One of our excursions was a fun and free tour of Shasta Dam. The tour consisted of an elevator ride down 428ft to the base of the dam and a walk around the facilities. It was amazing to see the power that creates electricity for millions of people!
It was difficult to capture the size of the dam in photos, definitely more impressive in person.
During the mid part of July we drove down to Shasta Lake with good friends (Justin, Katie, and Noah) for a week on a houseboat. We rented the smallest boat available for cost reasons and to test the waters (so to speak) of houseboating. We arrived on a Sunday after buying food and loaded up the boat for our week long adventure.
Each night was spent on a different part of the lake after picking a spot to pull up to. We spent lots of time swimming to keep cool in the 105 degree weather. Our swamp cooler was not the greatest, but thankfully temperatures cooled down a little at night 🙂
(There was a bedroom in the back with 3 beds, where us couples slept. Kids had pack-n-plays in the dining area at night. There were 2 bathrooms and a couple of closets. It was cozy!)
On Sunday we gathered with the Friesen side and had fun playing at another park with Ada. She was the center of attention, as usual 🙂 We left Monday after taking a few pictures and saying our goodbyes to family.
Oh, and houseboat pictures are on the way!
This past weekend we gathered with family in Portland to remember my Uncle Dave after his passing in June. Saturday was the memorial service and it was an emotional time as we remembered Dave through pictures and readings. Although sad, it was also an uplifting day because of his faith and trust in Jesus. We know we will see Dave again!
After the service and reception we visited at a park with some of my cousins and their kids. Later, we had dinner with my uncle’s immediate family.
(iPhone pics, incase you couldn’t tell :))
Ada’s vocabulary continues to expand although some days it seems her favorite word is no for everything. She is learning to count, can point to objects and say their name (such as clock, airplane, clown, etc.), recognizes letters of the alphabet, and enjoys gardening like watering, eating all the strawberries including the green ones, picking up snails, and playing in the dirt.
Ada made a new friend with the neighbor cat while the owners were away this week. The kitty waited patently for us on our porch to come out and play.
A couple weekends ago we drove down to Olympia to celebrate Cindy’s birthday and spend time with the family. Ada got to play with her cousin Bryden who is getting so big and really close walking.
My dear Uncle Dave went to be with Jesus Saturday night after a long battle with cancer. It’s hard to believe he is gone and even harder to say goodbye, but we know we will see him again in heaven!
Please pray for my Aunt Rexine and the rest of our family in the days ahead.
I have a few pictures from the last time I saw my uncle which was almost a year ago. Ada was about 6 months old in these photos. I have lots of great memories of Dave and wish I could share them all. We spent many summers with our families camping in Oregon or spending time at the family cabin on Bumping Lake (WA). He also used to send me news & magazine articles on anything horse related. He knew I had a love for animals and would think of me from time to time. You will be greatly missed Uncle Dave!
Ada continues to grow and change in so many new ways. She is repeating a lot of what we say and seems to understand when we ask her to do (or not do) different tasks. She LOVES animals, especially doggies, and won’t stop until she says hi and kisses one on the nose.
Ada is fun-loving, athletic, and charming. She enjoys bird watching, smelling flowers, taking bubble baths, and long walks on the beach (or in a park) 🙂
My parents recently flew up for my birthday and to see Ada. We had a nice time visiting and running around.
Ada loved wearing Gramma’s flip flops around the house 🙂
We also spent an afternoon walking around Hovander Park on a beautiful sunny day.
While in Arizona, we headed over to Goldfield Ghost Town with a couple friends to have some fun. It was a unique town complete with gun fights, mine tours and an old saloon.
La Casa Blanca 