Happy Birthday, Rhett!

Rhett turned 4! (Can anyone tell I'm behind on the blog?)

This was his Cars 2 "cake." (Apparently we didn't get a pictures before people started digging in.) I had really planned on doing something nicer, but in the end I think I felt burned out and he ended up with cupcakes from a box (and homemade icing!), with sprinkles and Cars 2 character pictures printed off the computer and stuck in the cupcakes with toothpicks. (Come to think of it, his 3rd birthday cake was a little on the lame side too... Sorry, Rhett!)

Hey! Here's photographic evidence of the 3rd birthday cake lameness, since I apparently don't have a blog post to link to! Bless Rhett's heart for loving me anyway.

Our friends and neighbors from across the street came over to celebrate with us: Nayla, Guillermo, and Guillermo Jr.

Love this happy boy! Rhett is our most passionate child by far. Thankfully, his extreme sweetness makes up for any extremities in the... other direction (which are nothing if not plentiful).

Here's hoping for a better birthday cake when you turn 5!

At the Beach

 We haven't been to the beach nearly enough lately. I think we've started to take it for granted! But the kids and I did have a fun time out near Semiahmoo with our Manookin friends at the end of June.

 What's more fun than a bucket of crabs?

Benjamin and Rhett both got totally soaked, but we had a fun time. Next year we'll try to go more often!

Road Tripin' with the Deacons

 Paul is our ward's Young Men's president, and is therefore also very involved with the Boy Scouts. When three deacons needed a ride down to scout camp in Oregon, and Paul couldn't find a second adult to go with him to drive them down, it became a family event! We piled in the van and headed down to Portland.

 Movies kept everyone's attention.

 It was pouring rain when we arrived.

Our friends the Dymocks generously allowed us to sleep at their house Saturday night. Sunday we went to church, then spent some time at the Portland Temple and Visitors Center before the three young men met up with someone else from our ward for the remainder of the trip to camp.

 

Rhett and Samantha had a lot of fun together

It was a whirlwind of a trip, but fun!

Father's Day

(Recipe)

 

Tuesday

 

 9:09 am: Lucy's favorite

9:10 am:  Reading The Circus Ship

 9:11 am: Still in pajamas

 9:11 am: Rhett's drawing and some letters practice

 2:41 pm: Wheat grinding

 2:42 pm: On the kitchen floor

2:43 pm: Homemade "maple" syrup

 3:31 pm: Exploring the computer desk

 3:31 pm: Playing with Trios

 7:33 pm: Baby shower rolls cooling on the table

 7:38 pm: Clearing rocks to make way for our pumpkin patch

 7:38 pm

8:52 pm: Note to self: Don't leave baby shower rolls unattended

Kite-flying FHE

Dollar-Spot kites (from Target) made for a fun and memorable FHE at Zuanich Park!

Pinewood Derby

 I think Paul and the Young Men had a fun time putting on a ward Pinewood Derby. There was a great turnout, and the "Photo Finish" screen was definitely a hit.

For some reason we didn't get pictures of the boys' cars that Paul made for them. Benjamin chose a Francesco Bernoulli car, and Rhett wanted "#7." Unfortunately, neither car did very well in the races, but the boys didn't seem to mind.