Spooner Farms 09

On Friday our group of friends met up for our fourth annual trip to Spooner Farms Pumpkin Patch. As usual, everyone had a great time. The weather was perfect, it hadn't rained so there wasn't any mud, the kids were all happy campers, and we went so early that the patch was completely full of pumpkins! I love fall and this is always one of my favorite days of the year...can't wait to do it again next year!

The whole gang...we have gained a new baby every year!

All the ladies

Most of the kids...Blake wasn't too interested at this point

Heavy Pumpkin

Colby, Cam, Emme, and Brian...so cute!

The Dyers

Jakey, Blake, and Brett

Colby...such a great pic

Cam and I driving the car

Us...again

The Fosnicks

The Schakels

The Muehlenbruchs

The Bellerives

Blake and I on our cow chair

California Vacation

In August, Matt and I were fortunate enough to go on another vacation, but this time with my parents. I flew out a few days early and met my parents for some Disney fun (we're obsessed), then Matt joined us on our last morning in Anaheim. My mom gave Matt her ticket, so we were able to go into the parks together for a few hours. Matt has never been to California Adventure, so it was fun to take him there. After leaving Anaheim, we drove north to Solvang which is a little Danish town. We were hoping it was going to be like Leavenworth, but no such luck...it was a lot of little knick-knack stores and pretty uneventful. Good thing we were only there one night! The next day we drove north to San Jose to stop at the Winchester Mystery Mansion, then on to Monterey and Carmel. Matt got to see both Pebble Beach and Spyglass hill golf courses on the 17 mile drive...he really enjoyed walking the grounds and looking at the incredible greens. We spent a couple of nights in Monterey, enjoying the ocean and the great places to eat. Matt and I even took in an IMAX movie, Sharks in 3D! Fun times! We left Monterey and headed further north to San Francisco. We stayed in the most AMAZING hotel right in the middle of Union Square. We were a short walk to all the major shopping, the cable cars, the F-Line that took us to Fisherman's Warf, and Chinatown. We walked miles and miles and shopped until we dropped! I won't tell you how much I spent on jeans, but I was a patron at both the Seven for All Mankind store and the True Religion store...whoops! Needless to say, my husband was very generous and tolerant of my overindulgence! The highlight of the trip was our tour of Alcatraz Island. I have been there before, but not since they have added the audio tour with clips from former inmates and guards. I could have stayed there for hours. The best part was that we happened to be there for the 75th anniversary and the last guard to leave the island when Alcatraz closed as a Federal Penitentiary was there signing his book, "Last Guard Out." We got to talk to him for quite some time. He had some truly incredible stories about life on the island and what it was like to live and raise a family on Alcatraz. The trip was one for the memory books. We had a great time and loved seeing all the beautiful sights California has to offer.

The Family at the Golden Gate Bridge

The Last Guard Out

My Dad and I listening to the audio tour

On the boat to Alcatraz

Waiting in the FRIGID COLD for our cable car

We love the Hard Rock!

Matt and I in our hard hats on the Winchester Mystery Mansion tour

In front of our hotel in Monterey

Pebble Beach

A Veiwpoint on Highway 1

Bulldog Espresso...we missed Lacey

My Dad and I on California Screamin

The first time the whole family has seen our tile...I got to see it when we took the dance team to Disneyland

The tile!

First day in the park...the traditional Mickey Garden picture

The Fam

My Dad was tired of the "boring" poses

Another Disney shot at California Adventure

With Tinkerbell...yes, of course Matt liked taking this picture

Fun in the Sun!

Matt and I just returned from a relaxing, fun-filled trip to Maui with the Dyer family. We stayed 11 days in beautiful Kaanapali, which was an ideal place for both the kids and the adults. We spent our days bobbing in the waves, snorkeling, boogie boarding, and soaking up the sun by the pool. We went to bed early and woke up to the pleasant Maui mornings with a good cup of Kona coffee. The trip couldn't have been better...I can't wait until we can go back!

Matt picking out an oyster with a pearl in it...he apparently wanted to do this when he was really young and he finally got the chance!

Sunset in Lahaina

Matt and I in front of Cheeseburger in Paradise


self-timered pic...I recall doing this a lot on our honeymoon

Our new shades

The Banyon Tree in Lahaina

Family BBQ

The Spinner dolphins that swam with our snorkel boat

Going down the slide on the boat

Snorkel Cruise

Ellie's beach buns

Our dinnertime entertainment

I love when Matt glares at the camera

Rainiers Game and Firework EXTRAVAGANZA!

This year, the whole Dyer crew headed out to Tacoma for the Independence Day Rainiers game and firework show. The game was pretty good (or so I was told...I spent most of my time talking to Amy or one of the kids), but the Rainiers ended up losing. After the game everyone is invited down to the infield to watch the fireworks. We brought our blankets and crowded in with hundreds of other people! The show was so pretty and everyone had a great time...especially Evan, Emma, and Ellie who got to stay up HOURS past their bedtimes!

Emma, Ellie, and I waiting for fireworks

Uncle Matt and Ellie

As usual, please ignore the look on Matt's face
Emma

Jerry and Ellie

The Mashell River with Dad!

My parents live on an amazing piece of property in Eatonville...it's always fun to go and visit. The Mashell River runs below my parents property and there are a lot of areas to explore. My Dad has been telling me about the river for the past year and I finally got a chance to go down with him. It's a bit of a scramble to get down the river, but once you make it down there are some phenomenal sights including 3 sets of falls (one of which you can actually go behind), lots of good "swimming holes," and an old railroad trestle. The weather was beautiful and the surroundings were picturesque...I can't wait to go back!

In front of the upper falls

My Dad at the top of the middle falls

Behind the middle falls
The whole time I was thinking, "what will happen to me if there is an earthquake?"

Swimming in the ICE COLD glacier water...straight from Mt. Rainier!

The Railroad Trestle we had to cross over...if I wasn't such a chicken, I would have pulled out my camera and taken a picture of the 6 inch gaps between the boards...straight down to the river!