Last summer day at the beach

Monday was Destiny's last day off for the summer.So of course we had to spend it at the beach.This is Rainey and me :)

Newest nephew

This is David Israel Gash born August 26th.I love being an aunt :)

My Beach Baby

Amelia at VA Beach when we were visiting my in-laws two weeks ago. Sigh.

Rainey's party

We have a big birthday party for my kids' 10th,13th,16th and 18th birthdays.So Rainey brought 4 of her friends with us to stay at a condo in this bay by the beach for two nights then on Friday we had some of the extended family and a few other friends join us for  a fire with hotdogs and smores to continue the celebration.It was a lot of fun :)

Alan

This is Alan's face, pressed through one of those walls at the children's museum. We had a lot of fun there when we visited my in-laws last week.

HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY!!!!

Clint made Rainey this hope chest for her birthday.That's what she asked for.

Date with Aunt Lisa

Lisa was actually a student of mine my first year teaching--we are only three years apart in age. :) She came to Christ two years later and now she attends our church and is "aunt" to our girls. She has cerebral palsy, lives life in a wheelchair, has no saved family, but is amazingly positive. The Lord has used her to teach me a lot!

We went out to a local mall, had dinner, and strolled around a bit. The girls rode the carousel, and Evelyn was upset with me that I didn't get Aunt Lisa out of her chair and hold her on my lap on the merry-go-round. Gotta love that in a kid! :) Lisa and I agreed that if we had one more adult with us, we'd have tried it!

Rainey's first flying lesson

Rainey has been thinking about being a pilot so my dad paid for her to take an intro lesson to see if it is something she would enjoy.Rainey turns 16 on the 25th. So the instructor had her sit in the pilot seat talked her through take off and let her fly around for an hour and a half.She loves it!They offer a scholarship here your junior year of high school so she might have to wait a year,we will see :)

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Maybe I should just get rid of all the toys and let the kids play in the recycling bin!

WHITE WATER RAFTING TRIP TODAY!!!!!

Clint,the girls and I rafted a half day on the Deschutes river.It was soooooo much fun!!!!!

Another Wild Thang

I finally uploaded my pics. This is Evelyn from  yesterday, when she discovered what happens to her new, short haircut when she rubs it incessantly with her blanket.

Another beach day

Rainey,Ray and I went for a quick trip to the beach.we just walked for an hour and a half and then came home.

Wild Thang

I really have taken more pictures. But they are still on the camera and not on the computer. This is still from our early July NYC trip. My girls' haircuts will have grown out by the time I get new pics uploaded!

How are my friends' summers going? It is finally a beautiful, sunny, breezy day and not oppressively hot and humid. Alan is home from his NY trip so we are going hiking in the woods as a family later today. Good family times. :)

Fancy lunch

Ray has mentioned that he is interested in maybe becoming a chef so Rainey and I took him to the Oregon Culinary Institute for lunch today.I had corn chowder,blackened shrimp skewer,okra mixed with other spicey veggies and hazelnut cheesecake :) p.s. this is the first time Ray has worn a collared shirt :)

This is from NYC last month!

I'm totally out of the habit of taking pictures--I've got to step it up. I don't even have any pics of the girls' haircuts  yet (2 weeks ago!), and I missed taking pictures last weekend when we were at the Ranch & rode the zip line. This week is our church's VBS. It's a beach theme, and Alan and I are doing the opening music segment w/2 of our church's teens. It's been SO fun. Do either of you know Hillsong Kids' "Let Your Light Shine?" Our VBS kids LOVE it.

Work's been busy these past weeks...we're in the preparatory stages of a capital campaign at the camp, and I'm learning so much. We've had some issues in our neighborhood that have taken a good bit of energy, too. But Alan and I have enjoyed watching movies in the evening and just being together. So nice!t