LETTERBOXING. . .

Everyday this week the kids and I have went letter boxing!! It has been so much fun and best of all...it's free!!! So if you've never done it...here is what you do...or at least how we do it!!

First you get a stamp that kind of describes you, or if your super talented carve one of your own...we would now like to try this our selves! You'll also need a notebook to stamp the stamp you find on and a ink pad! Once you've got all your stuff, get on line google Letter boxing and get some clues for a letter box near you, and your off!!

You follow the clues until you find the hidden box, in the "letter box' is a notebook, where you stamp your stamp and write a message if you'd like and then you take the stamp you've just found and stamp your book, we also write where we found it the date and maybe a few detail of the day!!!

This has become one of our favorite things to do this summer!! We've done it all over near our home and a couple different locations at the coast!! Beenz is the clue reader and Mase calls him, self Mr.Detective Man, Moosee is just happy to follow!!

We have visited so many different parks and done lots of little hikes that I would have never thought to do on my own, it's made the summer really interesting!!! We also like to sometimes take lunch and kind of make a day out of it!! Lots are really easy walks so if you've never done it try it!! I'm sure you'll love it!! We DO!!!

American Girls Place. . .

Chris and I decided about a year and a half ago that we would challenge Beenz to read the whole Book of Mormon before she was 8 and got baptised! Kind of a big challenge I know, but we told her we would help her and that she could do it!

Well...3 months before she turned 8....she finished it!! She started when she was almost 7, we would read with her on Sundays and usually at least one other day of the week. But she read faithfully on her own lots!!! We were so proud of her!!! So for her reward, she got to pick something to do! Chris and I both knew this one was coming...she wanted to go to the American Girl Place in Southern Cali.

Chris had scout camp at the end of June and so it worked out perfect! Nana and I and all 3 kids packed up and went down! Nana stayed at the hotel with the little ones and Beenz and I had our whole day planned at the American Girl Place!

It was SO much FUN!!! I can't not even begin to explain how much fun we had! It was one of the BEST Mommy Moments I have had yet!!! She was so excited and thrilled to be there and the place is amazing!! We have read almost all of the girls books, and all of them are smart good girls. The kind of girls I want my girls reading about!!!

We stayed at an amazing hotel in Down Town, the pool was on the roof, great views, the kids loved this!!!

Beenz in front of the American Girls Place!!

Our day started off with a photo shoot, Beenz got her picture on the front of an American Girls Magazine! It's pretty cute!!

Next we headed to the Cafe for lunch! It was so adorable! All the food was not only delicious, it looked almost to cute to eat! I had set up a birthday party for 2, so when we got to our table it was decorated for the birthday girl!!!

Beenz loved her cake! It's so adorable!! Plus it was delicious! The little ones that stayed back with Nana were really excited when we brought them the left overs!!

We also got little party favors! They were all so fun!!

After lunch we had a doll hair lesson! Beenz does her dolls hair all the time so she was especially excited about this!!

Then it was time to SHOP!!!! So fun! She had saved money, along with birthday money! SOOOO many option, it was so hard to decided!!

We visited all the American Girls little rooms!!

Moosee and Mase and Nana met us at the end of our day and Moosee was in HEAVEN, with all the dolls!!

She even got her own Bitty Baby!!

Mase was not so thrilled to be there!!

But he cheered up when we went out and got to ride this little train!!

This is on the ground right in front of the front door to the American Girl Place and it says....

American Girl celebrates girls inner star~that little whisper inside that encourages her to stand tall, reach high, and dream big!!!

What a wonderful day it was!!!

the 3. . .

.....these 3 kids are loved more then they could ever know....

Grandma & Grandpa Bennett. . .

Every year that we have been married we have been so lucky to have a visit from Chris's parents! It is a LONG trip, and it's expensive and takes a bunch of preparation for them to get here....we are so grateful that they make this HUGE effort and come all the way here to our home every year!!! They are the world BEST long distance Grandparents ever!!! This year they were able to come out West for Beenz Baptism!

While they were here we did so many fun things. . .We went down town and looked at all the cool doors and had lunch!!Played lots of games. . .Celebrated Chirs's Birthday!!Watched Beenz tennis lessons!

Went to Wild Life Images...which was super fun! You drive through the animal park and get to see all sorts of different animal

...that is why Moosee is in the front seat on Chris's lap... At W.L.I.'s they also have a fun petting zoo. The kids loved this, Moosee loved the goats and kept saying...I need it mama, I take it home?! Pretty cute!! We also got to ride the little train ride, for free and Mase even got to help drive...pretty cool!! We went to the Lake for the day! Grandma and Grandpa were such good..fun sports and both took turns riding the tubes with the grand kids! I'm not sure that we will get Grandma on it again because as they were pulling her in she says....

"That was a little to much for Grandma!!!"

Who was driving the boat anyway.... The kids love to just to swim in the middle of the lake!! Of course Chris has to do back flips of the top of the boat rack!! He's crazy!! Moosee is OBSESSED with ears...why...no one knows! Once you get to ear massaging status with Moose, you know that she loves you dearly!! Cousin Logan became the favorite!!! She loves to rub you ear when she is tired! Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Aubum all made it to this status!! We all went camping at the coast! It was the week of 109 temp.'s here so to get away to the 60's and 70's at the coast was nice! We took the kids to the play group and Grandpa and Chris, of course play all the goofy games...Chris always tries to get me to play them with him, but since he always wins it just not that fun anymore...so thank heavens his Dad was around to be his victim!Chris also started a game of tag on the play ground, with all us adults! The poor children that were actually trying to play on the play ground were scared by all these adults running full speed and yelling and laughing! We even got some of the kids there to join in! Of course every time Aunt Aubum got tagged she would go for Mase, the easiest prey!! It was alot of fun!!Moosee and Logan because the best little buds!! At our camp site they collected little pincones forever!!We played on the beach! It's was a beautiful day!!Swimming in the Ocean in Oregon is a sign of a true Oregonian!!!!We went and explored the tide pools!! They are so cool!!We ate Watermelon and Chris even made us a fire on the beach...that was fun!!We celebrated Beenz birthday and Grandma even treated the little birthday girl to her first pedi!!!We had Chris's and Beenz family birthday parties together!!!And most importantly they were here for Beenz baptism!! It was so special to have them there and to participate is such a special day in Beenz life!!!

This is what all the kids do the day they leave!! Mase hid in the coach and would not show his face!!! They cried and cried!!!

We love them so much and are so grateful for their visits!!!

Can't wait to see ya again!!!