July 2015

THE FOURTH OF JULY

Audrey on her first Independence Day.

Nathan and Maddy had fun making this flag out of blueberries, raspberries, and marshmallows.

Watching the firework display on Baylor campus.


ZOO

It is almost getting too hot for the zoo, but it is bearable if you go for an hour right when it opens.

The kids were excited to see the new baby gibbon named Lucy.  They watched her for a half hour straight. The baby is hard to see in the video, but she is darker brown and holding on to her mom's belly. 

SEQUIM, WASHINGTON

Jared got an interview for a job in Sequim Washington, so we changed our family vacation from Colorado to Washington so we could check the area out.  Here we are at a school playground.

Audrey checking out the toys in the library.

The kids at Railroad bridge park.

Checking out Carrie Blake park.

Nathan wanted a picture in front of the construction site.

Sequim's climate is one of the best in the world for growing lavender.  

The kids enjoying the hot tub at the cabin we rented (before it fully heated up and got too hot for them).




The cabin also offered some gorgeous sunsets.

Audrey really liked a little bear statue that they had.



OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK AND HOH RAIN FOREST

Sequim is just 35 min from Olympic National Park.  We enjoyed hiking there in the cool shade of the trees.

It is still pretty, but much dryer than when we visited a little over a year ago.

Ferns

We hiked to Sol Duc falls.  I was proud of the kids making the over 4 mile hike.

Audrey spent a lot of time of Jared's back as we explored the park.

Beautiful Lake Crescent.

Our family at Marymere falls.

We were happy that my parents and my niece Mary could join us for the second half of our trip.

Our family at the Hoh Rainforest.

RIALTO BEACH

This is Audrey's first time at the beach.  She found the sand very tasty.

Our family at Hole in the Wall.

The kids next to a giant piece of driftwood.

The kids enjoyed seeing starfish, mussels, seaweed, crabs, and anemones in the tide pools.

The beautiful Washington coast.

SEQUIM LAVENDER FESTIVAL

Our last few days overlapped with the Sequim Lavender festival.

Maddy with her Grandpa.

The lavender farms were lovely.

The girls loved all the flowers.

Maddy was excited by the abundance of purple.

Abby with a lavender wand that she made.

Nathan's prefers to use his wand like Harry Potter.  Expelliarmus!

Maddy with her purple wand.

Audrey at the lavender festival street fair.

I think the kids' favorite part was the lavender ice cream.

A picturesque farmhouse at one of the lavender farms we visited.

OUR SWEET AUDREY BEAR

Audrey is growing so fast I feel that I need to take a lot of pictures to remember her baby stage before she grows out of it.

We had to get a carry on size crib for Audrey for the trip. She is a big fan of the little door on it.

Audrey has refused to be spoon fed.  Her pediatrician said he has never heard of a kid doing that.  I informed him that Abby refused to be spoon fed as well.  He very scientifically concluded that it must have something to do with the red hair.  Sometimes we can convince her to drink her baby food from a straw.  

Audrey is no longer content with crawling everywhere, she likes to stand up and practice her walking.  She pushes her toy car around on her knees, and she loves it when the kids give her rides.  She likes to carry her little finger puppets around in her mouth like a little puppy dog.

On Pioneer day the girls insisted on dressing her up.

Audrey has a talent for finding the dirtiest or most dangerous thing in the room so I shouldn't have been surprised when she picked up this giant Texas sized bug and tried to eat it.  

Now that Audrey can sit up, she enjoys taking her bath in the kitchen sink.

Audrey playing with the toy kitchen.  Her older sisters love dressing her up in this chef's hat.

Ever since Maddy was young, she has loved babies.  She loves to cuddle, play with, and care for Audrey.  We are glad she is such a great big sister to Audrey.