We packed up the car and headed out Sunday afternoon. Sam proved himself worthy of long distance car trips by being absolutely perfect for all 6 hours.When we arrived at the hotel we met up with the Richey's and ate dinner at Outback. When we were all full of steak and Idaho potatoes, we drove back and turned in.
Sam had a hard time sleeping in a new place the first night, but he was great for the other two. He loved laying in his own queen sized bed watching cartoons though.
When morning came (sooner than later the first night) we put on our swim suits and drove to the park. 
Sam was in heaven. He played and splashed and laughed. When that got boring he would come up to "camp", get a drink, eat a snack and go back to the water to do it all again.
The adults took turns trying out the water slides. 
It was so much fun for Matt and I to go off alone for a little while and be kids again.
When the water park closed down at 7pm, we took advantage of the setting sun and rode some rides in cooler air. I managed to talk Matt and Ben into going on the "Aftershock" with me and it did not disappoint! The face down plummet was so scary, but we all LOVED the thrill.
We all slept very well that night :)Tuesday morning was overcast and with hopes that it would burn off we started the day at the water park again. 
When the wind picked up we decided it was a little too cold to play in the water. But not soon enough. Matt hurt his neck bashing into some people in the wave pool just as we were about to leave. 
Luckily it didn't stop him from enjoying the rest of the day. (even with no feeling in his left arm.)
When the wind picked up we decided it was a little too cold to play in the water. But not soon enough. Matt hurt his neck bashing into some people in the wave pool just as we were about to leave. Luckily it didn't stop him from enjoying the rest of the day. (even with no feeling in his left arm.)We took turns riding roller coasters and playing on kids rides with the little ones. 
Sam had no fear. He rode the elephant ride, a paragliding carousel and a kiddie coaster without one complaint.
He is going to be a thrill seeker just like his mom and dad :) I'm sure one day he'll use his fearlessness to impress his dream girl, Makiah. 
Sam loves her. 
He followed her around the whole time and made sure to show off when she was looking. She didn't mind the attention either. 
Guess what? Matt talked me into riding a WOODEN roller coaster. Its something I don't like to do. But I did it, and I lived. And it was scary. But I will admit it was fun.
Sam had no fear. He rode the elephant ride, a paragliding carousel and a kiddie coaster without one complaint. He is going to be a thrill seeker just like his mom and dad :) I'm sure one day he'll use his fearlessness to impress his dream girl, Makiah. Sam loves her. He followed her around the whole time and made sure to show off when she was looking. She didn't mind the attention either. Guess what? Matt talked me into riding a WOODEN roller coaster. Its something I don't like to do. But I did it, and I lived. And it was scary. But I will admit it was fun.We all had a great time at Silverwood. The rides were fun, the park was nice, the food was good and reasonably priced, and the activities were plentiful. We were there for two full days and didn't get to try everything.
I guess we'll need to go back again!
The bump started yesterday with an 
The miracle of life, is just that. A miracle. I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends like the Cox family, who allowed me to photograph such an important day. Not only is it great for them to have pictures of her first moments of life, but it was great for me to experience a c-section first hand to 
So I called 911. Yes, seriously I did. I was not about to watch this poor animal suffer. The operator patched me through to State Patrol because Animal Control was already closed for the night. The officer that answered laughed, said "thank you for calling but baby seals are left alone by their mothers some times for days at a time. Just leave it alone, and be careful because that baby IS being protected."
Feeling a little silly, I hung up the phone and informed the others that this baby was a healthy one. As if to tell us we were making fools of ourselves, the pup stretched out and started to move around and make noises. The little thing had no fear!
As much as I wanted to spoon the little creature, we knew it was best to leave her alone. We took a few pictures, talked to the baby and named her "July." If you think that it is silly to name a wild animal, you 
It was hard to leave, but we had a sunset to catch. Plus, chances were our presence was keeping mommy from coming back and feeding the hungry baby.
Yes, I got a little burned at the beach. 
Thank you Quinn and family for letting us play!
As soon as the heat wave came through Seattle my friend Quinn and I have been trying to head out to the island. Yesterday we managed to get tickets for the ferry and we spent all day there.
We set up camp, complete with a shade fort, and then relaxed to our hearts desires. 
The boys loved playing in the low tide and splashing in the ocean. 
The water was so warm and there were plenty of sea plants to play around with. 
Quinn and I did as much sun bathing as we could with such excited little boys.
Sam and Tyler did a lot of snacking and resting under the shade. Quinn and I could not believe how happy our boys were. 
They made it so easy for all of us to enjoy ourselves. 
Sam loved having daddy to play with.
When my shoulders started to turn a nice shade of neon red, we figured it was time to go. We packed up our things, hopped on the return ferry and drove home. It 
The water was still a little cold, but we had a fun time playing in the sand and passing around buckets and shovels.
He is like his mom in the way that he 
Beach bum!