Bubbles!!

Today the Roberts family came over for a bbq, and much to everyone's delight, we pulled out the bubble machine.  (When they say gazillion bubbles, they're not kidding!)  Gryffin, Cordie and the girls ran around chasing, catching, batting at, eating (and even shooting I believe) bubbles for hours.  I love the giggles and shouts!!  (On a side note, see my pretty new lawn???)

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall DOWN!!!

Seleia, Elora and Danie started a game of  Ring Around the Rosie in the rain (Amarra was clinging to my leg...too many people around...and after every round Elora would stand up and holler, "Hey, anyone else wanna come play?" beckoning all of the nearby children.  The game grew and grew as everyone involved got wetter and wetter, but the laughs and giggles could be heard in Nebraska, so none of the moms seemed to mind.

Olyphants

We love to visit baby (now teenage?) Samudra at the Oregon Zoo!  This time he put on quite a show for us, swimming, dancing, and shoving the other elephants around..not to mention trumpeting to his little heart's content!  The girls were enthralled!

Fort Vancouver

We went on a field trip to Fort Vancouver, the oldest fort on the West Coast, and I was actually surprised to find out that the Fort was not American, but English. Local Native Americans brought in fur to trade at the mercantile, where everything was priced in beavers (so many minks = one beaver pelt, etc.).  You could buy an ax, but it would be dull, so then you'd have to buy something to sharpen it with, etc.  When they entered the fort they immediately saw a large white house (paint = prosperity) with two cannons aimed at you.  The cannons kept the peace, but were never fired.  The blacksmiths showed us how they made traps and fire, and we learned that fur trading was not for the impatient.... a round trip sending furs to England and returning with goods took 3 years.  The most fun part of the tour were the outhouses, which cracked Elora up,  the tower with cannons in it ("Look over here!  You can see the freeway!  Cool!") and just plain wandering around.

Elora's Birthday Parties

For Elora's 6th birthday, we had a bbq....in the rain.  The daddies grilled hot dogs under the ez-up while the festivities took place mainly in the garage.  The main hit, of course, was the pinata, but the air hockey table and doll house were quite popular as well.  Smiles and silliness were everywhere!  Later in the week, Auntie Janelle, Uncle Phil and Uncle Jesse came over, bringing all the fixin's for an ice cream parfait extravaganza.  Wish you could have all been there!!