Camp Peine

We went up to an LDS camp ground on Monday and spent 4 days with our good friends the Plumbs. The weather wasn't all that it should have been but we had a good time. We spent some time boating, tubing and even took a day and went on a boat ride up to a small town called Sandpoint. We moored the boats and went shopping for awhile and then went for some lunch.

By the time lunch was over, it was raining pretty good. We drove boated back to our camp sites in the rain. By the time we returned, the rain had stopped but it was still chilly out. We had to get back to town on Thursday because Nick was going through the temple for the first time.

He did a good job even though he was suffering a killer headache. He is anxious to go through the Salt Lake City temple with everyone next week.

Zoe was not happy we forced her to ride the tube at least once.

But she later recovered from the trauma.

Summer Pictures

We just go back from a few days on the boat. I will send more pictures as I edit them for size. Darbi was the photographer for the trip and did an awesome job.

Darbi showing off the guns.

Darbi and Zoe on the right.

Cooling off with a big wave.

Nick and Jaren with Darbi's friend on the tube.

"Big Air" Nick. He loves to wakeboard.

Baseball

Nick and I went to Seattle on Friday to catch a Mariners game. He really loves the Mariners and so we decided to do this one last time before he left on his mission. The Mariners aren't doing to well this year so we were hoping they might pull one out while we were there.

Nick picked this day a few months ago because it was Felix Hernandez bobblehead night. We arrived in Seattle a few hours early and there were already people lined up to get the limited edition bobblehead. We decided we weren't into it enough to wait in line for 3 hours so we walked into downtown Seattle and did a little shopping. As luck would have it, when we went in we were still able to score a bobblehead.

The game was great and we were able to witness a grand slam and also a 3 run homer. It was a great game and we really had a fun time.

Nikki and the kids informed us they also had a fun evening of eating macoroni and cheese but they were not able to get any pictures of that to share for the blog, maybe next time.

Nikki is in Jail again

Since life seems to be pretty boring around here, I thought I would throw out a headline that would grab everyone's attention. Did it work? Of course I shouldn't resort to out right lies to draw people in, after all, this is just her first time in jail and we are pretty sure she will cleared of all charges.

We are sure that Darbi is going to succomb to boredome. Anybody out there want to adopt a 14 year old? Nick and I are going to Seattle this weekend to catch a Mariners game. He has been working his backside off lately and so I told him I would take him over for the game. Zoe spent the day yesterday at an amusement park with a friend whose dad is in Iraq and her mother leaves for Texas because she is also being assigned somewhere for training. Makes you glad for your blessings. She will go live with her grandmother.

Nikki and I went out on the boat this weekend with some friends for a tour of Lake Coeur d' Alene. It was pretty fun and the desserts were to die for. So anyone want to come and visit and we will take you out.

Nikki has talked me into training for a marathon. When I said yes, I had assumed that a "marathon" was some sort of candy bar. I thought, "yea, I can train to eat one of those no problem." Since little did she know that I had been training for that for the past 23 years. It wasn't until I signed the contract that she told me that I had to run 2.6 miles. I have never run more than 3 miles in a whole week let alone in one running and now I am expected to run 2.6 miles all at once. Well I say bring it on!

One of those weeks

Talk about having one of those weeks. Nick and I had to travel to Montana to do a job there. It was on the indian reservation so it was out in the middle of no where. We spent 4 days there working long nights and then having nothing to do during the day.

While we were gone, Nikki was back home with the kids battling household disasters. The new TV broke, the basement flooded with septic water and a wind storm tore the backyard apart. We also had a stump removed from the front yard that made a huge mess. So we got home in time to shop vac out the basement and then listen as 3 kids did all they could to do help by saying, "ewwwww, gross."

Jaren spent a whole week at the Washington Intensive Wrestling camp. He got home and said he would never go again, no matter what. They worked out like crazy. They got up one morning at 2am and ran 10 miles. They were in class 24 hours a day. The wrestling team from Boise state put it on. He got home yesterday and has pretty much just slept and ate.

Nick has been playing indoor soccer and is the star goalie. He has never done it before but seems to be quite good. It must be that second base experience.

Darbi has been reading those vampire books non stop. They must be good.

Zoe stays busy being in everybodies business. She loves the computer.

Halifax, Canada

There was sightings of a happy mother today standing in the street shouting "it's here, it's here." Nick walked up the street holding a big white envelope addressed to Elder Novakovich. He was called to the Halifax, Canada Mission. He reports to the MTC on September 17 and will be speaking English. The cool thing about it is that that is where Nikki was baptized. So he is going back to where it all started.

July 4th

Well today was one of those days where you sit around asking everybody what they want to do until you realize that it has taken so long to decide that now the day is over and it is too late to do anything anyway. It was just a relaxing day of sitting around the yard and doing nothing. Nikki and I did end up losing the kids to different and activities and so we went for ice cream. Nick and Jaren were able to sneak in 9 holes of golf and Zoe found the hammock in the yard and took full advantage.

Nick and Jaren went to a fireworks display put on by themselves. Their favorite thing is making displays out of sparklers. Hear I though it was so cute that they had gone to purchase fireworks and came back with sparklers until I discovered that they had made a few adjustments and soon those cute little sparklers were removing stumps from our yard and shaking the ground for miles.

Nick is going to go our working today. He is excited to save his money because he has set the goal to go to dental school and knows it will cost him a pretty penny. It is nice to see him setting goals.