Mini Summer Vacation

We went on a mini vacation this summer to Long Beach, WA.  This was our 3rd time going to the beach this year.  We went with the Oord family and stayed in this great little house about 3 blocks from the Ocean.  We had a great time just hanging out, going to the beach daily, walking downtown, riding Go-Carts, riding the Merry Go Round, and eating ice cream.

The girls enjoyed playing in the sand.

Leah is our little tomboy who loves getting dirty.

She was happy just running around with no shoes on and playing in the water.

Of course, Clare wanted her picture taken since Leah had her picture taken.

Clare enjoyed going on walks every day and especially likes it when she can ride on her Dad's back while eating her donut.

Clare went on the first ride without Leah, which made Leah very upset.  This kid is fearless and will do anything.

One of the rare family portraits.

Clare thought it was funny they were sitting in a frying pan.

Congratulations Uncle Clancey and Aunt Megan

Clancy, Mitch's middle brother, married Megan in July.  The wedding was really fun.  All of us except Leah were in the wedding.  It was a very long day but our girls did extremely well.  Clare pulled off her duties as the flower girl better than any of us could ask.  In fact, she was so meticulous that she literally bent over to set down every single rose petal.  She was going so slow that some people thought that she wasn't walking but she was just making sure each petal was just right.

 What does a 3 year old do while waiting for the wedding to start? She looks out the window down at all the guests arriving.

 Leah wasn't in the wedding but of course Grandma Bon Bon still had to buy her a pretty dress.

 Leah enjoying some Daddy and Grandma time.

 Three Handsome Men: Lee, Clancey, and Mitch

 Clancey all ready for the walk down the aisle.

 This flower girl job is tough.  I need a rest.

 Clare with her Uncle Clancey and Aunt Megan

 Clare enjoying visiting with her Great Uncle Ed and Great Grandpa Moo.

 Of course, you have to have cake.

 Leah and I dancing, she was getting pretty worn out.

 It was way past her bed time but she wasn't about to miss out.

Clare danced practically every song until the very end.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween was alot of fun this year, apparently so much fun I forgot to take pictures of the girls together. I will have to get some from our friends. The night started by attending a soup potluck at the Mahugh's house and Clare spending some quality time with her best friend Beth. We then attended the first annual Trunk and Treat at our church. It was a lot fun with various activities and games.

Our little Bumble Bee waiting patiently for a butterfly.
Clare so proud of her butterfly.

Playing in the bouncy house to burn energy after a few pieces of candy.

Restful Sunday

Clare's favorite thing to do is read. This Sunday after church she decided to move her bean bag chair into the kitchen and read.

Studying the book so intently.
Telling me all about her story.

Baking Cookies

For Halloween, I thought it would be fun for the girls and I to make cookies together. Clare loves getting the stool and helping me cook in the kitchen.

Little Miss Independent decided that she could roll the dough herself.
Then she decided it was much easier to just stuff the dough in the cookie cutter.

Meanwhile Crazy Hair Leah was busy pulling everything out of the clothes basket.

Where has time gone?

We have been very, very busy in the Richards' household. Mitch has finally finished all his credentials to become a school administrator, which was completed in June. He has also accepted a new position teaching 6th grade next year still with the Selah School District. I have also changed my career. After spending almost 6 years in public accounting, I received a job offer working in the private sector which I just couldn't resist. In June, I started working for Tree Top in the finance department which has been such a blessing to our family. The girls are really enjoying all the apple juice. We are finally started to adjust to our new careers but if things weren't crazy enough we decided to put our house on the market. Let's just say it isn't easy keeping a house clean with two kids playing in it all day.
Clare is getting very big and is no longer our "Little Girl" which makes her Daddy very sad. She is very independent and definitely has a mind of her own. Leah continues to be a very sweet natured little one. She is learning new things daily from her sister and is starting to hold her own with Clare. We love watching the two of them interacting with each other.
It is hard to believe summer is almost over and Mitch has to go back to work. He is very sad about this. He loves spending the days with the girls taking them to the library, on walks, to the duck park, and the many other adventures. Even though I'm jealous of all the fun things Mitch does with the girls I feel so blessed that they have the opportunity to spend time with their Dad. In between all this we have still managed to fit in various adventures that I plan on posting more about in the upcoming weeks.

My Friend

Clare is one of the most genuine kids you will find. She is friendly but it takes a while for her to warm up to people and to show her true self,which Mitch and I are priveleged to see this side of her all the time. It just melts our heart to see her sensitivity. I truly believe children are the best judge of character. On our recent excursions, we ventured into Build a Bear with the intention for Clare to build herself a bear. We were looking around at the various bears and out of the blue Clare says, "Make my friend Beth one too." We asked her why and she proceeds to tell us to "Make her feel better." As I mentioned in prior post, Beth is currently battling breast cancer and has been in extensive treatment since January. She still manages to teach 4th grade full-time, take care of her family, and even watches our girls on occasion. Clare loves spending time with her and is always excited when we tell her Beth is coming over.

Beth with "Lil One" and Clare with "Champ", the names Clare gave them.