Summer Pictures

Well, I must say it's about time I get you all some pictures of what we have been up to and how much the kids have grown. We have been extremely busy this summer, and I have also been trying to slowly download all of my pictures onto discs. This has not been as easy as I originally thought, due to the amount of files and pictures I have. So Beck, good luck on your endeavors of trying to keep originals of yours.

The weather has been warm and comfortable in the day time and hot and muggy at night. So too cool off, we treat ourselves to popcycles on a some what regular basis.

Sadiyah now is about 5'1" in height and wears a size 9 womens shoe. So she and I can only share certain shoes at this point, being I am only and 8 1/2. She still has the gymnast body, all muscle and no fat and absolutely as gorgeous as ever. She has been reading a ton this summer, playing hide and go seek outside in all the arborvidy and helping a ton with Kolbie and Kai this summer.

So my pictures once again are out of order and I can't ever seem to get them onto the computer in the order I would like, so here goes the next few.

Sahaan went on a 5 day youth conference/teaching experience. It was called Feet 2 Faith, where the youth and leaders went to seminars in the morning and learned about community involvement, ministry and impacting those around you. And in the afternoon they put their words into action by serving the community in Seattle where the conference was. Sahaan helped to organize, plan and implement this conference and was the MC at all the worship times. Worship was help 2 or 3 times a day as their days went from 7 Am until 11 PM. One night they even had the kids pack around all their belongings all day in the hot sun and then sleep outside. This was to give them the experience of being homeless, how we treat those that are and the injustices and help needed for those people. Sahaan took 5 kids from church on this trip. There was a total of I think 200 kids at this event.
Yes everyone, this is little Greg and Sahaan. They I believe are at a womens and childrens center helping out for the day. The kids really took to Sahaan and the other ladies that were helping him.
As usual Sahaan became the climbing mountain for all the kids, or just wanted to see how strong he was because after all he looked huge...Right???

Earlier before that trip, we took the youth group on our annual camping trip. So we headed south once again, with an awesome bunch of kids. Mom and dad were the gracious hosts that allowed us to invade the property and their peace for 3 1/2 days. We used the trailer for cooking, tents for camping and went to various places around central Oregon. I, for the first part of our adventure, was very sick and acutally had to have antibiotics called in from Portland, down to LaPine and by the end of the tip was feeling much better.

I took Kai out in the little 2 person raft we had, but he was very unwilling to hop out in the middle of the lake. Aww well, maybe next family trip we can get him out there again.

So pictures out of order, but here is recent photos of Kolbie swimming in the back yard and I just thought the resemblance to me was crazy. I think I have pictures that look quite similar to this.

Kai thought he would join her, and yes it was dark out at the time. It was like 85 degrees at 8:30 pm so why not cool down before bed.

Back to camping, here is one of our fellow campers and Crater Lake critters. Kai was sure they would die from falling down the side of the mountain, but I had to reassure him, that he had claws and that he was used to climbing the mountain.

Kai hanging out of the balcony at Crater Lake!! Don't worry Elyssia had his sweatshirt and legs quite tight while the picture was being taken.

This is Sadiyah with Elyssia and Khiarra down at the bottom of Crater Lake. You can actually hike down 1 - 1 1/2 miles and get in the water. However, there is a cliff about 30 Ft up that you can also jump off of into the lake. Elyssia did this as well as two of the other kids, my kids however were not allowed in any way to jump off the cliff. I would have let Sadiyah had Sahaan gone with her at the same time, but he didn't so my heart "stayed in side of my chest".

Here is little Kolbie at South Twin in her hermit crab raft. She kept saying "cheese" over and over so how could we resist not taking many pictures of her.

Kolbie sitting in Kai's lego bin, while we are trying to clean his room. What a help - NOT!!!

This is Kai at the end of school. These are his two friends Evan (left) and Marquis (right). Marquis and Kai often get mistaken for one another, and are quite the little buddies, but they don't get to go to the same school because of school lines. Bummer!!

Here is Kolbie trying the uncoventional way of getting to the top of the slide. It didn't work.

Crater Lake in its vastness. It is so awesome, the last time I had gone Alex was 1 month old.

Kolbie and Kai waiting for snack at their outside picnic table.

Kolbie attempt at eating spaghetti! Yum Yum!

Kolbie and her Piggy's (pig tails)

Bath time is also a favorite and I do apologize for not cropping where I should have - OOOPPS! She loves the water and makes such a mess whenever she is in any water. She brushes her teeth at least twice a day for 10-15 minutes each time. We also have to shut the door, because she has learned how to climb on the toilet and get into the toothpaste to keep brushing her teeth. She is quite the parrot these days and copies anything you say. She is also very agreeable, nodding her head yes to about any question you ask. She eats off and on, like a bird at times and then like a little never ending hole. We just had her 18month pictures taken for free, so hopefully soon you will all get a picture in the mail or via email.

Kai is about to start Kindergarten in the next few weeks. He is excited to start big kid school, but I don't think he knows yet what that entails or what to expect.

I have been busy working, helping on the camping trip and being at home with the kids for the past 5 days while Sahaan has been gone. I am hopefully going to be starting school in the fall to finish my two year transfer degree and then going on to Nursing school to become a Labor and Delivery Nurse and Sahaan will be starting his second semester in the certificate program through Fuller Seminary. I can't wait to see you all again soon, and hopefully it won't be too long before we are all together again. Until then though, give lots of hugs, kisses and prayers to your families and cherish the times you have with them now. Love you all, Steph.