The journey is also fun

The journey with the kids and grand kids is more than half the adventure.

Wanting to get out of the house last week I took Peyton and went to town to pick up a few things for my Grandma's 100th birthday party. Now Peyton can be a bit excited when he gets into a store with all that room to run in, so it was with a bit of apprehension and a hope to start teaching him to not run away from everyone ( Tressa and Dee Dee have a hard time catching him when he gets going) that we under took our adventure. No teaching was really needed as he did real well in the store even saying hi to folks as we walked around looking for things. In fact he did so well that we had to go to Jack in the Box to get some fries.

Doug and Isabell looking at fire while Melia took pics.

On Friday I loaded up Melia and Isabell to head to Spokane for the party. Now the last time Isabell rode with me she cried for an hour straight, I thought there goes my quiet drive time. We had some excitement on the trip over but it was all caused from outside the car in the form of a forest fire at the top of White Pass.

When Isabell made noise it was just her talking, which she does so cute like even making a word now and then. I had a most enjoyable trip over and back with the two of them.

The big event was most enjoyable seeing family and all. There was work to be done to put on the party and clean up from it and I even managed to get myself out of the family doghouse. (I seem to be in there quite a bit because I have a hard time remembering birthdays, especially my Dad's. Go figure I can remember most historical dates just can't connect them with a date on the current calendar) I'm out of it because some of my cousins insisted they get to take my place in the house and worked (or failed to work) themselves in instead. Its nice getting to breath fresh air once in a while. My Dad, who has gotten used to overlooking my forgetfulness, was gracious enough to have some Longhorn ribs waiting for us Friday night when we arrived. I managed to

have ribs for three meals in the 40 hours I was in Spokane so it was all good.

Tum Tum

Late post I know but better than never.
The family took its usual trip to Tum Tum on the Spokane River in August. We were a little apprehensive about this trip due to all the young ones in one house but it went well.

Peyton loved the boat. I think more when it wasn't moving!

Peyton on day 2 or 3 finally having fun in the water. Below Madison and Isabell with grandpa. Not sure if they like the cold water. It was 90 degrees over there.

The water felt really nice to us adults. Peyton and Isabell soaking up some rays with grandpa. This was a favorite thing for these two. Peyton had many hats to choose from and he chose this one.It does have a wide brow.
Peyton enjoyed being by the water and after warming up to it he liked being in it. He especially liked floating around as did Isabell. Madison liked to be in the sandbox more than the water.

The little girls chilling after being out in the sun!
The big girls got some water time but with the babies it was hard for them to play their usual games in the water and I think they were a little disappointed in that aspect. The boys being boys had to have some diving board play time. Of course Spencer supplied the laughs with his very personalized style. We keep trying to get him to embrace the air from the board, but he likes to play it close to the water.

Doug showing Spencer how to get air!

Spencer won the creative part hands down with his alligator, who did not survive the jump. above Jesse is sporting his twister jump and below a back flip.

Doug's Creative Jump! and Spencer 2nd creative jump --not bad. Check out the HATS! Madison getting ready for her first ever tubing ride. She didn't seem to express like or dislike for the ride.
Everyone had to get some tubing rides in here is Spencer and Melia. Jesse and Tressa had to keep the speed down. Nursing mother! Peyton wasn't to fond of tubbing. we had to cut his ride very very short!

This is the last ride for Alesha, as this jump did in her shoulder. Dislocating it.I managed to find some things to do around the place in between taking the kids

After I (Doug) put in many hrs of work everyday, Dee finally takes a picture, and it's durning the boys' 10 mintues of back breaking work.

tubing and doing some swimming. Swimming is always more refreshing after doing some work and getting sweaty, maybe one of these days I'll convince the kids of that. As is her MO Dee Dee tried to document everything with pictures.

Erica getting some water time in with Madison.

Peyton watched grandpa doing some painting, then he spent lots of time copying him.

We ended the week by going to my niece Kim's wedding and a family gathering

Doug, Peyton, and Isabell at the wedding

Madsion LOVED playing with the rose petals after the ceremony.

of my siblings and families and a lot of really good food. My favorite part about a family get together is the "Long Horn" ribs that generally accompany the gathering, that's not to say I don't enjoy visiting the gang, but it's "Long Horn" Ribs.

Peyton and Dillon helping Great grandma with the beans.

Tressa and her two boys-Brady and Peyton

Everyone at the Sunday B-que at Tum Tum

Panic at the Pool

I now know that in a real emergency I do not want Melia and Alesha with me. The announcement of a THREAT (bomb to be exact) at the King County Aquatics center in Federal Way ,where Alesha, Melia and myself were working caused the two to Panic!!! Melia exclaimed " that she did not want to die" and Alesha frantically went running off to find me by the pool to see if I was leaving. As if they hadn't told all of us down stairs that we must leave immediately! I was grabbing my camera gear when a man ushered me outside very quickly stating there had been a threat and I was slowing him down. Guess it was his job to clear the building.

After I was rushed out of the room, I reconnected with Alesha and Melia outside in front of the building.

In their PANIC!! they had forgotten to grab the key to the car. They did get the cash box which is a plus. They both seemed a little shaken. Police were everywhere. People were being ushered across the street and away from the building. Alesha decided that maybe she could get one of the officers to let her back in for the car key. Some how making it sound like we needed the key to the cash box sounded more urgent to her. But, her attempt failed. Got to give her credit for walking back towards the building and approaching a police officer though. Gutsy.

I could only imagine how long they would keep us outside. It was a bit sunny at the time. The hill side across from the pool was covered with people all waiting like us. Visions of going to the mall, or eating at Olive garden slowly evaporated as we found a nice rock to sit on.

Melia felt really bad about forgetting to grab the key, but, she mostly just keep saying how she couldn't believe she forgot her book!!! Would have like to see Alesha go back and ask them to let her in to get her distressed sisters' book!!!!
Anyway.... More police came. They would shout across the road to all us little people with a bull horn. At first they said it was going to be a very long wait. We called lots of people and were even trying to get someone to bring us a key. Alesha thought we should call AAA for their roadside service. I explained they could get us into the car...but not provide a new key.

After about an hour they called all the life guards together. You start wondering...did they call in the threat to get out of work????. But, no, they had to go back inside and secure the "pool" before they would let anyone else in. Who knew lifeguards had so much power. Once they felt the " pool " was guarded and safe, they let the rest of us back in.
It was a really really strange day!!! Glad it ended with us all in one piece!! HA HA

Be careful what you ask for-you might get it!

Normally my summer work is pretty predictable. I work alot the end of June and first couple weeks of July. Then it starts to wind down as the month of July rolls on. Then comes to a screeching halt by the end of July. Aug. I'm as free as a bird. ( or as free as a bird with children and grandchildren).

This summer work-did not start off with the usual fury of the past. As the first week of July started I was getting a little worried. Thrilled at all the time off I had to help Erica with Parker... but there were bills to pay, mouths to feed! I put a call into my boss to express my want for work. A call I have lived to regret..sort of.

I have worked soooo much since then. All my dreams of playing with the grandkids and holding newborns have only appeared in bits and pieces among my heavy load of work!!!

Though any other summer and I probably won't have minded the constant 7am to 10pm grind. Yes my work days are long!
I have gotten to go to U of W and shoot baseball, spend the hottest days of the summer so far there and at a very nice private golf course in Belleuve. Golf would not rank as the most exciting thing I shoot.

One of the perks of the regional babe ruth baseball at U of W was watching the "Blue Angles" practice for Seafair. The first day I was there they were buzzing over us all day! The next day it was just in the morning.

Then the last couple of weeks have included huge water events. First I got to attend the "US Open Swim". There was a couple Olympic swimmers there. And some who should have been in Beijing. It was a best of the best in swimming. Many swimmers were there from other countries.( the girls were doing some of the boothing and did not enjoy trying to understand some of them). It was five long but, kind of fun days. ( did get to take one day off).

Most exciting was watching new world records being set! I was right there shooting when Jessica Hardy set the new world record in the "100m breaststroke". The place went crazy.

I also got to witness the finalists in the men's 200m IM make a statement about all the fuss over the banning of the suits that help swimmers swim faster, by all making a pact to wear only their speedo's. The place was packed and everyone went wild, shouting, clapping and giving them a standing ovation even before the race started!

Well this week I'm finishing up the Jr. National swim at the Aquatics center in Federal Way.

After that I will finally have a week or so off. Hopefully I can squeeze in all the stuff I had wanted to do earlier, spend time with Alesha before she heads back to the Y, have a getaway with my hubby, and hold those babies and play with the other 3.

Next summer I'll have to be a little more careful what I ask for as I've learned this summer- I just may get it!