Leah's Birthday Present

For her birthday, Leah requested a special present: she wanted to hike with "just Mom and Dad only, no brothers or sisters allowed."  She also wanted to hike a particular route-- from our house in San Bernardino to Mimi and Papa's house in Crestline.  The entire distance of that route is approximately eight miles?  I think.  We planned to hike to Sawpit Canyon were the dirt road meets the paved road.  That was about six miles.  Almost straight up.  Also, the day we had planned r our hike turned out to be a scorcher--a hundred degrees.  I was worried.  For Leah.  I didn't know if she would make it.  

 

Here she is at our house, all ready to go.

 
Never fear! Leah will conquer all with her hiking pole.  Predators beware!

Here we are at the top of Palm Avenue.

This is where our pavement ends and

we head up the dirt road; very steep up, up, up!

This is a tree we saw at the bottom that

Leah wanted to know what was. 

I didn't know.

Do you?

 Mommy and Leah; rosy-red-cheeked Leah.

 Someone keeps bees along the trail. 

 Mommy likes the bees. 

 I know you can't see them, but they are all

around me and I am holding very still.

No stings.

 This is about as pretty as it gets in our mountains in August. 
Wild buckwheat.

 Leah found a little animal run.

What do you think made it?

 Our house gets further and further away.

 "I'm really hot.  Are we almost done yet?"

 Snack and water break.

 Even though she was exhausted and probably near

heat stroke, she kept trooping and had a great

attitude.

 Mommy really likes that her girl takes after her and

loves to hike!  You go Leah!

 Hooray!

We made it to Monument Peak! 

We have conquered the uphill and

now only have to hike down Sawpit Canyon.

 We did it!

 "All I can say is that I'm sure glad Papa and Mimi rescued me

and brought us cold water and Oreos. 

And when we got to their house I got to take a shower!"

Kindergarten Trike-A-Thon

The Kindergarten fundraising event of the year: Trike-A-Thon. 

They usually raise between 1-2 thousand dollars

(depending on the generosity of the families). 

 How many laps can you trike around?

 Elias is ready to go.

 This event was at the end of August and it was hot!

Here's Elias truckin' up the hill.

 Mr. Peterson, Elias' teacher, helps Khuslen up the hill

as Naomi zooms up beside him.

 Another lap for Elias and Daniel.

 Aaron rolls around

 Sibling Cheerleaders!

"Go kids, Go!"

 Aaron likes the cheerleaders.

 Khuslen's Grampa thinks he can do more

laps than the kindergarteners--but he can't!

Most of the kindergarteners go 30-40 laps.

Grampa can't even do one!



Mckay wants to join the fray. 

This-N-That

Here are some pictures from here-n-there:

Cub Scouts:

 Mckay is earning a patch and some beads

 at a Scout Pack meeting.

He is getting a hug from his

Primary leader, Sister Becar.

This is Matthew Dalton.  He just got a rank advancement.

Since his mom and dad couldn't make it,

I got to stand in as "mom" and put his pin on him him

while Scott Larson stood in as "dad" and

Held him upside down for me

(a tradition in our troop).

Mathew actually gave me a hug!

Awe, it made my day!

Love you too Matthew my buddy!

 Wes in his grubbies working in the front

yard in 100 degree weather.

He was building a retaining wall. 

 Elias helps level the dirt at the top of the wall.

 There's the hard worker!

 And there is the wall.

A Family Home Evening Tradition:

 We have a game we call "swing ball."

Daddy pitches the soccer ball to the swinging kids.

They kick the ball, jump off their swing,

and run the bases back to their swing before

Daddy can tag them with the ball. 

 Here is Elias getting a huge hug after getting

bopped on the head with the ball.

"Throw the ball Dad! Elias will hit it with his bum!"

One Fine Day

One fine day . . .  it was almost time for school.  I hadn't seen the boys in a while and I figured they were in their room horsing around instead of doing their chores.  I went to "crack the whip" and here is how I found them:

Mckay was helping Elias say his prayer.