The kids love Ben

Reach for the Sky!

Stick 'em up!



Higher!

Camping

We went camping this weekend. It was beautiful and the kids had so much fun. The campsite is at a lake only 10 minutes from our house. Nobody got hurt. I made Michelle Laffans famous smores. They weren't the same without her. : ( and I didn't have her specialty mochas to go along with it. But still yummy. And we had fun.

*warning* our nate and rylee puke week - nsfw - not for the faint of heart

Seriously do not move down the page unless you want to see vomit and poo. But Abbey and Rylee are very cute at the end.


















































































We were enjoying a leisurely evening of snacks and carcassan and then Matt gave out some red candies to a boy with the stomach flu...

and then this happened....





and then matt goofed around about it. Who in there right mind gets that close to puke if they don't have to?



And then puts the candy that caused it right next to it?



Poor little TyTy



EEEE poor little mama. and poor little TyTy



uh oh. What happened?



Gideon dropped that wrench on sick TyTy's head



Then the rest of us got it. And I mean everybody and in everyway...





Maybe this is why Rylee enjoyed her visit?

oh dear

Our friends Nate and Rylee came to visit this week. During dinner the first night they were here, Titus said, "Mom, I'm not hungry" and then he threw up. Nate and Rylee decided to stay with us anyway. Brave souls.

The next night Silas and Gideon threw up. The night after that Luke and Rylee and Elijah and Abbey did.

Nate and I walked around spraying all the surfaces with bleach water.

Nate's brother Ben came to visit yesterday. He was also very brave.

Rylee and Nate left today, a day early, but we still had fun with them. Samuel has it now. That leaves Joe, Matt and Robin virus free.

One good thing that happened while they were here is that Rylee's jaw popped and opened a little more. Several years ago she had surgery. One of the side affects of the surgery was her mouth didn't open all the way. This week she gained an extra inch! Yay.

Someone commented that it might help her as she throws up this week. I think she would rather just successfully eat a sandwich. : )

The Coop Project

Samuel and across the street friend Michael got to build a chicken coop for a class project. After completion, we decided that it was insanity to bring extra life forms into the fold, so it sits empty. It's too bad because they did a really good job.

Ultimate Fighting Challenge

Yeah! A sleepover

I'm sure Jenn got plenty of sleep that night.

Jamey's Jeep is finished!

Thanksgiving Fun

We played


And played


and played


and ate.

Elijah's B-day dinner

Hendy Woods Camping Trip

Everybody enjoyed Uncle Don's grapes although only Gideon ate them half-naked.



Leo and Dan proved their manhood by abalone diving.



Sam thought the abalone shells were beautiful. He brought them home and washed and dried them.



Here's a rare picture of Titus not wrecking something.



Matt's favorite camping spot.



Jumping on the Teeter Totter Log was a favorite activity. As usual, Johnny kept the kids entertained for hours.

Our trip to the Redwoods

Here we are next to a very large root. (It's actually a petrified mythological octopus)

Nate looks like he thinks its funny the tree fell over. Riley thinks it is shocking and terrible.


And the famous Colonel.

neighbor girl eats jalapenos

Jennifer (10), from across the street comes over to our house often. She was convinced that she could eat some minced jalapeños, so I thought it could possibly be of some entertainment value.

Camping at Howarth Park

The kids keep asking us about camping at Hartstone this year. It brought up fun memories of our last camping trip with our sunday school group at Howarth Park.


Luke and Silas share a sleeping bag because it's cold


Andy and Jenn with Titus in the background.


Silas and Samuel hide in the campsite storage box and Max wonders if there is room for him too.


Jeremy, Steph and Jessica


Fezzik and Max


Josh and Christine


We take up our standard position closest to the food


Kim and Leo


Dan and Michelle


Mike, Janet and Emma