Labor Day Weekend and Loads of Family Fun

We spent the weekend with the Lockwoods/Ostermans. Five kids and tons of adults: what a blast. The boys and the kids, minus Cora, fished. We all spent time on the beach of the Snake River. We slept in a tent and ate over the fire. We had a great time.

Cora loved YaYa's Dog, Pips. All weekend she would love on him and kiss him. She kept saying,"Pee pee." I think I have another animal lover.

Cora loves Food...climbing to get s'more fixin's while drinking her juice. She can multi-tasks. She found the Oreos too.
The Lockwood Boys, Neil and Dean, loved Cora. Cora copied everything Dean did. Here, he is laying on the sand, so is she.
Neil saved her from the sand hole. They are both super sandy.
Lots of Daddy Daughter time.


Ya Ya taught Cora how to fight with a light saber.


It rained for 20 minutes, so we had to hustle into the trailers to stay dry.

Maddy Olsen, and the other kids play in the sand.
Cora lounging in the chair.
Brother and sista~
Cora loves to climb in and out of her porta crib.
and just playin' in the sand.

Her First Day of School

We got in late Sunday night and made the mistake of saying, "By the time you wake up in the morning, you will be in kindergarten." The quiet stressed Loren appeared. She kept saying, "I am really nervous mom."

Loren picked her outfit out and tried to wake up on the couch.


The first outfit and back pack. Notice Cora looking on admiringly.


I took her to school before she went to kindergarten. She is in afternoon kindergarten, so that she can be Miss Dana's Helper in pre school for the little kids. At CV, she made friendship bracelets for all the 'big' kids working in the school.

I took her to lunch. A first day special treat I would like to continue throughout school; well, after kindergarten we will have to do breakfast:)

We stopped at Miss Dana's to get Cora and we all decided to go together to Hamblen Elementary School for Loren's First Day of Kindergarten.

Loren's teacher is Ms. Ray. She loves Dr. Seuss. She is excited to be able to go to ''Real" school. I am excited and moved by my little girl entry the world of institutional learning.

Loren's First Day of School...AKA our fishing trip

District 81 started school on August 27th. We had planned our family fishing vacation before we knew the date...not to be bitter, but it changed from September 3rd to August 27th on June 20th. After much consternation, we decided that family time beat 6 hours of kindergarten. It was the best king fishing in years. But we experienced other aspects of family time, too.

Cora spent a lot of time watching us be campers.

Although we were there for a week, on Loren's first day was spent in Long Beach at the amusement park.

Loren bought this pink cowboy hat, so she could be a 'cowboy girl'. She and her mood ring played shoot 'um up bang bang.

On the way home, I was certain we made the right decision. She would embarrass me putting writing utensils up her nose.

The Ocean 2009

The end of July, first week August the Donleys x 2, and the Magees did our annual Ocean trip. We go to Neskowin, Oregon near Lincoln City. Although it wasn't either girls first time, it was fun to see Cora and Loren interact together.

The kids really enjoyed being together. It is fun to have cousins close in age. Abby was really good with Cora and Davis and Loren played together, too.


The girls liked to take baths in their swimsuits after a day of playing in the beach.

I LOVE this picture. It is really Loren. Just free...Grandma bought her the sweatshirt and she wore it everyday.

Not to be gross, but Loren had to go Potty. I love the potty pictures because she just has no worries at all. The one far away was Loren decided that she could be modest if she went right in the middle of the path down to the beach.

Loren and Cora spent a lot of time making castles, and holes and then knocking them down.

Cora found her life jacket in the condo and would not take it off. She wore it everytime we were inside. I think she thought she might drown in the condo?