my man and his GRADUATION

the graduating class

I can't believe this day actually has come and gone.  My husband has almost finished school ... what a HUGE accomplishment!  (WOW!  He has been in school for a very long time!)  We are so proud of you Miles.  You have worked so hard and put so much time and effort into school and work!  Thanks for everything you do for our family.  Congrats!!!

These individuals are our family away from home.  We love these people and will dearly miss them when (at the end of the month) we all go our separate ways (except 2 are going to the same place) and are forced to say goodbye to one another.  We have been each other's support group by having BBQ's, playdates for the kids, girls movie nights, guys movie nights, and other gatherings.

I seriously look sick here ... this was before I finally saw the sun and my sad pale face diminished just slightly

missing in action

This is the reason this little blog has been so neglected for months ... not to mention the stress of moving to another country.  Our family of 6 will be growing by one more come Halloween.  My official due date is Nov. 3rd but since I go through labor rather fast they like to induce me a week ahead of time so I don't end up having the baby at home or in the car on the way to the hospital.  So this little man will be making his debut come Oct. 27.  The whole family is thrilled!  

beach #4 & our last day starring the bearded lady

This is yet another beach, named Beach #4.  Emi had been begging Miles to take her by herself to explore so they immediately were off.  Paige is always our little climber and Evan stole our friends bug tonka truck and played in the ocean and on the beach.  I walked around with Anika FOREVER.  She spend 1/2 hour just playing with the below rock, filling the holes with sand.  It was amazing to watch her and see how fascinating everything was for her.  When we finally made it over to the tide pools there wasn't much sea life to see (when Miles went back with his family later the next week there was a ton though).  We still enjoyed ourselves until the kids hit breaking point and they all fall apart at the same time (tired, hungry and cold).

 I seriously LOVE this picture of Anika ... she was having a blast until she realized how cold it was

This is our bearded lady ... Yes, we are very proud parents!!

Ruby Beach and the Big Cedar Tree

Here Miles is at Ruby Beach carrying the 3 kiddos across the freezing cold river/ocean so we can go and explore the rock formations.  This water was seriously COLD!  Miles then came back and helped me with Anika and the rest of our stuff.  Nothing like a little fatherly love to sacrifice his nice warm feet so the kids could explore!

Far Away

Up Close

Here is the Big Cedar Tree.  It was literally like a playground for the kids.  They climbed all over it, they were in and out of the roots, they jumped up onto things and then jumped off of other things.  We stayed here for a good hour and just let the kids roam around and play.  Unfortunately Anika only wanted to eat and then whined until we got back in the car where she finally fell asleep.  Poor little girl was exhausted from all the fun we were having.   The other kids enjoyed themselves though!

Visiting Kalaloch

Memorial Day Weekend on the coast was predicted to be TERRIBLE weather.  Miles and I couldn't bring ourselves to stay home and miss our last chance to visit Kalaloch even if it was suppose to rain.  We prepared ourselves a little and bought a tarp on our way out there.  There was still so much to do and so much to see that we HAD to come.  The weather was almost perfect !!  The kids were in heaven playing around the campground and playing at the beach in the water and in the sand.  If you scroll through our pictures it is hilarious to see the evolution of how things happened: in the beginning everyone is fully clothed ... then articles of clothing begin to disappear ... pretty soon a whole lot of clothing has been discarded and the kids are down to their underwear running around in the water and rolling around in the sand.  They loved it!!

... a small and extremely LATE tribute

I'm pretty sure I posted these pictures last year for Mother's Day.  I can't help it, they are my absolute favorite pictures!  These women in my life are beautiful and have had such a powerful impact on my life for the good that I couldn't just skip over mentioning them and their goodness.   Thank you for the countless words of encouragement, love and wonderful advice!  Thank you for you thoughts and prayers for each one of your children!  Thank you for raising us in the gospel and teaching us family values and good principles!  Thank you for your wonderful examples that will never stop influencing those you have come in contact with!  We love you MOM(s)!!