Pigs or Ponies?

Ella Ella Ella. 

You are so funny. 

I could take pictures of you all day and have a different expression in each one!

Did I mention you are pulling yourself up to things? 

You are so big.  Scoot yourself around to get right to where your 

brother wants you not to be.  

We love you.

Feels Like Home

The Fourth.

Oh

CRASH!

my

BASH!

it's

BANG!

the

ZANG!

Fourth

WHOOSH!

of

BAROOM!

July

WHEW!

by Shel Silverstein

It was actually the 3rd. The 4th was Sunday. :)

This is before we left the house and headed to the dam...

Bracken was pretty proud to be dressed just like dad.  Although he didn't want to wear a swimsuit. 

{He was not going to get wet.}

Had a blast on the Alaskan. Couldn't believe it had been 8 years...

Mom said, "It's like coming home." It really was.

Ella Beth had a blast on the beach with Papa Greg.

The sand was edible. {She checked.}

The end of the day.

8 years ago... the last time we had The Alaskan on the water....

feels like home.

update:  We've been back on the water twice since this day,
and we did get Bracken on the tube the last time.  If anyone asks if he had fun
he says, "yep" then asks if he's going again, "nope, splashes my face ... with WATER!"

Three

It was his birthday

So we had a fire pit kick off. It was fun.

(Jason's handi-work, and no that is not our house in the background but the next door neighbors.)

Then we resorted to the house for cake and ice cream when it started to rain.

It was Abi's birthday too. She is 4. So we added a candle. She is just cute.

Then Bracken got to open his present...

He was pretty excited that the rain stopped so he could go out and play ball!

All the good food and Ella had to eat beans. 

reunion.ing

kicking

 

running

base coaching

 NOT sliding

water fighting

eating

eating some more

 posing

hugging

Summer Vacation 2010...Day 8

or Thompson Family Annual 

Chesterfield/Lava Fishing Trip Day 4

A long day.  

 We packed up camp, drove the boat back to Grandma and Grandpa's, unloaded the Tahoe, 
loaded up the Durango, help unload the trailer {well not much, but a little} Grandma fed us and we 
were headed home to unload the Durango.

 We were exhausted.

Summer Vacation 2010...Day 7

or Thompson Family Annual 

Chesterfield/Lava Fishing Trip Day 3

Today was the day we went swimming!

But first we went to Old Chesterfield to the little store... 

 then stopped at a park to eat lunch...

I totally missed taking any swimming pictures.... and it was Ella's first time.  

She did pretty well until she got hungry.  

Bracken cried and had to get out and go potty, a lot.

I took this picture when we got back to camp and I realized I hadn't taken a picture of Ella in her swim suit.

and a picture of Bracken on his magic table bed.

 {faker}

Summer Vacation 2010...Day 6

or Thompson Family Annual 

Chesterfield/Lava Fishing Trip Day 2

This was 'fishing day' the guys and the big kids woke up early and went fishing.  

We woke up much later to find out the cooler had been stolen from under the trailer and the fishin' group had to go without their cooler of drinks and goodies.

 Ella camped very well.  Even though every morning she woke up wet.  
By the time we left we figured out she must be sleeping on an angle and her pee didn't stay in the diaper but leaked up into her clothes.

The 'little' kids, that waited until later in the day to go fishing.

Naptime

Fishing

and while docking the boat the kids played...

and then Bracken decided he needed to pee.

 He learned this skill in Yellowstone.  ☺

 Tired kid eating eclairs made around the fire. YUM.

Summer Vacation 2010...Day 5

or Thompson Family Annual 

Chesterfield/Lava Fishing Trip Day 1

Me. Don't I look thrilled?  I was.  

It actually went a LOT better than I thought. Bracken was a pretty good boy. 

I must admit I was a little worried about one trip on top of another and how we would handle.  Not bad!

We drove over to Jason's parent's house and parked the Durango.  From there we drove their Tahoe pulling the fishing barge while following the truck pulling the trailer.

We camped at Big Springs campground. SO glad we brought a trike for Bracken. 

It was the preferred activity.

Dinner. Was a shrimp boil. Yum. Bracken has a hard time concentrating on sitting down and eating a meal these days, not to mention EVERY time we sit to eat he has to go potty. So we thought if we were in the trailer {we camped in grandma and grandpa's} that might help....

Look at those dirty feet!
Well. We had a good laugh!  {See Jason trying to ignore us?}

Summer Vacation 2010...Day 4

Sunday. A day of rest? 

Well, we didn't want to 'rest' on the road as much as we did.
our first 'rest' we inched along for about an hour thinking we better be slowed down for something good... 'like a squirrel dancing on a bear's head!' {Nick's quote} We were headed home and just wanted to get there! Ended up being a buffalo. Come on!

After the set back and then stopping to eat lunch we weren't real excited to stop and get out of the car for anything, but Bracken wanted to see the falls. Oh and happy fathers day!

 We did stop as we exited the South Gate to take a picture by the Yellowstone sign. {Which is on Dad's camera} But I have pictures of Ella! She loves them!

'Rest' Number 2....

Was for 2 hours. At a complete stop. We got out and had a party in the road.

Papa took Ella across the road to the grass to sit on a blanket.

I took pictures of the new Durango. She served us well. 

{Yes, I just said she. Hmm.... wonder what Jason will think of that.}

Walked about a 1/2 mile up the road to see the 'action' and saw these kids passing the time ☺

The action.

This was in the Tetons. The wreckers had to come from Jackson Hole.. so it took awhile.  We ended up getting home around midnight to wash our clothes so we could leave again in the morning...