First Every Family Trip

Our first family trip was to Bellingham Washington to visit the other Ratchford's. Dave's brother, wife Erin, and fun cousins. We flew into Seattle then they live about 2 hours from there. Rather than my boring commentary I decided to let the girls leave comments for these pictures. Enjoy.

This was the best time riding the plane - Leah

Oh Leah smile please - Eva

Our second day there we took off for Victoria Island. It is a short drive to the Canadian border and then across the ocean on a ferry.

We are at the ocean- Eva

This is our first time going on a ferry on the ocean - Leah

I love taking pictures next to the fountains - Leah

I hated walking and made my daddy carry me on his shoulders everywhere we went - Eva

This is outside the Parliament building in downtown Victoria. We took an amazing walk around the harbor is was gorgeous.

Fisherman's Wharf where we had fish and chips and enjoyed looking at all these floating houses. Grandma Merrily is holding Eva.

I like this so much - Eva

Sorry mom Max and Ruby's on I will come help later - Leah

End of the pier at Fisherman's Wharf. Loving my new stroller already. Why why why did I wait so long to buy a decent umbrella stroller.

Will someone please let me out of this stroller - Ronan

Leah's First Day of School

Just before the big day

Eva started preschool the next week but had to be part of the photo shoot.

Just these two left at home every morning. Eva is going to have to learn to like her brother. Every time she holds him she yells for me to take a picture.

Leah started Kindergarten this year. I can't believe how fast time skips by. It is like I missed something along the way. I closed my eyes and she just grew up. I took Ronan to the doctor the same day thinking, hoping that he had an ear infection. The doctor had just opened an email with pictures of his grand kids going to their first day. His eyes welled with tears as he reminisced about how fast they had grown up. It was so sweet. I on the other hand didn't have the same reaction. I am I the only mom that celebrated a little thinking about how I will no longer have to take all my kids to the grocery store? I am sure that some day I will look at these pictures and tear up but for now I am saying wahoooo.

Ronan Loves Motorcycles

My nieces Kennedy and Kassidy came with their mom for a visit the other night. It was so fun to see them. They have gotten so big. I babysat them for a weekend when they were two. They both called me momma the whole time.

Pam Dave's sister's boyfriend brought his motorcycle. I always underestimate Ronan's boyness because I am so used to the girls. The minute Ronan saw this we could not get him off of it. I seriously had to pry him from it.

We Survived Big Kahuna

But it was a close call!!!!!

These are pictures from our Jackson Hole river rafting trip.

Anticipating! Looks like we hit it just perfect. No comments

about the dumb look on my face please.

Wow that was a lot bigger than it looked at first. Oh crap the look on Melissa's face says it all. She is the one screaming. Then look in front of her at Emily. She really is scared out of her mind.

Hitting the first wave perfect threw us sideways to hit the next bigger wave. At this point I thought we were going to completely flip our boat

Lost 6 of our 12 passengers. Who by the way were the newbies to the river

and most scared of falling out of the boat.

Caption me

Here is your challenge. Put on your journalist hat and pretend you were given the task of captioning the below picture for your local newspaper. What would you write? Go ahead, poke a little fun or even poke a lot of fun because the true story of this photo is sad and pitiful.

So go ahead and comment.

The real story. We arrived at 9:00 AM with the scouts for the beginning of our scout camp in the high Uinta mountains (10,000 feet). We were told by a scout "leader" (who had not yet graduated from puberty) to grab our trunks and head to the lake for "swim check". Knowing that in no way that I or my fellow leader Josh Carmack, had to swim I still choose to "represent" and "motivate" the boys and jump in the bitterly cold lake.

As my faced surfaced from the frozen abyss 3 feet from the dock, the sound heard around the valley was a mixture of shock, anger and fear, but mostly fear. I was asked to swim to a target not too far off, return, float on my back for 1 minute and tread water for 1 minute. Not a tall challenge for a strapping slightly husky lad as myself, right? Well this moment changed my life forever. Only Josh truly knows how close my kids came to losing their papa bear. There was a moment when the heavens opened and angels guided me to the dock. This is no exageration, I nearly died...as did the power craving dock scout that told me I'd have to start over if I touched the dock...how close you came to a swift death my young scout nazi.

The photo below takes place just seconds after I got back to the dock. After looking at it now for a week I realize that I have never had the expression on my face before. I've come to define my look as "anxiety ridden euphoric hate."

The good part of this story is that this singular event has caused a mighty change in my heart and waist. I've since started the Brittany Spears diet and have lost 5 pounds with another 35 on it's way off. So in a rather peculiar way I can thank the Boy Scouts of America for the hellish kick in the arse that was "Swim Check"

Sprinkler Fun

Simple fun. Sprinkler, no swimsuits, and an umbrella.

My Monkey

Dave came home from work with this Beckham jersey last night. It is going away for safe keeping until next year when it fits. Here is a few shots of Ronan sporting it in the front yard.

New trick of the week. Climbing up on the toilet, then to the counter to get to the toothbrushes. All my kids have had a love of Davy's toothbrush. It is never mine, which I think is hilarious. Sorry Davy it ends up all over the house.

How to Milk A Cow

When we were at the historical farm in Logan I was asked if I wanted to milk a cow. Everyone else went eww no thanks. But being the try anything new type of person I volunteered. It was gross but interesting. I am happy that I have learned a new skill that I will never have to try again. The smell of the cows teet made me want to vomit and I washed my hands as quickly as I could find a sink.

24th Pioneer Style

Dave went out of town to Toronto. The kids and I went up to my parents for a few days. As always Nana and Papa kept us very busy. To the pool, a circus, The Historical Farm, and the pool again. It was fun and a needed break from the everyday same old.

My wild boy in a rare moment of stillness.

Papa taking the kids for a ride in the handcart.

Ronan riding the horse. I thought it was so cute both Nana and Papa stood on either side of him.

My girls are best friends I love how they take care of each other.

Great Aunt Rachel

I dont know if that makes me really old. This is my nephews baby. She came for a visit the other day. How could I resist a quick photo shoot. Beyond being one of the cutest babies I have ever seen she is also an angel.