School Pictures and Family Fun

School Pictures!

The girls school pictures arrived a few weeks ago, but I have been too lazy to scan them in and upload them to the website. Here they are finally. Looking back at the previous years pictures hanging on the wall next to the stairs, we can't believe how much they have grown (sniff, sniff!)

Maggie, 9

4th grade

Lanna, 7

2nd grade

WSU Soccer in the NCAA Tournament!

We found out a few days before the actual game that WSU Women's soccer had made the NCAA Soccer Tournament and was playing their first round game in Portland. So we packed our blanket, stadium cushions, dinner and warm coats and gloves, and headed down I-5 to the University of Portland to watch the game. It was so exciting to cheer for a team that actually has a winning record (I will not provide an explanation for the last comment. If you don't know what it is referring too...good. If you do, keep your snide comments to yourself.) It was a close match, but WSU just didn't have enough to overcome a good University of Texas team and lost 1-0. However, it was great to watch how well players at this level play, and Maggie loved watching things develop. Lanna liked when it was time to get hot chocolate. The picture above is of "the girls" at the game. (Dad was there, just not on the picture.)

Sunday pictures!!!

Random pictures from our Sunday.

Lanna was walking around with this basket on her head, I have no idea why, but when I got the camera to take a picture, she saluted me. Ten hut!

Maggie decided to treat her sister to a day at the salon by braiding her hair (as can be seen in the picture) and painting her nails. I hid the make-up, so that is as far as it got, but Lanna felt glamorous just the same.


We went for a walk along the Coweeman River dike on Sunday morning, then stopped at the playground for some playtime on the equipment. Maggie and Dad had a good time on the swings, while Lanna just climbed over everything. There was another dad there with his two little girls, one of which was about 12 months old and in a baby swing. As she came toward her dad, he would say "yeah" and she would laugh and clap her hands. It was so cute, and with her short blonde baby hair and chubby cheeks, she reminded us of Lanna as a baby. This nearly brought tears to my eyes and totally made me want another baby! (See note above about school pictures!) Dan said it was cute, but he wasn't feeling as sentimental as I was. Sigh.

This picture was actually from October, but was too good not to share.

Veteran's Day Assembly

Today was the Veteran's Day Assembly at Columbia Heights Elementary School. Maggie invited Grandpa Dave and Lanna invited Aunt Lisa as their special guests. Actually, Lanna invited Lisa to the Veterinarian's Day Assembly, but it's a big word, she told Lisa and sometimes she gets it confused with the other word. Go figure. Grandpa was all decked out in his Navy dress uniform, which impressively still fits (barely) after more than 35 years of being a "civilian".

We are proud of our family's service to our country, and are greatful to the service they and many others have given so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. Happy Veteran's Day.

Mike Julian, fellow Navy veteran, and Dave

Sailor Dave and his bride Sandy

Fall at the Lake & Halloween

Fall soccer is finally over and we have a chance to slow down and enjoy life a little more. Maggie's team finished the season undefeated (13-0-1), as did Lanna's team. It has been a beautiful fall here and the leaves have been slow to turn their colors, but they are finally in full splendor. We went down the lake a few days ago to take some pictures and enjoy the falling leaves. Of course the girls just could not resist throwing, kicking or chasing the leaves. After finally finding WSU Cougar gear in kids sizes, they were so excited to wear them, and I didn't have the heart to tell them the football team stinks...well, basketball is around the corner.

These pictures were a bit staged, as they are actually sitting next to each other hugging and not hitting each other. Two seconds before this picture they were fighting over who's arm would go where, and then they asked "How much longer?" I am sure we are horrible parents for torturing our kids and there will be a best selling book about it later. Halloween arrived before we knew it and the girls were ready for some trick-or-treating. Maggie is Super Girl and Lanna is Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I could have done with a little less skin showing, but Lanna loved wearing her outfit. And she still has tan lines from her swimming suit!

We are looking forward to the next two months as the holiday's approach and spending evenings home as a family without sports or other committments. Thanksgiving is just over 3 weeks away with Christmas following right behind. As the days turn shorter and colder, it is time to put away the soccer cleats and barbeque and trade them for hot cocoa and cuddling on the couch.

Camping at Maryhill State Park

We celebrated the last weekend of summer with another Labor Day camping trip, and this year we decided to try out Maryhill State Park in the Columbia Gorge. The campground was a bit of a drive away (2 ½ hours from home) but very spacious and green (at least at the campsite). When we booked the site, we did not think much about the listed activities, but if wind surfing is listed as one of them, be prepared for windy conditions. (Ummm…okay, good tip.) Fortunately for us, we were on the side of the state that had sunshine instead of rain, but the temperature was a tad chilly.

We went up to see the Stonehenge replica just up the hill from our camp site and had a great view of the Columbia Gorge. Did I mention it was windy in the gorge? The day before we had a crystal clear view of Mt. Hood, but unfortunately, I forgot to take the camera with us. Dan and I visited a few wineries, tasted some different wines and, of course, bought a few bottles to take home. And the amount of stars we could see was incredible. We even saw a few shooting stars.

Skylar went with us and he, Maggie and Lanna had a fun time running around the camp ground, swimming (actually wading) in the river, and hanging out by the fire with their own fire poking sticks. Grandpa fired up the RVQ, and with the flames on the burgers, it was almost like Burger King! Well, okay, not really, but who's keeping score?

On the way home we stopped at Bonneville Dam to see the salmon and steelhead making their way through the fish passage. Wow, the size of some of those fish is impressive.

We didn’t take many pictures, probably because it was windy and cold, and we really didn’t do too much but be lazy, just as a camping trip should be. We don’t have any more overnight trips planned now that school is back in session, but everything is subject to change without notice. Hope you had a great Labor Day Holiday as well.

Southern Visit

No, not that southern. We went down south to Springfield, OR for a visit with the Belmont-Smith family last week before the fall sports and school activities kick into gear.

We started with a day camp for the kids at a park near the Belmont-Smith house, a yoga/strength training Wii session with Tina, then a bike ride thru the out-skirts of Springfield, ending the day with a run thru the sprinkler and splashes on the slip and slide. The weather cooperated nicely and the kids all enjoyed fun times out doors.

We set off the next morning for Ben Irving Reservoir just south east of Roseburg, OR for a day of skiing and tubing on the lake. The weather was great once again, and we had the whole lake to ourselves for the water sports. Maggie and Lanna tried their hand at tubing, enjoying the bumps and splashes, and then moved on to knee boarding after watching Cousin Jo.

It didn’t take the girls long to figure out how to manipulate the board to move from side to side, and Lanna eventually made it over the big wake. The determination on her face was priceless as she pulled and leaned to get the board over. The ride on the smooth water outside the wake was great, but then she realized she had to get back to the other side. No problem though, she did it with flying colors.

Mom took a try at slalom skiing, something she hasn’t done in probably 15 years or more. It took a try or two to get up, but she made it up and around the lake without a wipe out. Halfway through her turn her legs and arm muscles began to burn, and she wondered why she thought this was a good idea.


After Maggie, Lanna and Jo took turns on the tube, it was mom and dad’s turn. Tina asked if we wanted a kid’s ride or an adult ride, and of course mom said an adult ride. Lanna asked why they did not get an adult ride. Little did she or mom know what an adult ride would entail? After being whipped around and thrown over wake created “bumps” she could hold on for only so long before being catapulted into the lake about 20 yards, spread eagle as she crashed into the lake. Lanna then quipped to Maggie and Jo, “That’s why we don’t get adult rides.” Dan managed to hang on to the tube longer during his ride, and was eventually “spilled”, but had much more class on his turn.

After decontaminating with showers for everyone, we spent the night relaxing in Roseburg and then headed to Wildlife Safari in Winston, OR, the next day. The drive through park was fun for the kids, seeing many different animals up close. The ostriches and rheas are quite inquisitive and come right up to the cars. Much to the chagrin of Tina and Jill, we did not open our windows to allow them to “sample” the visitors. After watching on ostrich attack the passenger window, we did not feel brave enough to expose our selves to the flesh ripping beaks of the large birds.

We finished off the day with a trip to the local indoor pool in Springfield, complete with hydro-tube and diving boards. The kids had a great time jumping off the high dive and bombing down the tube. It became apparent that two people going down the tube tandem would gain more speed and shoot around the turns. Lanna became everyone’s favorite partner, and she could barely get out of the water before someone in our group would ask if she wanted to go down again. Ever the thrill seeker, Lanna never missed an opportunity.

The start of school is less than a week away and the girls are eager for it to start. Dan, however, has different sentiments. The trip to Springfield was a great way to wind up the summer, letting the cousins enjoy a carefree visit, and the adults time to decompress before the hectic schedule of fall begins. Fall soccer practice has started and the start of season jamboree is just two weeks away. Goodbye summer….Hello fall.

Welcome July

After returning from Mexico, we have hit the ground running. It seems we haven’t had a free moment since we returned, but we have had a great time together as a family. Maggie had golf camp the Monday after we got home and discovered she really likes hitting a ball. She improved everyday she was there, and we have gone to the course as a family a few times. Lanna likes to hit too, and on one outing I saw her behind me with a stick hitting pine cones. Improvisation at it’s best.

July rolled in with our usual family celebration of Lanna’s birthday and 4th of July festivities. We had our traditional 4th breakfast followed by a trip downtown for the annual parade and finally, a walk around the lake to watch the festivities and stroll through the booths selling junk. We had to opportunity at about a dozen different places to get a henna tattoo, but somehow we managed to pass them bye. That night we watched fireworks from Nanny and Grandpa’s house and saw about six different shows going off around us. It’s amazing what you can see from the roof!

Next up was Lil Devil’s basketball camp hosted by the LCC Women’s Basketball team. Both the girls attended and really enjoyed themselves. Of course you know from previous postings how literal Lanna is. The coach told the girls when they were dribbling down the court to look up. Lanna did exactly what the coach told them, and managed to make it all the way down the court dribbling while looking straight up at the ceiling. She earned special praise from the coach for doing exactly what he said.

The girl attended Goal Line Soccer the next week at 7th Avenue. This was Maggie’s second year and Lanna’s first. The coaches come from England and do such a great job with the kids. The girls enjoyed everyday and can’t wait for next year. This was the third camp this summer, and did I mention how nice it is to have a spouse that is a teacher?

We finally had Lanna’s birthday party, and she chose a Chef Party for the theme. The kids decorated their own aprons, frosted cake (followed by skipping the decorating part and consuming the frosting and sprinkles straight, which I think they liked the best) and had a scavenger hunt for kitchen items. The twins came up for the weekend (and their parents too) which makes Lanna’s celebration a multiday event. We always enjoy when they visit, and the kids are exhausted by the time the weekend is over. Nanny and Grandpa bought a blow-up human habit-trail for the pool, and the kids have had a blast playing in it. Who knew a square and two tubes could be so much fun, they play in the pool for hours…and hours…and hours!

July is almost over (Yikes!) and we will be into savoring the last month of summer. Lanna is enrolled in Kid’s Chef Academy (yes, another camp) the first week of August and is very excited. We are hoping her interest in cooking will continue to grow, and eventually she will be making great dinners for the family! The summer has been busy, but we have had a great time and made some wonderful memories.

Puerto Vallarta

The month of June was long in anticipation for the end of the school year, but more importantly, the family vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The girls counted down the days (as did Mom and Dad) and on Friday, June 13th, we bolted out of Longview for the Portland Airport to begin our week of rest and relaxation. We made the trip with another family of four (The Julian’s) who served as our tour guides during the week.

Mexico was sunny, warm and full of interesting sights. It has been a while since we were in a humid environment and it did not take long for us to remember how much we don’t miss it. We had fun sight seeing around the city, enjoying a variety of great meals, and swimming in the warm pool, especially with the swim up bar. The pool even had live iguanas nearby and occasionally we shared the water with them.

The hotel was nice and we had a great view of the harbor along with a view on the opposite side of the local athletic complex. This was used everyday in some manner, but mostly for playing soccer as can be seen by the fields worn down to the dirt. We had a bird’s eye view for watching some good soccer. After looking at the condition of their fields, we are VERY thankful for the great soccer complex at 7th Avenue we are fortunate to play on.

The girls befriended the hotel’s special guest, a cat, and promptly named him Garfield, then Larry, only to find out later El Gato was actually La Gata which went by the name Pancha. Every trip to the pool or out to town had us pass by Pancha and required we stop for them to pet her, hug her or otherwise shower her with attention. She is obviously well taken care of by the staff and is a very patient and friendly cat.

We visited some areas outside of the downtown area to get a different feel for the area and to experience more of the local flavor. Dan was able to use his Spanish, as was Dawn, and enjoyed listening to the comments people made in Spanish not knowing he could understand. During our visit to the small town of Pitillal, we walked the old cobblestone streets looking at the various shops, houses and other interesting sights. Being of Northern European decent, Dawn and I naturally were either white or red and at the mercy of the sun. Two older women were sitting in their shop across the street and Dan heard them say in Spanish “Look at those two white women, they’re red.” Of course, I am sure they meant Dawn and not me!

We also visited a bit of the jungle when we headed up to El Eden, the sight of the filming of the movie The Predator. As a civil engineer, I can honestly say the road to El Eden was anything but Eden. It was dusty, curvy and full of potholes and managed to make Lanna carsick. But she was a trooper and held it all in until we made it to the site before getting sick. Once she was done being sick, she felt better then smelled the restaurant and said “I’m hungry.” But we skipped the food to head to the natural pool formed in the river and the kids played in the water, swung off a rope, and slide off the rocks into the pool below. The girls wanted me to go down with them, so I climbed across the rocks and as I was stepping across the last rock toward the slide, I slipped on one of the rocks, landed on my behind and then looked around to see if anyone saw me. I dusted off my pride and took a turn going down the rocks and splashing into the pool below.

The kids were amazed by some of the sights they saw and were appreciative of not only a nice place with a roof over their heads, but the relief of the air conditioning. It was an opportunity for us to expose them to another culture and way of life. It sure made them appreciate what they have. We came across an elementary school and the kids appreciated what we have back home. Dan and Dawn were able to go into the school for tour and to talk with one of the teachers, a 23-year old women that just started teaching 6 months ago. The schools are not air conditioned, as evidenced by the picture, and kids attend from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. when it becomes too hot to sit in a class room.

We are back to cooler weather now and into the swing of camps and day activities. We’ll be posting new events soon, and hope to hear from all of you.

Adios!