"Whew! that's a lot of Cheese!"

Do you ever find yourself saying something, in earnest, that everyone else around you finds funny and proceed to mock you for? Joe had that recently when enjoying a large slice of Costco pizza. Perhaps his amazement stemmed from delivering for Pizza Hut for many years and never seeing that kind of masterpiece or perhaps he was concerned for his arteries or the financial wellbeing of Costco's deli after indulging in such topping excess. We can never know what made him exclaim, "Whew, that's a lot of cheese!" over and over but we can know that all the other five members of his family got a hearty laugh at the time and take regular chances to mock him about his exclamation whenever a situation warrants. "Whew that's a lot of Cheese!" Has become even more to our family lately and represents a time when there is just a lot of something, too much to be coped with all at once. Like when someone upends a steamy cup of Cocoa on the carpet or you find you've spent four hours preparing a church lesson in one day. Since I haven't blogged since May and our family is always on the go I feel that way about the following update and thought Joe's famous words as our title only fitting.

A word of warning; we let Gunner have a go at the sub titles for some of these posts, we'll leave it up to you to decide which. Here we go . . .

In May we had two birthdays, Betsy turned four and Tess hit six running. Betsy just wanted a Rapunzel doll and was happy to settle for a melee with friends at Chuck E Cheese.
Cupcakes are delicious even when they are shared amongst 4 and 3 year olds on the germy Chuck E Cheese tables.
"This roller coaster gives me nausea I'm out of here."

Tess, on the other had had more sophisticated tastes, insisting on a small stuffed "Squilly" for each guest as well as a small sack of Nuts (squirrel food) and a copy of the book "Scaredy Squirrel has a Birthday."
Squilly, was there ever a better pet?

Gunner's track team enjoyed winning their league. We also enjoyed a Memorial Day at the Oregon Coast with cousins and the Father/Son Camp out.
Run Away!!!
The wet sandy beach great for clamming and apparently dancing.

Some one's enjoying their ice cream in the Tillamook Cheese Factory van.

Milking it for all they're worth! (Please note the double entendre.)

What better place to act cheesy with your cousin, than at the Tillamook Factory?

Can you spot five heads hidden in the drift wood?
On the way home we found a "shrieking" sand beach, we all loved it.

The tent is finally pitched lets go!!
Ready for some soccer!
While the men are away camping the ladies will dine!
"Come on Betsy let me drag you along to the Father/Daughter fun."
They are all thinking, "I don't want to be here lets go have some s'mores.
"Wow how cool you have hands!"

In June, Gunner finished his least favorite baseball season of all but turned 11, had a fabulous bounce house party with friends, got his Webelo, Arrow of Light and earlier had finished third over all in his last Pine Wood Derby. Gunner walked the bridge into boy scouts only to be slapped back down by his Dad but enjoys not being a cub scout and being constantly beholden to that battle axe Akeelah!

Thick cut and juicy, exactly what he asked for, steak.
Falling Down, down, down!
The race of the male Ellsworth's; they're trying to hard.
It was exhausting, sweaty and certainly some sort of health code violation but Pizza, make-it-yourself sundaes and bounce houses left several satisfied party goers.

"Do you want the Candle or the Arrow, take your pick."

July brought Sports Camps for everyone, Gunner coached and played the part of "runner dog" whenever the camps demanded a bit of the surreal and the girls participated.

We also celebrated the birth of this the greatest nation with family. We rode the "Ducks" in Seattle an expensive yet cool land and sea tour of Seattle and dropped by the Science Center.
What kid wouldn't want to pose by a giant animatronic dinosaur!?

A random zoo trip followed.
Betsy to Grady, "How about we elope?"
They are definitely screaming inside.

Let there be demolition!
Betsy is saying wow cool! the bear is saying yum a meal!!
Goats are sure interesting to brush until they eat your brush.
Tess eyes another bird not even paying attention to her own.
Attack!!!!

August brought us Kiddie Gourmet cooking camp for Tess and Scottie where they learned to make delicious eats for the rest of the family. We also celebrated Joe's birthday.
Yummy, sprite and lime floats in the front room to celebrate Joe's 35th.
And this is why we no longer allow yummy, sprite and lime floats in the front room.

We had a terrific camp out at Ensign Ranch with friends from church and family from Eastern Washington.

The goal was to get our whole group from one tiny platform to the other using a rope and not touching the ground . . .
We did it!
Uncle Jarom, he has a nice trustworthy look to him.

Whew, that one almost got away!

"Spider man, Spider man, does whatever a spider can . . . "

Oh cute, a miniature mountain climber!

Don't do it! That water is cold and teeming with leeches!!!
The is what happens when you are repeatedly asked to buy a pony and you don't ever deliver!
This doesn't end well. I know, I was there.
That's a lot of Ellsworth legs on a fast moving tube.

And we sang the cougar fight song the whole time, "Oh rise and shout . . "

This chain is going to be epic . . .
until it breaks.
This was an old train tunnel in the pass. Some people were less then enthusiastic about the 2.3 mile hike in the freezing tunnel.
But for those who stuck it out and hiked all the way they were rewarded with something truly amazing. Seeing the other end of the tunnel.

The end of August and beginning of September brought middle aged men reliving their glory days at sand volleyball, school, swim lessons, soccer, preschool for Betsy and a return to a busy but more normal schedule!

No ladies, it's not a scene from Top Gun, I felt I needed to clarify that, just in case.
First day of school, I miss them already.