Boating

So we went boating yesterday and the girls got SO brave. They all had SO MUCH FUN. The water was like bath water to them and they played so hard. Kristi and Mike got a knee board and we tried so hard 4th of July weekend to get the girls to do it but they wouldn't. Well they all did it and are obsessed now. Araleigh won't stop talking about how much she loves to knee board. I am so proud of her. I am so glad she is starting to do things that I never got to do. I am so glad we have such great friends that are willing to let us tag along all the time and are letting my kids have these experiences. Here is the videos of our fun day!

Water day

Araleigh, Rylee, Canden, Beckom, Kyla, and Brooklyn
Bottom pictures: Canden and Beckom having a good old time jumping in and out of the kid pool

 

So I got up today feeling SOOO much better. Since our camping trip last week . . . I think by sleeping on the ground on the air mattress and just over doing it-- my back started going out the last day. Well it was sore Sunday and Monday and then Tues I woke up and could not hardly walk let alone care for my kids. So Araleigh, being the wonderful little helper she is . . . hung out with me most the day lifting Livee to me and doing everything I asked of her. She is my little lifesaver. Cory had left early Monday morning for Seattle so was not here . . . so it was a little scary for me. It got worse throughout the day and then my wonderful sweet friend, Kristi came to save the day. She just brought food and let the kids play and hung out with me all day. She even ran my errands like getting my prescription from the pharmacy. She is such a saint. I took my meds that night and they worked SO well. I woke up this morning able to get up easier and hold Livee and do a lot more. I can't lift her in the car seat at all but am so much better. Its amazing what modern meds can do. . . plus I am so grateful my OB is an amazing guy to just call it in for me so I don't have to start over with a normal doctor. So Kristi called me this morning and said lets go play at the water park to get the kids out of the house. . . so I was like OKAY! And she came and picked my sorry bum up and helped me soo much. We had SUCH a great time. The boys just ran and ran in a circle jumping in the kiddie pool and swimming around. They LOVED it. Araleigh and the girls just played and we hardly saw them at all. It was such a good day. IT was hot and the babies did pretty good. Then we packed up at like 5:30 and went to find a 7-11 for free slurpee's! Then it was back to my house with K and the kids played and I made dinner. It was a great day. Days like these make it so I don't miss Idaho as much.

 Ok so here are MY girls! This is us at the pool. Kristi, me, and Sara. This has been our trio since the first week I lived in Spokane. Seriously, if it weren't for these girls . . . I would have sunk into a real deep whole and gotten swallowed up by it. I now know that I do not need to be next door to my family and everyone I knew to be the happiest person. I truly believe these women to be my angels sent from God at a time when I was very broken. They saved me. I am not a social, open person very often but with these girls . . . I am an open book. Sara is so much fun and knows so many people that because of her I have met some truly great people. Our kids love each other and we just have such a good time. Things are so easy with them and I love it. Kristi and I have gotten really close over the last 2 years. Mostly I believe because we both are not near family . . . so we have leaned on each other for that comfort. Especially around holidays. K knows me like my sister. She has held my hand through the worst time of my life and helped me back up when I have fallen. I have never met anyone like her. The best part is over the last 2 years is our husbands have become the best of friends. It has been so perfect. Our kids are the same age and truly they have become our family here. Holidays are spent with them when we don't go home and we have become inseparable. This last week they found a renter for their house and have to move to Seattle. I truly don't know what I will do without her. I am so heart broken and so is my family. But life is life and jobs take you away. I am just being super selfish and want her to be by me forever! I have been so selfish that I just pray that he will find a new job here . . . . haha but its wishful thinking. Truly these women are beautiful inside and out. I have never met such great women and am devastated to think that next year it will all be different. Truly its been us 3 for so long . . . and now K is leaving us. She is the social butterfly that we all love to run to and talk to because she loves to talk :) I can go on and on but all I am now is sad and heart broken. All I know is that even though she is moving . . . It won't change how I feel and hope to stay just as close even though we are a ways away. It will be a real hard day when those moving trucks move out though. I just might me a sobbing mess . . . cuz I already am. But I am grateful that I still have Sara who is just as amazing and hopefully can be more open to finding some more amazing people to include in my life. I do know that God places people in your life at certain times in your life for a purpose. And these women were clear proof of that for me. With everything that has happened in my life since I moved here . . . some pretty terrible things both mentally, physically, and really spiritually. Those struggles would have been unbearable if I didn't have the friends I have. I am grateful for them and hope they feel that though I may not show it often. At least I know that when I decide to get off the couch and get skinny again --- K will take me on an amazing shopping trip in Seattle cuz she is a Super mega shopper and always looks amazing. So at least that would be fun! . . . (That is WHEN I stop eating cookies and WATCHING everyone else work out on tv. lol) If my girls here read this by chance. Hope you know how much you've changed my life for the better. I truly feel I have been blessed to have you in my life. Thank you for teaching me what a true friend should be. I hope that I can show the love and friendships you have brought to me to those around me as well.

 

4th of July 2012

This year we chose not to go back to Idaho for the 4th. This is the first time

EVER that we have not been with family on the 4th. I thought it was going to be so hard-- which it was at first but it ended up being the funnest weekend ever. We spent the fourth at home. We went to the Parade in Liberty Lake which was a cute parade and the kids got a TON of candy. The we came home to start packing for our camping trip. Well, we were going to go to more festivities during the day but ended up spending the whole time trying to get ready to leave the next morning. Then around 9pm we met up with our friends in Liberty Lake to watch the fireworks. It was fun and relaxing. 

The next morning we got up early to get ready to leave. We headed to Lake Roosevelt with the Lewis's to find a camping spot. Well, it all worked out great in our favor. We had an absolute BLAST. It was so relaxing. We had no worries and the kids were carefree. We found a camp spot at a fabulous campground right next to the Lake and found out they had a whole bunch of stuff planned for the weekend. Well, we set up camp and the girls cruised around on their Razor's and Canden and Beckom just rode around on their bikes. We went boating everyday and that helped with the heat. Livee had a hard time during the day because it was in the high 90's every day. Cory almost got his 360 surfing and the kids went tubing and swimming. We truly had the best time ever. We absolutely love spending time with Mike and Kristi. They have become our second family and they are up and moving on us and it will be devastating when they actually leave. On Friday we took the kids over across the bridge to a different campground and let them play on the big playground while we showered. Then on Saturday we spent the day at the beach letting the kids play in the sand and water, then we went boating, came back and Cory and I made Dutch Oven food which was yummy . . . and then we packed up and walked a mile to the beach and watched and AMAZING firework show that was over the lake. Seriously one of the funnest and most relaxing weekends ever. Only bad thing about the trip was the scorching heat that would hit at like 7 am as the sun would beam right into our tent.  
 

Lake Chelan

 The last week in June Cory had to go to Lake Chelan for a conference . . where his work got him a room at the resort. Well we weren't planning on going because it is 3.5 hours away and we didn't want to spend the money. Well, he got there and called me and said we needed to come because his room was amazing. Well, of course I loaded up the kids and headed there. He was totally right. His room was huge with a kitchen and the best part was you walked right out the door to the beach. It was SO much fun. I got to put Livee down for a nap and sit outside and tan while the kids played in the sand. It was our own mini vacation. The kids played all day in the sand and we went to the pools and let them swim as well. It was a little frustrating to me at one point because I had all three on my own . . and Livee was sooo tired so I just let Canden and Araleigh swim on their own. Well Canden had a life jacket on and decided to try and get into Livee's floaty.... well it flipped over and because of both of the floatations it kept dunking him under. Well, I had to drop Liv basically and run to pull him out. Ever since he has had a phobia of the water. The last night we were there I had such a peaceful moment. Cory put the kids to bed and I just sat out on the patio and listened to the people at the resort partying and having a great time. It was awesome just sitting there under the stars by the lake. It was just such a great moment. I wish Cory wouldn't have been snoozing away to share it with me. It was a fun weekend. Especially cuz it was on his works dime! Gotta love that!