West Virginia

Our first stop of our trip to the East coast to see my Dad was to West Virginia.  We rented a mansion of a house and spent time swimming, hiking, horseback riding, cave exploring, mined for rocks, played a lot of pool, games, and ate a lot of food!  My highlight of course was meeting my adorable nephew Eli.  He is perfect, and I've missed him everyday since.

 

Jane was VERY excited about all the moving walkways in the airport.  She loves her exercise!;)

We got Grandpa Jones the book "How to babysit a Grandpa"  Every Grandpa needs this book! 
He is the best book reader.  I remember him reading to me when I was little.

Baby Eli collage!  Yes, we are obsessed with him.

 

Hiking to the waterfall 

 

Cute story.  My Dad hasn't seen my girls swim I don't think ever.  He took the girls down to the pool by himself for the first time while I went to my room to hurry and get my swimsuit on.  When I got down there Jane was swimming like the wild fish she is and my Dad couldn't stop laughing and smiling.  He said he put her water wings on and was about to get in the pool when he sees her do a giant leap off the side of the pool into the water!  He was very impressed with her aquatic skills.  And of course Evelyn too with swimming in the deep end now.

Walks with Grandpa

 

 Jane's hair got even curlier in the humidity

Jane says hi!

 I like to call this picture FERN-gully.  Ferns all over West Virgina.

I loved horseback riding with Evelyn.  She was such a natural.

Jane and her best friend Grandpa Jones

 Mining for rocks

Feeding the alpacas!  They look a little nervous!

 

The crew!

Water Park and Uncle Ian

Earlier this summer we went to the Moses Lake water park with family and friends.  Evelyn had so much fun this year because she could go down all the slides!!!  Yay for being tall!  I could watch her from the toddler playground and just enjoy the sunshine.  Her and her cousin Eliza got really brave and decided to go off the low diving board and when they came out one of them jokingly said we should go off the high dive now!  I couldn't believe it!  I was shocked!  Such a proud mommy moment since she had just started swimming in the deep end like the day before!  EEK!

walking the plank...

AND she did it!

Evelyn and Eliza--diving board buddies

Jane and Emma at the splash pad

My brother aka Uncle Ian came home for a visit.  He is a second grade teacher and needless to say great with kids.  My girls love him.  We barbecued with family.  My Aunt and cousin Julie came in to town too which was awesome catching up and spending time with them.  We even played a long game of duck duck goose!  Jane calls it duck duck MOOSE!

Me, Mom, Aunt Lisa, Cousin Julie

Jane's footprints next to her Dad's

duck duck MOOSE!

Summertime Bliss

A few summertime snapshots...

Last day of school

Evelyn at swim lessons

Jane and Carter as dedicated sibling swim lesson fans

Scooteney Resivoir--playing in the mud

Andrea and I at the end of a fun/long day with our kiddos.  Mercantile Ice Cream.

Cousins, Cousins, Cousins, and more Cousins!

 

Daryl shooting off rockets on Father's Day...

Daddy's well loved by his daughters

Jane 

Me and Bree

Evelyn jumping!  Very much decided on her own terms she can now swim in the deep end with no help or flotation!

Evelyn at Aunt Kortneigh's pool

All-girl bike ride

4th of July

Daryl proposed on the 4th of July 7 years ago...

Milking cows at Bleazard's Dairy Farm--It was on Evelyn's bucket list.  So glad I could make her dreams come true!:)  She decided it was a stinky job.

I am loving the summertime and all the time I've had to make memories with my girls!

Cool Dessert Nights parade

Grandma Harvey and Jane