Avery's 6th Birthday Party

We finally had Avery's friend birthday party, only a month and a half late! We decided on a super hero party because Avery loves super heroes and half of her friends are boys. Avery and Mikaya helped me fill the water balloons (meteorites), set the table, and hang balloons up before the kids got there.




It was so good to have Coral's help with the party! She stepped in to help with everything. She helped with the games, face paints, and the food. She knew just what was needed!




Curtis came over for the field games. He was awesome at announcing the tasks that the super heroes had to overcome like making sure the meteorites were obliterated before they destroyed planet Earth, catching the "bad guys", and putting out the fires that were threatening the city.




We love our sweet energetic Avery. She has so much character and personality and is always making us laugh. She is such a sweet sister to her sister's.





Everyone got their face painted with a superhero mask. (Some chose a butterfly instead)


I thought it was so sweet that before the party Avery said, "I'm sitting by Mikaya (during the party). All the children love to sit by Mikaya, but I'm going to sit by her."
Happy Birthday again Avery!

Avery's Kindergarten Graduation

(Curtis and I are not sold on the idea of Kindergarten graduation, but Avery showed us that she's all for it.)

Avery has year round school, so her last day of Kindergarten was July 21st.
Curtis was asking Avery about her graduation coming up.

Curtis: Do you have a graduation hat?
Avery: Yes, and a paper rolled up with a bow on it.
Curtis: Oh, a diploma. I have one of those from high school, and one from BYU, and one from Purdue, but I don't have one from Kindergarten.
Avery: I know, I'm lucky and you're lucky too because you have some from big kid's schools!


Avery's super sweet wonderful Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Cooper! We love her!


Good job Avery on all your hard work!

Road trip to Rands' Reunion

We stopped at this Mexican restaurant on the way to Oregon. It was quite purplee, and had a lot of crazy, bright, fun things for the girls to look at. The dinner plates were about three times larger than any normal person should safely eat. We had fun playing the apprentise game, where you have to try and answer questions about the details around the room, after studying the room and then closing your eyes. There were a lot of details to try and remember in this restaurant.





Swimming at our hotel.


We went back to the institute building in Eugene, where Curtis and I first met.



We also went to look at Coral's elementary school in Eugene, where she attended K-2nd. It was right near the U of O, where Curtis and I went to school. We visited Hendricks park where I would regularly take Coral when she was little, which has a rhododendron garden and swings hanging between two tall pine trees.


We got to Grandma and Grandpa Sandi & Pauls's on Monday. We had so much fun during the reunion going to the beach, the children's museum, the fun center, and to the parks aroung their home. Mikaya loved walking from our hotel over to Grandma and Grandpa Sandi and Paul's home everyday.


If you have ever had a deep desire to see how it would feel to swing in an over-sized baby swing, you must try this out.





The parks by Sandi and Paul's home are amazing! We had so much fun, probably as much or more than the kids, playing at them!


Sandi took us to the Children's Museum. This was my favorite exhibit, but I loved it all. Madeleine, Avery, and Mikaya working hard on their clay sculptures.


Madeleine and Avery having a deep conversation?


Cousins having fun.....Noah, Mikaya, Avery, Madeleine, and Ian



Grandma Montelius and Coral, showing off the beautiful graduation quilt that Grandma made for Coral! Lucky girl! (Coral graduates next year)


The Fourth of July was a blast! We started off with a 5K at church (Holly, Mark, Sandi, Shelley, and myself participated) and then ate a pancake breakfast with everyone. In the middle of the day, Sandi and I took the kids to the park. That evening, we had a wonderful barbecued dinner, and finally we watch fireworks after taking a short hike down to a perfect spot, in Lake Oswego.




Noah, Avery, and Mikaya having fun at the park.




Sparklers yeah!


Holly saved the day, and pulled out a thorn from the bottom of Avery's foot, while Sandi and Paul stuffed her mouth with marsh mellows. It was awesome!


Mikaya, Avery, and Noah had a sleep over for two nights before we left.


Paul, with the help of Drew, made this awesome sculpture. What a wonderful reunion. It was good to spend time with everyone!

Avery & Mikaya's Cousins come to Visit

A couple beauties on bikes.



Doing art with their cousins.





Holding hands walking to the pool.


We played games, talked, went to the pool, and took a fun trip to the beach while Adam and Unity were in town. It was so good to have them here!


The kids had a blast at the beach!

Road trip to EFY and to visit G & G Minton

My dad helping Avery ride my bike from when I was little.


When we got to Idaho, I realized that I had forgotten jackets for Avery & Mikaya, so we went to the DI to see what they had. Avery pick out a brown jacket and then Mikaya picked out this lovely cowgirl, farm jacket. It was fitting, and not planned at all, that we went to the dairy right after our trip to Deseret Industries. Later, Mikaya said she picked out that jacket because it reminded her of Jessie from Toy Story!


After we got some delicious ice cream from the dairy, we went to get in the van to go home. My dad accidentally spun some mud up from the wheels on the van. One minute I was buckling Mikaya into her seat belt, and the next minute I was covered from head to toe in mud! I even had some in my teeth and eyelashes. I guess this will do for the mud run this year.



The girls loved learning more about planting from Grandma Minton.



Swinging on some fun swings that Grandpa Minton put up for the girls.


While my mom and Coral went on a fabulous Grandma granddaughter trip, my dad, Mikaya, and I had fun planting their garden, going to the zoo, and hanging out with Grandpa.









Every night my mom read to the girls.


Coral and her second cousin, Amanda, daughter of my cousin Evan.


Coral's great-grandparents (Barbara and Vernon Johansen-my mom's parents) were married here.


My mom and Coral visited a lot of family spots on their Grandma-Granddaughter trip.




Coral and my mom goofing off on their trip!



Avery celebrated her birthday with a family dinner, and then again on her actual birthday. We'll have a friend birthday party soon for her. We weren't able to fit it in before all the traveling this summer. Curtis got her a new bike and she loves riding it. More on her birthday later!