Dallin's birthday party

It was actually a birthday party for all the June birthdays in my family. There were 6 of us with birthdays in June. We had a barbeque at a park. 

 Dallin loves bubbles but can't blow them so I got these that have a straw on one end that you blow through and then the wand that you just wave around. My beauty.

 Tanner and Li filling up squirt guns.

 Chawna and Li. She is the cousin doing Insanity with me.

 I think Ashlyn looks like Nate in the picture. The eyebrows maybe?

 Tanner and his cousin, Joel

There were over 30 of us there, I should have taken more. This is why I want to come back to Oregon: so much family here. It is great. I am actually going to be sad to leave Oregon this time. Last time we were here I was anxious to get back to Idaho. We'll head back mid July.

Jacie's wedding

My cousin Jacie got married today. It was beautiful. I took a few pictures. I don't think I would like wedding photography very  much, unless it was all candids. I watched the photographer set up all the traditional family ones, and that would not be fun.

The brides maids and flower girls. Tanner was dancing with the flower girl on the left for a while. It was sweet. When it was time to go, he said "No! I want to keep dancing!"

 Jacie and Sam

 

 A drunk lady got her hands on Ashlyn and didn't want to give her back. I am glad mom made her sit down before she could hold her. :) Speaking of drunk, Dallin had his first taste of alcohol. I think Dallin just picked up someones cup of spiked punch. We don't know how much he drank. He didn't get sick or tipsy, so probably not much. 

Ashlyn was kind of grumpy. Giving everyone faces like the one on the left side.

 

Rodeo

Nate has been wanting to go to a rodeo for a long time. He plays rodeo with the boys all the time. He lets them pick if he is a bronco or a bull and he bucks or broncs for 8 seconds. They LOVE it. Dallin wasn't too interested in a real rodeo. He liked playing on the bleachers more. And there was a Premiere West Bank bear that was walking around that he was obsessed with. Had to say hi about 5 times. Tanner liked the rodeo though.

Before we went in there were activities for the kids. They got to go on a pony ride.

 Get their faces painted and make sheriff badges.

 Look how cool this black widow is. She did a good job.

 It wasn't the best night at the rodeo, only because no one was scoring any points. There were maybe one guy from each event that actually scored points. Oh well, it was fun to watch still. The rodeo clown had to be quite the comedian to keep the crowd entertained.

Forgotten about pictures

How did I forget to post Easter pictures? I guess it was because we came to Oregon a couple days later.  We did lots of Easter egg hunts that weekend. This one was at the Hinton's house. Christie had a fun time planned. Egg dying, egg hunt, Easter bunny masks.

Bandana skirt

Ashlyn is the baby doll I never had. I didn't have dolls as a kid, at least none that were really special or that I dressed up and played with all the time.

Ashlyn is my doll that I play dress up with. And she is special to me. 

I made this little bandana skirt and corkscrew bow thingy, and put buttons on her onesie. I am not a great seamstress, but I love to make clothes for her. I WILL become a master seamstress someday. Ashlyn may have to wear a lot of my experiments, but through her I will learn. :) 

I plan to become a hairstylist on her too. Poor girl.

My settings on my camera were off, that's why the pixel-y look. Hate that.

Moalas

Here are two shots I took of my cousin's kids at the park last week.  You can see more on my photography blog.

Quirky

Bad hair day.

  Nate found Dallin like this one night when he went to check on him before we went to bed.

 Showing off.

Boys at the park

We went back to Bear Creek Park to take some pictures of my cousin's kids. I will post some of those later. I got these of my boys. They found the creek and couldn't resist playing in it even though it wasn't really warm.

 

 "Alright. Listen. I didn't want to have to do this. But you leave me no choice. Here comes the smoulder." Flynn Rider-Tangled (In case you didn't know.)  I love Dallin's smoulder.

 

 

Touch a Truck

The community put together an activity called "Touch a Truck" where they brought together all kinds of cars: fire truck, garbage truck, race car, tractor, police car, semis, etc. The kids got to go inside and push buttons and explore. It was pretty fun for them.

 

Bear Creek Park

I grew up playing at Bear Creek Park. It is the best park in town. It is a big wood play structure with lots of big trees to shade it. I will take better pictures of it next time. But the kids love it too.

Tanner was a tough one to catch. He was running around with new friends the whole time.

Running from aliens and bad guys and such. He is such a boy!

Insane

As you know, Nate and I are doing the Insanity workout program. We really like it. It is a good, HARD workout. I haven't lost much weight, only a pound, but I feel my endurance and speed are improving. I am toning up too. I've been doing it about 3 weeks. I am working out less with Insanity than I was in Idaho, by over an hour a day. If I add my hour long daily walk back in, maybe I would lose weight. I started adding some running into my routine though. I will tell you why below.

Tanner joined Nate for today's workout. :)

 I think Insanity is giving me the confidence to possibly take on this insane challenge. . .

The Grand Teton Relay. If it is divided up equally it is 15 miles per person, done in smaller increments. You run til it is done. It is a beautiful course and would be with some really fun friends. I am pretty sure I am going to do it, just need to officially pay up and commit myself.

Kid Time

Medford got a bit cooler since I lived here as a kid. They have a children's play place called Kid Time where they have TONS of activities for the kiddos. They do a music and movement program and crafts and have...well I will show you in pictures some of the fun things they have for kids to do.
They have a 3 years and under area. Ashlyn loved the ball pit. I just made this bow for here. Love the cork screw ones. I think I will make a bunch more. Oh, and see her two front teeth? Just broke through.

 Dallin played by himself at the lemonade stand for a good half hour.

Tanner was ALL over the place. He interacts with other kids a lot. Makes friends everywhere he goes.

 My cousin Chawna got a membership too. I think we will be at Kid Time at least once a week with Toki and Li, her two youngest. This is the water area.

 Dallin also likes to hoard the plastic food in a shopping cart. If you even come near it he screeches. 

Fun stuff!

Drew

 My nephew turned 1 recently.

 I got to take his pictures. He was the easiest kid ever to take pictures of. Always smiling.

 

See a few more here. 

Lovin' Oregon

I have been loving Oregon this time around. I didn't care for it when we were here in the winter. This time I love being outside. Love the beauty. The playgrounds. Having stuff to do. And people are more friendly than I remember them being when I was growing up here. It is probably because I have kids now. I went grocery shopping the other day and only had Ashlyn with me. She was dressed like the picture below. I think about 6 people/groups of people stopped to talk to me about her dress and headband, how cute she is, and one couple (lesbian couple, I think) even told me how beautiful they thought I was. Weird. My boys never got attention like this. Is it a little girl thing?

I am glad I am my kids' photographer. They are a tough crowd when they are together.

 

 Tanner, a typical boy. Riding a bike with a sword stored in the back of his shirt.

 

By the way, I completed my first week of the Insanity workout. It is strangely addicting. One of those workouts you have to psych yourself up for because it is torturous. But when you are done, the endorphins are flowing and you feel like you can do anything. I don't have too much to lose. I think 5lbs would be great, and do-able. I lost 1/2 inch around my hips and waist, and that was still eating ice cream every day. : ) I think I will cut out the ice cream and see how it goes next week.