Happy Birthday!!!

Back in May, on May 3, 2010, Alec turned 10. To mark the occasion, we visited Chuck E. Cheese w/ the fam.

The girls especially are big fans of Chuck E.

We had the requested Chocolate cake w/ chocolate frosting. I chose an ice cream that would round out the flavors.

For his b-day, he got a remote control plane, which has been flown into many a tree by this point. This summer Grandpa kept the flying dream alive by buying two RC planes and they would go into the fields and fly them. By the end of two months, one plane was shot, but they were both getting pretty good.

August 9, 2010 was Lia's b-day. We went to the zoo. Bald eagles are prevelant on Whidbey Island, there was one who could be found atop a telephone pole at the end of my parent's street. Don't try to touch them, they aren't too friendly.

Lia and Brielle posing with some porcupines.

Alec, Brielle, and Lia in front of the giraffe.

Lia got a High School Musical comforter from Grandma & Grandpa. Last week the Vermason clan celebrated August b-days in the mountains. She got more stuff there including the stick-on earrings she is wearing now.

Happy birthday Lia. I still can't believe she's 5!! The picture underneath is her summary of her 5th birthday. She is still hoping for a "real" party with friends. What are we? Chopped liver?

Alec's Best Day Ever

For Alec's best day ever, we rode the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad. This is Alec watching the train come in. I still have to upload his movies and millions of pictures to the computer.

We stayed in Issaquah at my cousin's house the night before. This is one of her daughters - Kayla, posing w/ Lia & Brielle. They had a slumber party in her room.

This is the steam engine we rode on. It is named the Wyllamette. I just murdered the spelling - oh well. We caught the train in Elbe, WA. and it rode to Mineral Lake and back. Alec was excited beyond words. Getting to Elbe ain't easy; there were about 7 different highways - no, I'm not exaggerating. For any who decide to take this trip, you want to take WA - 7, and please, do not go through Eatonville.

This is the view you would see if you stuck your head out of the side of the train against the conductor's wishes.

Here's a boy showing us how it is done.

Our car was directly in back of the engine, so here is Brielle posing at the back of the engine.

There were awesome views of Mt. Rainier, however, the mountain blends in with the clouds, so you can't see what it is in pictures. I knew people sometimes didn't photograph well, but I guess mountains can have the same problem.

Alec, Brielle, and Lia at Alder Lake after the train ride was over, just before heading home.

Me too with the kids.

This is the bridge of Lia's dreams. We took it to get to the Bremerton pennisuala, which is a round-a-bout way of getting home; but it gave us killer views of some Naval Ships.

It's About Stinkin' Time...

After 6 weeks of waiting, almost patiently, for dance to begin, it was the first day of dance. Lia was so excited she wore her leotard to preschool this morning and for the rest of the day until dance started. (I was a little worried Lia would be the only one dressed up, what was I thinking? This was a dance class full of little ballerinas.)

Learning about proper ballet form.

This is how I know Lia is my daughter, check out the amazing flexibility; if I try really hard I can do about what Lia is doing.

Uh-oh, we have a ballerina down. Just so everyone knows, Lia told me her teacher is beautiful, she has beautiful eyes, beautiful eyelashes, and beautiful hair.

The Train Museum..... Again

I tried five times to rotate this picture, but it wasn't meant to be, so please forgive the kink in your neck.

When you can't go see your new baby brother born the night before, it's kind of depressing, so Aunt Shelley went to the Train Museum (again) with Alec, Brielle, Lia, and Daniel, Matthew, and Emily.

The kids had a screaming time and we all made it home in one piece. And on the way home the older gang did some shoe sniffing to see who had the stinkiest feet, there were some scorpion bites, silly jokes told, and I don't remember all the other stuff they did on the train ride home. I personally had a great time, but I need some new adventure destinations please (so I don't shoot myself). Any advice, please let me know!!!