Four years and counting...

Happy Anniversary Scott, I love you!

Valentine's Performing Pigs

Every Wednesday during the summer there are performances put on at a nearby amphitheater. Today we had the special treat to watch Valentine's Performing Pigs! Judging by the picture above you might not think the show was too impressive...well you were right.
The lady who was training the pigs kept going on and on about how her pigs have been on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Animal Plant and soon to be on a National Geographic special - So I guess this is as good as performing pigs get. We did have a great time and it was fun to watch. Best of all at the end of the show they handed out free popsicles!

Father/Son Campout

Scott took Jaden to their first Father/Son campout last night. I was a little nervous to send my little boy out into the wilderness, but they had a great time. Jaden told me all about his trip when he got home, how he got to sleep in a sleeping bag in the tent, he went fishing, threw rocks in the water, and ate marshmallows. They didn't get to sleep until nearly 11:30pm and unfortunately for Scott, Jaden woke up with the sun at 5:30am ready and excited to get going.

Family Reunion

Hatfield Family

July has been a very busy month. we were able to get the entire Hatfield family together for a week or so for a family reunion that took place in Yakima. It had been 8 years since that last Tree family reunion, but since my grandma is turning 90 this year they decided it was time to get everyone together again. It was fun to see what all my cousins were up to, but mostly I enjoyed being able to spend some time with my brothers and sisters. It turns out that we were so busy having fun that I really didn't take too many pictures of my own, so most of these were given to me by others (sorry for all the repeats).

While everyone was home we were able to go to the Seattle temple together. In a couple of weeks it will have been 24 years since our family was sealed together there.

After the temple we headed over to the Seattle zoo. The poor kids had been locked up in a hotel room all morning while we were gone so it was a good chance to get them out and running around.

Jackson, Meagan, and Jaden at the hotel

It looks like Meagan is fanning off Jaden in this picture, but I'm pretty sure she was just showing off the large leaf she found on the ground.

Jackson, Jaden and Grandpa leading the way

2007 Tree Family Reunion

One of the nights they had a limbo contest. This was about as low as I got, however I think I could have done better without a 40 pound kid in my arms.

Grandma Davenport with her Hatfield great-grandkids

Spencer, Jaden, Jackson, Mitchell, Ethan, Meagan and Mackayla

The kids actually really liked being locked up inside of this fence. It was nice to not have to wonder where Jaden had wandered off to for a few minutes.

Boating Trip

The day before everyone left to go home we were able to go out on the boat one last time. Jaden loved it, even though he did fall off the tube with his dad one time. I managed to get my pregnant self out of the tubes as well, but I think I had a more gentle ride then even the little kids.

Relaxing on the grass

This is Scott setting up an umbrella to shade the kids. For some reason I can't seem to enlarge the picture anymore than it is right now. He looks like he's about to go audition for a part in the muscial "Singing in the Rain".

I hope they call me on a mission

Jaden loves missionaries! We recently had our ward missionaries over for dinner and Jaden wanted to go to work with them, so he found his backpack and pulled out his bike. He was pretty disappointed when he was told he couldn't leave the driveway. All he's lacking is the name tag and a foot or two.

Our week in Yakima

We were able to head over to Yakima this week to celebrate the 4th and also see my brother Derek's family who came to visit from Pennsylvania. Jaden had so much fun that he has been complaining all afternoon that he wants to go back to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Lucky for him we will be heading back there next week for a big family reunion.

The night we got to Yakima Jaden ate a quick dinner and raced off to the backyard where there was a kid pool set up. He was so excited that we didn't have time to find his swimming suit, he was undressed and splashing around in a matter of seconds. Amy brought her boys over and it took Jackson about the same amount of time to strip off his clothes and join in the fun.

4th of July
We spent the day over at my Aunt and Uncles house swimming and playing games. It was so hot that day that we also tried to spend a little time indoors as well.

Jaden waiting with Grandmas Hatfield and Davenport for the go ahead to get in the pool.

And he's off...

Playing video games with Aunt Heather

Jaden spent the last part of the day going back and forth sitting on this "motorcycle" and asking to go for a ride on the other tractor/4 wheeler thing (I'm not sure exactly what it's called, but it was fun) to see the animals.

Taking a rest after a long couple of days playing.

Boat trip

We told Jaden Saturday morning to go find his swim suit because he were going to go fishing. He didn't hear much after the words swim suit were said and he took off to go find his. He was pretty upset with us when we told him we were going on a boat ride. He was so insistent that no we weren't going on a boat, we were going swimming. Once on the boat and for the several hours we were there he just kept asking if it was time to go swimming. The lake we were was pretty cold and the wind was blowing so we just kept telling him not yet we had to fish first. He was so patient all day that finally Scott took Jaden out for a tube ride. The water was freezing, but Jaden loved it.

Waiting for a bite

Again all the excitement got to him and Jaden had to take a nap in the midst of it all the fun.

Summer Days

Seattle is definitely growing on us. Now that the raining season is mostly past us we have found that there are so many things to do and to see just within a short distance of our home. There is a wooded park that is full of trails across the street from us, several parks that we can walk to, and it's only a 10 minute drive to the coast if we decide to take a walk along the beach. Granted the beach here is nothing compared to anywhere else, it's pretty rocking and the water is very cold...but you can still smell the ocean water and hear the crash of the waves.
This morning Jaden and I walked over to a nearby park where he was able to release some energy at the playground. We brought along his soccer ball and he and I were having a great time playing together - until he ditched me to go play with some 8 or 9 year old girl.

One of my favorite places to go during the days is Greenlake. There is a 3 mile trail around the lake that we walk on and then Jaden is able to go play at the playground. Along the way we occasionally stop to feed the ducks, and now that the weather is warming up we are planning to stop play in the wading pool they have.

Jaden just can never seem to get enough playing in. Even at the end of a long busy day we have to convince him to get out of the bath. Here he is after the water has been drained and the bath toys put away.