general conference

General Conference is this week and I am so excited! I love everything about Conference weekend. This year we are going to invite another family over to watch a session with us so they can have as much fun as we do when we watch Conference together @ home. I wanted to share some of our Conference traditions, well this will be our 2nd time together, but they're still traditions.

Conference Bingo with M&Ms (you get to eat them after you get "blackout")

Coloring art pages, playing Conference games

Every time the key words are said we get to eat that color starburst (last April there was a talk on the Priesthood, we had no more pink ones left afterwards)

What are your traditions for General Conference? If you want copies of the games, etc. I think I have them and I can email them to you. Just leave your email address as a comment.

we ride bikes now

Okay. We rode bikes. Once. But it was fun.

baking bug

I had a few days off a couple of weeks ago. One of those days we had a craft day at my house, since my house was full of ladies I decided to do try some recipes that I had wanted to make. Homemade Cinnamon Rolls and Blueberry Peach Pie. The pie was delicious, I used a pre-made crust. I wish I knew how to make my own. The cinnamon rolls weren't that exciting, I was disappointed, even though a still ate my fare share! I will keep trying. Does anyone have a favorite cinnamon roll recipe that I will love? I want to be good at it. (I want to use a bread machine for the dough.)

i'm scrapbooking again

greyson's baptism

On July 16th Greyson turned 8!!! We had a family party for him (James frosted/decorated his birthday cake!). Grey is such a good kid, so nice and aware of others, he has such great knowledge of the gospel. He is fun to be around, and a good brother and friend. He is amazing at drawing. He likes to play games, swim, play sports, he loves his Dad and he's such a good helper. We love Greyson so much!

Just 2 days after his birthday, Grey got to be baptized by his Dad. It was such a happy day. He was so excited and knew he was doing what's right. James was so proud of his boy and so pleased to be able to baptize and confirm him. We especially loved that all of our family and friends traveled down to Tacoma for his baptism. Thanks everyone, that meant so much to us!

Our little family!

update:so in love

Still.

camping trip #1 and 4th of july

Thursday. James and the boys went up to Kayak Point with Mom, Dad and Leah. They got everything all set up by the time I arrived straight from work. We had meat and veggies for dinner cooked on the camp stove, made plastic bag ice cream and got dirty at the campsite (well a few of us did). It was unusually warm for camping in Seattle, I liked not getting wet or being freezing.

James teaching Greyson how to be a MAN

The BFF cousins sitting still for once

Aidan can get more dirty than any other kid I know, it doesn't bother him


Shaking their ice cream

After shaking this is what you get

Then you dig in, Grey's turned out a little salty, but he still ate it

Of course Dad made his all fancy

Oh, look at that face

On our walk back from the flushies, James would rather camp in the wild, but not I

My boys

Friday. We hung at the Beach most of the day. I even got in the water, its been years. I actually had fun though and it was the best way to stay cool. Natalie and Clara came for lunch and shortly after Rob and Steph arrived. It was a lazy, perfect day.

They made a pirate ship

Arrr!

On our voyage

Leah was so brave

Clara just chilled/cried

Both little girls crashed

Poor Leah was out of it the rest of the day, she got a little too much sun

Just when I thought we were almost dry and clean for the night...

Thank heaven for little boys

Back up at the campsite, Dad made Dutch oven chicken and rice and peach cobbler for dessert. We ate smores again and since everyone was exhausted we went to sleep pretty early.

Clara's first camp out

We brought our picnic table from home, very smart

Since they're boys they found a tree to climb on and

pretended to be dead and

took turns playing "pet" (Grey is hold a string that is tied to Aidan's wrist)

Natalie bought the biggest marshmallows, not that good but cool

Look at that technique

Grey eating a monster smore

Strawberry sticky goodness

Leah took a bite or 2 and I got the rest! That's how I like to make smores (have someone else do all of the work)

Saturday. Happy 4th of July. We woke up early and packed up camp since we'd (the Quigleys) be going home at the end of the day. Then we joined the party that was already going on down at the beach. We ate lots of food, played in the water, James played volleyball, we visited with friends and family and enjoyed our freedom. I love Independence Day!

Too cute, I love being "matchy-matchy"

Isn't it so pretty?

These two...they are trouble makers, they have to have everything the exact same

Best buds but can drive each other (and all of us crazy)

See what I mean? TROUBLE

This is how Clara spent most her first major holiday

Stephanie copied her

Aunt Susan and Uncle Eric came with Grandma Jackie (G.G.)

I love this one

Almost there, its a big deal to pass Grandma Jackie, but fairly easy to do

Mark and Amy (up from Arizona) coordinated their chocolate outfits

The other Washington Quigleys came too

Arren played kayak tour guide

Ammon Shaw

Jaedyn Quigley

Andrea and Liz (Sam came too,but I didn't get a picture of him)

We were so tired after all of the festivities we came home did a few fireworks in the street, watched a movie and went to bed

Watching things get blown up was a perfect way to end such a great weekend

summer of big fun 2009

The boys arrived today for one month of fun and adventure! We are going to have a great time...they have new matching superhero pjs, we are going camping over the weekend and that's just the beginning. Stay tuned for updates of our totally awesome summer.

the quigley's first house guests

My former roommates, Erica Brown and Kristy Dimmick came to town a couple of weeks ago. They joined the Farrar Family for our Curry Fest and got a taste of Sunday night at the Farrar's (it can get pretty crazy). I took the girls to close by Edmonds to see one of favorite views in town. They really liked the Pacific Northwest and thought it was really pretty. After Edmonds we picked up James at our house and took the girls by the Seattle Temple. The gates were closed but we still wondered around and got some great photos.

Sunday night we stayed up super late talking. I love having house guests! I worked Monday but the girls explored the city. The weather was perfect and they had a wonderful time. They are professional travels and did great on their own. We all met up for dinner, with the Nylands, in downtown Kirkland. We got take out from that Greek place we like and brought it down to the Marina. We walked around a bit, a frozen yogurt and talked some more. We didn't stay up as late on Monday. And then the girls left Tuesday. It was a super short trip, but so fun! (Kristen we missed you). We love having visitors, all are welcome!