So neat...

So we didn't have the greatest garden compared to last year we were a little spoiled with how it grew. This was our first time planting artichokes, and Larry wanted us to see them when they bloom so we didn't pick them and it is amazing to think just about every fruit or vegetable i can think of blooms before it gives us what we have been waiting for so to see this was so neat and the flower is really soft.

We love Tahoe!

This is the second year in a row that we visited the Martin family at their cabin in Tahoe. The weather wasn't the best to go to the beach so we went to the visitors center near the cabin and followed some of the trails, watching nature and learning more about Lake Tahoe. We went to the Lake Tahoe pizza company for dinner the kids all had their mini size Shirley temples and the pizza was delicious. We spent one night, she had more company coming. Then we headed to Reno to visit Grandma and Popo for a night.

Payton, Parker, Bridgitt & Emily

Looking to see what was in the water, minnows.
Refered by a friend, we had to see this and it was really neat.
Look what we found

I love Parkers face, Bridgitt is pretending shes eating corn on the cob but he wasn't going with it he was arguing that it wasn't.

Bridgitt and her pal Murry (at grandmas house) on his birthday hes 15 in human years. She is so close to him every time she talks to grandma on the phone she has her put the phone to him so she can talk to him.
Back to Tahoe we went. Grandma and Popo have been working (painting, molding, and interior design)on a house in Tahoe for about a year. After they finish one room the lady wants them to do the next 5-6 bedroom 3 bath so they are just about done with the whole thing so i really wanted to see it. Wow, if you have seen my MIL work, you would now what i mean but it is georgus, amazing she has really out done herself and she still has so much more to learn she was born to do this. So this the view from the back yard the are a step down from the water.

Only a week

So this summer was hard to work out a time on both parts to have Austin. So he only stayed for a week but we tried to do as much fun stuff besides our everyday stuff so he would have a good time. The kids loved playing with him and showing him all of their toys, i think just about every toy was played with and all over they house but they loved it.

Of course we had to bring out the slip-n-slide to cool off.
CHARGE!



They all had so much fun with the water rockets as they call them. It really gets you wet, they are the best.
Yes she even made Max go in!

They enjoyed their ice cream cones with sprinkles

We also took him blackberry picking, had family pictures taken by a great photographer which happens to be a very good friend of mine, and we visited the great grandparents.

Mmmm.....Blackberries

Our great friend took us to this amazing u-pick orchard last year, and we picked blackberries but the best part is they are thornless so Parker sat in the stroller stuffing his face and was covered. So this year in June i took Bridgitt and Parker to pick raspberries but had to do the blackberries again. We did it with two other families and we went on the weekend so the dads joined us to. Their was two little ones about Parkers age last year so it was so much fun to watch them and see how covered they were.
Bridgitt found this bug and was so proud of it but then she dropped it and the search was on but she didn't find it.

Parker with his basket ready to pick, well eat. His baskets were empty the whole time we would even put some in to help him out but he just ate them.

Great Friends!
Smashing them to make jam! I canned for my first time for an upcoming project.

Achievements

Bridgitt and Parker took swim lessons for 2 sessions, 4 weeks total. The first session Bridgitt didn't want to jump in, blow bubbles and the big one go underwater but thanks to a line a friend told i didn't have to stress it to her why it was so important i simple said "OK, just tell your teacher" (thanks, you know who you are!) Come to find out Bridgitt didn't like her teacher so almost everyday at circle time she was in the arms of Parkers teacher. Parker had a lot of fun playing with daddy, i had to beg and beg him so that i could go a total of 2 times with him. He loved the water and had no fear. So session 2 i was really hoping that Bridgitt would like her teacher cause i would really hate for her not to have fun or learn anything this year. But she did she loved both of her teachers and went underwater the first day, wow was i impressed. Everyday on the way home, she would talk about how she was going to go underwater and jump of the diving board (cause she didn't do it in the first session) but she didn't want to get in the pool on the side by her self but she over came her fear and did it. Parkers teacher for the second session was awesome their were only him and another little girl so she really pushed Parker cause he was so ready. On day 2 of this session she had him do the "superman float", she pushed him underwater and he kicked his way to Justin all by himself i couldn't believe my eyes, he was swimming, he must of done it a million times and never choked he totally holds his breath till he comes out. So then we went to class the 4th day and she was gone he had a new teacher and i was a little worried the teacher wouldn't do as much but he did at the end of it he was doing the "superman float" when he would push him underwater, now Parker is kicking stronger, moving his arms and holding his breath. Yes my son is a fish, i am still in shock hes only TWO. So i was really wondering what their teachers wrote on their report cards, they GRADUATED to the next level Parkers teacher said we could even put him one more level up than that but then he would be in Bridgitts level and hes my baby. I am so proud of the both of them.

All of these photos are from Session 2
Circle time

Ya, shes underwater
Isn't this a great photo!
Grandma and Popo were working in Folsom and made it just in time to watch them. They were their the first day Parker started the superman floats.

Parker and his "superman floats"

We wanted Parker to try the diving board so bad and the first teacher in session 2 explained why they don't do it anymore in his level so we were bummed but when we got the new teacher he was like why not, so he put them on first before Bridgitts class so no one could say anything. Parker walked up their and was ready he started to head off (no fear) the teacher had to grab so they could count be be ready.
I love how Bridgitt is on the side watching him. I was in a bad spot luckily i got him before and after the flag, but then my battery died and i didn't get Bridgitt but she did it twice and was jumping up and down after both times getting out. She was so proud of her self!

Tahoe

We love going to Tahoe, the weather is perfect, the scenery is beautiful and most important the water is clear its really cold but when you think about the 100 degree weather that you will be going home to soon you jump right in. The moms group set up a field trip to go up to Camp Richardson for the day, it turned out to be five moms and Sonya and her daughter Kendall carpooled with us which was a lot of fun because we got to know each other more and we actually have a lot in common : ). We hit some road construction on the way up so it took a little longer but the kids were good and it was Parkers first long road trip without his buddy (pacifier) he was a little whinny but it was a combination of that, hunger and sleepy.

This was so cute. This is Kendall she rode with us and as soon as we got out of the car he was hugging, kissing and trying to hold her hand and she was like um what are you doing so as the afternoon went on she got more comfortable with him and grabbed his hand a layed one on him lol
This one was the start and you can kinda see his smile and the one below was the finish but Jill the mom in the back ground her face is priceless!!!

This rock was so neat in the middle of all these trees it happened to have just a little bit of light shinning on it, so fun.