Anywhoo...in May 2007, Lauren turned the ripe old age of 10 and we decided that was a good age to have her first sleepover. And surprisingly enough, the next day, after everyone went home Jeremy ACTUALLY said "That was the perfect age, I wouldn't mind doing that again." :oO Yeah, I almost fell over when he said that!! It was really fun for the girls, ok, and me too...they played the candy bar game, that was a big hit (candy bar game: buy a BIG candy bar and wrap it with many layers of newspaper. Then get a dice, a pair of gloves (or socks, in our case), a hat, a scarf, and a spoon and butter knife. Each person takes a turn rolling the dice, trying to roll a specific number that is pre-decided, when someone rolls that number they QUICKLY put all the clothing on and then try to open the candy bar with the spoon and butter knife, all the while everyone ELSE is continuing to roll the dice for THEIR turn at the chocolate.) This game is SUPER fun and not the LEAST bit quiet, I haven't heard that much shrieking, screaming, and giggling in a long time, well since the last time we played it. LOL :O) Megan can't WAIT to turn 10 to get HER first sleepover. ;O)
In June 2007 we went down to Utah to visit Jeremy's sister Amy and her husband Brian and on one of the days we went to a remote area (just the local kid-filled park....NOT!!) lol and shot them. Lauren LOVES shooting the "Cricket" which is a smaller-sized 22. It's so fun! J and I love to shoot it too, we just look like giants with a toy gun. LOL Amy was also pregnant at this time with their first baby after having 5 miscarriages, we were SOOOO happy for her!!
Subsequently, at the end of July 2007, Amy and Brian came up to OUR house and we LOVE when they come over, they are a lot like J and I (in the fact that we are ALL kind of juvenile tee hee) and well, I had the bright idea to play Hide-n-seek with the kids (a family favorite) and well, I personally LOVE the thrill of hiding and someone coming to FIND me.....unfortunately, Amy, gets really anxious and almost ill when that happens, that and the fact that she was having a hard time finding hiding places with a pregnant belly in the way (hiding under the bed?? didn't work so well. lol), well, she got a really upset stomach and didn't end up feeling too great (I felt SOOO bad!!). Well, the next day or so they went home.....yeah, well less than a week later she had their beautiful, healthy, baby girl, Elizabeth Marie.........a month EARLY on August 2nd!! Yeah, I know, we SOOO put her into pre-term labor!! Way to go, Aunt Sara!! LOL THANKFULLY she was completely healthy, aside from a slight case of jaundice. Whew!! We were and are so happy for them!!
In the middle of August I took the kids up to Spokane for a visit but we first spent some time in the Tri-Cities with my family for my brother, Jason's birthday and my beautiful neice, Caitlin. It was a short visit but we had a lot of fun, the cousins LOVE being together.
In Spokane, we stayed with one of my best friends and we had a BLAST!! Every time we go up there we ALWAYS go to Manito Park, it is my FAVORITE!!! It is like a SUPER park, it has a bunch of smaller parks in one big one, there's a pond with ducks and swans to feed bread, there are play toys, a lilac garden, a japanese garden, a rose garden, a conservatory, and my personal favorite, the Alice in Wonderland garden....no, it's not really called that, but it LOOKS like it is from Alice in Wonderland!! It has all these cute little cut-out flower beds with flowers of every color in them, potted plants, a fountain, a gazebo, tall hedges on all sides, it is the COOLEST!! Well, the COOLEST part of that particular area is the tall, grass hill at one end....it has become a tradition for my kids, (yes, and on occasion, me) to roll down this hill over and over again, the kids LOVE this and I LOVE that they love it. We also got to eat at our most favorite, and sorely missed, Italian Restaurant, Tomato Street. YUM!! I really do miss Spokane and I love to visit anytime I can.
