Our Family Vacation of 2011

Soon after Nate finished school we packed up our family and headed off to the Oregon Coast! We didn't take a vacation last year so we thought for sure this year we needed to take the kids somewhere. My grandma has a house on the Oregon coast and we hadn't been there since Nate was 16 months old! This time we drove there which definitely isn't my ideal way of traveling for 15 hours but since my parents went with us in their car we split the kids up and one always drove with Nana and Papa after we got to Idaho. It was quite pleasant in the car until Sydnee had had enough on the first day after 12 hours of driving! They were great sports for all of that driving.
The first night we stayed just outside of Portland and then the next morning we headed out to the coast but we went out to Tillamook to the cheese factory!  We have loved Tillamook cheese so we thought it would be fun to let the kids see how they make cheese!  We may or may not have had an ice cream before lunch that morning...Sydnee may or may not LOVE ice cream with all of her heart...It was a fun little spot to go out of our way for.  After that we headed down the coast to grandma's house in Yachats.  We saw one of the prettiest sunsets that same night!  Here are pictures of our first two days.

Kindergarten is over...

Nate had his very last day of Kindergarten on June 1st.  We were able to go and watch him perform a Nursery Rhyme.  He chose Humpty Dumpty and he did so well!!  He took a hard boiled egg and when Humpty "Fell" off the wall, he 'Dropped!' the egg on the floor!  It was really cute and he did a wonderful job!  Mrs. Sullivan was a great Kindergarten teacher and Nate will definitely miss being in her class....now off to the BIG 1st grade!!!

May 31, 2011

Nate's 6th birthday. After having a birthday party earlier than his party (for a good reason!)  We saved our gifts for Nate to open on his actual birthday.  Then he got a BIG surprise (NOT planned) when he went to the potty that morning.  He got ready and went to school...he didn't want to go to school on his birthday though and I had to tell him that it was going to be lots of fun since it was Field Day!  After school, he played his new Wii game that he got for his birthday which I think every thing he got from us was Star Wars...not sure why though???  That night for dinner we went to Pizza Planet with Nana, Papa, Grandma & Grandpa Green River and some neighbors for pizza and lots of games!  It was a fun day and I think it made going to school not SO bad...and as for Ryan and I...we can't believe we have a 6 year old!!!

The surprise in the potty!!!!!

Rylee preK program

Rylee finished up her first year of preschool near the end of May.  She attended the same preschool that Nate did with Miss Becky and she loved it!  She has gotten quite the personality lately with posing for pictures and dancing.  She definitely makes us laugh!  Here are pictures of her last day and little advancement ceremony they did.  It was pretty chilly on this day and she would not wear her jacket...I am sure she was cold...but what can you do?!

 Posing for her pictures before school.

Star Wars birthday party!

Nate's birthday party was all Star Wars themed (he picked it!) and I think it turned out really well.  He invited lots of friends and cousins to come and we had about 9 or 10 boys.  Ryan made lightsabers for each of the boys which turned out to be a HUGE hit!  They spent a big part of the party just running around outside playing with them.  Good thing we had some extras so all of us adults who came could defend ourselves!  My mom, dad and brother Corey, my SIL Carrie and niece Kylie stayed since Zach came to the birthday party.  We played lightsabers, pin Darth Vaders mask on Anakin, pizza, play-doh, cupcakes and ice cream (pretty good for a mom and dad who have never watched Star Wars right?!)!!!  Nate asked my mom to make him red velvet cake and so she did along with cupcakes put into lightsaber shapes!  I think his first friend birthday party was a big success.  Here are some pictures of all the fun we had! 

Rylee turned 4!

Both of our older kids have turned a year older in the last couple of weeks!  Crazy how time flies by so fast!  A couple of weeks before their actual birthdays they each got to have their first friend parties!  Rylee's was on a Friday afternoon and she had a great time!  Here are the pictures from the fun time we had!  We were on vacation to the Oregon coast during Rylee's actual birthday so I wasn't able to post on here but we are so glad she is part of our family and I think she had a GREAT birthday in Oregon this year!  :)  Happy 4th Birthday Rylee!