allowed, and we usually have at least one child with us when we venture into Seattle.  A stop at Barnes and Nobles was in order as we continued our way home as I had a gift card to spend (a end of the year thank you gift from a student).  I ended up spending twice as much as the card was worth because Forrest wanted a book, and Alyssa had also put in a request.  She wanted a copy of Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees.  I read that great book several years ago for a book group discussion.  How weird is it that my daughter is now reading books I've read within the past few years?  

We've spoken with Noah twice since he left yesterday.  He called when they landed in Lihue. Wonder of all wonders, his plane left 8 minutes early and landed 45 minutes early.  How come that never happens when I fly?  He left Seattle at 4:02 our time and landed in Kauai at 6:50 Hawaii time.  He still had time for a swim before bedtime.  Today he called for permission to take surfing lessons later this week.  He of course got a " Yes".  I easily said yes to Noah traveling with this family because the mom is even more safety conscious than I am.  It was like sending him traveling with a grandparent.  I'll post more about his adventures when he calls with some details.