Our house with new paint!

Despite the very hot weather (well above the 100s), we managed to finish painting the outside of our house. Here are the pictures and you can also see the two new windows. It's nice to be done with it! I added the best pictures I had of before also. We still have landscaping to do since we took out some of the bushes, but here are the pictures. Old picture... You can kind of see the garage
The front entrance

Old picture

The two bushes are gone and there are two new shaped windows minus the old fence and grass that is a little browned from all this hot weather!

Our new front windows open out and are privacy windows for our new master bath and closet that we are working on.... pictures will come after we are done

Our annual camping trip...

Our annual camping trip with the Forbes, Ardts and Youngers started 25 years ago, when my brother was just 12 weeks old and now we are still camping each summer, although our group is growing. Almost everyone was able to come this year, even those from Arizona and Idaho, and we went up the McKenzie for a hot weekend. It was also Preston's first time camping, which he seemed to enjoy. Preston loved looking at all the trees and being in our tent. It was so much fun to be around everyone. Here are some pictures... they are mostly of Preston though.... Our family
Here's another one

The whole group.... we have taken a picture every year

Preston biting his play pen (he can hold himself up now)

With Unkey Skunky... It was a little chilly on Sunday morning so he was able to wear his bear hat

Around the fire in the morning

Glen with Preston

Preston and his grandma

Talking

Preston and his aunt Leslie

Ryan, Spencer and Grace

Jessica and Ryan

Glen reading

In his Puma track suit

Sleepy baby

All snuggled up

Grace holding Preston (she's 5)

Preston and his uncle Lucas all dressed up...

Preston turns 6 months old!!!

Well, it's hard to believe but Preston is now 6 months old!!! It's amazing watching him and seeing how each day is a little different and he can often do something he couldn't the day before. Preston's two bottom teeth are in and he is getting his top teeth... although they have not broken through yet. The biggest change for us is that Preston started to be mobile at the beginning of July. His crawl is not perfected by any means but he gets around by getting up on this hands and either his knees or feet, moving them forward and then getting down on his belly and pulling himself with his arms. Although he can get across the room, I am sure he will get much faster as he learns to coordinate his hands and arms. Preston is also starting to wave bye and he loves to try to give slobbery kisses. We started feeding him a few foods, although he doesn't know what to think of them. He still loves drinking water from a glass though. Sometimes he drinks the water and sometimes he spits it out and it ends up all down his clothes. Preston is enjoying being able to move, especially when our dog Dallas is inside. Preston loves to reach out and touch Dallas, although Dallas does not seem to share the love. I think Dallas will change his mind once Preston is eating more and dropping food on the floor for Dallas. Anyway, here are some picture to enjoy... He is looking so old!

He weighs 18 lbs 14 oz.!

Although in the picture it looks like less since he was bouncing around

He loves to grab his toes

Cute faces...

What a grin!

Preston and his aunt Mandy

Look at those two little teeth

The wedding!!!

Well, Lucas and Leslie's wedding went off with success. Their wedding was just perfect. They had it in the prime location and used green and yellow colors to create a beautiful wedding. Their ceremony was held outside of the library on University of Oregon's campus underneath the huppah that Lucas built for their wedding. The bridesmaids looked gorgeous in their hunter green dresses (all different dresses) with yellow shoes. And the groomsmen looked so great in their tuxedos with yellow ties and green vests with their green, yellow and black nike shoes that Lucas had given them as a gift, as Lucas wore a tuxedo with a yellow vest and green tie and had his own designed Nike shoes that were green and yellow. But of course, the most fabulous looking was the bride. Leslie looked radiant in her beautiful, flowing halter dress and hair pined back in a style that looked as though it was make just for that dress and the dress looked like it was make only for Leslie. And I must say that Preston was a good runner-up for the cutest one there in his adorable little tux. I realized that we do not have any good pictures of him in it so hopefully we will get some from the photographer or else we will just have to dress him up again and take some photos! I only have so many pictures to show that mostly my sister Mandy took and sorry there are not any of their ceremony.... you will have to see the professional on Justin Dane's website. There ceremony was wonderful and my sister, who performed the ceremony did a great job. I read an e.e. cummings poem called "if everything happens that can't be done" and our friend Kristen Forbes read something she had wrote about meeting Leslie, which you can read on her blog at http://krissymick.blogspot.com/. Lucas and Leslie each wrote their own vows and they were beautiful. They were very fitting since Leslie had hers all written down and read them tearfully and Lucas (who does his best on the whim) got up said his vows without anything written down. But both managed to bear their hearts and souls to one another declaring their love and commitment for each other in front of family and friends. Oh... such a lovely ceremony....

The reception was held in the ballroom and was beautiful. Good job Leslie and Lori (Leslie's mom)! The wedding party made their entrance into the ballroom with the U of O fight song playing which many of the groomsmen attributed to one of the greatest moments of their lives. It was perfect! The reception was filled with great food, cake, drinks and a fun filled night of dancing. The DJ was great and even had Lucas and Leslie play a shoe game where they each answered questions the DJ asked without the other one knowing. It was quite cute. Overall, the wedding was fabulous. Thank you to Leslie's parents who hosted a wonderful party to celebrate the joining of two wonderful people! I must say that I am so excited to have Leslie as a sister.... She is wonderful and I cannot imagine a better match for my baby brother. Congratulations you two!!!! We love you!

Here we are sitting at our table

My cousin Amy with Preston

Eating cake

Look at the back of Leslie's dress and her hair..... so beautiful

Toasts

Collin, Kaleen, and me

Kristen and Grace

Glen and Martin

Preston and his grandma

Aunt Julie, Preston and his grandma

our family

another great family shot

Jess, Preston, Ryan and Kristen

Me and my cousin Amy

Jessica with Preston

the head table

Clapping to the fight song entrance

Fight song.... after their grand entrance (can you guess who is a Beaver?)

The head table right after their entrance

Waiting for the bride and groom to make their grand entrance

Her grand entrance

Megan's and Derek's intro and entrance

Sarah and Billy's entrance

Preston and his grandpa before the wedding