Baobab Blast

After we got back from our super long vacation, but before things had a chance to settle down at all  :)  it was time for Vacation Bible School.  This year's theme was Baobab Blast, and the kids had daily themes:  Trust in God, Love Never Fails, I will Follow Jesus, Care for Others, and Share Our Faith. It was especially exciting for us this year because Hannah and some of her friends were old enough to be in the preschool class together with me  :)  It was great to see her having such a  good time with her friends, although having me in the room with her did make for some extra clingy-ness on her part.  Michael spent the week with his baby buddies in the "meerkat sanctuary" (nursery).  Both kids are still singing and dancing to the music of the week - and judging by past years, they will be until next year!  :)

Home Again!!!

5 weeks and many miles later, we all made it back to Birch Bay, WA - and it was SO good to be home!  We spent one day resting up and unpacking, and then made the most of Amanda and Andrew's stay with us by going up to Vancouver to have a picnic in Stanley park and visit our favorite aquarium.  Hannah's favorite song right now is Baby Beluga, so she was excited to see the beluga whales, and Andrew couldn't wait to see Spinaker in the dolphin show.  The rest of the week involved several trips to the beach near our house, a visit to the Lynden Park, a walk around Boulevard Park, and dinner in White Rock, BC.  The last 2 days of their stay were also the first 2 days of Vacation Bible School, so Matt too Andrew and Manda up to Mt Baker for a snowball fight in July, and down to Seattle to see the Woodland Park Zoo and the Space Needle.  And on their last day with us, Andrew lost his first tooth!! We were all sad to see them leave - especially Hannah (who is still - 1 month later - referring to our guest room as "Andrew's room").  The kids had so much fun playing together!!  It was loud and energetic - but a TON of fun!!  Things have quieted down a lot since they left - - but more on that later  :)

My smooching ballerina. . . .   :)

Andrew teaching Hannah some moves

Hannah knows how to put on a show!

Becoming one with the aquarium

Andrew and Hannah watching the otters

Spinaker and his girlfriends, Hana and Helen

Hannah made a new friend!

Michael at the park

Andrew thought the climbing wall was great!

What a monkey!

Hannah LOVES the slides!

Finding a little crab on the beach

AND a starfish!!

Looking for that perfect shell

Hannah told Andrew about Geoducks, and he was determined to find one. . . .

. . . what he actually found - - having never seen a geoduck in person , I have no idea if this is a really young one, or a small razor clam, or something else entirely - - but either way, Andrew was happy to found something alive!!  :)

Building a sandcastle

Hannah getting her face painted at the Lynden Raspberry Festival

It's Elmo!

Hannah trying her hand at the remote control racecars. . . .

Michael would have gladly stayed int he bouncy house all day!

Enjoying gelato in White Rock

Andrew with his Uncle Matt at Mt Baker

Amanda and Andrew

Snowball fight!!

Andrew is always up for an adventure!

At the zoo - getting up close and personal with the giraffes!

Monkeyin' around

Andrew's first tooth fell out!! 

MN Vacation - Part 5: Roadtrip to WA

Daddy flew back to MN early on the morning of the 5th, and Auntie Manda and Andrew met us at Grandma and Grandpa Fiecke's house so that we could ALL pack into the van and make the drive to WA.  Our first day on the road we made it to Mitchell, SD, where we stayed at a hotel with a super cool pool - complete with waterslides and a pirate ship  :)  The next day we drove to Rapid City, SD, stopping along the way for lunch at Wall Drug.  Once we were checked into our hotel, we hopped across the street where the COOL hotel had a full size indoor waterpark and entertained ourselves there.  Much like at the previous waterpark, the kids had a great time going down slides and having buckets of water randomly dump over them.  The grown-ups also had fun going down the big slides - including a "toilet bowl" slide that we all loved!  Our next day was also spent in Rapid City - or just outside of it - at Mt. Rushmore.  We brought a stroller for Michael, but he insisted on walking most of the paths on his own steam, including some steep steps!  Hannah and Andrew enjoyed spotting some wildlife there - a few chipmunks and a mountain goat  :)  Needless to say, our whole party was well worn out after the long day spent hiking outside!  We weren't SO tired, though - the next day we made a stop at Devil's Tower in WY and did some MORE hiking and climbing!!  Hannah and Andrew decided to climb straight up the rocks (and they got pretty far, too!), and Michael, as before, insisted on walking up much of the steep switch back trail himself.  That night we made it to Gillette, WY, and we left early the next morning for a long but very scenic drive through Yellowstone to get to Big Sky, MT.  Andrew and Hannah enjoyed spotting a few bison meandering close to the road while we were in the park, and we were also able to see some elk in the distance.  Sadly, we were in a rush to get to Big Sky for the night and weren't able to really enjoy all of Yellowstone - - this time  :)  Some good friends of ours have a family condo at Big Sky, and we were blessed to be able to spend a couple of days there.  All 3 kids had fun running around the resort, and Andrew even got to do some crazy bungee-trampoline jumping!  We spent 2 days there, and then left at bedtime for some night driving - making the push straight from Big Sky to Birch Bay, WA while the kids slept.  We arrived back home safely early on the morning of the 11th, and our next week was spent showing Amanda and Andrew around our stomping ground  :)

13 years ago, Alisson and I had fun trying on coon skin hats at Wall Drug. . . . .

. . . . Now it's Hannah's turn!  :)

Andrew and Hannah, studying up on Mt Rushmore's history!

Andrew got a kick out of looking up George's nose. . . .

Admiring the view

Mommy and Hannah

Michael, hamming it up for the camera!

"I WILL climb all these steps myself - I WILL climb them!"

Andrew and Hannah showing off their new necklaces - he got an arrowhead and she got a pretty dragonfly.

WaTiki kiddie pool

All the rushing water made Michael thirsty. . .

Follow the leader  :)

"This rock is kind of heavy!"

Hannah and Daddy climbing rocks at Devil's Tower

It was a beautiful day!!!

Michael was not to be bested by his big sister rock climbing - he managed to walk half way around the path going up and around the tower on his own - and probably would have done more had we let him!

Manda, Andrew, Hannah, and Matt climbing rocks

Bison in Yellowstone - no zoom lens required!!

Forget "Where's Waldo" - - where's the elk!!?

Andrew and Michael making the trek up to the Big Sky condo

Andrew sporting some new duds.

The view from the top  :)