Can't I come too?

Sitting by the front seat

Can I go for a ride??

Oh, Miss Rosie... I was unloading groceries last night and Rosie must have thought I was going to town again. Grant was actually asleep in the back seat as he fell asleep on the way home. I went back out to my car to unload more and Rosie was sitting in the front seat. She refused to get out of my car because she was sure she was going to miss a ride to town!

English Camp on San Juan Island

On the way to get oysters we stopped at English Camp. It is pretty neat to explore. I tried to get a picture of the sign so hope you can read it. Basically English camp is where our soldiers set up camp in 1859 and British soldiers set up camp on the same Island on the other side. A killing of a pig almost started a territorial war amazingingly enough. In 1872 the Island became territory of the United States that ended the British occupants stay.

Explorers and Starfish

Grant playing in the sand

Kaitlyn's big find

Kaitlyn, Katie, Maddie, Taylor & Grant
The collection
Taylor

So one day in the San Juans we all went over to Waldron Island in Dad's boat. Has become a yearly tradition as the beach is perfect at low tide. Tons of things to find and explore. This year the kids were into the starfish. and the starfish were everwhere attached to the rocks since the tide was low. They had quite a collection going. The agreement they had with me was they had to leave starfish in a spot that when the tide comes back in the starfish will be okay. It was a good half hour of hunting starfish the beach when we first got there The kids were yelling at each other "here, I found a huge one!, look, here is one also!" What better than sand, sun, and family.

and more San Juans

Grant with the pottery bowl he made

Grant & Big Logan

This is Kaitlyn's spot she stands at above my Dad in the boat
Dad on the dock at sunset
Kasey at dinner

I take so many pictures on our trip. I want to make sure to share them!

More San Juans!

On the dock fishing (yes the dock was getting quite busy!)
My girl trying to catch bullheads
Grant holding up one of the crabs (in the pot you go!)
Maddie, Kaitlyn & Katie
Miss Dailey having fun in the camper

San Juan Islands 2008

Maddie, Little Logan, Megan
Kaitlyn, Grant, Mom, waiting to get on the ferry
Kaitlyn on the ferry watching the cars get on
Kaitlyn & Dad getting oysters. We used to put boots on and gather them off the beach. The boots always had holes in them and the sand is pure muck. So most likely someone would end up getting their boot stuck in the mud and fall over. It was quite anadventure I have to admit and there are many family stories about gathering oysters on the beach. Now we have graduated to buying them instead off the dock.
Kaitlyn on the pottery wheel

Wow, it has been already two weeks since we got home!! Thought I better get some pictures up here soon of our trip. Was a great trip once again, always is. The kids are at a good age now where they can play with the other kid camped by us without me having to monitor so close. I am not used to that so I know the kids are simply just growing up. Katie & Kaitlyn clicked right away like they do every year we go camping and played together alot with Maddie & Taylor (my cousin's kids). All the girls are about the same age which is really nice. Cameron & Big Logan had Grant as a little shadow as he so adores both of them (there were 3 boys named Logan in camp! Crazy, huh! so we had Little logan (my cousin Megan's little one), middle Logan (Becca's brother) and Big Logan who is 17) All of us just spent a lot of time simply relaxing. It was hard to come home for sure!

Years, Days, Minutes...

20 years ago I was.... just a teenager at 13 years old, in middle school I believe. Still involved in horses and trying to figure life out. Time was spent with friends after school and with family on the weekends. Duck hunting with Dad and Justin in the winter time and hanging out with Mom in the summertime. Weekends spent at Grandma and Grandpa's in Renton were the most enjoyable.

10 years ago I was...23 years old. Just finishing college, preparing to start the real world, and living with roommates. I was getting ready to start my student teaching and looking for teaching jobs. little did I know the small town of Othello would pull me in for a teaching job and there I would meet my husband.

5 years ago I was.... caring for my 1 year old daughter. life was busy and full. I was in awe of all she would do, how she was growing, and she was the center of my world. still is....

3 years ago I was....now the mom of two kids. ages 1 and 4. still the center of my world, keeping me steady and sane. I was a probation officer at that point. Somehow teaching 6 year olds and supervising criminals is about the same. They think the same, have the same behaviors. I was desperating wanting to get out of that job due to safety issues.

So far this past year I....have a beatiful daughter who just finished kindergarden and is onto 1st grade. my handsome son has a year to go before he starts school and is growing like a weed, learned how to sass his mom :) and then flash me those blue eyes and that smile to get away with it, I am in my 2nd year at my current job. Trying to balance being a working mother and still spend as much time possible with my kids without feeling the guilt. This year I have learned just how strong I am and what makes me who I am. For a smart man once said that "persistance opens doors; character keeps them open". Would I love to go back to teaching, yes in a heartbeat. At my job now they allow me to make it my own, adapt things to make it work better and the pay isn't too bad either for this town. I am recognized for my abilities and I laugh almost every day. People here care about each other. Not many jobs are like that anymore.

Yesterday I...spent the whole day in meetings at work after coming back from vacation. mind you my desk looked like a tornado had hit and I wasn't really awake as I haven't slept well the past few days. The kids and I went to dinner at the Palace, Granters had pancakes and Miss Kaitlyn had her favorite club sandwich. Ran into some awesome girlfriends from work who were also there and when we went to leave the tab was already paid. Guardian angels they are.

Next year I will....hopefully be living in a different house, have another horse (Kaitlyn wants a jalepeno (that's how she says it!, she means a palamino horse), and I will still trying to be figuring out life. Oh, and have another week of vacation! wahoo.

I tag....Cheriee Lembke, Gway Kirchner, Kristy Taylor & Theresa Tollefson

a few thoughts