June 2011- GIRLS CAMP!!!

Summer has just begun and the Young Women in the Vancouver West stake are off to Camp Zarahemela!  Mom was asked to go to camp and help with the 5th and 6th year girls who were over music.  I was also able to spend lots of time with the beehives from the ridgefield ward!

 Grandma j was able to come up and help while mom was away- she got Makayla off to the bus since I had to get up their early that day.  Makayla fell asleep on the long bus ride- heres the picture she took of her knees:

Makayla and her best friend Kara Klaus.

They are going to have lots of fun girls camps together!

Here are my first years getting unloaded in their tent:

The Ridgefield girls are the pirates seeking for treasure:

 Some of the sweet ladies I got to work with - they are amazing!

This camp is very nice- and one of the girls favorite activities is going canoing on the lake:

Heres Makayla with Julianne and Kara:

A new activity for the girls was rag-rolling their hair.  Lizzie Vance helped get makaylas long locks into rags:

Heres some girls all curled up:

Cami Pickett, Julia Christensen, mom, Makayla, Juliane Hess and Kara Klaus:

The girls kept plenty busy- here they are doing service projects.

And dressing up for color wars day:

Heres my cute niece Brinley

The next day when we took the rags out- Makayla looked liked a princess while the Young Women decided to call me the poodle lady:

Look at the girls from Ridgefield! What an amazing group of young women!!

Makayla and I doing the mother daughter canoe race- we need practice!

And the last night we had some bonding time with our bishopric- we played Samari (or Ninja)- and the girls loved it!

 I am so thankful I was able to be there and that Quinn and my mom could help out at home so I could have this experience!  I've decided if I could sing with the primary on Sundays and go to girls camp in the summers- I would have the dream calling.

Makayla had a great first year and can't wait for more to come!

June 17, 2011 6th grade graduation!

Another school year has some to and end.  In the fall Allie will be joining these two for school day pictures.  On the last day this year the kids rode their bikes down the big hill to school!

The last days of 6th and 4th grades.

On the last day, all the school comes out and sends the 6th graders off with a huge cheer and high fives!  There they go:

By the end I think Makayla was getting tired of feeling like a celebrity!

Then Dylan rode bikes with his friends to party and have lunch at Abrams park:

And the 6th graders waled to their new school- View Ridge middle school for a fun graduation party!

 They ate lunch and got a little pep talk before moving outside into groups to play survivor games.

Makayla was in the blue group with Grace and here they are weaving the hula hoop through their group.

And then the inflatable obstacle course:

Now that its time to say goodbye- Makayla has changed her mind and wants to stay with Mrs Barbouletos forever:

Our little girl is moving off to middle school- she was elected the class officer and we know she will do great!

DYLAN is 10! June 16, 2011

Somehow, are cute little dude has made it to double digits!

Because of a couple of snow days that had to be made up, he actually had to go to school on his birthday this year.  I think he was OK with that, since his mom brought his class Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Here he is, still into Pokemon cards on his birthday:

Then the weekend school got out, we took a couple of his friends and went to a fun bowling ally and had a great time.

Heres Dylan with Adam and Zack:

Big Als is a very nice place- the kids did great bowling and they were all glad we had the bumpers on!

I think by the looks of it, Zack didn't win?!

The others seemed to be happy with their score.

While we played we ordered dinner and the kids all ate and watched music videos. 

Here the boys are watching Justin Bieber.  They were pretty into it!

Then we were off to open presents and go to the arcade-

The longest part of the night was picking prizes with their tickets!

The next night we got to play with the Mathison kiddos!  They were heading this way to go to the temple and stopped by to say hello and party with us!

 I love this picture of Lance and Montey- they don't see each other alot but they sure have fun together.  They remind me a lot of Caleb and Dylan.  We miss Caleb.  He was such a good friend to Dylan- they were kindred spirits, those boys.  I hope as each year passes for Dylan he will remember what a special friend he had, and that each day he needs to remember is a blessing and he needs to live it to the fullest and always choose the right to honor his friend Caleb.

One day they will play together again!

Here's Dylan at school playing foursquare with his friends.  He does have a great talent for making good friends.  We love you Dylan boy- Happy 10th Birthday!

June 2011- School Talent Show

Makayla has been playing piano since we moved to Nebraska.  For her last talent show at Union Ridge elementary- she decide to play a song.  She did a great job and got many compliments!

Here she is waiting her turn and practicing on her book.

Lance kept busy playing with friends- it was getting hot in the gym!

I was busy getting video of her playing and didn't get a still picture, so here she is all done!

Makayla had a great year in 6th grade!  Her teacher was wonderful- Mrs. Barbouletos is a teacher she will always remember.  What a great way to end her last year in elementary school.  Makayla is such a great big sister and we think she is very talented in many things she does.

Zip-Line- May 2011

We have lived in Washington for a year and a half, and Quinn has finished this tree house that he worked so hard on!  Before it was finished, it was decided the tree house needed a zip line, going from the top on the fort out through the forest.  So, Quinn, Mike and Larry got to work and put it up.  The kids were thrilled when dad called after school and said- come try it out!

If you look closely- you can see Dylan flying through the trees:

Even Mom gave it a try- it looks much higher when you're up there!

And- somehow the kids got Grandma Draper to give it a try!  We were so proud of her- she doesn't even like to go to the top level!

Makayla LOVES the zip line, and the tree house, and the forest, and playing with Squirt, and just being outside- especially at grandma and Grandpa Drapers forest!

Allie and Lance both took a turn too.

And lastly- Quinn showed us his muscles by holding on to the handle and zipping all the way down.

He is one talented daddy.  And pretty strong too!