Our Kicks Don't Lie

Our Kicks Don't Lie

I decided to join a kickball team this summer.  I don't have any kickball experience and quickly realized it is very hard to throw a big rubber ball.  It looks easy but try it sometime, it's hard.  You put so much effort into throwing the ball and it only goes about 3 feet!  Even though I can't throw very well my high school track training came into play...I'm still pretty fast at running considering my age!  Our team was playing just for fun...meaning we don't practice, we just show up for games!  Ha ha.  I suppose we could have won more games if we would have practiced.  We lost them all but we finally won last weekend...our last game of the season!  It was surreal and we couldn't believe we WON!  It was like watching a slow motion clip of a movie...all the team members running to the center of the field hugging each other and jumping up and down with excitement chanting "we're not last, we're not last, we're not last!"...then we quickly toned it down to give the other team high fives and saying "good game!"  We had a fun season and the final tournament is this weekend.  We are hopeful that we will win again.  Click the link above to see our team photo!

Schweitzer Resort

We did a little hiking on Schweitzer Mountain Resort today.  Allen and I have not been on the mountain since our 10 year class reunion.  It was fun to see all the changes and how much the Village has grown.  Several new condos have been built and they now offer summer adventure camps for kids.  How fun would that be?!  The boys have never been to Schweitzer and they are finally old enough to do a little hiking and some of the activities that the mountain has to offer.  We purchased a chairlift ride to the top of the mountain.  The boys thought it was pretty cool to zip up the mountain so fast.  We took a short hike...and I mean short...just a little loop to soak up the beautiful scenery.  We saw a deer on the way up the mountain and some ground squirrels too.  I didn't get to pick any huckleberries...maybe next time.  I would love to make fresh huckleberry jam someday.  After our mini hike the boys headed for Cranky Jennings Mining Co. to see what kind of gems and fossils they would find.  They both found some rare gems and Connor even got a sharks tooth!  We also played some lawn games and we even a round of chess on a life size game board!  Connor thought that was pretty cool to play chess on such a large board.  All the activities and hiking made us all hungry so we decided to head back to town and look for some ice-cream.  We ended up at the Cedar Street Bridge Café where they serve Sorbetto.  It's made from fresh fruits and is smoother and thicker than sorbet.  We were happy to learn that all the fruit flavors were dairy free...score!  I'm sure we will return there again even without the excuse of cooling off from a hike!  We walked through the bridge to check out all the shops and then along a trail to the city beach before heading back home. 

Life size chess board

 My, my, Grandma and Grandpa sure have changed!

 We spotted a deer right under us on our chair lift ride.

 Up we go

 The family

 Our mini hike wore us out...

 ...but there's always time for kiss!

 Don't ask!  Boys will be boys.

 Connor was showing us his dance moves.

The dance floor is used for weddings on the mountain.

 Beautiful scenery

 Wee...down we go!

 Headed to Cranky Jennings Mining Co. with their gem bags.

 Mining for gems and fossils



 Connor scored a shark tooth!

 Lawn games

 New trail along Sand Creek

 

 

Marshmallow Roast

We did a little marshmallow roasting tonight. 

Dad made this cool fire pit out of some scrap metal!



Choo Choo!

Today we took a train ride from Ione, Washington north through the canyon to Metaline Falls.  It was a beautiful 20 mile scenic ride along the Pend Oreille River.  As we crossed over the river the train stopped on the trestle bridge that was completed in 1910.  When mom and I looked at the photos (before the train ride) we were a little nervous about the trestle...it looked old and very wooden.  However, once we saw the trestle, in person, we noticed it is made from steel and seemed very safe!  Although the train does cross a number of wooden trestles spanning small gulches and gullies.  Thankfully we could not see those!  When the train stops on the big steel trestle you get to see views of Box Canyon Dam.  After the trestle, the train climbs up the mountain to Metaline Falls and through two tunnels.  The boys loved the tunnels.  All I heard was giggles and laughter in the darkness!  Once we reached the falls we were robbed by Ma Cutter and her gang while waiting for the engine to reconnect to the other end of the train for our return trip home.  Thankfully we all made it back to the train depot safe and sound! 

One cool dude!

 Connor

 Grandma and Grandpa

 Connor and I

 View of Pend Oreille River on the trestle over Box Canyon

 On the trestle

 The family! 

 Ma's Gang robbed us!

 Gorgeous View

 I tried some black and white photos. 

I love this one of Connor!

 A photo from the Lion's website.

The train on the trestle

 Box Canyon Dam

 Ma Cutter robbing us

 Allen being cool in black and white!



20 Class Reunion

Wow!  Where has 20 years gone?  The Sandpoint class of 1993's 20 year reunion was held at the Dover Bay Resort & Barn.  We met up at the barn for a BBQ and family fun from 2-6:00 pm.  The kids got to play in a huge bouncy house with water slides and basket ball hoops.  Then the adults only party was from 8-midnight.  The Barn was cute and rustic with two levels.  The downstairs of the barn was set up like horse stalls and separating each stall was a bar height table with bar stools.  There were also booth style tables as well.  Each table had mason jars filled with flowers and year book pictures of us through the years wrapped around them.  That was fun to see how we have all changed!  Upstairs, the barn was set up as a dance floor with more tables surrounding it.  A stage for the band and of course a bar with beer!   It was nice to see and catch up with my classmates.  We are already looking forward to our 30 year reunion...but I'm not rushing the time!  Cheers to the class of 1993!

This group of us attended Northside Elementary School

Tina, Me, Sophia, Matt, Rachel and Naomi

 Naomi, Rachel, Michele, Matt, Tina and Me

 The Dover Bay Barn

 The rustic bar and bar stools...loved them!

 Cute bench on the porch of the barn

 The downstairs

 Friends from day 1 of birth...literally!

Tina, Michele and Me

Goodbye Dragonflies

Mr. Boyd (on the left) was Connors student teacher for the last few months of school.  His beard is fake but his mustache is real...LOL!  Mr. Jon is on the right.  I will miss helping out these two fantastic teachers next year.

Lost and found by Mr. Jon with Troy featuring the Teacherz

Yet another reason why I love Connor's school.  The teachers crack me up!  I guess they want the kids to check the lost and found before summer break!