Ahhh summer...

For the 4th, we spent the weekend playing in the sun, hanging out with family, watching fireworks, making our annual flag cake, biking and of course,

taking lots of pictures.

The beginning of a masterpiece. This year we decided to make a fruit "pizza" and use cream cheese frosting to avoid the deflation of previous years' cakes. It turned out great and was super yummy. We even had enough frosting after
all the kids were done sampling :)

Before...

During...

After...

Cooling off in the kiddie pool.

Ashley will somehow figure out how to do tricks on any bar she finds.


Muffin and I


And if the frosting isn't sweet enough for you, we also have whipping cream
that we can spray directly into your mouth.

All of us

One thing I've wanted to do for many years was ride our bikes on the "trail of the Coeur d'Alenes". The four of us and Gada started at Heyburn state park and rode into Harrison, ate a yummy lunch, got ice cream, listened to some music in the park, then rode back.

Ohhh Chukar... whenever we spend time at my mom and dad's in Cd'A in the summer, Chukar decides to use their really cute and slightly fragile fountain as a watering hole. After this episode, we borrowed a kiddie pool for him to cool off in.



For the first time, Nicole went to the UI Volleyball camp. What a new experience for her. She got to stay in the dorms with friends Katie and Berlyn for three days and spent 8 hours a day practicing volleyball.


I picked up Nicole at noon and she quickly crashed on the couch for four hours. She was completely exhausted!! I imagine they weren't getting much sleep.


Ashley and friends Megan and Hannah headed off to Camp Four Echoes (Girl Scout camp) for three days. She had a great time and said
"the food was much better than last year" Ashley's camp t-shirt that all of the counselors signed.Inside their teepee (which they received an award for being the cleanest)


The new lodge at C4E built with money donated by the Schweitzers.

Family vacation

For the first time since we've had property on the river, we are able to spend more than a few days up there, since we now have a fridge. We decided in lieu of going on a big vacation this year that we wanted to spend a week up at the cabin. The girls got to bring a friend with them for the first few days, then we had a day and a half by ourselves (which happened to be our 16th anniversary) then had our friends, the Baddeley's from Liberty Lake come up for the weekend. We were able to get carpet installed upstairs and get a lot of the flooring on the main floor done while we were there. On our day by ourselves, we decided to hike up the opposite side of the river to an abandoned mine. It took us 3 hours round trip and it was full of adventure. We got about 1/4 of the way up and Ashley started having allergy attacks, complete with sneezing every two steps, itchy eyes, nose and complete misery. At one time we were afraid that she had gotten into the poison oak that is EVERYWHERE on that side, but after we got back we realized that it was only allergies. We reached the mine and went in a little ways but it was slightly freaky to Ashley so we cut that part of the adventure short.

Berlyn, Nicole,Rachel & Ashley hiking

Learning to drive a stick shift

Mowing the lawn

Who has the best goofy face???

The opening to the mine

Ava, Olivia, Abby, Ashley, Nicole, Ellie

Little Ava Baddelely LOVED Chukar from the moment she saw him... She continually told us that he was "her doggy" and would get so upset every time he went somewhere without her because she thought he missed her.

Paul & Joe

End of school year

I've noticed that with Nicole being in the Junior High there aren't as many end of the year activities and I will really miss that when Ashley gets to that point so I decided I'll need to really enjoy these last few years with Ashley (really only one, since she'll be the first class of 6th graders in the reconfigured "Moscow Middle School" snif snif.

Her class spent the last couple months of school working on an Oregon Trail simulation that culminated in an Oregon trails day where they sewed pouches, ate somewhat authentic trail food, read plays and made other crafts.

Ashley received a blue patch for her presidential physical fitness test... again!! This is one of her biggest goals throughout the year and she takes it very seriously.

For the last day of school, Ashley invited friends Grace, Rachel and McKenna over for games and yummy snacks.

Ashley, Rachel, McKenna & Grace

Grace and Ashley enjoying the sunshine on the deck.
How fun to be 10 and sitting under umbrellas!!
It's been a REALLY LONG... WET & COLD spring.

The countdown to Italy

Nicole came home a month ago to tell me that there were two teachers at the Junior High that were organizing a trip to Italy for the kids. My first response was "do they need adults to go too?" Of course I was excited for her to go but I couldn't contain my excitement that I might be able to go. The first process was to apply. They told us there was only space for 20 students and around 7 adults so I prepared Nicole that we might not get in. The lists came out about a week after we applied and the email said "Congratulations you made it!!" so we both got SOOO excited that we were going to Italy. I then started thinking that I should check the list for my name since they might have sent me the email just to let me know that my daughter was going. When I checked the list my name was not on it!!! There was, however, a Tina Hansen and I thought, in the back of my head, "hmmm, I wonder it that's a mistake" but didn't do any checking. So, I had to reroute my excitement to focus just on Nicole's experience. A day before the deadline to sign up online, her teacher asked her if her mom had gotten registered yet and she said "no, she didn't get it" and he said "yes, she did!!" Woo hoo, I promptly went online to register.

Our lift off date is June 10th ish, 2012. Let the fundraising begin!!!

What a fun experience to go to Italy with all of your good friends when you're 14!! She'll be traveling with friends Berlyn, Katie, Trinity, Maddy, Olivia and several others.

Trinity, Katie, Maddy & Nicole

Memorial Day festivities

We headed back to the cabin for Memorial Day weekend. This time we had our four (five counting Chukar), Bryan & Jonalea, Muffin, Keith & the boys and friends Catherine and Boyd and their girls from Coeur d'Alene and Nicole's friend Aliciana. 15 people total at the cabin and it was so fun!!

The Taylors, Bryan & Jonalea, The Hansons

Paul, Bryan, Muffin

The hikers, Miles, Ashley, Grace on "Ashley's rock"
Paul & Mason

The worn out doggers Chukar & Ringo

We had a great time hiking behind our cabin, although Ashley was a little embarrassed that we were wearing matching vests :)

Nicole & AlicianaMason and his favorite past time - vacuuming

Packed up and ready to head back down the river.
It's been a long time since the boat has been this full!!

Fun Times

We've been spending quite a bit of time at the cabin these days... getting things finished on the inside and cutting a hiking trail into the side of mountain. We've had quite a few visitors and have thoroughly enjoyed having people down to spend time with us.

The cedar going up on the walls

The water has been so high this year that we don't have much of a boat ramp so far this year.

Paul suited up for weed wacking

Nana getting a pedicure from Nicole

Nana and Ashley hiking

Mother's Day

My sweet girls planned a very fancy breakfast for me all by themselves (Paul was out of town). They made waffles and a very special mocha. Nicole even peeled a clementine and decorated the plate with it. I'm such a lucky mom.