Warning:  This post is super long.  I wanted to get it all in there and decided to put it all together rather than a bunch of shorter ones.  Enjoy!

June--

Cade had swimming lessons for 2 weeks in June.  It took him a while to get used to it, but he did enjoy swimming.  We tried to go swimming about once a week during the summer and he got way more comfortable with the water.  We had lots of fun playing at the splash park with friends too.  We tried potty training Cami, and she did great for about 3 weeks, until July hit.  We did some house hunting and put an offer down on a really nice house in Kennewick.  Our offer wasn't accepted, but it ended up being good.

I felt super yucky for most of the month.  Kirk's mom, Lisa, came up and visited us to help for a week.  She cleaned the house, played with the kids and made some meals to put in the freezer.  We spent one day with Kirk up at Tucannon lakes and fished and hiked with the kids.  It was great to have her here.





June 26-27--Camping
     We went up to Leech Lake and camped for the night.  The kids loved it and did really well.  We went for a couple of little hikes around the campground.  We built a fire and cooked marshmallows.  I was making tacos for dinner and couldn't find my tomato.  I looked at Cami and she was walking around with a tomato with a couple of bites out of it.  It was pretty funny.  Both kids slept all night and we woke up and had breakfast and loaded the truck.  We loved having a truck for camping!!
     We drove a ways the next day and found a little creek that Kirk wanted to fish.  Cade and Kirk wandered down by the creek and I stayed with Cami at the truck.  After they fished, we packed up and headed home.  Cami was asleep in the back within minutes and Cade fell asleep soon after.  They were worn out, but loved camping.



July--

4th
I took Cade and Cami to the parade in Pasco.  It was supposed to be a really hot day (and it was), but we brought lots of water and snacks.  They loved collecting the candy and seeing the big trucks and tractors in the parade.



We spent a lot of time at the splash park and other water places with friends.  July was really hot!

July 9-12
     I went to Utah for the Smith family reunion and left my family home.  We had some fabulous friends who helped with the kids for Thursday afternoon and Friday.  Kirk took them out to dinner and to get Krispy Kreme on Friday evening with Scott and they were in heaven.  I got home Sunday night.  It was a nice break.  I enjoyed being able to spend time with adults and relax.  My goal for the weekend was to eat and talk and I think I accomplished both.

July 16-18
     Kirk and Scott went camping/backpacking to the Wenaha River.  They had a great time.  They saw a couple of bears--even one who visited camp at night--, a rattle snake and not too many people. They caught some big fishies too.  They were both happy that they went.  Kara and I hung out a bit while they were gone.  We went to 2 open houses (and ended up buying one of them) and out to dinner.




July 22-26
     We went to Island Park, Idaho.  This trip deserves it's own post, but I'll summarize for now.  We met my parents, Lindsey's family and Melissa in Island Park and stayed in a cabin for 3 days.  The first day we went to Mesa Falls hiked around a bit.  We saw a moose right by the trail.  We had a picnic lunch and then went home.  Daniel and Cade made a map and showed us where to go.  They did several treasure hunts around the cabin too.




     The next day we went to Yellowstone.  We saw Old Faithful, hiked around the gysers and watched Old Faithful again.  The kids were all really excited the second time and no one complained when we had to wait a few minutes to see it.  Cade really wanted to see a buffalo.  We drove around the east side of the park to the canyon and saw lots of buffalo in a field.  Then we saw one walking down the road.  Cade was so excited.  After hiking around the canyon for a while, we drove the 2+ hours back to the cabin.  Cade and Cami slept a lot of the way.  My dad rode with us and was giving Cami chips.  She fell asleep mid-bite.
    The next day was Saturday.  I was exhausted from the day before.  Kirk and Jason went fishing for the day.  The rest of us went to a spring near by and fed some fish and watched a muskrat swimming around.  We spent the afternoon back at the cabin and packed up a bit.
    Sunday morning we loaded up and drove home. It was about a 10 hour drive.  Our kids do really well in the car.  We bring lots of toys and books and crayons and a movie.

     After getting back from Island Park, we decided that it was time to look for a house to buy.  We put together a list and I went out with our realator and Kara to see them.  I took Kirk back to my favorite 2 and we put an offer in on the house I had seen a few weeks earlier.  Our offer was accepted and we signed papers on a Monday.  My parents drove up the same day.

August--
August 3-8th--parents visiting
    We love to have visitors.  My parents came up for the first week of August.  My mom knows how much Cade likes pirates right now and she was prepared.  She brought him a great pirate dress-up for his birthday.  She also brought a cake that they decorated with a pirate ship and buried treasure.  She had some "pirate games" planned like playing with cannon balls (black balloons) and looking for a crocodile.







     We went swimming and played in the sprinkler.  My parents watched the kids and Kirk and I were able to go meet with our loan officer and the inspector of the new house.  My parents got to come see the house while the inspector was there and it was fun to for them to see it.  They also took the kids to the park and helped me pack some boxes.  Kirk and I got to go out for our anniversary and do sealings and to Anthony's.  It is so nice to leave the kids with Grandma and Grandpa at home.  

August 8-13th--more parents visiting
Kirk's parents drove up the day before mine left.  The guys went golfing one day and took Cade with them for the first half.  He thought it was awesome!  We did a bit of shopping and eating out.  Kirk and I went out again on our anniversary to Fujiyama and had a lot of fun.  Lisa helped me pack a few more boxes.  We really enjoyed having them visit too.

August 24-30--trip to Utah
    We were planning on going to Utah August 22, but Kirk ended up having to report for jury duty Monday morning so our trip was postponed a few days.  He went in to report and only had to stay an hour before being released.  We left for Utah Monday morning at 10:30 WA time and made it to my parents house about 10:30 UT time.  It was a long drive, but worth it!
    Tuesday we spent some time with Jill and Quintin at Thanksgiving point.  Cade and Cami loved the pony ride and hay ride and seeing the animals.  Cami's favorite was the goats.  She really liked petting them. We saw Tom and Connor at my parents house for dinner.  Lisa was gone in Minnesota helping Grandma Maxson so we didn't see her.

Proof that I was there :)

     Wednesday Kirk went fishing and I took the kids to feed the ducks with my Mom.  Thursday Cade, Kirk and Tom went golfing.  We had dinner with Tom and Connor at a pizza place.  Friday we had dinner up in AF canyon and built a fire.  We fished a bit at Tibble Fork and Cami loved holding the fish.  Saturday we went to Melissa's race and went hiking in AF canyon again.  We met Tom at kneaders for lunch and then packed up to drive home.
     One thing Cade and Cami really liked was watching old Disney movies.  We watched Lion King, Sleeping Beauty and Snow white.  They also loved jumping on the love sack.
     Dar needed a ride back to Washington and drove home with us.  She did a great job entertaining the kids on the way and they had fun with her.  Cami spent several hours just looking at pictures on my phone.  Neither of them slept in the car.

August 21-Sept 3--Visit from the Lewis'
Kirk's best friend from high school and college was Randall Lewis.  Randall married Clara and moved to Boston and then San Jose.  We haven't seen them for 5 years.  The last time we did see them, neither of us had any kids and Kirk was still in dental school.  Now they have 3 kids and we have 2 and both of us have jobs and are living life.  They decided to take a trip up to Washington to see some of their siblings and us!  It was really fun to see them and hang out a bit.  We went to a couple of parks and spent a lot of time talking.  Cade and their daughter Evelyn, who is also 4, had fun playing.  Kirk and Randall stayed up way too late one night talking, but they loved it.  We are so glad that they came to visit and hopefully it won't be 5 years again until we see them.

September 6-7--Kellogg, Idaho
     We took a last minute trip to Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg, Idaho with the families of the dentists that Kirk works with. We stayed in this gorgeous room that was basically a small apartment.  We got in Sunday night about 7:00 and Cade and Cami were wired.  They were going crazy running around everywhere.
     We woke up the next morning and had some pancakes.  Kirk, James and David went golfing.  We wanted to spend most of the day at the indoor water park at the resort, but that didn't open until 10:00.  We went down to the front office to do some of their kid activities.  Cade had made a card for the lady that worked there to say thanks for letting us stay and wanted to give it to her.  Then she gave us the first clue for a treasure hunt.  The second clue was easy to find, but we couldn't find the rest.  We ended up going back to ask for help and the lady gave Cade and Cami each a gold coin.  Then we did their scavenger hunt.  Finally it was time to go to the water park.
     We floated around the lazy river and they did the little kiddie slides.  I convinced them to go on a big raft slide with me once, but they didn't want to do it anymore.  I talked to Kirk and he was going to eat some lunch and then come down and meet us.  I decided to go get some lunch before we had to check out of the room too.  Cami decided to cry the whole way back to the room and when we went in the door, Kirk thought she was hurt or something.  We ate some food and then all went back to the water park.  With Kirk there, we were able to do a few more slides and Cade realized that he could do some more on his own and loved it.  We went down the big raft one several more times.  Cade and Cami loved the lazy river too.  They both had life jackets on and could just "swim" by themselves.  Sometimes I would push a tube with us and they would hold on or sit on that too.  We had a lot of fun and ended up leaving about 2:30.  Kirk wanted to stop at Cabela's on the way home and we got some dinner too.  It was a fun quick get-away.

That was pretty much the end of our summer.  Somehow, during the last few weeks we also packed up our house and then we closed on the new house on September 14th.  We had a lot of fun, but there were days where I was unpacking from one thing and getting ready for the next one at the same time.  I do like having lots of activities planned.  I am looking forward to staying home a bit more in the next few months though.  Then I'll be ready to go again.

• April
• We went on a hike.  Usually we look for deer or dog prints, but this time Cade wanted to look for fox poop.  I'm not sure why. 
• We spent some time with my parents at Camp Zarahemla.  Cade found a round piece of a wood cut.  He thought it was really cool and wanted to make a spoon out of it.  He saved it all day.  The next day at home we glued a popsicle stick to it to make it into a "spoon."
• Cade started building castles with our blocks.  He spends time everyday building castles and playing with his people. 
• One day he was trying to tell me about a show he saw on youtube.  I couldn't tell what he was saying and then he said "Mom, its b-l-i-p-p-i.  Blippi"  I don't know how he learned to spell that. 
•  I told Cade something was over by the pink tree.  He said "which pink tree?  Oh, you mean the dogwood?"  I guess I should just use the correct words, not just the colors.  

May

• Cade likes to tell us what to ask him.  "Mom, ask me why my fireman is going over here."  etc.  
• We were heading out to Costco one day and Cade decided to comb his hair with water before he left.  He told me that all the people in Costco will think my hair is handsome.  
• Kirk likes to watch golf and make me guess who is winning the tournament.  One day Cade told me to ask him who is winning the golf course.  So I did and he said it was "macaroni".  I think he meant Rory MacIlroy.  
• He asks me to mop the car windows at the gas station.
• He likes to make mud using the squirt bottles in our back patio.  He came in to ask me to fill up his squirt bottle.  Then he asked me "squirt bottles are the best thing in the world, Mommy, aren't they?"
• He calls instructions "constructions."
• He takes turns picking a favorite toy and loves it to death for a week or two. For a while this month is was his red monster truck.  He had to take it to bed every night.  

June

• Cade's new favorite show is Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  He sings the songs all of the time.  He tries to figure out why the characters do different things and why Captain Hook likes to take things from other people.  
• He loves to use scissors and make random things with little papers and glue.  These are then special treasures that he likes to keep for a long time.  He has made boats, rockets, airplanes, and lots of little things.  
• The splash park opened this week.  When we go, he loves to run all over and get soaked and play.  It is one of the only places we can go and he just leaves me to play.  He has so much fun and likes to ask me if he is the wettest person there.  
• One night Cami said a prayer all by herself.  When she finished Cade told me "I am so proud of Cami for saying a prayer all by herself!"
• I took the kids on a little hike and Cade wanted to find something special to bring home for Daddy.  We found a feather.  He said "Lucky me, I found a feather!"

April

• We were finger painting one day and I found myself saying "Cami don't eat the paper."  I feel like I shouldn't have to say things like that.  
• She likes to put the pom poms away. 
• She loves to have 2 pony tails in her hair and she finally has enough to do it.  She also likes to pick the color of the rubber bands that we use.  
• One day she bit her tongue and asked me to kiss it better.  I had to pass on that one.  
• Cami was upset with me one night at dinner and she threw her fork on the floor.  I asked her to not throw her fork on the tile and gave it back to her.  She threw it over the tile and onto the carpet.  I said "Cami!" and she responded "I threw it on the carpet, not the tile."
• Another night she decided to throw her food on the floor.  As soon as she did, she yelled "no!"  she knew that she was not supposed to do that.  
• My parents came to visit and brought some easy puzzles with them.  Cami figured out how to do them pretty quickly and loved to do her Minnie Mouse puzzle every day.  
• Kirk likes to sing songs and Cami likes to tell him "Don't sing that song!"

May

• Cami likes to yell and then say "is that loud?" and whisper and say "is that quiet?"
• She likes taking a shower, which is a new thing.
• We tried potty training for a few days but it really didn't work, so I went back to diapers.  However, she will tell me when she has to go poopies now and will do it in the toilet.  
• She likes to have 2 big flowers in her hair on her ponytails.
• I haven't been feeling very well this week because of thing #3.  One day I was laying in the chair and not wanting to move much.  Cami gave me her stuffed dog to hold to make me feel better.  When I have to throw up, she asks me if I'm ok.  Cade just asks if I'm done yet so I can come help him.  
• She likes to spin around and make her skirt flair out.  
•  She is a very busy girl.  She always has a plan--building her castle, gathering toy animals, setting up the toys to watch her parade, or 
• packing bags for her "trip."  

June

• Cami loves swimming.  She will walk around the wading pool and fall.  If her head goes underwater, she just pops back up and smiles and keeps going.  
• Cami loves princesses.  We borrowed Cinderella from our friends and she loves to watch it and see the mice and Cinderella's pretty dress.  
• She loves to run around and sing "Let it go" from Frozen.  
• We have been working on potty training.  She does pretty well and we have only had a few accidents in the last couple of weeks.  If Cami is too into her playing, she will forget to go to the bathroom.  If we have extra people over at our house, then she forgets to tell me too.  But, she is doing pretty well.  
• If she has 2 pony tails in her hair, she says that she is Ana.  If I have one braid in my hair, she says that I am Elsa.  
• she likes me to tie a blanket on her head and says it is her princess hair.  Then she will put on a princess skirt and her high heels and run around.  
• Cami is still taking one nap and goes to bed at 7 p.m.  Some nights she isn't really ready for bed that early, but Cade is, so I put them both to bed.  Cami likes to lay in her bed and sing songs until she falls asleep.