Coffee With Elly

Phinehas loves mini-golf. He wasn't impressed my skills, however. Hiking on free day Down at the beach! The Twin Rocks beach before one of the lovely evening campfires! Elena and Phinehas at dusk. Building a sandcastle for the contest! Monica seemed to enjoy herself! Watching the assembly line at the Tillimook Cheese Factory What can I say? Family Camp was great again this year! The weather wasn't too rainy and nobody got sick at camp! Everybody got sick right after camp with long lasting coughs, but nobody got sick AT camp, so I call that a win, right? For free day we went on a hike down to a beach, and then off to Cannon Beach for lunch and a visit to Bruce's Candy Kitchen. Zane stayed with us in our cabin this year - like Judah and Ezra, we hardly saw him! Family Camp is much, much easier once your youngest is potty-trained, I must say! The four older kids just ran wild and we'd check in on them at meals. Elena still stayed ...

Summer has started, it's time for squirt guns!  Target Practice Hugh has mischievous intent Hey ya, Marcus! Ezra's just watching in the porch

Getting ready for the Minecraft Party Throwing rocks in the Willamette during Judah's braces installation. Monica was "home sick." Hmm. My Mother's Day Present - Pretty gardening clogs! Phinehas in a new shirt he got for his birthday at the April-May-June Family Birthday party we hosted on May 22. This was taken at the toddler park across the street from our library. Ezra's new professional haircut! He loves putting product in his hair... Should I be worried? From Ezra's poster board he made about the country of Laos. Japan: Why Judah would like to visit.  Getting ready for the long-awaited Pilgrim Play that the first and second graders performed at school on May 27th. They did great! Loaded for bear at a birthday party dart gun war for their friend Tyler. It was held in the fellowship hall at our church. Such an inspired idea and they sure enjoyed it!  Serious Business

Monica wanted a "Minecraft party" for her 8th birthday party. We stored up boxes for months to use as building blocks and Aunt Abigail made her a "Steve" birthday cake to suit the theme. In the end the weather ended up clearing up enough for outdoor building as well as swinging and bouncing on the trampoline, so a good time was had by all!  Building with Minecraft "blocks" Ezra created this box/announcement for the party Even some dancing occurred when "Everything is Awesome" came on!

One is silver and the other's gold. In a new and unprecedented move, Mystie and I met in Hood River for a Ladies Day Out. It sure was amazing to be able to get away for a whole day and talk and walk and drink coffee and have lunch and shop without child interruptions. Our conversations have moved away from babies and young child management and sleep deprivation to braces, high school education, and church polity. Seasons change and life moves on and it's nice to be in a season when you can get away for a while! Mystie and I up in the hills above Mosier, OR.

On the way to my parents' house last week, Judah read The Do Something Day  by Joe Lasker to the little kids. It's an old favorite I remember reading when I was little and my mom had passed it on to me. Not surprisingly, my kids love it, too! At the end, the little boy is given a puppy which he takes home to become his playmate. When Judah finished Monica said, "That puppy is so cute!" And Elena said, "I wish I could have a puppy." But Phinehas remarked, "I wish I WAS a puppy!"

Ready to celebrate our risen Lord on a temporarily beautiful morning!