Kayden and I went to one of Shalies volleyball games. She is in the 6th grade this year so she has intramural games. Shalie and the other 6th graders in her school are being taught how to play and then practicing by dividing up the kids into teams and then playing against each other.

Shalie is in the back getting ready to serve the ball.
Getting ready to hit the ball.

Just looking cute!

Kelly just hanging out in his office learning the forex. Kelly made us take these pics so he could send them to one of his friends for fun and I just couldn't resist putting them on the blog.

Shalie had a party for her 11th birthday. She had a bunch of her friends over and played games. Here Maddie is trying to get the penny out of the plate of flour, using only her mouth while Chelsea and Kylee watch.
Shalie is trying to cut a piece of the flour cake that the penny is on with out making the penny fall. When you make the penny fall you have to get it out with your mouth.

UH-OH! Shalie had to dig it out with her mouth. What a pretty picture! It was a lot of fun for all the girls especially at this age when looks are becoming so important. They would all laugh and tease when someone made the penny fall.

Shalie and her friends!

Shaleice had her 14th birthday and decided to go to the waterpark with some friends then she came home and we all celebrated with cake and ice cream. I can't believe she is getting so big. (sigh)

This captures Shaleice perfectly she is alway goofing around and is very easy going. (Sometimes too easy going for mom.)

Summer Boo Boos

Kayden was riding his two wheeler bike and speeding down the sidewalk when he biffed it and went face first into the ground. A couple of his teeth went through his lip and one tooth was actually pushed back into the gums a little. Kids heal amazingly quick and the next day the swelling was almost completely gone.

Swimming Lessons

Shalie, Kylee and Kayden took swim lessons at the YMCA this summer. (Shalie is in the corner.) All of them are like fish. They are great little swimmers and love the water.

Shalie was helping Kayden learn how to float on his back.

Kayden, Shalie and Kylee. Just goofing!

Kylee and Shalie at swim lessons. This was one of their favorite activities this summer.

Kayden and his classmates learning to kick.

Kayden loved to splash his classmates and teachers when ever they weren't looking. He thought that was the funniest thing!

Summer 2008

We had a great summer this year. In July we went to Salmon for the Doug Phillips reunion. Kelly and I were in charge so we got to pick the place. We went to the Sacajewea Center (I probably spelled that wrong) and went swimming and camped by Williams Lake. The weather was great and we had a great time visiting and doing other various activities.


Poor Krystal got so hot and tired from the long walk. Come on Krystal you can do it!

Kia was wearing a replica of a real indian girls dress made from leather and everything.

We all learned how to clean sheeps wool and make it into yarn so that it could be used to weave blankets and clothing.

We got a cute picture of all the little kids together as we were walking through the park. (Kia , Shalie, Janessa, Alex, Kylee, Tyra, Taiya, and Kayden)

Kara sitting in the door of one of the Tipi's.

The park had little benches that you could sit and rest on. (Kylee, Janessa, and Taiya) Funny how the kids are the only ones that used it.

Alex, Kia Shalie, and Kayden in front of the Tipi.

CRUISING

Alone at last.

In March Kelly and I went on a 9 day cruise to the Carribean.

The kids stayed in Idaho with Grandma and Grandpa Phillips and Aunt Shari and Uncle Josh. They took care of them for us. Thanks you guys.

We stopped at 5 different islands.

1. Samana, Dominican Republic

2. Tortola, BVI

3. Antigua

4. Barbados

5. St. Lucia

The weather was great! It was warm the whole time even when it was rainy or breezy.

We flew to Miami Florida where our ship left port.

This is us on deck in Miami just as we were leaving port,headed out to sea.
I could get used to living like the rich and famous. Just walk down to the dining room and have people wait on you. You can also go to the buffet pretty much any time and get whatever you want, or room service any one? You could order food and have it delivered any time day or night. They also come in and clean your room and turn down your bed. Ahhh, the life!
This night we went to a dining room that was at the back of the ship if you look behind me you can see the wake through the windows. It was really beautiful.

In Tortola we took a mountain hike and our group got separated and our guides got lost. We were supposed to follow a trail that looped around the mountain and came back out where we started and it was supposed to last about an hour and a half and ended lasting about 3 to 4 hours. We followed a path that ended up trailing off in the middle of the forest and we had to turn around and back track out. The forests there were really cool the tree roots made up the forest floor. The whole ground was just a tangle of roots and dirt.



Plants just grew every where even out of the sides of trees and rocks.

This is the little shop where the trail started and ended. They had candy bars here that were just like "Mounds" bars but bigger and better they were called "Bounty Bars".
We brought some home for every one to try along with some other island favorites like guava cheese and coconut fudge, but every one liked the bounty bars best.

When we were in Barbados we went ziplining. It was so much fun. I only wish the lines were longer and there were more of them.

We all looked so cute in our safety getups.

Kelly snorkeling. I think he grew gills on our trip because he was in the water pretty much the whole day every day we were in port.


One of the locals climbed a palm tree and cut off one of the leaves and made us a basket and a hat. He did it in about 15 minutes and did a really good job too.


Another guy climbed a tree and chopped down some coconuts with a machete for us. He chopped off the tops and we drank the milk. When it was all gone he hacked it up and we ate the meat. Yummy!

In St. Lucia Kelly and I got a cab and went to a beach where there were still ruins from when the British and the English were fighting over the island. One country would win and then a while later another would try to take it back.
Kelly and Kara standing in the ruins in St. Lucia

The beaches were beautiful. We had such a fun time here. We jumped in off the pier and went snorkeling all over the bay. We saw all kinds of cool stuff. The coolest thing for me was an octopus that Kelly tried to grab but it was so slippery and strong we couldn't pull it out of it's little hole.

We saw puffer fish, star fish, eels, box fish, tons of urchins and all kinds of colorful blue and yellow fish like Dorey from " Finding Nemo". It was fun.