Bluewater - Pioneer Days

This year for our Nielson family reunion at Bluewater we did the pioneer thing for two days.  We all wore authentic clothing.  We cooked over the fire.  For breakfast we made pancakes, bacon and eggs.  We made beans, baked bread (in the dutch oven) and had fried chicken and potatoes.  The second day was better, because we got the hang of things.

The girls washed clothes in the wash tub and hung them out to dry.

The boys gathered wood and found time to make stilts, do leather work and play in the barn.
The kids played a pioneer game with a hoop and two sticks.  It was actually a fun game!
The girls washed the dishes after each meal and sang and talked.  They felt like they spent a lot of time in the kitchen.  They also did some embroidery.
We ended with a dance that was a big hit!  It was a great experience!

I started to enjoy being a pioneer  - after I cheated and put on my tennis shoes (I was getting blisters from my boots) and used the running water.  Hauling water got old really fast!  We sure appreciated our pioneer ancestors and were glad we could wear comfortable clothing and take hot showers!

Vancouver, Canada

We just got back from visiting Clint's sister Chawna in Vancouver, Canada.  Clint's mom and sister Camette were also there.  We went on a two hour hike through the beautiful woods, but we were a little nervous because there was a bear sighting.  The bear was in Chawna's backyard!

We went to the fish hatchery.  Clint took the kids to the suspension bridge.  I was worn out from all the hiking - and I had been there before.
The kids enjoyed playing at the beach.  The weather was beautiful!  It was a heat wave for them, but perfect for us (80's)!
We visited Queen Elizabeth park, that looks like a mini Butchart gardens and it's free!


Clint, Camette, Carol and Major played in the fountain and got soaked!
We went to a wolf habitat and heard them howl.  It was awesome!  We had a great time!

Busy Summer

We finally got to see "Wicked".  We loved it!   We also went to see "Beauty and The Beast" at the Hale Theatre.  It was great also! We had a fun time at St. John's and the cabin for the 4th of July! On the way to the cabin we stopped at Tonto National Monument.  The ruins were really cool, but we couldn't go in because of bees.  They told us to come in October and see some other ruins around the mountain that are even better.

Musical Theatre

Musical Theatre is over and I'm sad!  The kids loved it!  And I loved watching them perform! They all did fabulous!  Carol really surprised us all!  She could really belt out the songs and was very animated!

Lucy and Juliette were so cute too!  Lucy was very sassy and sang really well!  She really stood out!  We couldn't hear Juliette's solo (we think she was lip-syncing) but she loved being on stage!  They can hardly wait for next summer to do it again!

Scout Camp

Clint and Major went to scout camp on Catalina Island for a week.  Major loved it!  They looked so cute in their uniforms!

Juliette's New Room

I have been working on decorating Juliette's new room.  Every time I asked her what she wanted her room to be like, she always said cars or army or something boyish.  I finally decided that she didn't get to decide.  She did say she wanted bright colors and green walls.  Her room is my favorite, because I just did what I wanted.  She loves it!  I made her quilt and headboard.  The fabric is Mary Englebreit and I love it!  Now I need to accessorize, but that is the hard part for me.  I guess I'll let her pick what she wants.  Right now she is collecting hats and "treasure boxes".

Musical Theatre

We have been busy the last two weeks with musical theatre for Major, sewing for Lucy and Major, and dance - clogging for Carol and Juliette and ballet for Lucy.  I think I have been in the car more than at home!

Major's show was great and he did it with his cousins.  They all did a great job!