And then to the Cotas.....

So after a few days with the Schneiders, we packed up and headed north a bit to visit with the Grams and Gramps. My Aunt Pat was also visiting from Santa Barbara so we had a bonus while we were there....getting to see her, too! :)

(The towels are their armor in the water fight Avery organized....she got Gramps good!!!)


Gramps had been working on a surprise for the girls....Avery couldn't wait to see what it was. Actually....I couldn't wait, either. I couldn't believe they wouldn't even tell ME! Avery's eyes lit up when she saw the swings!!!! Annalise wasn't too into the swing at first....then you couldn't get her off of it! And when you did....she was right back at the door wanting to go back out. You did good, Gramps! :)

It was great getting to spend some family time with everyone!!! Lori and Mallory even made it up to have dinner with us a couple of times.



Not only that, but Auntie Lori took Avery into the shop on her day off for a special manicure and pedicure. Ahhhhhh. Avery always looks forward to getting her nails done in what has become an annual event! Thanks Auntie Lori! :)

Visit with the Schneiders

We had such a great time in Spokane! It was HOT....but luckily we were able to escape the heat by cooling off in the pool, the water park and the spray parks. Not to mention the A/C! :) (We're actually a little glad that we were in Spokane during the heat wave and not home with NO A/C!)


We FINALLY got to meet our new niece Elsa. She's darling. She fits right in with the family...you'd think she had always been around! Bella is a great big sister and it was fun seeing the new family dynamics!


Bella and Avery entertained each other every moment they were together! They had a great time playing, dancing, telling secrets and putting on performances for the family!


Avery was QUITE impressed that Bella was reading "LEVEL 4" books! :)


Grandma and Grandpa LOVED having all the grand-girls together!


It's always so nice to get everyone together....this time was no exception!

The Happy Campers Club

We were lucky enough to be included in this super fun annual camping event!
We headed east to Lake Pearrygin (just outside of Winthrop). It was HOT! Like, SUPER HOT!!! The campsites were perfect....right on the lake! I think Avery would have spent every waking moment in the water if we had let her! :) And somehow I didn't get ONE picture of the kids in the water?! Not sure how I let that happen???? Oh well........

There were also lots of other fun things to do! Crafts like t-shirt and visor making, jump rope and 4-square, pedicures, a Kid Triathlon and much, much more! :) The kids all had a blast! (The adults had our own good times as well! :) Many occurring by the campfire once all the kids were in bed!)

Annalise found her own things to do as well. Such as cruising the road. She got going pretty fast, too. She definitely became more stable on her feet throughout the week! Her balance improved significantly on the wobbly ground! She also wanted to keep up with the big kids.....thankfully she had her buddy Ella to talk to about that! They'll be running alongside them next summer!

We took a trip into Winthrop one afternoon. Avery played some miniature golf with the other kids and then we all enjoyed a YUMMY ice cream cone afterward! :)

So.....many thanks for an AWESOME time to the Sutherlands,

The McCormacks,
And the Erlandsons! (Sorry no pic of the Erlandsons.....we forgot to try again!)

We all had a great time!!!!

4th of July

We had a WONDERFUL time hanging out at Uncle Geoff and Auntie Robin's house for the 4th! Mark and Geoff took Avery to the fireworks stand to get a few little things. There were also quite a few families doing fireworks in the cul de sac and the surrounding neighborhoods. Lots to watch!! She had a blast....and at 11:00 that night she told us she had the "best day of her whole life"! :) Too cute!


Scott and Erica also came over with their two kids. Bryson will be 3 at the end of the month and Lila turned 1 in March.

We had a great 4th of July!! :) Maybe we can talk them into moving back to Bellingham???? We sure miss our Geoff and Robin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Berries Are Ready!!

We headed out for our annual strawberry picking on Saturday at Boxx Berry Farm. They were extra ripe and ready!!! Grandma and Grandpa were visiting from Spokane which made the adventure even more special! Annalise had a great first picking experience! :) She loves the berries just as much as her big sister!!! The sun was shining and it was a great day!


P.S.
The strawberry spinach salad and strawberry shortcake were pretty good, too! :)