Escape to the Mountains

We decided Wednesday night to take the kids up to Tamarack for the weekend. We arrived yesterday afternoon and the girls all went for a swim in the pool at the lodge.

We drove into McCall last night for dinner at Chapala's Mexican Restaurant. This is the first picture we have taken with the whole family since Susanna and Kerrie came home. We had fun in our condo last night relaxing and playing Taboo after the little girls went to bed.

This morning we drove into McCall again for breakfast at The Pancake House. This is one of our favorite things to do when we come up here.

This cinnamon roll was as big as the plate! Kiley shared it with Susanna and Kerrie.

We spent the afternoon on Lake Cascade. Kiley is wakeboarding. I thought all the other buns looked cute. Kiley, Hannah and Mom tried to swim (with a boat escort of course) to an island in the lake, but it was a lot further away than it looked in the beginning. We did get some good exercise for a while though. Kiley, Hannah and Paige had a great time tubing. We even got Susanna to go out for a spin. She says, "No speed, Dad."

I take this same shot of the girls every year. The two new additions make it even cuter this year.

Only a few wanted to actually jump off the boat.

Lizzie and Daddy showing off their muscles.

Tonight after dinner we went for a hike/walk. It is so beautiful and smells so good up here. It is great to get away and just hang out with our family.

Beautiful Braids

When my girls are four years old we get beautiful black and white portraits taken of them. We have a special dress that everyone wears for their picture. I have always wanted to get the dress framed and hang it with the pictures. I am so glad I am a procrastinator because two more beautiful girls needed to get their picture taken in that dress. On Tuesday morning I took Susanna to a place downtown to get extensions put in her hair so she would look good for her pictures. They turned out great! She loves them and she looked great getting her picture taken. She laughed the whole time.

She is so proud of her hair. She said, "Miss Shari made my head look pretty."

Tuesday night we took pictures of the big girls in their dance costumes at my friend Julie's house. We looked through the box of old dance costumes and came up with something pretty for Kerrie and Susanna to pose in as well.

We missed you!

Kiley went up to McCall with my mom, my aunt and my niece on Thursday. My sister Jill (from Dallas) and her five girls plus other odds and ends of the family were up there for the week enjoying the lake. On Friday a big group went rafting down the Payette River. Kiley had a great time. She is more of a thrill seeker than we had ever imagined. This morning I loaded the other five girls in the car and headed up to join in the fun and to celebrate Charlie's (my brother Matt's seven year old) birthday. We spent five hours at the Fish and Swim Club swimming and playing with all the cousins. I drove a carload of tired girls home. Dad was happy to have all seven of his girls home safe and sound tonight.

All the sisters missed Kiley and were happy to have her back with us.

Kiley is loved.

Nanny McPhee

About a week ago Lizzie had a tooth that was so loose it practically stuck straight out. We told her she looked like Nanny McPhee because she could close her mouth and her tooth would be on the outside. Brad was going to take the four older girls camping and I told her the tooth was not allowed to go along.

Out it came!

Last night she came downstairs before bed and showed her dad another tooth that was hanging by a string. I think Brad blew on it and it fell out. This girl likes her teeth to be VERY loose before anyone tries to pull them out.

Happy 4th of July

We had a busy, fun 4th of July.

In the morning we were invited to go swimming at our cousins' neighborhood pool.

Kerrie does the splits every time she jumps in the pool.

Jim is an awesome uncle. He always makes everything fun for the kids. Paige would have liked him to throw her in the pool all day long.

We like to be festive for all holidays.

In the afternoon the girls enjoyed lighting smoke bombs and firecrackers with Dad out in the street.

Six beautiful Dildine girls.

Dance pose!

We hosted a bbq and fireworks party for Brad's family in the evening. All nine siblings, their families and Grandma and Grandpa were here for the fun. We counted 45 people. Now that is a party!

Susanna and Lizzie enjoying dinner.

Dildine cousins

We had an awesome fireworks show!

Susanna and Hannah enjoyed sparklers.

Kiley and Kerrie enjoyed something a little fancier.

We hope everyone had a great holiday with family and friends.