The roof...

Half-way through the camp-out I texted Kelly to go check that Darcy had survived the windstorm okay.  He was fine, but she sent a few photos of a hole in our garage roof.

By the time we left the camp, everyone had heard about the damage and several people had offered to help.  

Maybe it's just me, but it feels like this summer I've seen a lot of the ugly side of Christians, arguing against gay marriage, immigration, gender-neutral Target stores (seriously?!?), it's enough to make one embarrassed to admit your faith.  But, it's in times like this, where people come home, drop off all their camping gear, and race over to our house to fix a hole in our roof before the next rains come in that I'm proud to be a part of this Church and our community.  **Okay, off my soapbox**

Ella & the Hawkins kids came over to entertain our kids, so I got to spend the afternoon relaxing while the kids were playing and the Dads were working.

A few hours later, it was like nothing had ever happened!  And, Keith had so much fun working with his friends, I think this was his favorite part of the camp-out.

Bethany North Camp Out

It's time for the Annual Bethany North Camp Out!

They moved the camp out from Whidbey Island up to Lake Stevens this year, which made for a much easier commute.

We stopped at One Cup for a treat before hitting the road.

The camp is amazing, they have miles of trails, a dirt bike track, RC Cars, Go Carts, Jumping Pillow, zip line, etc.

The weather this summer has been amazing, no question.  So, one would assume that the weather the last weekend of August would also be nice, right?

Not so much...

We were warned Friday night that someone had heard that the storm coming in that night was supposed to be one of the biggest storms seen in this area in recent history.  Sounds like a great time to be sleeping in tents and playing outside.

It POURED down rain the whole night, but we were fortunately warm & dry in the motorhome.  The kids loved splashing in the puddles.

We spent some of the morning checking out some of the things to do.  Unfortunately, Parker was a little timid to try much out, but he had a great time going from place to place.

Cecily woke up super cranky, which is why she was napping by 11am:

I spent most of the morning sitting outside the motorhome reading a book, I'm not complaining.

By afternoon, the wheels were starting to come off the retreat.  The winds made them shut down the high-ropes activities, and by 1pm the campground had lost power (and water, and sewer).

We spent most of the afternoon waiting to see if they would send us home, but they got the generators going and most of us stuck it out.  We had a low-key dinner in the dark and a nice chapel service without all the electric bells & whistles we usually require.  They also still had the annual talent show Saturday night.  Cecily was continuing the cranky/sleepy attitude she'd had all weekend, so I missed the talent show to put her down, but I heard it was amazing.

Later, everyone came up to the fire pit by the motorhome and made smores.  Nothing creates memories quite like roasting marshmallows in the POURING rain.

On paper, this was the worst possible camping trip, but for those who "survived" we really had a great time and the kids are going to remember this trip for a long time.

As soon as we got home, Cecily changed back into her "normal" clothes.

Zoo Trip

We went to the zoo with Kelly & Fiona and I let the kids ride on the carousel for Parker's birthday.

Parker & Fiona insisted on riding the sleigh, then they pretended they were riding to the ball the entire time.

Parker's Birthday!

It feels like we've been celebrating the kids birthdays all month, but Parker's actual birthday has finally arrived!

For lunch, Parker said he wanted to go to "the restaurant with the soccer and the football on the walls"  Translated into English, that meant that he wanted to go to Jerseys, a sports bar down the street from our house.  I don't know how we ended up with a sports fan in our house, but there you go.

Parker helped me make cupcakes for dinner.  This is the fourth batch of cupcakes I've made in the past three weeks, but apparently it's not a birthday without cake.

Parker wanted a dinner movie for his birthday, so we had chicken nuggets, cupcakes, and watched The Incredibles.

There was a definite sports theme to Parker's gifts this year, he even got his first piece of Seahawks clothing, which he loved.  But, it's possible that both kids were the most excited about their new Sonicare toothbrushes, they've both been looking forward to getting a "toothbrush like Mama & Daddy's" for weeks.  Strange children, these.

Costume Playdate

We had some friends over for a playdate, and the house was filled with Princesses, Superheros, Pirates, and Astronauts. 

The railings were installed on our deck as well, so they had something to watch during snack time.

These two girls are the most amazing little Mamas, they were both rocking their babies to sleep.

Small Group

The kids in our small group get along amazingly well.  We met at one family's house with a trampoline & swimming pool, the kids had a blast.

Cecily

Happy Birthday Parker & Cecily!

In case you haven't heard, we have a few birthdays in August!  We had a huge Superhero/Princess party for the kids.  It was great fun.

Cecily got a new dress:

Because I am insane, I made capes for all the kids:

It seemed like such a great idea, right up to the point where I realized we'd invited 30 kids.

I got superhero gliders and decorate-your-own superhero masks, which the kids loved. 

The cupcakes were a huge it, as always.

..and the kids hauled in the loot.

I realize that this photo is out of focus, but it's a pretty accurate representation of how it feels to open a ton of gifts for two kids with a dozen other kids watching, pure chaos.

But, the kids had such a great time, and Cecily is set for all the princess gear a 3-year-old could ever hope for.

These kids...

Cecily had a baby this afternoon, and was soon a baby-wearing pro:

I just wanted a cute photo of the two kids, but Parker, of course, insisted on using the honey dispenser as a gun!

I don't actually remember why I took these sleep photos of Cecily, but probably because it was such a miracle to see her sleeping twice in the same day.