I had originally thought that August had been much quieter than July until I went through our pictures; I may have just as many pictures in this post as I did for July! It is so difficult for me to limit the pictures I post because they make me happy. :)
Alli's final day of PeeWee Sports Camp was on the soccer field. She sure sported this jersey/dress.
Alli ended up on a team with one of her old preschool friends from last year (who had gone on to kindergarten). She was so excited to see Marlee again!
She had so much fun and looked forward to playing soccer in September!
The amazing Michelle and her kids, Jack and Olivia, came up to visit. Naturally, we took them to our favorite beach on Guemes Island. Back on the ferry!
Alli did not find it necessary to change her clothes after soccer. :) Hi, Olivia!
Michelle's very first piece of sea glass! Woot woot!
Jack, where ARE your hands?
Such good friends!
Snack time!
Another fun beach adventure comes to a close. It was so fun to share it with them!
Jack and Avery.
Jack is SO big!
Wishes.
The Jackster. :)
Mike had been trying to get a decent shot of the hummingbirds that frequent our flowers. He finally had success!
Avery wears these Belle shoes all the time!
For the first time since we moved here, we were able to see orca whales from our deck! They are hard to detect in the pictures, but in the one below, you can see the black dorsal fin to the right of the center boat.
Two dorsal fins are to the right of the ferry.
Another day we had some crazy fog resting on the water resulting in, what I call, ghost ferries.
A ghost tanker.
Our BIG trip of the summer was to Cannon Beach! We headed down a day early and stayed the night in Portland. It was SO exciting to sleep in a hotel for the first time as a family!
The girls were completely wound up. No one got much sleep that night. :)
Mike's cousins Tina and Cory were able to meet us for dinner while we were in Portland. What a fun dinner! Hi, Camranh, Tina, Austin, Cory, Carter, and Misty!
Before heading over to Cannon Beach the next morning, we stopped to see a couple of waterfalls.
Hello, Multnomah Falls.
We made it to Cannon Beach! This was our home for two night!
The girls were so excited to sleep in bunk beds!
Right away, Avery found some guest book logs in which past renters had shared their stories. I think the girls were fascinated at finding books that you could write in.
The #1 thing Alli wanted to do at Cannon Beach was fly a kite. We didn't waste any time!
Mike looks good with Barbie, don't you think?
We are finally at the beach!!
Haystack Rock.
Avery wasted no time getting into that amazing sand...
...and Alli wasted no time with her kite!
Avery finally decided she wanted to try.
These girls were exhausted that night. :)
All ready for day 2!
It was a bit foggy that morning.
Woohoo!
Mike and Alli ventured out to the water...
...while Avery and I played in the sand.
LOVE!!
My little starfish. :)
Jellyfish!
How to build a sand castle: Step 1. Add water.
Step 2. Stomp on the bucket.
Step 3. Give the bucket a really good push.
Step 4. Lift carefully.
Step 5. Take a deep breath.
What?! It really worked?!
I DID IT!!!
We ended up getting fogged out, so it was time to check out the town. After some shopping, an ice cream break was mandatory.
So was a taffy break.
Let's be honest, the taffy was really for Mike. ;)
The fog is gone. Back to the beach!
Do you want to build a sand castle?
Let's do this!
Nice work!
Cannon Beach, we WILL be back!!
We came home in time to make a birthday cake for a certain soon-to-be-three-year-old! Of course, I had helpers.
Happy Birthday, Avery! She had been asking for an M&M cake for MONTHS!
How old are you?
In the beginning, she wasn't really in the mood for pictures...
...but Julian and Alli were!
Adorable!
Miss Sophia was ready to party!
Hi, Gabby!
Chase, your hair looks amazing!
Grandpa is so silly!
Hi, Mia!
All the kids! Ian, Julian, Alli, Sophia, Avery, Halle, Mia, Landon, Chase, and Gabby. (Zoey, Elsie, and Kenzie showed up later.)
I'm amazed these pictures happened. :)
Presents!
Time for cake! Avery did NOT like everyone singing to her, but she calmed down when cake was served. :)
There are Zoey and Elsie!
Sweet Gabbalicious!
Naturally, I had to throw in some best friend pictures! :)
We loved seeing you, Great Grandma! Thank you so much for making the trip!
The next day was Chase's birthday party at Jump, Rattle, and Roll. Alli was super excited and bouncing off the walls! (Pun intended.)
Aunt Tiffany seemed to enjoy herself. :)
Avery LOVED bouncing!
Jennifer and Gabby didn't want to miss out on the slide!
I still have absolutely no idea how you climbed up there while holding sweet Gabs.
Wheeeeeee!
The birthday boy!
Alli and Katelyn!
Alli's introduction to air hockey was fun!
Her competitive streak took over.
Avery didn't stand a chance against her big sister.
Julia decided to sit this one out and just be cute. Whatever you want, sweet Julia!
Silly Landon!
Are you okay, Uncle BJ?
Happy 7th Birthday, Chase!
One more trip to Guemes Island... Please, just one more time? If you insist. ;)
Daddy found a jellyfish!
We saw it just minutes before a wave washed it back in.
It was so fun having Daddy at our favorite treasure-hunting beach!
It's soccer season!!
I'm SO ready for this!
The orange team named themselves the Fireballs at their first practice.
Avery wanted to play, too!
So fun!
I caught the girls sitting like this. I wish they behaved like this more often!
Giddy-up, Daddy!
You can't help but smile!
Aunt Tiffany and Julia!
Keeping up with her big cousin!
What a doll!
Playing pirates.
The essence of multitasking: Entertaining the kids while mowing the lawn.
Overall, what an amazing summer!
