KEEPING UP WITH THE NEILSONS: July's Journeys

Wow! This summer has flown by fast. Here's a glimpse at what went on in July for the Neilsons.

SOFTBALL

Sadie played softball again this year. Last year she was the only third grader on a team of second grade girls. This year, she ended up on a team with a lot of her good friends and they are all her age. At the beginning of the season she would never swing the bat. Which, at this point the odds are still pretty good that she could just end up walking to a base. But, still, she would never swing. Finally, she started swinging. We were so proud of her just for being brave enough to swing. And then, because she was swinging, she hit several balls!!! Some were fouls and sometimes she struck out. But still, swinging and striking out is better than being scared to swing. We were so proud of her.

Sadie Jean the softball queen!

Go Neilson!

Swing Batter Batter

ERIK'S MT. HOOD TRIP (June)

In June Erik climbed Mt. Hood for the second time. He has a goal to climb the 10 highest peaks in Oregon and Mt. Hood is at the top of the highest peaks list. This year he climbed with three other people (Joel, Mark and a friend of Mark's). Since Erik had already made it to the very top of the Mountain on a previous climb, the group did not ascend to the very top this time.

The shadow of the mountain on top of the clouds. Amazing!

THE SCOOTER

Look what came home from Camp WI-NE-MA with us! Before camp started Erik had been asking around trying to find a scooter to ride while at camp. Tim and Patty, who had directed Jr. Camp before we did offered up the scooter that they used during their weeks of directing. Erik had so much fun on the scooter zipping all over the camp. At the end of the week Tim and Patty said it was ours if we wanted it. Now the kids are having a blast running all over the neighborhood on the scooter. They love it. Sadie especially, rides it almost every day.

Curtis on his sweet ride.

Miss Sadie Jean the speeding queen!

4TH OF JULY

The Oregon Christian Convention always take place over the 4th of July. This year, they had invited Erik to speak in their evening session. So, on a very hot 4th of July night we headed over to Turner Oregon where the OCC is held. The convention takes place in an incredibly old enormous building. Even though all the doors were open, it was still extremely hot inside. After the evening session was done a friend of Erik's stole the kids away from us and bought them Nestle Toll House Ice Cream Sandwiches. Curtis ate TWO! The rest of us ate pie and ice cream and then enjoyed a firework show that OCC puts on every year.

Curty True not too happy to be posing for me.

Sades, happy to be posing, not happy about the spiderwebs.

Erik speaking. We thought it was hot sitting and listening.

It was super hot on the stage under the lights.

Sadie Sandwich

BARKER FAMILY CAMPING

The kids and I camped at Foster Lake with Grandpa & Grandma Barker and Aunt Beth, Aunt Erin and Elan. We got to Foster Lake on Sunday and stayed until Thursday. After we left more of the Barker family joined the campers for the rest of the weekend. We all had a lot of fun just relaxing, reading, and playing.

Sadie blowing bubbles

Grandpa putting Mentos into a Coke bottle. Run Away!

Sadie and Elan contemplating the idea of getting into the water.

3 Goofy Kids

Roasting chicken and steak for dinner

Kayaking. I raced Curtis and Curtis won!

Playing Bocce Ball. And Growing taller than Grandma! Yay Curtis!

Attempting to catch a squirrel

Contemplating life

My sisters and I

LONG LOST FRIEND

Right after camping with my family, we headed to the beach to meet up with my friend Jeni. I already posted a longer blog about our friendship. So, I'll just post the picture here.

NEILSON FAMILY VACATION

The annual Neilson family vacation took place in LaPine this year. We stayed in a house that comfortably fit all of us. We relaxed, played lots of Scrabble and Scattergories, played the Wii, read lots of books, watched "America's Got Talent", hiked, visited Cultus Lake and lot of other fun stuff.

Sadie and Emmalie rafting at Cultus Lake

Lilli had lots of fun in the water.

All week the bigger cousins had lots of fun with Lilli.

Ice Cream after a day at Cultus Lake. Yum!

Reading at the Lake while the kids played in the water.

Erik and Curtis caught crawdads.

When Erik was a kid he made his sisters eat crawdads.

Curtis followed suit and made his cousins and sister eat them too.

Grammy and Sadie rafting

Sadie and Laura at the top of Paulina Peak.

My goofy family climbing rocks at an obsidian flow.

Curtis and Grandma at the bowling alley.

Grammy taught the girls how to knit.

The girls in their matching clothes at the bowling alley.

Erik trying to crawl down into a cave. It was a tight fit and once he got into the cave the mosquitos attacked him. The rest of us did not attempt to go spelunking.

We got to up to a watch tower and visit with the lady who watches

for fires all around the LaPine area. It was super windy up there.

BEAT THE HEAT

At the end of July the temperature rose above 100 degrees! While in many states that is normal, it is not for Western Oregon. We were roasting and worried that we might just melt away. Fortunately, Grandpa and Grandma Barker have a pool and there's lots of rivers around. We found some ways to keep cool.

My brothers and sisters and I all converged at the pool on the same day.

It had been since Christmas that we all had been together.

We spent a lovely 4 hours floating in the water.