Baseball

 Now that the kids can stay up late enough to watch a game, they both like watching the Corvallis Knights. Very fun. We are in full swing summer. Long days and late nights. Our days are very full. We are all very tired but rest is for winter, right? :) 

Visiting

 We spent a week visiting our family in Washington. It was nice seeing everyone and spending time together. I didn't take enough photos on this trip but here are a few. 

 Hiking with GiGi 

 driving tractors at Aunt Barb and Uncle Larry's

 Visiting the fish ladder with Grandpa

Last Day Of Camp

 Group picture

 drills

 Fieldin liked to put down ALL the seats in the whole stadium by section. 

 After camp 

 and eating a cracker, salami, cheese tower after...

One Of Fieldin's Favorite Times Of The Year

 We've already made a couple trips to the blueberry fields. Fieldin mostly just eats them. He has turned into a pretty good berry picker but the best ones go in his mouth.

 I look forward to the blueberries too. We will be taking many more trips before the season ends. 

Officially A 4th Grader

We made it! Goodbye third grade. 

She survived her last day tired and without a voice(too much yelling at basketball camp last night) 

She had a frozen yogurt with some friends after school and now is at her best friends house. Even in summer I still don't see her much :) 

 Pics before school. 

 and a reminder of what she looked like the first day(below) 

I think this is the first year there hasn't been a huge change in her appearance over a year span.. she just hits a little taller on the wall. 

 You did AWESOME this year kiddo, can't wait to see what you can do next year. 

Basketball Camp

(headed in to check in at camp)

 Thanks to snow days, Greta is still in school and then having to do basketball camp in the evening right after school until 7:30 at night which makes long days for her. She really wanted to do it(it's her favorite camp) and despite being tired she is giving it 110%. She is determined and enthusiastic. 

 Listening to the team and coaches at the beginning of camp. Lighting is horrible and I took these on my phone so the quality is bad. 

She is in with 3rd -5th grade this year so she is on the younger end. (that's her turned around in the pink/black shorts) probably sensing my camera clicking :) 

Fieldin wanted to sit high above so he could get a good view of Greta. He watched for two hours without any complaints and nothing to do but watch basketball. Then we headed home so he could eat dinner and get ready for bed but he ended up staying up late to see Greta get home. 

Model Citizen

Greta was given a citizenship award today at the end of the year assembly at school. 

In true Greta form she acted like it was no big deal. I am sure she was proud but she puts on a good poker face. I was proud and told her so after school and she looked at me like she didn't even know what I was talking about. At least she didn't see me take this picture or I would have got the look once again. 

A couple parents and us were joking about how she used her extra long arms and avoided even having to go up the stairs and accept it like most would(possibly because it would be harder for me to get a picture :). I guess by using her elastic arm super powers she avoided tripping on the stairs which could lead to possible humiliation. Good call Greta. 

And good job we are proud of you, even though we aren't supposed to tell you so...or hug you in front of your friends :) You will thank us one day for those hugs! 

Pie # 4: Grandma Violet's Raisin Cream

We hit a bit of a snag when looking at Greta's pie making list from the book she read. One of the pies is coconut cream and Greta DOES NOT like coconut. As most things do, it worked out and we made a reasonable switch. It was Father's Day and Jeff's favorite pie is raisin cream so we made that instead. We used Jeff's grandma's recipe to make it extra special. 

 We started early on this pie, the kids were still in their pj's. I baked the crust the night before and the kids got up early and finished it(The crust making gets easier every time). Fieldin always wants to help so we gave him the job of measuring and plumping raisins in hot water which he thought was neat for a minute and then abandoned his post. Greta took over after she was done with the filling and was letting it cool. 

 pouring in her filling. 

 Fieldin did return to lick the spatula and then was off again. 

and of course he was back after the pie set and it was time to try a slice. We all loved it except Fieldin. He has decided he doesn't like raisins so he just ate his crust. 

This pie falls on the success side of our list and a pie that Jeff has told us we need to keep making because:

1. It is still his favorite 

and 

2. Because it reminds him of his grandma

Not really ever being a pie fan I am realizing how much love is in a pie and in so many ways. It takes love and patience to make it, they can bring back a loving memory in one bite and it seems like pie recipes all have a story. 

In the last year, a woman in our town has been making a pie a day and gives them away to random people.

See, so much love. 

I think pie has finally ousted boring cake in this house. Except pumpkin cake. Nothing will ever be better than pumpkin cake :) 

A Day At The Beach For The Legos

Fieldin and me decided to photograph some artwork for his bedroom combining two things he loves the most: 

The beach and Star Wars Legos. 

I could say this was time consuming and not fun but it is more than obvious that I would be lying. 

This was way too much fun. 

 Yoda fighting off a shark with his lightsaber. "Back in the water you go, you must... "

 Shark chasing a clone trooper on his bike. 

 boating.. Jedi style

 Even clone troopers catch waves on their days off. 

 Just finished scuba diving for fish.. I love the scuba flippers..

 clone troopers building a sand castle empire

 chatting by a bonfire.. I would have done anything to have one of his flame legos today... 

 Poor sad clone trooper dropped his ice cream.. what a bummer 

 zooming around with sand toys...I hope he took out some sand fleas

skateboarding...

Little man can decide if he likes a couple of these well enough for his wall. If not we may have to do this all over again.. what a shame that would be! Not...I've got my camera ready just in case. 

Sand

 We took a much needed beach day. The kids spent most of their time looking for fossilized rocks. 

 You can tell Fieldin has been here(below)

 All the wildflowers are in bloom on the drive to the coast and on the hills above us at the beach. Very pretty. 

 fossilized shell

 more flowers

 Sometimes when you make lil guy laugh really hard you can see his missing tooth. 

 Just don't call him toothless, he doesn't like that.... 

 Eating their lunch(below)

 Their sandcastle was cool stuff they found on the beach. 

 frisbee then football.. 

 they found a HUGE jellyfish and asked me to take a picture.