Happy 3rd Birthday Russell

Russell turned 3 this month. We went to Chuck-e-Cheese when it opened Saturday morning. We stayed until eleven and then picked up McDonalds on the way home. He crashed on the couch after a little too much fun. We celebrated with friends in the evening and then with Grandma and Grandpa in Olympia on Sunday. TJ and Russell have been playing non-stop with the new toys (thank goodness for birthdays).

Clark County Fair

I am usually in Canada during the fair each year, but since I didn't make it up there I went to the fair with Carol and the kids. When we got to the fair we asked TJ what kind of animal he wanted to see. He said he wanted to see tigers. I explained tigers were not fair animals and then named off some of the farm animals he might see. When we walked into one of the main exhibits there were live tigers and lions to look at. An exotic animal rescue group was there with wild cats. So TJ got to see his tigers at the fair (unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the tigers).

Zoo Looking

We took advantage of our Zoo pass and went on an early Monday morning with friends. We had the zoo to ourselves for the first hour or two.  The kids had a wonderful time wearing themselves out. They took a nice nap on the drive home.

Farmers Market

Almost seven years in Vancouver and these are pictures of our first time at the Farmer's Market downtown. It was a very hot day so we enjoyed sharing a Hawaiian Shave Ice and wading in the water area at Estashore Park. We will make it a point to go again. The boys are in front of a fire truck because the fire department was hosting a chili cook off.

These boots were made for walkin in

The boys pulled my boots out of the closet when they were looking for a hiding place. They decided to play cowboys instead of hide.

Ashley Lake Montana

From Banks Lake we stopped at the Spokane Airport to pick up Trevor, Christian, Heather, Drake, Savannah, and Bronson (Jena's boyfriend). We met Beth and Wes for lunch, and all caravaned to Northern Montana for a Russell reunion on the lake. There were about 60 of us staying in a big house right on the lake (19 of the people were my immediate family). The cousins enjoyed playing together while the parents tried to keep everyone safe and happy. We were thankful for the opportunity to spend time with my dad's side of the family. It's always a delight to hear my aunts and uncles telling the same stories to my children that they told to me when I was little. I was planning on spending the following week in Canada, but got sick on Saturday and decided I was too tired to do another week with my three little kids on the road.

Banks lake

I took the kids to meet my family at Banks Lake the last week in July. The boys loved riding in Papa's boat and playing in the sand. They could have spent all summer on that beach. The last night we were there we ate at the Damn Restaurant where TJ didn't even make it to the chips and salsa. The sun wore him out. Thanks to my family for all the help since I was there without Trevor.