we just couldn't wait till august

We just couldn't wait until August to spend the afternoon at the beach.  Peter took the day off, we packed up a picnic, the kids and the pup and went to the beach.  There were a ton of clouds in the sky, but it was sunny and kind of warm actually.

Violet dancing/posing for pictures. 

She had a blast and we went through all our extra clothes because she kept running back into the water.

It was a good day.  After the main beach we went to check out Damon beach per our instructions from Grandma, but the road to the beach had been washed out and the girls weren't in the mood to go for a walk so we'll check it out next time.  Then we went to some of the shops, we found a great candy shop next to a kite store and we got a little bag of candies from our childhoods complete with candy cigarettes and neopolitans. :)  We had a fun time.  In two weeks we are going Camping in Long beach and a few weeks after that all the cousins come to town and we go to the beach again! I think I will be vacuuming sand out of my Car seats a lot this summer :)

 Vi is a preschool graduate!  Her class had a little song and grad ceremony.  It was adorable.  I've got a video that I've got to process but I'll upload it soon.

 Claire was psyched to hang out with all the kids at the little program.  We just found out that Claire will get to go to this preschool too.  Since it is an integrated program of children with Speech delays and other special needs, half the class is for normally developing children and Claire got one of those spots!  I am so excited!  This means I will have 3 hours a day 4 days a week, all to myself!  It's perfect because I am taking 4 classes this fall and I will need some homework time...and maybe a little gym time too :)

Vi after the graduation, having a Popsicle on a sunny day.

Soccer Started 2 weeks ago!  Violet had one little melt down at the first 9 am practice but she has gotten over that (with the help of a bribery deal and a steady supply of treat promises)  But once she gets out there she loves it!  She loves to run around and is actually getting to be pretty good at kicking the ball.  Her team is full of new kids that don't know how to play yet, and we played our first game against a second year team that was really good!  I think we lost by at least 20 goals, and it was pouring buckets of rain but as we were leaving Violet looked at me and said "MOM! WE WON!!!"  So it was definitely worth standing out in the rain at 9 am on a Saturday morning.  It's official...I'm a soccer mom!

Cruz hung out with me for one of the practices...He is a little suspicious of me.  He only warmed up to me once I fed him.  Pretty picky for a kid sucking a pink binky if you ask me ;)

Once Cruz was fed, he took a nap in his car seat and Claire swooped in to play baby.
I think she misses her baby toys.

Violet and Liv out on the field with Greg.  Having a blast.

Vi after practice showing us how to properly eat a nutty buddy...apparently only one bite is necessary because this is the only bite she took :)  Well summer has officially started and we are having a great time.  I am hoping the rain will die down soon, or Vi may need rain gear to play soccer!  We are looking forward to fun times with the cousins in about a month...bring on the beach!!!

what to do in Lincoln city?

Hi I was just thinking about the Corier Reunion in Lincoln City and since we are going to be there for a few days I thought it might be fun to go see some things nearby.  So I went to the visitors website for Lincoln city and I found some stuff that might be fun, if anyone wants to do any of it.
The theatre is playing looney tunes for the kids, this might be good if it happens to rain (I doubt it)

There is a display garden called the Connie Hansen Garden, that is free.  Click on the words "connie Hansen" to see the website.

Regatta Park seems like it would be a great place to take the kids, there is a playground, and walking trails and apparently a really really big tree that we are supposed to look at :)
Also near Regatta park is Spring lake trail, it's 2.5 miles but it is paved and goes around Spring lake. (I would love to do this, I took the girls on a 3 mile hike in the mud when Claire was a baby and they had a blast)

We could go look at the seals that gather on the Salishan spit- the website says there is usually about 150 of them there.

There is a covered bridge not to far away, I don't know if the kids would be interested in that but I would like to go see it if anyone wants to come with me.

And of course there is the Oregon Coast aquarium in Newport- I think it's about an hour from where we will be.  I have been and it's a great aquarium but it is a little spendy (20$ a person)

anyways, let me know if you want to do any of this stuff.  it looks like there is a lot of fun stuff to do.  Oh and we have to fly kites, Lincoln city is the Kite Mecca of the world.

Vi turns 5

 Violet turned 5 last week!  Happy Birthday sweet princess!  Violet had a great birthday.  We went out to dinner with G and G Corier and had cake a presents at their house that night.

 Vi has been asking for this cake for months.  She was so excited when we opened the box.  Peter got her trick candles and it was pretty funny.  She kept shouting...OH NO!  it isn't working!

 On Friday we had a party with the Wright family.  The girls love pinata's for their birthday.

 They have yet to break one open on their own, luckily there were a lot of helpers there that day ;)

 Claire is very serious about her pinata duties.

 Diana found a baker in shelton that made this adorable rapunzel cake for Violet.  Tangled is a favorite cartoon in our house (it even has inspired  V to cut her hair a few times)

 Present time!  Vi got so many wonderful presents and she had so much fun.  I can't believe she is 5 already.

 Vi got a rapunzel costume from her Aunt Diana and Claire is in love with the shoes.
they are heels! starting young!

 V as Rapunzel the bride.  She is in love with this costume and wears it all the time!  Thank you Aunt Diana!

 Claire takes a turn as Rapunzel

Dress up time!

Hope everyone is doing well.  We are excited for the Corier Reunion in a few weeks.  It is going to be very fun.  I would like to celebrate Claire's birthday while we are at the beach since everyone is here, so come ready for cake and party games! :)

MICHAEL JAMES WOOD  18 APR 2012  WELCOME TO THE FAMILY MY YOUNG FRIEND

MOM AND I WERE IN HOUSTON FOR THIS DELIVERY, ABOUT 1/4 PAST 11PM EMILY CAME DOWN STARIS AND SAID THAT IT MIGHT BE TIME TO GO. JONATHAN VERY CALMLY PICKED UP HER BAG AND THEY WERE OUT THE DOOR.  GRANDMA LOOKED AT HER WATCH WHICH READ 11:32 SHE SAID LET JUST HOW LONG THIS TAKES. BY 12:15 AM   I GET A PHONE CALL FROM EMILY SAYING HE'S HERE ALL IS WELL, WHICH WAS WONDERFUL AND AMAZING. BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW AMAZING UNTIL THE NEXT DAY WHEN WE WENT TO MEET MICHEAL AT THE  HOSPITAL IN HOUSTON WHICH IS JUST ABOUT 20 MINS AWAY FROM THEIR HOME. MICHAEL WAS ALMOST A FRONTSEAT PASSANGER SIDE BUCKET SEAT BABY.  THAT AFTERNOON BEFORE THE BIRTH , EMILY WALKED TO WESLEYS SCHOOL AND HOME JUST ABOUT 2 MILES DRAGGING ALLISON AND SAM WITH HER , MOM AND I TRIED TO KEEP UP AND HELP BUT WE SOON FOUND THAT WE WERE SLOWING THEM DOWN, SO WE LET THEM SPRINT AHEAD OF US. EMILY IS SOMETHING ELSE!

 THESE PICTURES ARE OF OUR VISIT FOR TWO WONDERFUL AND EXCITING WEEKS. GRAND MA GETS TO HOLD THE BABY A LOT, WHICH WHY WE CAME I BELIEVE.

 EMILY AND MICHEAL ON OUR 1ST VISIT, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES

WESLEY IS A VERY THOUGHTFUL AND LOVING BIG BROTHER HE ACTUALLY MADE AND POSTED A WELCOME SIGN WHICH HE ATTACHED TO OUR BEDROOM DOOR WHEN WE CAME . AT THIS POINT HE IS IN TO CARS AND CAN TELL YOU MAKE AND MODEL  OF ALMOST ANY CAR. SCHOOL IS A SOURCE OF JOY AND EXCITEMENT FOR HIM, HE HAS LOTS OF FRIENDS THERE AND IS A VERY GOOD STUDENT.

THE HOSPITAL PROVIDED A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR ALL THE FAMILY WHICH ALL THE KIDS LOVED, THEY TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF MICHAEL AND EMILY WE WERE QUITE IMPRESSED.

 ALL THE KIDS GOT TO HOLD AND LOVE MICHAEL, SAMMY WAS VERY VERY TENDER WITH HIM AND HAD A TON OF KISSES AND HUGS FOR HIM.

 ALLISON ON THE OTHER HAND WANTED HER MOTHER MOST AND WAS SO0 VERY GLAD TO BE WITH HER.

 ALLISON SPENT AS MUCH TIME IN BED WITH EMILY AS DID THE BABY. SHE LOVES HER MOMMY VERY MUCH

 JONATHAN IS A MODEL HUSBAND AND FATHER, HE IS GOOD TO EMILY ( WHICH IS WHAT DADS PRAY FOR ABOUT THEIR LITTLE GIRLS) HERE HE LOOKS THE PROUD PAPA AND HE SHOULD  HE IS WONDERFUL. HAPPY BIRTH DAY JONATHAN!!!

 SOME ONE MENTIONED WE SHOULD GO TO MCDONALDS AFTER OUR VISIT. SAM WAS READY. ONE DAY I WAS LOOKING AT A BOOK WITH SAM WHICH SHOW PICTURES OF ANIMALS THAT LIVE IN SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE WORLD. WE CAME TO THE PAGE ON OCEAN LIFE I POINTED TO THE OCTOPUS AND SAID SAMMY WHAT CAN YOU TELL GRANDPA ABOUT AN OCTOPUS. HE THOUGHT FOR A MIN. AND SAID " HE LIVES IN THE OCEAN AND HE'S A PUSS."  THIS GUY IS SHARP

 WHEN MICHAEL CAME HOME WE HAD A BABY SHOWER FOR HIM . THIS WAS PROVIDED BY MICHAELS AUNT ,UNCLE AND COUSINS IN OLYMPIA. ELLEN PETER VIOLET AND CLAIRE. GREAT IDEA WITH SOME VERY EXCITING GAMES AND LAUGHTS GALORE FOR A FIRST FAMILY NIGHT AT HOME FOR MICHAEL.

 OF COURSE ANY GOOD FAMILY NIGHT ALWAYS SPINS OFF INTO A GAME OF BASEBALL, EVERY ONE GOT TO HIT

 AND EVERY ONE GOT TO SCORE.

 WHAT A HAPPY FAMILY JONATHAN AND EMILY ARE. WE WERE SAD TO LEAVE BUT THEY NEEDED THEIR LIVES TO GET BACK TO AS MUCH AS NORMAL AS 4 CHILDRED CAN BRING. AS A GRAND PA  I SAY WHAT WONDERFUL HOST, FANTASTIC PARENTS, OUTSTANDING  CHILDRED AND GRAND CHILDREN, AND HUMBLE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST THE WOODS ARE.

 ON A PERSONNEL NOTE  I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND SIX SESSONS AT THE HOUSTON TEMPLE, IT IS SUCH A WARM AND FRIENDLY PLACE, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO ANY ONE TRAVELING IN THAT DIRECTION.

THIS LAST PICTURE IS OF ALLISON WHEN SHE WAS A WEEK OLD. SHE DOESN'T LOOK ALOT LIKE MICHAEL BUT THE COMPAIRSONS ARE FUN.


TO ALL HAVE A VERY FUNNY DAD

OLE DAD

little bit of everything

Today we went to the Procession of the Species parade for Arts Walk.  I love the Procession.  The girls love it too.  We had a great day.  We took a lunch downtown and spent a few hours in the park and then went to stake out our spot on the parade route and the girls colored and danced in the street.  It was a blast.  Here are some videos of the procession.  Everyone is dressed up like some sort of animal or element.   Any ideas as to what the tutu monster is supposed to be?

This guy dressed as a blue avatar is kind of famous in Olympia for his feather dancing.  He performs locally and I used to watch him practice at evergreen when I would go there for swim practice.

I love these dancers.

 besides the parade we've done a few other things.  We had Easter at my parents house.  The girls are starting to understand holidays and are starting to look forward to them.  They like easter because easter equals candy.

 Here's Diana and John with their easter baskets

 Mom and Dad after dinner.

 Last weekend we took the girls and went up with my family to Anacortes and La Conner to the tulip festival.  We stayed in one of the campgrounds we go to.  We stayed there last year.  I love this campground because it is right on the water and so pretty.

 Shots at the beach

 The sun came out!

 We went to the Roozengaarde display garden and tulip fields.  They have so many different kinds of tulips, it's amazing!  I wish my patio were bigger so I could grow a bunch of tulips in pots out there.

 Roozengaarde's has a large display garden that you can walk through and see all the varieties that they sell and then they have huge tulip fields with red, yellow and purple tulips.  It's amazing.

 Here are the girls back at the cabin.  Violet is starting to understand the whole "look at the camera" business...Claire is more interested in her popsicle.

 Violet's beautiful profile.  Doesn't she have a cute little nose?

 V at the campground playground.  The beach is rocky so the playground needs to be full of sand.

 Zelda is a big fan of sand, she thoroughly enjoyed vacation.  She ran in the water, rolled in something stinky on the beach and dug up all the sand at the playground.  Needless to say she got a bath when we got home!

 The rest are pictures from today.  Here are the girls having lunch down town. We sat on top of the little mound at the park by the lake.  It's actually a time capsule marker but we used it as a picnic table.

 The girls wanted to be carried and to show Peter all the ducks.

 Violet before the parades started.  We had about an hour wait so the food bank hands out chalk all along the parade route and people color all over the street and people (my girls for example) dance in the street.  It is a ton of fun!

 Dancing in the street.

 Claire told me I had to take her picture and then she stood still just for me.  It was great....now if she would just look at me :)

 Mrs. Sun

 A preying Mantis...about 10 feet tall

The Orca.

we've had a busy and fun couple of weeks.  We hope everyone is doing well.  Love ya!