Visit from Isaac and Kim and family

Isaac and Kim made a visit out to our house in Puyallup this summer.

 Here's a family picture of the whole family: Isaac, Kim, Joslyn, and Dorian out in our backyard.

 One day we went to the South Hill Mall so the kids could play at the small children play area.  They just loved it and hated having to leave.  They would have been happy playing there all day it seemed.  Dorian on top of a dog.

 Joslyn on top of a lion.

Some pictures of the kids at the library.  Puyallup has one of the best libraries, with lots to do besides check out books.

 Dorian with a toy train set.

 One day we went out to the Sumner Rhubarb Days street festival.  Mallory, Andrew, and Malachi on a military hummer.

 They got to make some vegetable cars and race them down a track.  They also made rockets.  We  had a fun time there.

 Talitha had us over for a cookout one day.  Besides lots of good barbecue they had a dessert bar.

 Talitha and David in their back yard, which they've fixed up and landscaped and made really nice.

 Caleb put up a Slack-line.  Kim and Joslyn giving it a try.

 Caleb could walk the length of the slack-line.  Isaac did it too.  Tianna and James and Ashton were also out to visit for part of the time.

 We got to celebrate Joslyn's birthday while they were here.  Joslyn opening some presents.

 Batman is one of Joslyn's favorite things.  She got a giant one from Malachi and Layne.

 Joslyn turned four.  She's growing up fast - and is very smart and cute.

 One day we went out to Lincoln Park in Seattle.  We took a hike along the beach and through the park.  Those are car ferries out on the Sound.

 They had a zip line at the park that we all had to try.

 Dorian in the wading pool.

 Joslyn in the wading pool.

 And one day we went out to the Point Defiance Zoo.  The kids had free passes from the Puyallup Library summer reading program.

 They liked the place in the aquarium where you could pet small sharks and sting rays.

 I think the kids liked the aquariums best of all.  There's a new one opening up next month that we just missed getting to see.

 Of course there were lots of animals to see.  These big things are Malayan Tapirs.  We also saw polar bears, elephants, monkeys, camels, wolves, penguins, and seals and walruses, and even  lemurs from Madagascar.

 One day we drove out to Mt. Rainier so the kids could do some hiking and climbing on the trees out in the woods.  Isaac and Joslyn and a massive fallen tree trunk.

 Dorian and Kim out in the dense woods.

 Caleb lending a helping hand.

 Isaac and family on a log footbridge crossing a glacial river.

 And we always get a trip in to Wildwood Park, just in the neighborhood.

We had a great visit and are so glad they came.

Gen's birthday

We made another trip down to Arizona to see our parents and be with Jacquelyn's mom on her birthday.

 She turned 92 years old.  We went out to Red Lobster for dinner and they gave her a giant sundae with a candle in it.

 She turned 92 years old.  Here she is with 5 of her 8 children - Rosemerry, Duane, Jacquelyn, Conni, and Roger.

 We also saw my dad and the first evening he took us out to a baseball game.

 We saw the Arizona Diamondbacks play.  There was a lot of hitting going on but they lost in the end.

It was fun going to the game.

Visit from Doranda's family I

Doranda and Bob flew out from Japan for a visit with grandchildren Tucker, Penelope, Scarlett, Leon, and Calista.

 Penelope ready to have some fun at Bradley Lake Park where they had a small fair going on one day.

 Caleb with Tucker, Scarlett, and Penelope observing giant turtles, some of which can live to be 150 years old.  They were monsterous.

 Tucker, Scarlett, and Penelope with baby turtles so small they could be held in your palm.  They were allowed to pick them up.

Penelope taking a fall on the giant blow up climbing toys.

 Then one day we played miniature golf at Mike N Terry' Outdoor Fun Park just north of where we live towards Sumner.  We had to split up into two groups. We had all of Doranda's family plus Caleb plus two of Tianna's children.  In this picture is Penelope, Scarlett, Ashton, Calista, Tucker, and Caleb.

 Ashton pondering a short putt.

 Tucker getting ready to shoot the windmill.

 Leon taking a mighty swing.  Keep your eye on the ball or you'll miss it.

 Penelope chasing her ball while Scarlett looks bored.

 Scarlett trying to shook a curving shot.

 The kids also played a lot of ball in the backyard.  You throw the ball at someone, and if you hit them they are out.  But then if you get out, they get to come back in.  You play until just one person is in.

 Sometimes even the adults joined in on the fun.

 Ashton and Penelope.

 A mighty throw by Ashton.

 Caleb throwing at Penelope.  I hope he missed, looks like it might hurt.  It doesn't.

 Talitha's dog Lucy wanted to join in on the fun too, with Leon.  She likes to play Frisbee.

 Leon and Scarlett made a campfire in the backyard for everyone to cook marshmallows and make smores.

 We also make our traditional trip to the dollar store and each grandchild gets to buy one thing, any thing they want, in the whole store.  Tucker bought these little sticky Ninja people who were good at climbing down walls.

And there were lots of card and board games going on all the time, usually adults.

Visit from Doranda's family II

More fun things to do while Doranda was out to visit with her family.

Interesting things close by, like a trip to Wildwood Park, which is always a favorite.  It's only about 2 miles north of home.  First thing we did there was hit the Exercise Trail.  This is a push up station.  Tucker, Leon, and Scarlett.

 Monkey bars station.  Penelope and James.

 Doranda on the monkey bars.

 Tucker doing chin-ups in his own way.

 Tucker and Ashton on the leg lift station.

 Leon on the balance bars.

 James on the balance bars.

 Leon and Scarlett on the tree stump.

 After that we went to the playground area.  Leon is on a fence overlooking the Wildwood Park Waterfall.

 James traversing a fallen log.

On the playground is Tucker, Ashton, Leon, Scarlett, and James playing some kind of game.  I think Scarlett is "it".

 Then we went to the ball fields for a game of kick ball.  We had a giant ball so it was hard to get very far.  Here's Tucker heading for second as Leon heads for home and Caleb fields the ball.

 James winding up for a mighty kick.

 Penelope up close, ready to field Leon's kick as soon as he kicks the ball.

 A nearby rock formation to climb on - Tucker, James, and Scarlett.

 We also made a trip one day to Mt. Rainier.  This is Narada Falls which where we did a short hike down to a lookout point.

 Observing a beaver chewed tree at the Longmire Trail of Mists.

 Tucker climbing on logs at our picnic lunch site at Cougar Rock Campgrounds.

 Penelope and Scarlett also climbing logs.

 Leon on a big fallen tree.

Jacquelyn and I overlooking the Nisqually River, a glacier feed river running off the mountain.