Lisa Falls

 The hike to Lisa Falls was so short it was hardly a hike, which made it perfect for our group.  The trail was steep and rocky and that made it fun and interesting for the kids.  They had fun walking through the water at the top and playing games in the trees and under the rocks.  It was too hot for me, even in the shade, but the company and beauty made it really enjoyable.

Utah!

We made it to Utah!  And so far, it's been a non-stop party!  The drive was LONG and thankfully uneventful.  We only stopped twice, and they were very short!  We don't mess around.

 Oliver playing puzzles with Aunt Emily

 Giant sandwich!

 The girls kept dressing up Oliver

Lots and lots of swimming

 Reading with Aunt Raelynn

 Obstacle Warrior Kids was a blast.  This just might be Oliver and Cooper's favorite place.  They have something in common after all.  lol.

 Madeline even made it up the 10 foot warp wall with her cousins.  We were so proud of her.

 xoxo

 Cooper killed the course.  He climbed, jumped, hung, and ran for the solid hour.  He was the only kid who didn't take a break.  I've never seen a five year old sweat that much.  His hair and even the front of his shirt was soaked with sweat!  Totally legit.  This place was the perfect thing for Cooper.  I need to get him involved in something like this!  I wonder how to find it...

 Ethan doing a front flip :)

Having so much fun!!!

My Birthday

My birthday was a wonderful day full of all the best people and all the best food!  We started off the day at The Lynden Dutch Bakery for breakfast.  I had Eggs Benedict and a donut and orange juice.  Yeah, that was naughty.  But it was oh so good!

 I'm 35 now...

 My friend Lisa dropped by at lunchtime with my favorite French dip from Avenue Bread and this amazing dessert.  I ate too much on my birthday and it was fun.

 My kiddos and I went on a walk in the afternoon to enjoy the perfect weather.

 They made cute things for me.

 And I made myself this lemon cake with strawberry lemon curd filling and raspberry strawberry frosting.

 It was really really good.

The next day my friends took me out for dinner.  We went to Aslan and Menchies and I couldn't have felt more spoiled!

And for my birthday, I got two dessert cookbooks (one is French pastry) so the madness will continue.  Though I need to tone it down just a tad...

French Macarons

My baking obsession led me to this cute chalkboard sign.  I already have a list of four or five more things to add after I've made all these.  I made the Berry Gratin.  Oh, is it ever good!  

 And my second attempt at French Macarons worked just as I'd hoped!  I was very happy with the results.  They are very delightful to eat.

Next up, the birthday cake!  teehee :)

Scout Camp

Todd joined Ethan for the last couple days of scout camp and caught his fish in the first 45 seconds!  

 Up until that point, Ethan had caught the biggest fish!

 Ethan had a great experience at scout camp.  He earned four merit badges: swimming, first aid, archery, and fishing.

 He came home with a thousands mosquito bites and scrapes and a big smile.  Yes, he cut himself with his pocket knife.  He claims that's inevitable...at least it was minor.  He had a fabulous time and I think he really loved it.  It was so fun to see him walk through the door.  I'm proud of him and kind of in disbelief in how much he's grown up lately.

Man, I love this kid!!!

More Berries

When Randy told me that the Early Blues were ready for picking, I couldn't pass up the chance to snag some blueberries before we head to Utah.  

 Aaaaah, they are so beautiful!

 We had so much fun picking blueberries.  Oliver enjoyed blueberry picking more than other berry picking.  They really are the easiest to pick.

 But then we were on a roll, so we headed to the raspberry field too.  I couldn't pass up more raspberries!!

 YUM!!!!!