Reclining.

"Someday my prince will come..."

And she looks a little impatient... how dare that prince make her wait seven whole years already?!

It appears that some bad fairy has turned the poor princess' swans into GEESE!!

Sweet little princess.

The princess loves her trusty steed.

What a brave - looking and handsome horse!

The Royal Princess' Official Bodyguard... Seal!! Doesn't she look vicious and fierce? Ready to defend the princess at any moment?!

The lovely princess feeds her hardworking horse.

In the end, the all comes down to this. Just a girl. And her loving horse. =)

And they all lived happily ever after.

Westward, Again! (If Only for a Week)

Last week, Mom and Dad took an anniversary trip to the west coast of Washington for a few days. They visited some friends, went to the beach, ate blueberries, saw a few lakes, and camped out one night near Mt. Rainer. Meanwhile, they sent us pictures at home from Dad's phone to our email! Ah, the wonders of modern technology! =) I've posted the pictures from their trip here... and so... here they are!

See those brown shapes along that pier? They're seals! Kind of hard to see... but still seals all the same.

Hey! They must have named that after me! =)
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Piles of rocks along the beach... must be some kind of prehistoric hit counter. One pile per visitor. :D

Mom on the ferry (I think this is Puget Sound)

Dad and some blueberries... =)

Mom on the shore of a lake... somewhere west of here.

Mom in a lake somewhere west of here (this is a different lake, and unfortunately, I do not know the name of this one, either!)

Blue Eyes and Blue Flowers

Here are some pictures for those of you who don't read my photography blog! They were posted there before. =) But are still as interesting as ever, I hope! Have a great weekend!

This is Shay, a new little kitten!! We got her about a week ago, I think. =) Isn't she just adorable?! We love her a lot. (yes, that makes seven... is it one cat per acre? how about one cat per person?)
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That bell is so we can hear where she is... =)

Concentration.

These delphiniums are just gorgeous!! Their blooms are so bright in real life. I wish the color would come out here!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

A Rope Rescue Technician!

Finally, the ALERT blog posted some pictures!!! And guess who's in them? Out of six pictures, Joe's in FOUR of them!!! =) So here they are. I'll also copy here what the ALERT blog said about what they're doing in these pics. =)
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"ALERT Unit 41 began Emergency Response Training with a week of High Angle training. This course is designed to give men the confidence and skills they need to operate safely and effectively while performing rope rescues. Many men learn to overcome or work through their fear of heights while learning to serve in this environment. Many skills are practiced on the 40′ training tower located on ALERT campus. Responders gain experience in rappelling, ascending, patient packaging, and basket management while performing scenarios. Faced with increasingly challenging scenarios, young men must control their own movements, stabilize victims who may be in distress, and transport them safely to an extraction point.Those assigned to running the main and belay lines must plan ahead and manage their systems well to allow the rescuer to successfully assist the patient. Completing the course with a final scenario and written test, the men completed High Angle Rescue course and emerge as new Rope Rescue Technicians. While building many new skills, High Angle is also one the most enjoyable classes for many in ERT."

Well, hello to you, too, Joe!!! =)

Joe. Second from the left of this picture.

Joe (in the middle).

Annnnnd.... Joe! On the left.

:: Chataqua 2009 ::

Last week, our family (minus Joe) got to have a really fun time at Chataqua... (I think I spelled that right...) a festival/fair/carnival... etc. =) You get the idea. Here are a few quickly snapped photos of our afternoon... um... evening. Hope you're having a great day! God bless!

Abby rides a motorcycle!!

Roberta (left) and Sarah (right)... though hardly recognizable in all the blur. =)

Cotton candy, anyone?

Bluegrass!

I guess you could call this... um... carnival art?

Aleah grins... =)
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And Sarah grins, too!! =)

Our 4th

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July celebration! We sure did. Here are some pictures (did I say some... ?) We had several families from church and a few neighbors over for a barbecue for dinner. It was lots of fun! Enjoy!

A game of soccer.

Friends!

Spectating.

Getting lined up. (races, anyone?)

Yum... time to eat!

Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Friends and neighbors chattering...
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And still chattering...

Fireworks and sparklers!! Oh, boy!

Um... size comparison...?

Hope you had a happy 4th!!!