2011 Fishing Weekend ~ Part One ~ Scenes from La Grande

Last week, we headed to La Grande for Bob's family's annual fishing weekend.
Grandpa, three sons and four grandkids were able to attend this year.
This was the view on the way there...there is still lots of snow up in the mountains!

Before heading up to the ponds, we celebrated Jordan's sixth grade graduation.

Em loves her cousin!

Ready and anxious to leave!

Our annual photo of those leaving the house together.  Rick
and Paul joined them at the ponds later in the day.

I LOVE this photo of Emma and her daddy.  So sweet!

Bob's mom, Theresa, me and Holli...looking forward to a few days without
husbands or children!  Yes, we do miss them, but it is nice for 3/365 of the year!

Heading out...

We took several walks around town while the campers were gone.  The lilacs were just beautiful...
and a few weeks behind ours.

Me and Holli, and Theresa's finger.  :)

I spent a bit of time working on this little project that I started last year.  My goal is to complete it entirely by hand...it's a really good thing it's so small!  I finished the piecing and started the hand quilting.  I can't wait for it to be finished!

The sunset during a late evening walk.

Emma and the guys were somewhere in that big bank of dark clouds.

Me, Holli and Ann

After the campers returned on Sunday, we celebrated Jordan's 12th birthday with
and ice cream sundae bar.  Yum!

An interlude

We've returned from our annual family fishing weekend with
lots of fond memories and a huge pile of laundry. 
The kids and I are headed to our church convention while Bob returns to work.
For now there'll be a short interlude for "Growing up with Little Guy and Emmy."
Please check back next week!  I've got tons of photos to post!

Last Friday, after getting the kids off to their last day of school, Mom and I took a trip.
It was very strange to be away from Bob and the kids for three days, and it was even stranger to pack for just one!  But, it was a trip that I needed and came at the perfect time.
Highlights:
*  I heard a lot of good things that fed my soul and showed me where work needs to
be done and changes made.
*  Three days spent with my mom
*  I got to see a dear friend from Portland, who I miss terribly
*  Spent time with a "new" dear friend who lives just down the street...it's been so much fun getting to know her and her family.
*  I almost got to finally meet face-to-face a friend...whom I've never met!  Make sense?
*  The decision to make this a yearly excursion for me and Mom!
*  Last, but definitely not least, coming home to my family.

Last Day of School

Last Friday was the last day of fourth grade for Ryan and Kindergarten for Emmalee.
It came so quickly!  It seems like they just started school.  Go here to see a photo of them last August on the first day of school.

Look at how tall they both are!
I'm blessed with two children who LOVE school.  Yes, recess is one of the main reasons, but they also love to learn.  They'd had great teachers so far, so that has influenced it a bit I'm sure.  So now we look forward to a couple of trips and then long summer days at home.  We'll see how they go...Emma cried like her heart was breaking two nights ago because she missed school and her teacher.  :(  We've got lots of friends close by...and lots of chores!  HeeHee.  We won't be bored!

Lost!!

Lost:  One teeny, tiny tooth.
If found, please contact Ms. Tooth Fairy

Ugly Woodpeckers and Sickening Spins

Ryan's reading class performed plays this week putting a bit
of a spin on regular stories.  His group performed the story of the "Ugly Woodpecker."

Ryan is in his egg...he's the one in the red on the right.

The woodpecker family, with the "ugly" woodpecker about to
hatch in the green.  It turns out that the "ugly"woodpecker can't make a whole in the tree with his beak, he can't fly and he can't make a woodpecker sounds.  It's discovered at the end that he's actually a turtle.



Emmalee's been enjoying swim lessons.  On the last day of class, they learn about water and boat safety.  At the end of the serious stuff, they all pile into this boat and the instructors push them all over the pool and put them into some pretty serious spins.  Me?  I'd be getting sick over the side. 
Emma?  She loves it!



Little Girl Dress with Three Matching Ties

Click on over here to take a look!

Day Trip Stop #3: Shoshone Falls

We reached our main destination mid-afternoon.  It was a perfect day to visit the falls.
To read more about them, see here.
The weather was gorgeous, and the water was flowing like crazy.  Once the farmers start needing water for their crops, it'll go down to a trickle.  But, for now?  It's amazing! 
Shoshone Falls is actually a longer drop than Niagra Falls. 

Our first view of the falls.

Emma was a little grumpy from the Dramamine, and was a little nervous about being so close to the falls, so she wasn't too excited about having her photo taken.  When we got home (and it was much too late to remedy the situation), she told me that she had wanted to take another photo with a smile.

Before heading home, we cooled off with
SnoCones.  Yum!
~~~
Our favorite part of the trip:
Bob:  "Seeing all the stuff."
Katie:  "Spending such a nice day with my family and getting to "relive" part of my fourth grade fieldtip."
Ryan:  "Standing and looking at the waterfall because they were just so beautiful."
Emmalee:  "The snocones.  And my other favorite part was the waterfall."