Little Walker

Trey is finally starting to take some steps. He has been my oldest child to start walking. He seems to be enjoying it now. I know that in no time at all, he will be running around the house chasing Blake and Sydney.

Camping

Last Friday, we had a ward campout. This was the first time we took the kids camping. We all had a really good time, especially the kids. The kids picked out a tent to buy for Father's Day for Nick. It is really big. It has two rooms. Blake and Sydney slept in sleeping bags on the one side and their was still enough room for Trey's play pen. Nick and I had the other room we slept on an air mattress. Blake really liked roasting marshmallows. Another boy showed him how to light the marshmallows on fire and I had a scare trying to blow out one of his flaming marshmallows while he was fling it around! The kids are already asking when we can go camping again.

Dancing

Sydney started dance lessons. She is in pre-dance and she is also in tap. The teacher said that they didn't need to dress up for class, but I only have one daughter, so I really wanted to dress her up. All of the other girls were just in shorts and tee shirts the first week and the second week, they were all dressed just like Sydney for the first class. I guess she is a trend setter. She really likes her dancing. Maybe she will take after her great Grandma Gampe and be a ballerina.

Sharks Game One!

Blake is playing soccer again this year. He is on the shark team. He is really excited and he wants to always play goalie. He is a lot shorter than most of the other boys, but he seems to be keeping up.

Birthday Cake

Sydney is all about everything princess. I found these cute crowns to use instead of party hats. Sydney was so excited. My sister, Tiffany, and her daugher, Renn'e are also in the picture.

New PJs

Sydney received these adorable PJs from her Aunt Emily and Uncle Mike. They got them while traveling in China a couple of months ago. They are real silk and just too cute. Thank you for thinking about her while you were on your vacation!

Happy Birthday Sydney

Yesterday, Sydney turned 3 years old. We actually didn't tell her it was her birthday because Nick couldn't be home at all. So, she thinks today is her birthday. It is nice when they are young enough to work around your schedules. She is having a really fun day. We started with our traditional pancake breakfast and then let her open a couple presents. She loves her new princess towel and doll house.

Mount Rainer Tees

Nick got the kids matching Mount Rainer T-shirts. He got the smallest size and obviously, they are a bit big. The kids love using them as pajamas. We couldn't resist snapping a picture of all three of them dressed alike.

Preschool

Blake started preschool this week. He was really excited to be going to a "big" school. He is technically old enough to go to kindergarten, but after consulting with several elementary school teachers, I was counseled to not start him until next year. He is happy that he will be the oldest in his class. It is really a trend in Texas to hold back boys that have summer birthdays. I am hoping that this will give him an advantage in the future.

The Big 30!

Nick turned 30 on August 30th. His coworkers decorated his desk. He were able to go visit him at work and bring him some balloons. We had a nice dinner with him. He requested brisket. Now I know that he is starting to become a real Texan!

Mount Rainer

Nick just returned from climinb Mount Rainer in Washington State. He went with his younger brother, Mike, and his father, Glade. Climbing this mountain together has been a goal for a long time. They put in tons of time training and preparing, especially Glade who was the master mind of the trip. They had a great time on their trip and were the only 3 members of their team to make it to the summit. They said it was the hardest physical accomplishment of their lives. We are glad to have him home with us. We really missed him.