California Dreamin...

I think I'm getting over re-entry and am starting to accept my real life again. It was just so fun to visit mom and dad and have the Lambournes and Em around! It's hard to come to realization that it's just 'me and the kids' again. :) We had such a fun time. Our whole summer has been a blast between visits from Troy's siblings, going to Spokane and then Benicia. When the boys started griping about how bored they were other day, I made them make a list of all the stuff they did this summer, and told them that it was okay to be be bored sometimes. We sure fit a lot of stuff in between moving and school starting: waterfalls, visits from cousins, Portland, Chuck E Cheese, Spokane Indians games, movies, a baptism (followed by Old Country Buffet, always a family favorite!), swimming, candy store, dollar store, glass beach, Grandma Gublers, Fun House (reference to the aweseomly yummy and entertaining house that em & brett bbsat), rafting, Pixieland, Princess Garden, Peddlars Fair (I mean yard sales), boys campout, library, beach, Giants game, visit with old friends in Fall River, big slide park, John Muir Woods, ice cream, Audrey, Alex's, Cam's bday, Mariners game.... Yeah, I told them I don't feel sorry for them being bored. These pictures are out of order, and I have more to come.

The girls poses are hilarious!

Glass Beach

Giant's game

On the way down from Wa to Benicia, mom couldn't stand my dirty windows. She obviously took great pleasure in cleaning them!

Father/Son campout. I LOVE those! Me, mom and Audrey went out to dinner and to the dollar store.

Troy tasked the boys with cleaning the massive tank. Troy is going to be buried in this thing. I think that would be a nice resting place for him in about 50 years.

Homemade blackberry pie. Love fresh berries, picked by us!

Happy Birthday Alex!

Best Birthday gift ever. $2 D.I.

Caitlin to Lizzie: "Lizzie, we'd better be nice at Grandma's. If we're not, she'll get out her spanking spoon."

Waterfall Adventures

We've had fun this last month exploring the area that we now live. We really love it here! There's a lot to do and see. On the Oregon side of the gorge there are a TON of gorgeous waterfalls, and we've gone to few of them. We also took Audrey and Alex (the boys have been in Spokane the last couple of weeks!) to see the Portland Temple. Here's some pics (courtesy mostly of Troy) of our adventures.

This pic (above) is from the Vista House, which is a cool (sorry no pic) dome-shaped 'rest stop' which used to be called a comfort station when it was built in 1916.


This is the fish hatchery nearby where they have HUGE sturgeon and salmon. Here is Audrey with Herman a 70 yr. old, 450 lb. 10 ft long sturgeon!

This is probably the most popular of the waterfalls since you can see it along the highway. Multnomah Falls is 620 ft and is the second tallest waterfall in the US. (Troy is feeding me these facts.) It was really hard to get all the kids in together in this picture, Nathan and Bev and their kids came along too.

My Boys.

Photo courtesy of Devon

I love this of Audrey and Alyssa, they are very similar in personality-yet somehow manage to get along most of the time :)

Audrey posing in front of Wahkeena Falls.

This is also Wahkeena Falls

It is very lush and green. Remember what that looks like Carrie? This is the highway along the waterfalls.

This is Latourell Falls. It is amazinging gorgeous!

This is Wahkeena Falls. Troy took this with his phone camera. I love the sun coming through.

I Love To See The Temple......

One more post from me. We had ward conference this past week, and in the ward council meeting, one the stake presidency counselors shared this video. Pretty amazing. Definately reminded me of Trav and his b-ball skills.

Variety Post

So I realize I've been a little post-happy, but I just have one more post to show everyone- I guess we've had a lot going on! Just a few more random things to show you:

This is what I call the "Refrigerator Syndrome". I did something crafy, and, like a kid, I've got to post it here, the virtural refrigerator, to show my indulgent family. I've gotten a few projects done that have been on my list for awhile. A chore chart and a Family Home Evening chart. Those are popsicle sticks with our names on it in the F.H.E. chart. I used embroidery thread to hand-stitch on the names on the chore chart, and the titles on the F.H.E. chart.

Good news to all who may visit! No more deflating-in-the-middle-of-the-night air mattresses! We got a double bed. We've revamped the rooms, now this is Caitlin's bed (thus the stuffed animals) and Lizzie and A.J. share a room. And this mattress is dang comfy, let me tell you!


Caitlin and Lizzie were in a little play. A lady in the ward does this little summer music camp. It's one week and they learn songs, get parts, and wear costumes. On the last day, they do the play for all their friends and family. The play was the "3 Billy Goats Gruff". Caitlin was a goat (which there were actually 5 of) and Lizzie was a butterfly.

Also, one final tidbit of randomness. While camping, Aunt Bonnie shared her yogurt recipe with me. I made it, and it makes delicious yogurt! I will never buy yogurt again! Here it is:

Aunt Bonnie's Crockpot Yogurt

8 cups milk (I used a combo of whole and 1%, Aunt Bonnie uses 2%)

1/2 plain yogurt (read the label to be sure it has active live cultures. I used Dannon's Greek Yogurt)

1 package plain gelatin (optional; helps it set up better when refrigerated. Bonnie says she's made it with and without the gelatin, and likes it better without. I've only made it with the gelatin, and I really liked it).

Put milk in crockpot on low setting for 2 1/2 hours. Turn off, let sit (with lid on) for 3 hours. Stir yogurt and gelatin into one cup of milk. Whisk into the rest of the milk. Wrap crockpot (still off, don't turn back on) in a towel, let sit 8 hours or overnight. Refrigerate yogurt when it's done. Makes 2 quarts.

I mixed mine with jam, it's delicious. Aunt Bonnie halves this recipe, I did too. It makes plenty!When you're down to a 1/2 cup, just use it to make more!

Flight of the Conchords Ep 3 Think About it

So since we're all posting funny videos, I'm going to jump on that bandwagon and introduce Mom and Dad to Flight of the Conchords. This is one of my favorite songs of theirs! But "Sello Tape" is a close second.

Tom Cruise on Home Teaching

Brett's fam recently showed this to me. They obviously cut and edited from another interview, but it is hilarious!