Lake Tahoe

We love our yearly Daines family reunion in Lake Tahoe and look forward to it every year!

Uncle Reaky with Liam and Olivia at our favorite brunch.

Aunt Laura, Julia, Nadia, Aunt Kristin and Olivia holding on for dear life!

Rafting down the Truckee.

Mommy, daddy and Liam.

Going to the pier to try and take a Christmas card picture.

After failing to get a good picture, we gave up.

Olivia, Julia and cousin Nadia.

Grandpa (pa pa) and Grandma (nana).

Uncle Reaky, Aunt Laura and baby Charlie at Sunnyside.

Liam throwing rocks at Sunnyside.

Hiking with Liam on my shoulders. He wouldn't let go of his sippy cup and it was digging into my head the whole time.

Liam and daddy at Meeks Bay.

Getting ready to leave. We are always so sad to go!

More from Newport

Newport Beach

Here are some photos of our trip in June to Newport Beach. The kids spent most of their time digging for sand crabs. eww! I guess I did the same thing when I was their age.

Big Mouth

While checking into a kid's club at a gym we hadn't been to before, a gym employee asked me "Are all three [kids] yours? "Yes," I replied. Then Julia (9) piped in–with her arms folded and shaking her head back and forth, with a little smirk on her face–and said, "And she can't take it."

Panguitch 2008

Here are (finally) some pics from fishing. Thanks for the fun trip mom & dad! And the picture of the lone fish is the one that JUMPED in the boat for Connor. Can't we go again in the fall or something?

Little Fishies

Liam and Olivia have been in an amazing swim program this summer. Liam (22 months) has learned to go underwater alone without inhaling, float on his back alone, and reach, feel and grab the side of the pool when placed underwater. Olivia (5) has finally learned to swim after three years of lessons! She has conquered her fear of going under the water and will even dive, yes dive, off the diving board without someone there to catch her. Last year, she wouldn't even jump into the pool even if someone was there to catch her. She's my cautious little one and she has come out of her comfort zone and I couldn't be more proud. 

Summer Fun

The Slip 'N Slide is out ready to kill the grass. Hours of cheap fun for the kids so it's worth it.

First Bad Owie

I realize Liam looks like a girl with a pony sprouting the top of his head. It was the only way to keep his hair out of the Neomycin bacitracin topical medication that 'Uncle Doctor' told me to put on it (or whatever medical term he used). I asked Steven if he could just say 'Neosporin' next time (I love having a Doctor in the family who lives a half mile away). Liam looks very proud in this picture, but when he fell out of his wagon while on a walk with Dad, he wasn't so happy. Poor little "tookus".

Phairy Photos

Katie and I did a fun little shoot tonight and added photoshop wings. I think I'll market this to the ladies in my neighborhood and hopefully make a buck...look how hot she is.

and we thought Lauren was the dramatic one....

Every year Max's class has some type of performance. These last 2 years they have been musical plays. He told me this year he was "the only kid in his class that got to play two parts". He was a bully and a brother. He had a solo to sing and gets really into it. He has no stage fright (hope that doesn't change). He just finished a short little (seriously like 3 minutes) DVD project that was good, I'll bring it next week so you all can see it.