It's Val's Fault

Of all the things that Val has introduced me to the new photo apps for the iPhone have got me hooked. Why do things just look better in sepia? Who knows. Some examples of my work.....;-)

4Q12X

The June update to the family blog can be found here.

Sun and water

Well, while the rest of the United States is suffering from severe heat, it seems like summer weather is completely avoiding us.  So much so that all it takes is an afternoon of sun and 60 degree weather for Tyler and Hailey to put on swim suits and break out the sprinkler or have a water fight.  Meanwhile I'm standing behind the camera in my sweatshirt.  Hailey has always loved water.  Give her a puddle and she is a happy girl. Our backyard is so saturated with water from all our rain that we had a nice swamp going with about 5 minutes of sprinkler.  We had a happy girl though.

Tyler sees the mud and wants nothing to do with it.  However, bring out the aqua-zooka and he's all in.  I don't know how they can stand to get wet with the freezing cold water.  

 After a while Hailey decided to catch the water.  First with a rope circle and then with a container.

 Behind the scenes Dave took a break from deck stripping to reach up as high as possible and cut back all the trees that our trying to take over our deck and reach the roof.  It looks so much better now.  It's a little frightening how big the trees right next to our house have become.  If ever there is too strong of a wind........

School Parade

On the last day of school Totem Falls has a school parade.  The whole school parades around the neighborhood.  The band plays.  Mom's, dad's, and neighbors stand in their driveways and cheer everyone on.  Then it's back for the school assembly and last minute cleanup in the classrooms before school is done for the year.  It's a very fun way to end the year for all of the kids.

Hooray for the last day of school

setting up arches for the parade

final walk to first grade

gathering for the parade

Mrs. McLatchy - the best 1st grade teacher ever!!

the first grade section

Blake and Ty

through the neighborhood

the pin wheels quickly turned into blow sticks for the boys

And that was it.  School is over.  Now we are just waiting for some summer weather!

First and last

First and Last Day of School Pictures:

Field Day

During the last week of school Totem Falls always has field day.  All the different stations are put on by the 6th graders and it's always lots of fun for the kids.  Hailey and I stopped by briefly to take a couple of pictures but really missed most of it.  It's fun to see Tyler having a good time with all of his classmates.

Kyle Seager Day - 06/30/2012

Four years ago Val and I hugged and kissed our little boy before he was taken in for heart surgery to correct a hole in his heart called an ASD. What a scary time but blessed one as the folks at Children's Hospital, hands guided by God, took such great care of Tyler and handed him back to us for the rest of a long and active life.

Fast forward to a life of soccer, basketball and of course, Baseball. Tyler has shown us that he is an athlete at heart, loving competition and the joys of athletic performance. He put it best the other day when we were talking about the things we were made to do when he said, "God made me to move!" SO TRUE! Just the other day he ran 4 miles with his Mom. He's 7!!!

This year we made a connection with the current Mariner 3rd Baseman, Kyle Seager, who we learned had surgery on the same type of heart defect when he was born. A chance comment to a friend at work, Sean, whose g/f works for the M's and 710 KIRO, and we found ourselves blessed with 4 passes to BP to meet Kyle Seager and enjoy amazing seats for the M's vs Red Sox 06/30/2012. The M's won in dramatic fashion in extra innings. The pictures, I think, say it all.

Thanks to Sean, Carrie, the Mariners and most of all to Kyle Seager for making a boy and his father's dreams come true! It was beyond cool when Kyle gave Ty one of his very own bats!!!