Sisters Overnighter

We had a sisters overnight in Tri Cities!!!  It was so much fun!  We went swimming, shopping (Laura found her butter dish...PLUS a whole lot more!!!  She has been looking for a butter dish and salad tongs..and waalaa..she found both!!! What a day!! ), Thai food, sorting through jewelry that Jewels got at Buck Jewelry on her trip to Oklahoma, watch movies, stayed up late, laughed, cried, and enjoyed being together.  We need to do this more often!!

Bowl and Pitcher

Saturday was a beautiful day, so we took Mom and Dad Ward on a Spokane Hike called the bowl and pitcher.  It was fun to be outside, exploring, wading in the water, getting all muddy, photo bombing pictures, swinging from bowed trees, and climbing bridge rails.  All in a days work!

Super Duper Yard Sale Time

This is the first year we have been home during the Liberty Lake Yard Sale Weekend Extravaganza... and holy moly... I don't think we will miss it again!!  It is sheer Laura happiness.  Yard Sale Heaven... seriously Yard Sales all over the place.  People gear up for this event all year long!  And I can see why...streets are packed with buyers!!!  Don't try and drive in Liberty Lake this weekend.... it just won't happen!  Aparri decided she wanted have a little stand and sell homemade cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa.  Um..yes please!  Stan and Amy were here with us and helped us in the baking department!  While Laura and Aparri made cinnamon rolls...Stan and Amy made us strawberry jam!!!  By Thursday night - we were ready to sell on Friday - yard sale day! 

Aparri manned her hot cocoa and cinnamon roll stand for 1/2 the day then she handed if off to Preston .  Each kid made about $50 - so a total of $100.  Not a bad days work.  When Detric saw the other kids making money- he wanted to jump on that earning wagon - when mom said "no" to letting him go through the house and grabbing other people's stuff to sell - he took matters into his own hands.  We took his purchases  from earlier (which he paid 0.25 for) and sold it to another neighbor kid for $2.  Oh the wheeling and dealing... Laura wasn't quite sure how she should feel about this transaction - sad that her son was selling things to other unsuspecting kids he got a deal on - or secretly proud of his clever entrepreneur mind that found a loop hole and a way to get himself the cash he wanted???  Clever, Clever little man - watch out even these 6 year olds can surprise you!!!    

Mid morning,  Laura and Amy couldn't resist the pull of the hundreds of yard sales any longer, so they headed off by themselves to do some shopping!!!   They each found a few treasures that they were excited to find!!  Unfortunately, Laura missed a Rae Dunn Butter Dish that she really wanted.   Here's the story... When Laura initially saw it, she was so excited about it  - she grabbed it without paying attention to much else.  (Clay had accidentally broken her butter dish a few weeks ago and Laura had been on the look out to find a butter dish she liked but hadn't found one yet...so when she finally found "the perfect one"...she was thrilled.  This is it!  The one I have been looking for!) BUT, when she finally took the time to look around, she noticed a lady standing next to her who kinda gave her a "look"...Laura said, "Oh sorry...did you want this?"  The lady was nice and said, "Yes...but you grabbed it first."  Laura felt bad and set the butter dish back down and said, "No...I don't want to be THAT kind of lady." (which is true...but it was a hard thing to do...this was the perfect butter dish for Laura...her style, design, right price, everything.  Laura went up to Jenn, Laura's friend who was selling the butter dish, and asked her where she had gotten it.  She said TJMAXX.  Laura was determined to find one.  Well, after the yard sales we went to 3 different stores and no butter dishes...so disappointed.  At the end of the day - all kids were thrilled with their earnings and are already counting down to next yard sale day in which they are ALL Planning to participate!  And Laura will have to keep looking for her butter dish – don't worry - she’s determined – I'm sure she will find it!

Spring Recitals

Spring time is recital time- the kids get to show us their stuff they have been practicing for months!  Aparri had her dance recital, Detric has his lets play music performance, and Erica got to demonstrate her music beginning skills.  I love to watch these kids excel and have fun!  

On the last day of school - CJ was officially done with 8th grade and therefore graduating from middle school and onto highschool.  In order to celebrate - he took his papers from his backpack and burned them... and proudly displays the ashes in his room!

Not so Handy Dandy Tent

And in the end, the weather was pretty good...we had a few sprinkles here and there but we just took shelter in the trailer, played cards and waited out the rain.. a lot better than what was forecasted back home - constant rain.  All was going fine - we were riding motorcycles, camping, eating good food, and staying dry....until the very last night!!!  Right as it was getting dark, a storm rolled in.... That's ok, we have had a great day, so we will just head into the tent and play us some aggravation as a family by the light of the lantern.  

Well, as soon as we got in the tent and the campsite secure, the rain started falling.  We were in our handy dandy tent, happily playing aggravation, when...drip, drip, drip...what is that?  Is that water on our heads?  Drip, drip, drip...now it was on the board - water drops and they were coming faster!  Clay and Laura looked at each other and then up to the top of the tent.  Our handy dandy trusted tent of 14 years has sprung a leak...quickly Clay and Laura got their shoes on, rushed out side, opened the trailer, transferred any remaining tables and chairs that were under the canopy into the trailer.  Then took the canopy and placed it over the tent!!!  Problem solved.  Clay and Laura were soaking wet  but at least the family would be dry through the night - a sacrifice we were willing to pay!  The next day, we thanked the tent for its years of service and then retired it to the closest dumpster.  

Riding with Life Lessons

We found some great places to ride our motorcycles in Potlach!!  Up mountain trails to beautiful views, down rocky paths to motorcycle dunes, small hills to climb, and fields to explore.  Poor Detric learned a valuable lesson (the hard way) on one of our rides.... 

the mud puddles are awfully fun to ride through...the bigger the splash - the louder the giggle!  But if you're not careful, those fun puddles quickly turn into super slippery buggers...and your joy ride full of giggles quickly turns into a ride of tears  leaving you and your motorcycle soaking wet in a mud puddle and you end up having to wear your mothers jacket!   

  

HOT HOT HOT

One night around the campfire...the smoke just seemed to keep following Preston where ever he seemed to sit.  Finally Laura said, "You know Preston, smoke follows beauty"  Without a seconds hesitation he responds,

 "I'm not beautiful...

 I'm HOT. " 

Oh boy, Preston we are sure glad you have so much confidence!!  The boys then had a spontaneous dance party around the fire!!!  I sure love these boys of mine!!!  

Eating Well

CJ worked on his cooking merit badge.  He made us foil dinners and cherry cobbler.  Oh yum...we ate well!!!

  Delicious... CJ we give you an A++ !

Potlach Camping

Well, we were supposed to go to Avery, Idaho and go camping with the Baker Family, but the forecast called for rain all weekend long.   So, the Bakers decided not to go.  But, the Ward Crew was determined to find a spot that wasn't going to be raining and wet this weekend and go there. So... started looking at the map and  Clay found this place called Potlach.  Hmmm... ok, lets go!   Laura secretly prayed it wouldn't be a repeat of last years experience when Clay picked a camping spot based solely on a map (we had ended up driving for 4 hours and never finding a spot...it was miserable for everyone.)  But I am pleased to tell you - this was an awesome area and we found plenty of spots.  It was unique in that a lot of the areas had "reserved camping spots" where people rent them out for the whole season...apparently they can leave their campers there and come and go as they please.  We found a non- reserved spot that was quite private and had an area for the kids to ride the dirt bikes around.  The kids even discovered a deer leg along a trail...yipee.  (Makes you wonder where the rest of the deer went - and what killed it.  Sure...I can sleep tonight, no problem!)