Trying to Beat the Heat

The Pacific Northwest is in the middle of a very serious heat wave. It was 99 at our house yesterday and predicted to be over 100 today and tomorrow! We just aren't used to this around here. We don't have air conditioning so we have to use other methods to cool off. This is one of those times that I am so glad that all the girls (even Ruby!) absolutely love to get wet.

Ruby is a Guangdong girl -- she doesn't seem to mind all this heat and humidity

Cooling off our feet in the pool -- that's a good start

Trying to cool off like big sisters -- her legs are a little short still

Gotta love summer and the water hose

The big girls were supposed to be filling the little pool for Ruby to play in but I think more water was sprayed at each other than into the pool.

UPDATE: A New All-Time Record High! SEATAC airport, which serves as the official observation station for the Seattle area, reported hitting 102 degrees today. That surpasses the standing ALL TIME record of 100, set on July 20th of 1994. At least it is going to cool off a bit tomorrow -- to 100.

Hurricane Ridge

Yesterday we took the girls up to Hurricane Ridge. The last time we were up there we only had Abby and Ellie home. The weather was perfect and we lucked out that it was a free entrance day into the National Park. We hiked all the easy trails and spotted quite a few deer. It felt so good to get out and spend some time together in the fresh mountain air.

The whole gang ready to head up the mountain trails

Stalking a chipmunk

The Olympic Mountains -- these are the mountains we see from our front deck.

For some reason the soundtrack from the Sound of Music keeps running through my head when I look at this photo.

More Weekend Photos

Ellie and Abby -- loving sisters and best friends

Having fun with the parachute

Maddie

There's nothing better to do on a warm, lazy summer afternoon

than share a hammock in the shade with your sister.

Ruby still doesn't smile much for the camera

but she really did have a great time with all the girls!

Weekend at the Beach

We spent the 4th of July weekend at the beach with three other families for our 7th annual "Spicy Girls" reunion. Three of the four families that traveled with us to Changsha, Hunan in June 2002 were there. It is amazing to watch these little girls grow up. They are all so beautiful and smart. Even though we generally don't see each other but once a year, the girls just pick up right where they left off the year before. They truly are "spicy sisters" and are all so close to each other.

The first activity of the weekend was horseback riding. It was very exciting for our girls since they had never done this before (except for the tame pony rides at the county fair). Very nerve wracking for this mom to watch her babies sitting alone on top of very big animals!

Watching the hometown 4th of July parade -- it was all about the candy!

Four of the five original "Spicy Girls" -- can they really be almost 8 years old already? Every year we have taken a photo of the girls sitting together in the same order that they were in their red couch photo. I will post each year's photo in another post.

mmmmm - smores!