Halloween at school

Jack had another chance to wear his costume today, at school. I had to work but Chris brought Jack to school and after he dropped him off all the parents went to the social hall where the kids paraded around and sang for the parents. I am super disappointed that I missed it but was glad that Chris could be there. He said it was great! It also looks like Jack wasn't the only lil' stinker in his class!!! Sorry Mom, forgot to put whiskers on Jack, looks like the other Mom didn't forget. I'll get them on him tomorrow!

Here is Jack's whole class, 8 boys and 1 girl!!

EGR Halloween!

On Saturday the EGR Middle School held a Halloween party for the kids. We met Autumn and her two kids, Eli and Stella there. The kids were given tickets and they went around and played different games. Jack loved the basketball hoop where he could shoot for prizes and all the kids loved the bouncy, moon walk thing, whatever it is called. We had a great time and it was just another way to get more use out of the costumes. Jack LOVES being a skunk! Eli is a ninja and Stella is the little mermaid. The two kids behind Stells are actually friends of Jack, Eli and Stella's from the gym! It was alot of fun and we will be going back next year!!

Here is our baby dragon!! Wade was too cute!! I took a front and a back shot so you could get the full affect!! The little wings and tail...how precious!! Wade did great all day seeing that that night he ran a 103 temp and Sunday morning I took him to the Dr. and he had a double ear infection.

31, really???

As of last Saturday, I am officially in my 30's! Our friend's were going to come into town from Indiana and we were going to have a fun dinner out but plans changed and instead I spent the day with my boys and my sister. We had a great day! They took me out for lunch at Graydon's Crossing where I enjoyed Pama Mosa!! The boys did great and after lunch we met up with Autumn and her kiddos at the EGR Middle School for some halloween fun. After that we went home to watch the Michigan St vs Michigan game, where Michign lost...it's a rebuilding year!! I think I actually enjoyed the Penn St vs Ohio St game more, where sadly, Ohio St lost, ha ha ha!!! It was a great birthday and I think my favorite present was from Jack and Wade. Chris took Jack to Bath and Body Works and told Jack he could pick out whatever he wanted to give. He smelled all the smells and picked out a black raspberry vanilla candle and a pomogranate lotion. He did so good and I love the fact that he picked it out all by himself!! Here are a few pics from lunch where I am wearing the new scarf from my sisters. They also got me earings but the cool thing about the earings is that I get a new pair for the next 3 months, what a cool idea!! Thanks sisters for the great gifts!! I love you!

Tuesday

Tuesday was our last day in Washington. We were going to take it easy and I was going to spend the day packing so Mom took the boys first thing in the morning to go to the park...& Chris and I got everything ready for our trip home! That gave us a free afternoon for some more fun. Here's a cute picture of Jack at the park!

When Mom got home with the boys we had lunch and then went to the Belle Acres Orchard. Jack had fun picking out a pumpkin! He took the first one he found. Last year he kept picking them and then finding one he thought was better, this year was a lot easier!!

They had golf carts you could take to drive around the Orchard. Jack thought this was great fun. We saw all the apple trees and a few horses. There was also a great view of Mt Baker, or Mountain Baker, as Jack calls it, but it didn't turn out as clear in this picture.

Tuesday

Jack had been telling Papa that he wanted to play tennis all week, but we kept having other things come up. Finally, on the last night Papa took Jack out for his first try at tennis. (Lindsay, I think we'll have to take you up on the offer of tennis lessons!!!) Jack thought it was great and didn't want to leave. Dad, we'll get some court time at MVP for you and Jack when you are here in November!! Jack didn't do so bad his first time out! He certainly got an A+ for enthusiasm.

Jack got it on the racket!

Looks like he might again.

Tuesday

Our last night in Washington we went to the Semiahmoo Resort to have dinner. Mom, Dad, Jack and I had gone there before when Chris wasn't with us. It was so beautiful that I wanted him to see it before we left. We got there just before the sun started to set and had time for a few good pictures.

The lights are White Rock, Canada, in the distance.

Here we are at dinner and Wade does so well at restaurants. He was entertaining the table next to us.

Here is Jack with his pumpkin that he picked out at the orchard. Mom used a drill to write Jack's name in the pumpkin. Great idea!! No knives needed!!

At Oma and Papa's

Wade is finally sitting up on his own! Jack learned to sit up while visiting my parents when they lived in Utah and Mom wanted to teach Wade while he was visiting. He is still a little unstable but we are getting the hang of it. The more tired he is, the more he topples.

Before we arrived in Washington my Mom had captured a few slugs and had told Jack that she had a surprise for him when he got to their house. Jack thought the slugs where great and spent all week searching for more slugs every time it rained. Oma and Jack got lots of books about slugs at the library and read all of them. He loved taking them out of the jar and putting them into a plastic dish pan while Oma and Jack cleaned out the jar and gave them new food. One night we got so occupied with dinner that we forgot the slugs were out and left them in the dish pan. In the morning Jack couldn't find the slugs anywhere!! We looked EVERYWHERE and we could not find them. Finally, around 10 am one slug came crawling out from under the stove and probably 10 min. later the other slug followed!!! Slugs need water so they were pretty shriveled up but we put them back into the plastic tub and sprayed them with water. Jack was so relieved that the slugs had not died!!!

Monday

On Monday, my Dad took the day off and we all drove up to Mt. Baker. It was probably the nicest day we had while visiting which made it great for being outside and for being able to see the mountains clearly.

oma, pap, wade and jack, mt baker

allison and chris

papa, jack, and katers hiking

jack throwing stones with Oma and Katers

Monday

The one thing that Jack knew about mountains was that there is snow. Two years ago Mom and Dad took the whole family to Whistler for Christmas. Jack loved all the snow there so I think he was expecting a little more snow than what we found but he made due with what was there. We had borrowed a sled from our cousins (Thanks Shelly!) and Jack was all set. He would lay on the sled while Chris or my Dad flung him around on a small patch of snow. Chris and my Dad got a pretty good work out! Jack said he never wanted to stop!!

Here are a few more family pictures on Mt Baker...

This one is better of the mountain than the family-but wanted you to see how beuatiful is was.

Monday

...more pics from Mt Baker...

allison, chris, jack & wade & the SLED!

papa & wade

papa, wade & oma

jack the hiker & his "Mountain Baker"

Saturday

Saturday we all drove up to Deception Pass. We took the boat tour which was great and Jack pretty much loves any chance he can get to be on a boat. It was a little chilly out on the ocean but the boys did great!!! We even got to see a few dolphins (actually porpoises, but Jack did not agree with this information) which Jack thought was way cool!

Here are a few facts taken from the Deception Pass Tours website.

At peak current at over 8 knots (9.5 mph) almost 900 million gallons of water pour through Deception Pass. That’s 50 times more flow that all the rivers in the Puget Sound. You can see why there is a 4.5 foot height difference in the water level from one side of the pass to the other!

The bridge, one of the scenic wonders of the Pacific Northwest, is actually two spans, one over Canoe Pass to the north, and another over Deception Pass to the south. Construction began in August 1934, and the completed bridge was dedicated at noon on July 31, 1935. The Wallace Bridge and Structural Co. of Seattle, Washington provided 460 tons of steel for the 511-foot Canoe Pass arch and 1130 tons for the 976-foot Deception Pass span. The cost of construction was $482,000.
In September 1982, the bridge was declared a National Historic Landmark. It cost more to paint the spans in 1983 than it did to build them in 1935. They were painted again in 1997.