Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Pine Cove

This girl started packing her bag a week before we left! We heard about Pine Cove nonstop for the weeks leading up to her trip. She was so excited to go back!


We understood the compass better this year!
Quick game of Concentration in the cabin between activities.


Canoe Time!

Building mud structures to see how they could withstand weather.

5th grade girls table. All but two of her classmates were able to make it this year!

Lor, Jaedynn and Shayla.

A quick chance for Bible time before starting off the day.


5th and 6th grade Pine Cove Group

Lor and Jaedynn ready to conquer her fear...the zipline!!!


She did it!!! With no urging from us she was determined to the zipline this year.
She now says next year her goal is to jump off without hesitation. :)

Going for her ride with Jaedynn on The Breathtaker.


She wanted mom to try The Breathtaker with her!

Getting to chat with a horse before her ride.


Some fun swinging before supper.

5th Grade Pine Cove Group
Andrew, Natalie, Nayeli, Lorelei, Jaedynn, Savannah, Nathan
Shayla, Maddy and Mallory

Tired but happy girls on the drive home with their sequin snake stuffed animals...
because what else would you bring home from Pine Cove? ;) 

Sunday, September 22, 2019

More September Happenings

Pool Time
We weren't quite ready to say goodbye to summer yet and the last week the pool was open we fit in as much pool time as we could!

















Birthday Books Reading Time
Nothing like a new stash of books! My heart is so full seeing my kids reading!!!



The Kinda-Sorta-Almost Hot Air Balloon Festival
This event. I'm so excited to go back one day and see the balloons, but this was not the year! After we determined it wasn't a go because of rain, the forecast changed so we went! But, I didn't think to look at the wind...so we were sooo thankful we met friends there so the night wasn't a total bummer. Everyone still had fun! Hopefully even better next time!






Their version of balloon glow without balloons. :)
Still fun to see how it all worked!




18 Years Together
We have officially hit the half-our-lives milestone! Brad and I started dating 18 years ago and I still have a soft spot for that date since its when our story began. :) We stopped and got everyone Starbucks treats on the way to church as a mini-celebration. :)








Friday, September 13, 2019

Makin At Nine

Makin you are still making us smile each day. You are sweet, kind, forgiving, hard-working, funny and smart. You are absolutely nine and owning it well.

At nine you...

Still love Legos.

Love robots and continue to plan which ones you will build someday. You say you will have a room in your house just for building robots and many of them are to help me clean. Cannot wait.

Love golf and would probably play it every day if you could, especially if you get to play it with your dad. You love playing for fun, working to get better as well as competing.



Classic Makin. Creative playtime/games.
Because why wouldn't you ride your hoverboard
while hitting a balloon with your sword?
Love to watch football and love the Huskers. When we started watching the first game of the season you just sighed
and said, "I love football," like you had missed it dearly in the offseason.

Still play soccer and enjoy it. What you enjoy most is that you get to play with three of your friends on the team. You always give 100% when you play. Sometimes we get a bit frustrated in the current program we are in because many don't give that effort, but we hope you will be a good example.

Really wanted to find out your enneagram number. You are a one wing two like your mom and we enjoy talking and chuckling about our tendencies.




A boy and his seahorse.❤
Are determined to prove how responsible you are so that I will consider letting you get a bird. I'm loving this extra effort and the mostly-clean bedroom that comes with it.


Quotable Moments:

Lorelei: Blythe loves every food except for onions.
Makin: Well who would like onions?!

(At golf camp the golf instructor asked the group "What did your mom teach you?" and Makin said "a couple of games" so of course, this led to a comment from me on the drive home...)
Makin: It was all I could think of on such short notice.
Me: How about now that you've had time to
think of it?
Makin: How to be who I am today.

Makin: Did you like pot lucks?
Me: Yes.
Makin: It's freaking me out. It's so...unorganized...

(Nana bought a bag of bagels...) "Smells sooooo good. I can smell the preservatives!"

(We have had a battle about socks...Nana magically found some ankle-cut socks while Makin was visiting...)
Brad: Now that you like those maybe we can get you some Footjoy socks like that.
Makin: No. I only wear Fruit of the Loom.

M: When you went to a wedding as a kid, how boring was it? There will be lots of crying.
Me: Lots of crying?
M: Yeah, like you will cry a lot at my wedding because "I'm your little baby."

Me: You left your container in the car? That's partially why it got so messy.
M: It's partially because we don't care about organization at this age.

"Ya'll ain't gettin' no more pizza." (He finds it very interesting/amusing to try out improper English.)

"I know what I'm bringing to the wedding. My hand." (Slaps hand over his eyes...doesn't want to see the kiss!)

Lor: Can I invite the whole world to my wedding?
Me: Well, you could, but Daddy and I aren't buying all of them food.
Makin: Everyone will have to pack a lunch.

"Never arm-wrestle a giraffe's tongue."

Dan: I feel like you know a lot of information. That's one thing thats good about homeschooling.
Makin: Well, part of it is because we have Amazon Alexa.

Me: I feel bad I haven't returned these to the library yet.
Makin: Well, the world record for the most overdue library book was 280 some years, so you shouldn't feel bad about that.

Me: Sometimes mommy wants you to look extra handsome. (Trying on clothes for fall, he wants only athletic wear and I'm wanting a few nice shirts...)
Makin: Yeah. Not my style.


Makin's Nine Year Interview
Favorites -
Food: Pesto Alfredo Mac or Pesto Stuffed Shells
Place: Home
Movie/TV Show: All the How To Train Your Dragons, Dude Perfect, Dinotrucks and Nexo Knights
Color: Neon Yellow
Thing To Do: Build Lego Robots, Play with friends and play sports
Animal: Cat
Books: Bionicle series, Dragon Rider, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone
Song: How To Train Your Dragon Soundtracks, Human by Carpark North
Treat: Tillamook Birthday Cake Ice Cream
Holiday: Christmas

What do you like to do with Daddy? Golf, Build with Legos and play catch

What do you like to do with Mommy? Play Games, play catch

What do you like to do with Lorelei? Play - especially mystery and mystery

What makes you happy? Mommy hugs, playing Legos, crunching leaves, eating, listening to Dave Ramsey, golf

What do you think about before you fall asleep? football

What do you want to be when you grow up? Robotical engineer

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Lorelei At Eleven

Our sweet, friendly, chatty, adventurous, determined girl. Lorelei you are every much owning your age...if not maybe a bit more teenager-ish than we would like. So while I would like to say, "I cannot believe you are eleven!" It is something I'm reminded of often. You are growing up so fast!

At eleven you...

Still love chips and salsa and would like to eat it every day.

Are full of talkative energy, talking a mile-a-minute. Unless you are...

Reading. It is definitely your favorite pastime. You love most books, especially any book about horses. You mostly choose animal rescue books and recently loved the Harry Potter book you got for your birthday.


Are extremely passionate about saving animals. This is usually focused on Saving The Sealife, but you do go on a rant anytime you think it is necessary to defend an animal. You have lots of big plans for fundraisers to raise money for CMA. You love getting your entire class involved in these ideas. You also write/type up papers to inform people about the importance of these topics.

Are all about horses these days. You are saving to buy your own someday and of course wish you had your own now.

Are still in Hula/Polynesian Dance Movement and love it and all things Hawaiian.

Are extremely social and never think you get enough friend time. Along with that, you seem to be a very good friend.

Still have a temper and when you add teenage attitude its quite a challenge - as always we are working on it daily!

Rarely want me to fix your hair.

Seem to enjoy an argument.

Draw on most of your papers, right now its almost always horses. You also write "Go to seewinter.com" on papers as well. I've also been loving some of your Toothless (From How To Train Your Dragon) drawings.

Love to decorate for holidays. You love big events and the anticipation and excitement that comes with them.


Quotable Moments:

"Look at all those surfers! It must be like a birthday party or something!"

L: I'm hungry...
Me: Even though you ate an entire pizza last night...
L: What? I'm almost a teenager... (Note, this is at age ten! ;) )

Makin: This isn't a highway...
Lorelei: Yes it is, it's a podunk highway.



Lorelei's Eleven Year Interview

Favorites -
Food: Spaghetti
Place: Four Fillies Farm
Movie/TV Show: All the How To Train Your Dragons, Spirit The TV Show, Any horse movies
Color: Pink and Purple
Thing To Do: reading, petting dogs and riding horses
Animal: Dog, Horse, Dolphin
Books: Thoroughbred Series, Saddle Club Series, High Hurdles Collections Dog Diaries and Horse Diaries, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone
Song: Together From Afar from the How To Train Your Dragon Soundtrack
Treat: Better Than Anything Cake, Monster Cookies, Killer Brownies, Birthday Cake/Udderly Chocolate/Mint Chocolate Chip Tillamook Ice Cream

Holiday: Christmas

What do you like to do with Daddy? massaging backs, read horse books

What do you like to do with Mommy? read books

What do you like to do with Makin? play dragon and owner, play pet shop, read, and ride horses

What makes you happy? petting dogs and riding horses and reading

What do you think about before you fall asleep? school, horses, dogs and dragons

What do you want to be when you grow up? Work at Clearwater Marine Aquarium with Winter as a marine biologist and have a horse farm/riding school

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Makin Turns Nine

We loved celebrating Makin turning NINE!!!

He wanted to celebrate the same way as last year - build Legos and play with Charlie as long as possible. It worked out perfectly that Brittany had one of her part-time jobs until 8:30 pm so these boys basically had almost 9 hours to play and somewhat of a late-over! Yay!

Each kiddo put together a Lego set of their choosing.

This year we are all about How To Train Your Dragon The Hidden Word,
so that was his cake request!


Gift-wise it was all about spy gear...lots and lots of spy gear.

Night goggles on our spies.

I chuckled as I listened to their "Would you rather?" questions
 as we waited to meet up with Brittany.


Happy Birthday to our 9 year old!!!