the Other Side of the Mountain

Our friend Deb lives on the other side of the mountain and it has been way too long since we saw her last. Doug met Deb and her family while he was serving his mission in Lake Stevens a looooooong long time ago.

When we moved back to Washington, we got in touch with them and she and Rick (and their boys) adopted Malcolm like he was the long lost grandson they didn't have yet....they lived in Carnation until about 2 years ago, so we don't see them as much as we'd like.

So when we realized that we had some open time (not as much as we'd like) we headed to Wenatchee for a visit. Deb lives on a pear orchard in Cashmere. As soon as we got out of the car we went and gathered a big box of pears to take home with us. They are SO tasty! Deb had prepared a yummy spaghetti dinner for us and then we took a tour of Wenatchee to see where her boys each live. We were excited to see that a SONIC was having a grand opening...we didn't have to wait long in the car-hop line, and we had some tasty treats (cherry slushes and some fried ice cream dessert). The kids thought it was a fun place and we hope that we get one in our neck of the woods sooner than later.

After a big country breakfast on Saturday morning (and the chance to visit with Jason, her middle boy), we drove to Chelan and visited Slide Waters ~ a water park overlooking the lake. It was SO much fun! It's not a huge park so we didn't feel overwhelmed. Malcolm and Laurel were able to go on every slide. Dana and Aubrey were too short for some of the bigger slides, but they loved using their 4 slides by themselves, and rode on our laps a few times on the big slides. We want to get a family season pass next year so it will get us over to "that side" more often.

While Deb took Malcolm to an evening wedding, Doug and I took the girls school shopping. And we couldn't help but have dinner at Sonic!

Deb was a great hostess and we loved the chance to visit and catch up and see her new digs. She also sent me home with home canned peaches, pears, blackberry jam, choke cherry jam, and grape jelly. AMAZING!

Thank you, Deb, for a GREAT time. We promise we'll come see you very soon. We love you!!!

Soccer Camp

Laurel and Malcolm attended the UK Elite Soccer Camp this last week. There were 4 coaches from the UK and they focused on a different country each day of camp. They learned some new skills and honed some old skills. The last 45 minutes of Camp was called "World Cup" and the kids were split into 3-4 man teams and assigned a foreign country. They had a great time. Laurel's coach (Ewan) had an accent, but I'm not sure where he ws from. Malcolm's coach (Simon) is from Wales. They both thought Coach "Jim Bob" was a nice guy.

On Friday the families were invited to watch the kids play...and then the coaches presented each player with a personalized "report card." It was a good way to see where the kids can improve. This is the first year that the UK program came here and we hope they come back next year, and the year after, and the year after... ;)

5th Anniversary

After living in New York for almost 11 years, we had really started to feel like that was going to be our "forever home." But in March of 2003 we were prompted to start making a new move for our family. Our decision was to move was reaffirmed through many prayers, and we decided to leave New York. In addition to selling our townhouse, we both quit our jobs ~ and neither of us had jobs here in Washington. But we knew that if we followed our promptings, that Heavenly Father would take care of us.

This weekend marks the 5th anniversary of our House Hunting Vacation. Doug's folks flew out to New York from California and spent the week with our kids (potty-training Malcolm in the process). Doug and I flew from New York to Washington to find a house.

We'd spent almost 4 months online doing all kinds of research: schools, neighborhoods, proximity to Seattle and family (even though we had no idea where Doug would be working), housing costs, and the "needs" and wants in our next home. Sheila and Andy recommended our realtor (Laura Zann with John L. Scott) and I think we probably drove her nuts with our emails and a few phone calls. She politely sent us a list of about 10 houses that we might be interested...we countered with a list of our Top 40. She should have run while she had the chance!

We arrived at SeaTac before 11am on Saturday morning. Sheila and Andy picked us up and took us back to their house for a quick lunch. The whole drive down I kept looking around thinking, "WHERE are we GOING?! This is the middle of NOWHERE!" Laura showed up for our whirlwind tour of the Eastside before 1.

Before Sunday ended we had visited over 35 homes. We agreed that a home less than 1/2 a mile from the Campbells was "OURS" and we went online one last time to check the taxes. The house wasn't there...it had sold (before we even saw it). UGH! That made us rethink our list and our non-house-hunting plans for Labor Day.

Laura picked us up bright and early on Monday morning and took us to a few more homes that were much farther away and in not-so-great and even non-move-in-ready condition. We finally decided to release her to her family about 2 that afternoon. Sheila and Andy were having a barbecue with their neighbors and we needed to rethink our house search.

Before we ate dinner that night, the 4 of us piled into their car and started driving neighborhoods...pulling flyers. The houses were either 3-bedrooms that we could afford, or 4-bedrooms and out of our price range. And then we turned down a street we'd not noticed before. A dead-end. Except that it wasn't.

At the end of the street a buider has busted through the cul-de-sac and was building 17 new homes. We thought the price must be a typo, because the house met all of our "wants" AND it was in our price range...with a little wiggle room for upgrades, even! A woman noticed us peering through the windows of a completed home 2 doors down and asked if we wanted to walk through HER home, which was very similar to both the home we were peeping at, and the home we ended up buying. Of course we said, YES! And then called Laura (the Realtor) from the backyard of our yet unpurchased NEW HOME!

Laura came back down on Tuesday morning and we revisited a new home community that was nearby. It had been one of our favorites online...but the homes were very close together, with small yards, and right at the top of our price range which would have done away with the "extra" money for upgrades. And then we came back to the neighborhood we'd found on Monday night and we knew that we were home!


This is what we wanted: 4+ bedrooms; 2-1/2+ bathrooms (master with own bath); good schools for the kids; 3-car garage; big yard so we could build a "Ranger Station" and maybe even a pool; granite countertops; hardwood floors; dining room; living room; >2,000 sf; big kitchen; river-rock fireplace; laundry room (not a pass-through) and great neighbors.


This is what we got: 4-bedrooms; 2-1/2 bathrooms (master with own bath); 3-car garage; good school for the kids; big yard (but still no "Ranger Station" and definitely not a pool); granite tile countertops; hardwood floors; dining room; living room; <2,000>

The best part is that we got in at the right time and we were able to make our color selections countertops, vinyl (bathrooms), carpeting, hardware, appliances (which we got on a huge discount from the builder I worked for in NY), and the hardscape on the elevation (the rocks on the front of the house). Doug and I are not famous for agreeing on many things, but both times we've chosen "colors" for our homes, we have had very few disagreements...so it didn't take us long to make our selections.

We took lots of pictures of both our brand-new unfinished home, and of the finished home so we could show our friends and family what it would eventually look like. We really wanted the kids to be excited about their new home and neighborhood.

Once the house hunt was over we had time to attend the temple, eat a yummy seafood dinner on the Seattle watefront, and get a little familiar with the area before we headed back to New York.

Now that we have lived here for almost 5 years, it is easy for us to see how the Lord lead us in our search for our new home. We know that we are where He wants us to be. We love our home and our neighborhood and our Ward and our friends and our family. And we would be hardpressed to say goodbye to this life of ours. If it ever comes to that, we hope it will be a long time down the road...

A New Friend

While they were working today, Doug's reporter asked if he'd like to have this elephant to take home to the kids...and Dana was the lucky recipient (she doesn't have very many of her "very own" stuffed aminals).

She carried it around like a baby and tried to give it a toy bottle for a bit. And even demanded to take it with her for nappie-time. I asked her what her elephant's name is and she said, "TWO!" Which, of course, is her answer to almost every question you ask her these days.

side story: If you ask Dana, "Where do you live, Dana?" She answers, "Cad-i-fo-dah." Which I finally figured out translates to, "California." I don't know why, but she insists that that is where she lives. Funny little girl!

Tea for Two (or three)

These two crack me up. They were in the same kindergarten class, and were thrilled to find out that they'll be in the same first grade class, too! Brooke's older brother and sister were at Soccer Camp with Laurel and Malcolm today, so we invited Brooke over to play. Dana was quite the party crasher, but they were pretty good about trying to include her in their play. They asked to watch a movie...know what they picked?? Not Cinderella or any other Princess movie; not Toy Story; they asked (almost BEGGED) for National Treasure! What in the world?! When they grew bored (fairly quickly) they ran upstairs and got gussied up for a tea party lunch. I hope their teacher knows how much ENERGY these two produce...otherwise she could be in for a long year! ;)

Welcome to our Team

Laurel's soccer team had a "Welcome Back" barbecue today. It was a fun chance to get to know the Coach, her new teammates (most of whom have played together for several years), and the other parents. The family that hosted the afternoon lives on the Lake and the kids got a chance to swim, splash, eat and then boat on a gloriously sunny afternoon!

I think Laurel was the first of our kids into the water...she couldn't wait. And the cold lake didn't seem to bother her anymore than it did Malcolm or Aubrey. Malcolm loved taking a running jump into the lake (none of our kids can dive yet). Aubrey fought and argued with us about having to wear a lifejacket...she was insulted and thought we didn't believe that she can swim. We tried explaining that a lake is different than a pool, and that the boats make waves that sometimes make it hard to swim, but she wouldn't listen. I was totally exasperated at one point and I picked her up and threw her in...she furiously paddled back to the dock. But she stopped fighting us. Until the kids started jumping in...so we let her jump twice without the jacket. Dana wanted in the water in the worst way ~ until we put her in...then she wanted out right away. But she was very happy to wear the life jacket and play on the docks.

I didn't go out on the boat, but Doug and kids all got a turn. I think it reconfirmed our desire to one day (soon, we hope) be boat owners. We just love being on the water!!

sneaky sleeps

Dana had quite a tantrum today. She didn't take a nap, and I couldn't take the screaming anymore. So I put her in her room and said, "When you can stop screaming, you can come down." At first she screamed really loud. Then it got quiet. But not the sleeping quiet -- just the not-screaming quiet.

Several times I heard her open and close the door.

Alexis and Derek stopped by with Greta and Evan. Before they left, I said, "I'll go grab Dana from her room so she can say goodbye to the kids." I tiptoed up the stairs, but she wasn't in her room. She also wasn't in Laurel's room. Nor was she in Malcolm's room. And she wasn't in our room or the bathrooms. So I came down, feeling like I'd lost her (again). Then decided I should run back up and check.

Nope. She wasn't upstairs.

As I came downstairs, this caught my eye. I thought she was covering her eyes to hide from me.

Her legs were dangling off the side of the couch. I started laughing and thought for sure it would wake her up. But she was down for the count.

She must have grown weary of her room. So she packed her backpack, put it on and snuck down the stairs. I am guessing that she was watching the kids play out the living room window when she fell asleep. Poor sweet girl!

Twin Harbors

After camping at Ohanapecosh a couple of weeks ago, we were excited to camp again. So excited that when we got home Sheila got on the computer and found Twin Harbors...it's on the coast, just south of Westport.

I was very proud of Aubrey -- before we left home she packed a backpack for her and Dana. At first, I will admit that it annoyed me. I had no idea what "junk" she was dragging to the beach. But we got a later start than we wanted to (of course) and ended up sitting in way too much traffic! It was super hot in the truck and we lacked the water and snacks we needed for a comfortable ride. EXCEPT, Aubrey had packed a small bottle of water, some WheatThins and dum-dum suckers ~ as well as some books and a few toys! Malcolm and Laurel had each packed some books to read, too. Hooray for kids who plan! ;)

Sheila and Andy called when we were about 40 minutes from Twin Harbors. To let us know that the fog was rolling in. And in addition to not bringing snacks and water for the ride, I realized I had not packed jackets OR long pants for any of us. It was SO H-O-T when we were packing, that the thought of jackets completely left my mind. What a good mom I am! :(

Sheila had already started the chicken & rice for dinner, so we hopped in her car to see if any tourist shops were still open. They were not. It wasn't really "that" cold, but it definitely wasn't hot like it had been at home when we left, so the kids were pretty uncomfortable. After roasting marshmallows we headed to bed. All night it sounded like we were getting pounded by rain. Turns out, it was just the misty-fog dropping water on the leaves...when the breeze picked up, it would "rain" on us. Lovely.

After breakfast, we went to the beach. It was beautiful and I loved being on the sand. But boy-oh-boy was it chilly. We were definitely NOT in California! The kids were in sand-dollar heaven and we brought home more than our fair share...

Dana loved the sand ~ she would pick up a handful and walk to the edge of the waves and throw it in. If a wave (even the tiny foamy ones) came toward her, she would scream and run away.

Malcolm was doing his best to get wet "accidentally" and had to change when we got back to camp ~ poor Preston was terrified Malcolm was going to get carried away by a wave and he couldn't bear to watch.

Laurel was content to find as many sand dollars as she could ~ especially whole, unbroken ones.

Aubrey just loved being on the beach.

Henry hung out with Doug and tried to stay warm (he only tried to drink the water once...he's a smart dog!).

Then Sheila and Andy drove me to a Thrift Shop in Grayland (about 5 minutes south of Twin Harbors). The place was very small, but the clothes were clean and (miraculously) I was able to find hooded sweatshirts for Aubrey, Malcolm and Laurel, and sweatshirts for Dana and me (turns out, Doug packed jeans AND a coat for himself!). If you ever camp at Twin Harbors and you need "new" clothes, you should stop in at this store...the best part is that almost everything in the store is 50cents or $1!!

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful -- oh wait. I almost forgot -- We lost Dana. After dinner she was playing with Aubrey and Malcolm with "friends" they had met. And when they came back to camp just as it was getting dark, she wasn't with them. According to the notes I was able to peek at on the Incident Report at the Ranger Station, she was lost and found within a 30 minute period. I was completely composed on the walk to the Ranger Station...but when I walked in and saw her, I totally lost it. The young woman who found her is named Mary. I don't know where she lives, but I am very grateful for her sweet disposition and the time she took out of her fun evening to sit with Dana until I got there! Malcolm and Aubrey were as excited to see her as I was. Dana was completely oblivious to the fact that she was "lost" and then found. THANK YOU, MARY!!

It was colder on Saturday night and Sunday morning. After packing everything up, we decided to take a drive on the beach rather than a walk. We drove on the sand for about a mile in Grayland. It was even cloudier than the day before, but it was still the ocean!

We also drove through a section of cranberry bogs. Very different from how I'd imagined them in my head, but a fun thing to see. These cranberries are being grown for Ocean Spray!

Then we stopped by the Grays Harbor Lighthouse. 125 steps to the top; but we know that from the sign, not because we climbed to the top. It's the tallest lighthouse in the state of Washington! Can you tell that it was C-O-L-D?!

It was so cold, in fact, that we opted to drive to Aberdeen for a picnic lunch at a park. We stopped for oysters and squeeky cheese and fresh jerkey along the way. And guess what -- Aberdeen was NOT warmer...in fact, we think it might have been colder. The kids loved the park anyway.

On this trip the thing I said more than anything else, "I can't believe I forgot the [fill in the blank]." Here's a list of the things I forgot:

1. water bottles & snacks for the drive

2. jackets & long pants & socks & "real" shoes

3. eggs

4. hashbrowns

5. bacon (we actually had to borrow some from our camping neighbors and then replace it later in the day)

6. enchilada sauce

7. a knife out for the "picnic" (we used a cheese stick to spread the mayo)

8. Henry's leash (we had to use a laundry-rope)

9. and something else, I'm sure -- but I forget what it was...

I'm not sure we'd choose to camp at Twin Harbors again...the weather on the coast is pretty unpredictable. Next year we think we'll head to the "other side" of the mountains earlier in the summer ~ in search of sunshine!

Where do you camp?

Swim Lessons

For the last 2 weeks, the kids have been taking Swim Lessons at the Enumclaw Pool...it's totally worth the drive (and it's not as far as you might think) because they have great instructors and the BE$T prices around!! The kids' skills have really improved. The surprise of the lessons was that the Mitchells were taking lessons at the same time! Eli was in Aubrey & Malcolm's class!

After their lessons each day we waited for a 1/2 hour and then did the public swim. That was Dana's favorite part. She was happiest just chilling out on a noodle, but she also liked the float-mats and the life jacket.

After soccer season is over, we'll take lessons during the winter. I can't wait!

coolin' off at Grandma's

We met the Campbells to go swimming at Grandma May's apartment again. The kids had a great time, and once again, we arrived at a great time and we were (almost) the only ones in the pool. The swim lessons the kids have been taking have helped improve their swimming skills. Laurel is really working on better swim form; Aubrey's water-confidence is high; and Malcolm thinks he's Michael Phelps...the kids even had a Phelps Race in the pool! Dana loves being by herself in the water, so I'm glad we have the life jacket that she can't get out of!

Thanks for another fun evening, Grandma!!