Red, White & Blue Fun!

Anybody who knows me well, knows that I LOVE the Fourth of July holiday.  I think it's my favorite... I love all things red, white, and blue!  Last night Jill, Luke and I decided to make some treats to take to Montana where we're going to celebrate the fourth with my brother and his wife.  I knew the perfect treat would be my iced sugar cookies.  I love these cookies.  It's a recipe that I found in my Bon Appetit magazine years ago.  It's called Christmas Cutouts with Vanilla Icing.  Anyway, they are the perfect cookie because after they air dry for a day you can stack them which makes them perfect for the long road trip to Missoula!

Jill icing the red, white, and blue stars.

Luke making a fireworks display!

Luke getting creative with his designs.

This feathery look was Jill's favorite!

Now all we have to do is wait to let them dry...

iFly

I love to give 'experiences' for gifts, so Luke and Wes both got iFly gift certificates for Christmas and we finally got around to going sometime in April.  Hayley wanted to bring her camera to take photos, so I left mine at home.  Since I didn't see the photos on my chip I promptly forgot about them until recently, so that is why I am just getting around to posting these fun pictures.  They both had a blast and Hayley and I had almost as much fun just watching them!  I would highly recommend this for adventure seekers!

Suited up and ready to go!

Everyone has to take a 30 minute training class prior to doing their two turns.  I think each turn was about 2 minutes.

The wind speeds for Wes and Luke were between 85 - 120 miles an hour.  The speed depends upon
the weight of each person.

This was a really special day for Wes and Luke.  What a treat.... definitely on the expensive side, but worth it!

Jilly's Back!

Jillian, one of my Texas nieces', is back for a few weeks this summer!  We've been lucky enough to have her visit for the past three years and we look forward to it more each year!  She and Hayley are besties, but since Hayley doesn't return from her mission trip for a couple of more days, Luke and I get Jillian all to ourselves until then!

Luke made this sign for Jill (and he wants to leave it up for Hayley's return).

The obligatory Pike Place Market photo.

Seattle has added a permanent ferris wheel right down on Pier 57 in Elliot Bay.

About an hour into our visit at the market Jillian informed me that this was her first visit!  I was in shock!  I still can't believe that... I'm going to have to go through the past few years of photos to double check... I can't imagine that I wouldn't have brought her here a few years ago!

We got a chance to see the flying fish, but Jill was not happy about the smell!

Luke insisted on showing her the bubble gum wall in Post Alley below the market.  I still think this is where Luke and I could make our fortune... we need to set up a booth selling gumballs!

Luke and Jill agreed to share a donut... a TEXAS size one!

Mission Trip Send Off

We sent Hayley off on her first mission trip yesterday.  She and twelve of her friends from her youth group have been working really hard this year preparing for this trip.  They headed off for Salem, Oregon to a sort of training camp for the first three days of the trip and then they are headed up to Portland for the rest of their nine day mission trip.  They are going to be working with an organization called YWAM (Youth With a Mission) which is a Christian missionary organization whose goal it is to "know God and to make Him known".  One of the neat things that they are going to be doing this week is working with another organization called BridgeTown Inc.  The kids will be helping them with their Night Strike.  Night Strike is a unique opportunity for people to gather under the Burnside Bridge every Thursday night and love people because people matter. It’s an opportunity for members of Portland’s homeless community to hang out, enjoy a hot meal, receive a free hair cut, shave, have their feet washed and have their old shoes/clothes/sleeping bags replaced. Hayley and the other kids in her Youth Group will have the chance to share in the experience, help serve the needs of the homeless in that community.

The obligatory silly shot!

Hayley and Madison with their respective "lovies", Boo and Rosebud.

We are so proud of Hayley.  It's only been one day, but the house seems so quiet without her!  She'll be gone for nine days with no communication with us at all!