Ellie learns to slide

Ellie has moved up to AAA softball this year. She is so excited to learn more of the real rules and tricks. She was ready to learn to slide and her team was waiting for a nice wet day to teach the girls. Well Monday was quite a wet day. The field was literally mud soup. My friend Crissy is coaching her team, but according to Crissy she was never very good at sliding. One of my friend's from college decided to help out and did a great job. She started by having everyone kneel and get muddy. They they learned to raise their arms, tuck their legs, and land on their backs. It was great fun to watch. By the end everyone was freezing and very muddy but they learned!

Renee had so much enthusiasm it was hard not to get excited.

Raising your arms because softball is a party!

Getting down and dirty, love that smile

There she goes!

Mission accomplished

Ellie and her good friend Antonia

Time to go home, strip down and get in the shower!

The Beach

This was our last adventure of spring break. I always hate it when the breaks come to an end. We went to the beach and it was a gorgeous day. There were so many people. The kids love to play in the water and sand. Doug made a fire and even taught Ellie how to carve a stick. It was a nice way to end the break.

Ellie got some really big rocks to make a sculpture with. She is REALLY strong!

I think Jack is directing the action(like usual)

Even though it was a nice day the water was still really cold

This made me nervous to watch, but Ellie was so proud of her accomplishment

Wildlife Safari

We wanted to go to Wildlife Safari last year on Spring Break, but Ellie was sick. Doug and I each went once as a kid and fondly remembered it. Well we had a great time. We went through the park twice and looked around the village a little too. We stopped for Burger King lunch on the way down and had ice cream for dinner at Rice Hill, what a treat! We saw so many animals and had the rheas coming up to the car window and scaring me(which is what I really remembered from my childhood). The kids each got a stuffed animal at the gift shop also. We had a lot of fun.

I had a better picture of the giraffe, but I liked this one because you really get the perspective of how big it is and that it is truly walking right by your car, AWESOME!

We loved the bears!

So I had to put this picture in, the kids were begging me to take a picture of the llama's butts and then they loved the picture. Oh the humor of children.

Ellie

Driving right by the yak

Checking out the village

I was getting a little freaked out, but I got the picture and got my window up really quick.

Ice cream at Rice Hill

Blazer game

Last spring break we went to our first Blazer game and the kids LOVED it. So we went again this year. Sam had spent the night so we took him up to Portland to meet up with his dad and we all had dinner at Red Robin. The game was so much fun! You really can't beat that excitement! The Blazers won which made it alot more fun! We got our free chalupa coupons(anytime they score 100 points) and the streamers came down for the win(those were the things Jack was waiting for!) We had a great night!

Spring Break Fun

We have had a great spring break! Lots of free time, softball practice, sleeping in, and fun. I have a few highlights! We went with friends to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid(LOVED THAT MOVIE!) We also went to Eugene to hang out at Putters with great friends. The kids had sleepovers 2 nights in a row.

Playing miniature golf

Great friends for a very long time, Julie, Christy, Liz and Tish

The Hakala, Ficek, Fulton and Dacar kids!

Pancho showing Jack all the car wash money! Jack loves money

Swimming Lessons

Ellie has been taking weekly swimming lessons for almost 3 years and Jack for over a year. Ellie loves it and Jack, well let's just say he is ready for a break. At the end of March we are going to give Jack a break but Ellie will continue. After softball season is over she is ready to try for swim team. She is a good swimmer and it is such good exercise. Jack can swim but has no confidence in himself.

She loves when they get to use flippers

They always get in the hot tub for a little when lessons are over.

Third grade music program

The third grade music program had an American theme. All of the grandparents came to watch Ellie perform. She hates these things, but there was a time when she wouldn't have even stood on the risers. She was singing, chewing her nails a little, and we even saw a smile a few times. The big excitement is that she was on the third riser, not in the front row anymore!!!

She let me put braids in her hair which was so much fun for me.

Ellie and her great teacher Mrs. Robertson