We just got back from a week-long Ford family reunion in Long Beach, Washington! How blessed we were to see family, and especially to watch the kids interact with and absolutely fall in love with their cousins, aunts, and uncles ... and Corey's boyhood vacation stomping-grounds...
Grandpa Jack Ford, The Gene and Kristine Ford Family, The Sherry and Jerry Sowa Family, and the Gregg and Mary Ford Family
The very first day we stayed there, Grandma Sherry ushered us all down to the beach, with a special kite for each grandkid!
Porter flashing the "peace" sign on the walk down to the beach.
The kites were amazing - I don't know who had more fun - the adults or the kids!
Grandpa and Emma Rose fly the kitty kite!
Porter's shark kite!
Emma Rose had so much fun with cousin Morgan!
Emma Rose, Morgan, Porter, and Kade
Emma Rose and Porter race!
Emma Rose finds a "scary" crab.
Aunt Allison and niece, Emery Ford
All the kites in the sky!!!
Holden flies his kite, ninja-style!
Every night we had a different theme night. The first was "Italian" night, hosted by Uncle Gregg's family. He helped the kids make their own personal pizzas!
Me, Aunt Lori, and Aunt Michelle
Great Grandpa Jack
Kinsley, Emery, Morgan, Dylan, Porter, Emma Rose, and Elise
We got to see some beautiful beaches there!
Beards Hollow
North Head Light House, overlooking Cape Disappointment
Waikiki Beach, WA
Aunty Bryn showed up and absolutely made Emma Rose's week by giving her her first pedicure!
Porter's face says it all: he was absolutely thrilled to have BOY cousins for an entire week!
Dylan, Porter, and Holden
Each night was concluded with a bonfire!
Aunt Lori, Uncle Jarrod, Corey, Porter, Aunt Shannon, and Aunt Julia
We took a nice bike ride along the beach with Grandma Sherry and Grandpa Jerry, and Porter went about 4 miles with no training wheels. As always, Emma Rose was thrilled to be along for the ride!
This boy LOVES his daddy!
Stopping with Grandma to check out the beach
It was nice to see the kids warm up to their Great Grandpa Jack each day. Several times, Grandpa Jack said, "they're beautiful!"
Porter, Grandpa Jack, Kennedy, and Dylan
The last night was a hoot! The Cowlitz Indian naming ceremony took place, as the Ford senior tribe members dressed for the occasion, and the kids looked on with utter amazement:
Sherry, Gene, Marc, and Gregg
Senior tribe member "Little Pony" hugs newly named Emma Rose: "Shining Flower"
What a great time that will last forever in our memories!
Emma Rose's smile pretty much sums up how the past month of summer has been with the kids!
We've spent 5 out of 7 days in the week at the pool, in the back yard pool, at the indoor pool, and lounging in the sun. Porter and Emma Rose LOVE the water. Porter's been in swim lessons and loves to pretend to be a turtle, swimming for 5-10 feet underwater at a time before coming up for air. And Emma Rose is an absolute fish. The girl floats and turns and kicks and swim with a grin the size of Alaska the entire time.
This is the little slide that I caught Porter blocking other kids from going down until Emma Rose was safely at the bottom!
Porter flexes his muscles after a long "turtle" swim.
I love this picture because EVERY time we go to the pool, Emma Rose does this. She climbs on my back, hugs me, and says, "I lub you, Mommy. I so proud of you."
We've also had fun exploring different play sites when it has been just too hot to go outside. Porter fell in love with this place, with human-sized building blocks, and of course, Emma Rose was at his side to help him out!
And we've also spent hours on bikes and scooters this summer. Porter has been so proud of his new, big bike, but he refused to take off the training wheels...
... then one day, when Corey and I were busy working on the front yard, we looked up and Porter had picked up the neighbor's bike, sans training wheels. Guess that strider bike payed off! (Thanks to my cousin, Erin, for the recommendation!) We've since taken him on bike rides without training wheels!
This picture so makes me smile: Porter in his Spider Man jammies and "working boots" on his bike:
Corey and I got to get away together without the kids for a couple days in Fort Collins, where we got some hiking, beer-tasting, and LOTS of sleeping in!
New Belgium Brewery
I've also been lucky to spend some good evenings in the company of dear friends, whose kids are favorites of my kids!
...And we did get a nice hike in this month. The kids had a blast jumping off rocks and looking for wildlife on the way to St. Mary's Glacier.
We've had a great month... and we had a fun trip to Long Beach, Washington, in the midst of all of it (another blog soon-to-come...)
Corey & Reagan met in the summer of 2000, and dated for a few weeks - Corey told his friend, Booger, that Reagan was the girl he was going to marry when he first saw Reagan. It seemed that Corey was wrong as there was a prolonged ending to the relationship after a few School of Mines parties, Corey visitng Reagan at SMU, and a "racey" Christmas picture of Reagan being shared with all of the Sowas - and Grandpa Jack. When 2 years later, Corey's cousin got married and Corey asked Reagan to be his date, they started a friendship that turned into love. Corey and Reagan were married in December of 2004. Their adventures have been filled with trips to Belize, Alaska, Napa, Mexico, Italy, and Ouray. And, it's always an adventure when Corey goes extreme skiing and forgets to call to share that he's alive. Now they live in Highlands Ranch with their two other loves, Axl & Fiona. They're awaiting their next adventure in the little bundle of joy growing in Reagan's belly.
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