Do the Puyallup

So here in Washington we have the Puyallup Fair, it's not a county or a country fair it's just a huge fair for a fair's sake. This year Scottie's gym performed there and we all went to see. It was fun to watch but even more fun for her. After she stepped off stage she said, "Mom I LOVE performing." I was a little surprised but glad she has found her niche in exhibitionism. (We hope elegance and grace will eventually come.)

Since we had gotten the entire family in for a whopping eight bucks we thought we would give the fair a real try. It was also Monday Madness and all the rides were a dollar. The kids of course enjoyed the animals, I on the other hand had trouble watching them constantly touch things and then put their fingers in their mouths. Man that's tough for me. WHY, WHY! do kids do this and when I was little did I? Needless to say two days later Scottie was barfing and all the others had some form or other of intestinal trouble. But it was all worth it for an elephant ear and a brush with the Avian Flu in the pigeon barn.

The rides were alright, Scottie picked one from a distance that looked fun and as you can see did NOT enjoy it. After that we stuck to the kiddie rides. The highlight of the whole event was the human cannon ball. Joe and I loved it! Oddly enough the kids weren't that impressed, perhaps because this sort of thing happens to Betsy all the time.

The Beginning of the End . . .

Scottie started Kindergarten last week. This is always bitter sweet for me because while I can't wait to have a few less people around to take care of during the day, once they go they don't ever stop going until eventually college takes them away forever! Scottie loves it and has already made several friends. She has even started asking if she could watch Hannah Montana hmmmm. She also informed me that a little boy on the playground, "showed me the middle finger." So we had out first fun discussion about that.
Gunner started as well in a new grade and also a new school, yes different than Scottie, and I am only just beginning to realize how much I hate it! If one child misses the bus or one school needs a form it seems like I spend the entire day hopping from one school to the next and I can't even imagine two separate carnivals, back to school nights etc. Oh well I guess this eventually happens anyway.
Tess is really enjoying the one on one time with me in the afternoons and has rediscovered our extensive puzzle collection. She is very protective of the ones she has assembled and tells us not to touch because they're "fragible"
In addition to the first day pics I though I'd put a few favorites from our summer. I am still bitter about seasonal change and enjoying every bit of sun the last few days. This is the part of the year when I start to think the Arizonans have it right!

Betsy's first strawberries.

Ahhh Coldplay . . .

Vegas Pingel's Hospitality Gunner's Baptism Grady and Betsy have a standoff by the pool

Scottie and Grandma Riding Scout.

The sprinkler!

Getting limber for the First Smith Olympiad

Betsy in her Olympic attire.
Family biking A visit to the botanical gardens and Five mile Drive in Tacoma.
Back yard Marshmallow roast, yes that was our flower bed, now it's an ash pit!Leaving for the Father/ Daughter camp out. Coming back filthy; the picture doesn't do the mess or the smell justice.

Chillaxin' in the Radio Flyer with a tasty read.Smith Family Reunion '08, pets welcome. Joe's Birthday and dollar store loot from the kids. Each got to pick their present all by themselves the Home Run Pillow was way better than the first choice porcelain angel figurine.
One of Many trips to the various zoos around Washington.
Betsy begining her total obsession with shoes, refusing to have them off her feet for even a second.
Seeing the F-22 in Spokane at the airshow. Starting Cub Scouts and four days of shooting, tying and sharpening things at cub camp.Another zoo trip, with cousins this time! A visit from Grandpa and Uncle Jarom

Hiking Mt Rainier. Holding our first annual Family Sleep Out.
As morning dawned things got a little crazy.And Betsy learned to fly. . . The perfect finale to our summer; One night Tess fell out of bed but was so exhausted she didn't even wake up.

Here's to a terrific summer!

Life after the bar

It has been a long while since we've updated the Blog but since the bar has been behind us we have been in a constant celebration mode, travelling, resting and just shirking all of our duties and commitments.

For Joe's birthday we went East to Spokane to see the jet he designs, the F-22 in an air show. I wouldn't have thought this was my sort of thing but we all loved it and couldn't help jumping when the jets would fly what seemed like inches over our heads. And yes they did have the Top Gun sound track playing in a constant loop throughout the airshow and Gunner loved it. Thankfully it appears we can count another generation addicted to that movie. And like my father did I will gladly stand in front of the T.V. on the one bad part;) We LOVED Spokane especially the escape from the constant clouds and rain in Seattle. They have the best waterfront park and they were having some kind of festival while we were there which made it even better. We swam a ton at the pool and water slide at our hotel.

Just two days later it was on to Ensign ranch for a brief camp out with The Jason and Lisa Ellsworth Family. We have not had the chance to become good campers in the last several years and forgot several things including sleeping bags, pillows some sort of lighter, bikes, aqua socks and inner-tubes and various food items.

But because Jason and Lisa are the most prepared campers I have ever had the pleasure of staying with we still came out on top. The slip and slide was thrilling as well as the rope swing into leech lake and Uno until midnight. Oh yeah, we forgot our camera so for picture's you have to check Lisa's blog.

Finally we headed to The Smith family Reunion in Eugene, Oregon. We all stayed at a posh Marriott and spent the three days eating excellent food, swimming, cheering on the gymnast's and Michael Phelps on T.V. and over-talking and thinking just about everything. (With four sisters this is inevitable.)



We also had the first Smith Family Olympics which had all sorts of fun relays and a watermelon eating contest and Family rhythmic gymnastics with a ribbon. Something I've always wanted to see my brother-in-law Roy try.

We came back from our travels exhausted made worse by the fact that we just felt too dang lazy to do anything that wasn't extremely fun or tasty. It has been a terrific Summer and we are so sad to see it go. I would say it was unbearable were it not for a little trip south this October . . . DISNEYLAND OR BUST!