A boring breakfast, it is not

This is how we do it

Summer has arrived. Finally. After one of the wettest June's and springs on record, it's finally here. And we are fully taking advantage.

We joined the local health/racket club this spring and the best part is the wonderful outdoor pool system they have. The kids spend hours dipping between the pools, hot tub, slide and fountains. The first best part is they allow you to bring in all the food and beverages you want - including alcohol! We have been there for all afternoon swimming and dinner the past 3 nights! The second best part is that the boy come home absolutely exhausted at the end of the night!

Pyromania

Happy 4th of July! We started the holiday weekend with the annual trip to Hillsboro for the Happy Days parade - aka the Hillsboro Hard Candy Parade. The boys have the parade wave down and are showered (and often pelted) with handfuls of star mint and butterscotch candy, the occasional tootsie roll or smarties pack mixed in. It's the same every year -I only care about the Reeser's float which throws beef sticks and the Hank's giant shopping cart which throws mini loaves of bread!

We went to a bbq last night and came back home for Pyro-time. THe boys made the trip to Vancouver during the week to buy the 'real' fireworks for our backyard display. Nate was particularly excited about the Blizzard and Ian loved the Bat fireworks that flew up in the air (super safe - not! Thank goodness it just rained because one is on our roof and one is in a large tree!)

Milestone - the boys wanted to stay up until midnight and we let them! Crazy parents - we must have had way too much to drink! Both literally hit the pillow like zombies. We'll see how this day goes.

This morning we wake to a nice burned spot in the grass and the carnage of the leftover shells. Totally worth it!

And now, a word from Nate

I am going to steal the idea from Shannon (thanks sis) and publish some of the stories that Nate came up with this year as I am sitting here going through mounds of school work that came home last week.

They made a writing book, sprial bound, and this is a sampling - spelling errors not corrected.

On Friday I went to Idiho to see my Grandma and my cosins. My trip ended on Monday. I stayed in a hotel for three days. I went swimming with my cosins. My hotel name was Haladay express. My cosins hotel name was Red lion. It was fun. We had so much fun. There was funny at evry corner.

I like Mario super bros. for wii. I am on wold eight its four players. the charecters are Mario, Toad, Toad, Liuege. There are eight worlds.

I made a flower at school. We all day three peices of paper. And tishyou paper and I got blue. We all got little peices of green paper. we all got big pices of green paper then we put all the pices together.

I like sharks they are cool. They live in the water. They are very dangeris and scary. They are anamals. They live very deep down.

I like Ester becuase it is the day that Jesus came to heven. The Ester bunny comes. When he comes he brings candy and treats. I got a paper airplane set from the Ester bunny. It is very cool.

First Day of Summer Vacation

They look so sweet when they are not trying to kill each other.

Sealed, for your Protection

Remember that scene in ET The Extra Terrestrial where the scientists seal off Elliot's home with plastic to avoid alien contamination. Well, we have that. We are getting ready to film scenes from ET 2- Invasion of the moisture monster.

Just kidding.

A week ago we discovered a leaking hot water pipe. UNDER our house. Had we not had our hardwoods re-done recently, it might have taken much longer to notice. But all of the sudden, the floor started to cup (curl up), then discolor. When Dave tried to peek under the house he discovered a pond. And soaked insulation. And wet sub floor. And the big M: Mold.

One week later, one plumber later and 2 ServePro dudes who practically live here - we are drying out. We no longer have access to our laundry, downstairs bath, family room, hallway or nook. We have about 10 loud fans and dehumidifiers running 24/7 to dry out the sub floor and under the house.

Thank GOD Grandma lives across the street!

The moral of the story is: Go look under your house!

9504 Nw Bartholomew Drive, Portland, OR

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This beautiful 4859 square foot home has 6 bedrooms and 3.10 full bathrooms. It is located at 9504 Nw Bartholomew Drive in Portland, OR.