Cute little Lillie was in need of her dinner so we got her in her high chair and little Jordan wanted to be a big helper so he fed Lillie her banana chips. He was quite proud of himself!
After dinner the adults sat around and visited with everyone while the kiddos all ran around and played. We all took turns holding Lillie but she especially loved sitting on Grampa's lap and playing with the water bottle.
On Saturday Mark and I were able to take a few hours away and go to the temple and get some shopping done. So the girls stayed with Gramma and Grampa and watched movies, did crafts, and played with cousins. Emma loves the Lincoln Logs and always makes interesting things.
Now we are home and it's back to real life - school and work and cleaning house and running errands. We are looking forward to our next visit!
About a year ago I started educating myself on the art of couponing! It has since become a big blessing to our family. Couponing has helped me have the ability to stock up on all kinds of products, try things that I never would have been able to afford, and to spend a little less on our groceries each month. There has even been a couple of times when I was actually PAID to buy groceries! Can you imagine? I like nothing better than going to the checkout lane and watching my price drop dramatically when I enter all of my coupons! My girls call me the "Krazy Coupon Lady" which, by the way, is the title of a coupon blog that I check religiously. One of the aspects of couponing that I enjoy is signing up for free samples! There are always lots of different samples that you can request and so now I look forward to the mail coming each day to see what goodies I have been brought! Last week to my utter surprise when I went to the mailbox I had loads of free things and free coupons! I had two laundry detergents, a protein/breakfast bar, shampoo and conditioner, and coupons for a free bottle of Advil, two free boxes of Triscuits, two free tubs of Cottonelle wipes, plus five other very high values coupons! And that was just on one day! Now I know that couponing isn't for everybody - it takes alot of dedication and research and requires good organization skills - BUT.... I'm hooked!
Emma started second grade and woke up at 6:00 on the first day. She got herself dressed, made her bed, packed her lunch, and brushed her hair, all before 6:30! She just couldn't contain her excitement.
It's been about a month since school started for us and everything is going so well. The girls adore their teachers and their classrooms. They have lots of new (and old) friends and we are really looking forward to having a great year! 
Sometimes sisters just need to have a good snuggle. Of course when you see your little angels sleeping like this, it's quite impossible to still feel frustrated. Definitely a tender mercy!
It was very refreshing to stick our feet in and cool off and enjoy the pretty scenery!
Then Dad fired up the barbeque and had a yummy hot dog roast!
The girls rode their bikes and went on a little hike. It was just so nice to get out of town and have one last family activity before school started and we had to get back to our routine. We had so much fun that the next week we met Gramma and Grampa, Uncle Jon, Aunt Natalie and cousins to come visit and do it all over again. (Except I didn't have my camera for that trip). What a blessing it is for us to live in the mountains!
All the cousins and my sisters and brother came to the fair together. This picture is Emma and Samantha with Christian and Camryn at the show barn.
And here is Aunt Shellie with Myah. Aunt Shellie is one of the world's best aunties! 
Here she is with little Eliza who is such a doll.
And of course, you can't forget Isaac!
We looked around at the animals and the other displays and then it was time to hit the carnival rides! The girls decided they wanted to go on the roller coaster. (All of their screaming gave me a screaming headache....)
Here is Karlie and Emma on a ride together. I don't know how they manage to not get sick on these rides. I can't go on anything anymore because it makes me feel horrible! I guess the kids are just tough!
You can't make a trip to the fair without stopping at the carousel. The kids loved it! Here is Karlie and Sam who were pretending the whole time that their horses were in an actual horse race. Too cute!
Emma had a great ride, too.
Lillie had her first carousel ride! She was bouncing up and down and laughing the whole time!
The bumper cars are definitely a must! This ride gave me a little insight as to what kind of driver Emma is going to be in eight years! YIKES!!!
Uncle Josh was a good sport and took miss Karlie in a car. I think he even let her drive, too. Watch out everyone! :)
After the fair we needed to do a lot of cooling off so we headed back to Stephanie's house for some swimming and a BBQ. After dinner we had a boys vs girls volleyball game. The girls totally kicked butt!
We had so much fun! The kids played so hard all day and then stayed up really late at Uncle Jon's house playing. They pretty much crashed the rest of the weekend which, as a mom, makes me very happy. 
This was the last game of the season so Sam's super nice coaches brought root beer floats for everyone which the kids were ecstatic about!
Good Job Sam! We are proud of you and for the great little soccer player you are!
Aunt Stephanie with Lillie. Lillie wears a special helmet to help make sure that her head shapes correctly as she grows. She is so precious and is a very patient little girl. It would drive me crazy to have to wear a helmet for six months, twenty four hours a day. But Lillie is such a trooper.
The trampoline is always a big hit for the kids.
Here is Kenniday holding Jordan while Gramma Peggy opens her birthday presents. She is such a good helper.
Emma looks a little tired, but she was having so much fun with everybody.
Here I am with my brother Jonathan. He is such a ham sometimes. :)
I sure love my family! Hopefully Gramma enjoyed her birthday party.
The big tourist attraction in town is the Tillamook Cheese Factory. It's very large and the tourists are encouraged to go in and see how the cheese is made and packaged, and also to learn the history and the process. It was really very fascinating, especially for Mark who grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota.
One of the best parts of the tour is being able to sample all of their cheeses. The girls kept going through the line because they love cheese so much. It was very delicious!
After the factory we purchased a few picnic necessities to go to the lighthouse and have a little picnic before Mark needed to be to his meeting. It was so gorgeous there and a perfect spot for picnicing!
While Mark was in his meetings the girls and I stayed at the hotel and swam in the swimming pool and played games. Fortunately Mark was finished early and so we drove about 10 minutes up to the coast to Rockaway Beach where my family once stayed years and years ago. It was beautiful!
Of course, if you have never been to the Oregon Coast you should know that it isn't really ideal for swimming. The water is freezing and the temperatures along the coast are only about 60 degrees. But the views are breathtaking and the sand is very inviting. We had a good time chasing the waves on the beach.
I love the ocean. It's a very sacred place for me. There's something about looking out at the vast expanse of water and waves and feeling very close to heaven...but also a little frightened at the magnificence of it. I feel so blessed to view such a creation! If I had my choice to live anywhere, it would be near the ocean. 
On the way home we stopped at Multnomah Falls for a quick break. They are so beautiful but it is always crazy busy there.
The trip was a blast and I am definitely looking forward to our return!
