Sittin' Poolside

The days have been hot making the pool a must.  We have had swimming lessons, pool play-dates at our public pool, and best of all swimming at my Mom's beautiful pool.  These sisters are the best of friends.  This summer they have learned to love to play together.  Evelyn is so good to Jane and Jane loves Evelyn for it.  My favorite is when they are both giggling about nothing and chasing each other around the house.  Evelyn usually lets Jane have her way since she doesn't like Jane's piercing loud screams!  Love my girls.

Here is Evelyn at swim lessons at our public pool.  We loved it!  Evelyn is trying so hard to swim on her own.  She loves jumping as high as she can off the sides and making a big splash!

I got to spend sometime with some great friends I miss a lot in Tri-Cities among others.  It was so nice to relax by the pool and catch up while letting all our kiddos swim.  I loved every minute of it!  I don't get a lot of girl time out in the country so I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Oh and I can't forget this wild lady!  My Mom was about to get her dry clothes on when Jane proudly marched her naked self back into the pool.  She was so proud of herself and was grinning ear to ear:) We got to stay at my Mom's house for three days.  It was wonderful!  My girls love my Mom and basically don't want much to do with me when Grandma Harvey is in the room.  Evelyn also likes to help Grandma do chores around the house.  She even earned money pulling weeds and helping Grandma fold and organize clothes.  We are planning to go back in August to spend some more time together by the pool before school starts.  It was heaven swimming all three days! 

 Oh yes and school.  I can't believe my first born is ready for kindergarten.  I found this picture of Evelyn from last winter and it reminded me of how much this little lady has grown up.  Oh I hope I can handle her gone at school!  I know she will love it!  I am just worried about her poor Mom!    

Uncle Ian

Oh how much my girls love uncle Ian!  Jane is pretty cautious on who she lets hold her but she immediately gave Ian the goo goo eyes and couldn't stop flashing him her flirty smile.  My Mom and Ian came up and took my girls and I out to lunch at the best bakery in Yakima I know of.  If you are ever driving through you have to stop here for lunch!  It is called Essencia Bakery and is right off the freeway.  So worth the lunch stop and you must have dessert too!  Everything we tried was good.  We then took the girls to the children's museum and out for ice cream at the old fashioned parlor.  That night we went swimming and made soup.

Love Jane in this picture--of course smiling for Ian;)

The next morning Daryl and Ian woke up super early to rock climb before we left to Mt. Rainier.  Mt. Rainier was very pretty but I loved the "Grove of the Patriarchs" the most.  It is a short hike to see enormous trees that you can wrap your arms around.  Here are a few pictures from Mt. Rainier.  There was still snow on all the trails at Paradise which is probably why I liked the Grove of the Patriarchs so much because the snow had melted.  It is about 45 minutes below Paradise.

The next two days I spent with Mom and Ian at Seaside, OR.  Daryl couldn't make it because of work so Ian was adopted Dad for the day for my girls.  The beach was so wonderful.  I love to just sit in the sand and breath in the salty air.  It was a cool day but no wind which made it nice.  Evelyn was in heaven she couldn't stop running in and out of the waves.  She was so happy.  Jane would mostly follow Evelyn part way in the water and run back out when her feet got too cold.  Jane also liked to kick Ian's sand molds for his sand castle down so we helped her make her own castle to play with.

Seaside was beautiful!  It was my first time going and I now really want to go again.  

My girls LOVED the ocean.

Ian's and Evelyn's sand castle

Ian's happy shadow

We sampled a lot of salt water taffy

Carousel

Aquarium

We loved seeing the ocean!  Thank you Mom and Ian for taking us!

Lake Mead

Daryl and I jumping off the boat!

We spent four days in Vegas visiting family.  Two of the days we spent all day on Lake Mead.  I was in vacation heaven.  I LOVE being on the water!  It was so relaxing laying on the boat soaking up  sun while jumping into the 85 degree lake!  AmaZING!  Perfect days spent with people we LOVE. 

The crew (Scholz, Johnston, Kelly families)

soaking up the sun

Madi, Tessa, Evelyn, and Cambrie

Me and Kathryn

 We tubed, surfed, wakeboarded, swam, and even anchored the boat by Hoover Dam and ate lunch.

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Beautiful Kathryn--the water was incredible!

Dr. Johnston

Evelyn eating lunch with her Aunt Kathryn

Hoover Dam

Evelyn and Kai

 It has been a long while since I have gone wakeboarding but I still got a little air!  Daryl was a tough act to follow since he flys on the wakeboard.  I'll show you the comparison;)

ok so now check out Daryl...

I was impressed:)  Here are a few surfing pictures of the guys...

Kai surfing with Mason

 

 

 

 

We went to the Mandalay Bay aquarium, swam at the pool, and went out at night...

Mason and Jeff touching the sting rays

Mason and Cambrie

Adorable Mason--love him

Collin and Kathryn

Daryl and I

Fireworks

 So sad when the fun has to end and reality creeps back on the plane ride home.  

It was a perfect weekend.  I think this picture of Collin and Kathryn sums it up...

Miss you already Johnston's and Scholz'

until next summer:)