Catherine Creek Camping Trip in July

Our family went camping with the VanDykes, the Robertsons, and the Ritchies at Catherine Creek in Oregon. We arrived at the campsite on Thursday evening, set up our tents (we have two tents now, since our family has outgrown one -- plus Todd slept in a pup tent -- so I guess we slept in three tents!) After dark, we gathered around the campfire to roast marshmallows and eat s'mores. Yummm!!! The first night, I didn't sleep much...my foam pad got left at home, so I was on the very hard, very cold ground. The second night, the VanDykes offered me their "extra" foam pad (which was actually Shayne's I found out later -- he was so nice to give it up for my sake). I slept sooo much better on that comfy foam pad. I was warmer that night, too, since the pad served as insulation between me and the cold ground.

We had a great time on our camping trip: hiking, fishing, tubing in the creek, and just enjoying being together in the beautiful outdoors. The kids made bows and arrows, pinecone people, and glow-in-the-dark personalized sticks.

Michelle's Aunt and Uncle are service missionaries at the campsite. The kids had fun riding on this little tractor and trailer. We went on a couple of hikes, including one to some caves that possibly housed some big, scary wild animals (a bear? or maybe a cougar?) Yikes! Two of the men went in first, armed with a big gun and walkie-talkies to scope things out. That was the most exciting part.

Tiffani and Kirby had fun searching for crayfish in the creek. They brought three back to the campsite to have as "pets."

David and Trent went on the tube together. Ooh, it was cold!!!

The kids were so sad when it was time to pack up and leave our fun camp site. Tiffani cried and said she wasn't ready to go. "Can we come back here every year?" she asked. What a memorable weekend in the great outdoors with our great friends! We hope to do it again next summer.

Seattle Vacation and David's MBA Graduation

On the first day of summer vacation, our family drove to Seattle. We planned this "summer kickoff" three-day trip early in the year, to celebrate David's graduation from City University of Seattle. He now has his Master's of Business Administration, and we are so proud of him!!! It wasn't easy to work full-time, take care of a family of six, stay active and busy in church callings while attending school!

We stayed two nights in the Embassy Suites in Bellevue, where we enjoyed the swimming pool and hot tub, workout room, and delicious breakfasts! Here's a picture of David, Todd, and Trent in the hot tub.

Thursday afternoon, we went to the Pacific Science Center in downtown Seattle. Everyone had a great time, and it was fun to see Trent's excitement as he ran from one exhibit to the next. He was a little afraid of the dinosaur exhibit, and wanted me to hold him while we were in there.


Friday we spent at Discovery Park north of Seattle. We hiked a couple of miles through a dense, beautiful forest to get to the beach, where we explored and hunted for "treasures" like shells and unique rocks. The kids had fun getting their feet wet and running from the waves. The hike back to the car was tough, but everyone made it. We had a picnic, then headed Auburn to visit David's Uncle Bob and Aunt Rita. They had a nice meal for us, and we enjoyed visiting with them.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at the Seattle temple, which is where David and I were married on June 20, 1995. We walked around the beautiful temple grounds and savored the sweet spirit that is there and the memories of our wedding day.

Saturday we went to Key Arena for David's graduation ceremony. This was the culminating event of our trip to Seattle. It was so exciting to see him receive his diploma. I got a little choked up when I gave him a hug following the ceremony. David's parents were there, as well as my parents. It was so nice of them to come all this distance to support us. We have the best parents in the world!

Following the graduation, we all headed to the Cheesecake Factory for a delicious dinner. This was David's choice, and he sure chose a good spot to celebrate!