It's Fair Time...

We went as a family to the fair tonight. Kara and Chelsea were dancing in Denisa's School of Dance Showcase. They both did a great job! We got to see our friends, the Rawlings and the Garrison's there. The kids couldn't wait to ride the ponies and Kara was dying to go on the ferris wheel. She asked about it last year but she didn't get to, so Mommy promised her she would take her on it (Mommy doesn't care for ferris wheels)! After doing a quick walk through the animals Wayne and Michael headed home while Kara stayed with me and enjoyed the Sawyer Brown concert...love them!!Had to take a picture next to the race car. Michael loves race cars!

My little cuties waiting for the ponies

C'mon Michael...one little smile.....

Enjoying the ride. They had the entire ride to themselves!

Oh No here we go! I wasn't ready...Kara was!

Kara: YAY! THIS IS FUN!!

Mommy: Just breathe. In and out! You will be fine.....sweat beads forming!

My two handsome guys waiting for Kara to start dancing.

There she is...

"Pretty Picture"

Chelsea

"Cotton-Eyed Joe"

So the next picture I had to take! Donavan took some great pictures of myself back in February as a Valentines gift for Wayne. She decided to enter several pictures in the Fair and mine was one of them.
Trying to recreate the pose! It won 2nd place! Way to go Donavan!

And this picture was one that she took of Corinna, Tim, and the kids. Check out the blue ribbon! And she thought she wouldn't win.....

Happy Birthday and a fun project!

Today was Sally's (a very dear friend) 35th Birthday! We joined her family at the pool for some fun swimming and a wonderful BBQ. I got this really cool idea from my cousin Kelly, who in turn got it from our cousin C.C. Picture frame White Boards. Today I rushed over to Michael's to get all the supplies. These are the first 3 I've done and I have 2 more to make...This was for Sally
For my sister-in-law Lacey...it's a belated Birthday gift.

This one is also a belated Birthday gift for Donavan.

I can't wait to make some more!!

Kennedy Meadows

We went camping at Kennedy Meadows this weekend with my sister and her crew and Wayne's cousin Sabrina and her family and one of their friends. All together there were 18 of us! We had a blast fishing and just hanging out! The kids were extremely tired at the end of the trip not to mention extremely dirty. Here are just a few pics from the weekend!

Kara, Michael, and their cousin Aaron playing on a stump (they loved this stump)!

Trevor waiting to go fishing

Tradition of Corinna and I. Started waaaayyyy back at Disneyland when Chelsea was 4..(that was 9 years ago)!

Kara and Michael on a log waiting for daddy to join them...after he fell on the first attempt...

Right before this shot Wayne was jumping up to sit next to the kids and as he was trying to take the backpack off he fell backwards off the log! It was hilarious!! I wish I had the camera ready for that. I made sure he was ok before I continued to laugh!

awww....I love this picture

Kara took this of us...pretty good job

It's Batman....well if he was a blonde haired 2 year old with dirt on his face....

Kara was equally just as dirty!

They do their own poses! Not sure what Kara is doing...

My babies fishing

Yeah...you can't really see Michael but he is saying Cheeeesssseee...

This was taken in a beautiful meadow that we hiked to.

My sister Corinna and I. I love her bunches!!

Michael and his cousin Aaron yelling at us from their "stump". They had such a great time together.

We had such an awesome time camping with everyone. Can't wait for the next trip!

Summer

We've had a busy summer which has been good. Both kids went through swimming lessons at the college...Kara is doing a second session now and is doing really well compared to before. Now that Chelsea is 13 I've been able to have her babysit the kids for me so I can go to my classroom and run errands. She enjoys it (not a bad way to earn some cash) and so do the kids. Kara is always asking when does Chelsea get to do it again! Going camping this weekend and can't wait. Hope to get some good pictures to share. Here are a few from the past week:

Michael and Trevor at grandma's

Kara wrote her name for the first time!! I was sooo excited....probably more excited than she was!

Here's my little girl at swimming lessons. This is BIG deal for her. At the beginning of the summer she was afraid she would die if she went under water...not anymore!

So a few days ago...

..this guy (we call him Tim) turned 35!This is what he really thinks about turning 35!
Happy Birthday Tim!

Fireworks!!

After spending the day at Corinna's we all headed over to our house for fireworks. The kids had a blast and we let them stay up a little later than usual so they could watch for the occasional big fireworks expload in the sky!Kara waiting for the show to start
I thought this was the coolest picture! My dad was helping Michael with a sparkler and this is how it came out in the picture.

Robert and his little Amanda (she is such a doll)!

Michael's ready

Joe. He wasn't very fond of the fireworks...I think he fell asleep in the middle of them.

Some of the "Big Ones" shot above the neighborhood

some more....

Ground Flower

Fountain...didn't last too long

My sister....love her bunches

Chelsea

This was sooo huge! The kids loved it! I couldn't believe that I managed to get a picture of it!

Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday with their families and friends. God Bless all the men and women fight for our Country!!

BBQing and Swimming

Yesterday we got to spend the day at my sister's house swimming and BBqing. Our cousins Robert and C.C. came over with their kids to spend the holiday with us. We had such a great time together!

Trevor and Wayne
Billy and Robert

Kara going for a ride on daddy's back


She's a starfish!


C.C. and Amanda

Wayne visiting with Henry