Gold Panning at Lynx Creek

Ryan getting the gold panning moves down!

Thar's gold in that thar pan!

If only we could get her to smile like that for every picture!

OK, since I am still playing 'catch-up' with posting on here, I'm gonna have to throw in some pictures every once in a while that aren't brand-new... like these. This was a trip we did to Lynx Creek in March with Debbie's parents- Debbie's dad gave us all a refresher course on gold panning, and taught Ryan since it was his first time ever. SO fun! I LOVE gold panning! It was freezing cold this day though- but by the end of the day we all had a couple little gold flakes in our jars! And Ryan learned well, because when he came back the following weekend with the scouts, he was able to teach them, and they all were able to leave with gold in their jars, too! Way to go, Ryan! (and Dad, too!) :)

This area -with big boulders & little waterfalls - is right near the cave.

There's a little cave nearby that I'm sure my siblings all remember from our gold panning trips growing up- I really wanted to go back to it & see it again, if it had changed or anything. My mom was wonderful & took care of Harrison the whole time we hiked to the cave. (And she took care of him pretty much the whole day we were there while I gold panned & helped the kids gold pan and dig holes in the ground for going potty, etc.! Thank you, Mom!) We found the cave, and the main difference was that there were a lot more bugs flying around, and a lot less bats. There was only one bat in the cave- but Ryan got a great picture of it! I was right under it looking at it- but never saw it so clearly as you can in the picture!

Cameron & Jacqueline entering the cave

Little lonely bat

Down almost at the very end of the cave, there was a pile of scat/droppings - and all I know is it wasn't people poop, it was pretty fresh- didn't look old at all, and was pretty big! I was glad the animal wasn't still in the cave- Ryan & I were in there with 3 kids- I was in a little rush to exit after that! I'm wishing now that we had taken a picture so we could post it too (I know you're bummed-just think, you could be looking at a poop picture right now!) but that would've involved staying in the cave a moment longer! But I looked around at different pictures online, & it sounds like it's probably mountain lion / lynx poop. Hmm... Lynx Creek... go figure! The kids thought it was pretty cool to go through the cave though- Cameron & Jacqueline both talked in "show & tell" in their school classes about it later- and were proud to show off the gold that they had found themselves!

Harrison & His Buds

We went up to Kanab in June to visit with family. 2 others in the Douglass famly (Adam & Mandy & Jarrett & Jessica) had their babies just weeks before Harrison was born. It's so fun when we get to see all 3 of them together! Those poor boys are going to be posed together at every gathering for the rest of their lives! :) They've already had to quite a few times! Posed above, they are: (left to right) Harrison, Kason, & Bryson. Nice little posse of mess-makers, eh?!

The Buzz

Before...

And After

Cameron requested to have his hair buzzed. Well, first he requested it buzzed with little patches of long hair scattered around. (I think he was inspired by his cousins' mohawks. Thanks, Liz!) So then a buzz didn't sound so bad. So Ryan buzzed it! I think this is Cameron's first buzz ever- kinda crazy since he's 7 1/2! --I think I usually veto the buzz- I like being able to spike up the front of his hair. It's definitely easier & faster this way though. Cameron was pretty excited today when he got ready for church- changed clothes & was done - didn't have to fix his hair at all! (hmmm... maybe we should start buzzes for girls!)

Disneyland!

In May we did a trip to Disneyland with Debbie's parents. The kids (Ok, all of us!) had a blast! I thought the kids would be too tired to play the WHOLE day each day, but they did it! From opening time 'til we left (usually 9:30 or 10 pm!) they were excited for more the whole time! Harrison loved hugging all the characters- he always ran right up to them & grabbed onto them (sometimes running up so fast he'd bounce off their belly, like with Winnie the Pooh!). Cameron's favorite was California Screamin', Jacqueline's favorite was not Space Mountain- (she and Danika both liked the caterpillar ride in the Bug's Life) and Danika was thrilled to meet the princesses. We never found Cinderella though, and she still asks us almost each day if we'll get to go see Cinderella at Disneyland tomorrow.

Jacqueline has glasses!

We had NO indication at all that Jacqueline was having any trouble seeing. Then at her well-child doctor appointment in March, she couldn't read the eye chart at ALL unless they brought it up close to her! So apparently she's VERY near-sighted, her eye doctor said she'll probably have some pretty thick glasses by the time she's a teenager. The good thing is that she absolutely LOVES her new pink glasses! (thank goodness they have frames in girly colors!)

Harrison Mosiah Douglass

OK, I opened this blog in 2006, and haven't added to it! I figured I'd better at least update the number of kids we have! (I'm pathetic, I know!) --I seriously don't know how people find time to do their blogs! --Obviously! Now that it's 2 years later!!!

Harrison was born March 6th, 2008 - very shortly after arriving at the hospital. He's so sweet. ...And he's big now, 'cause he's already 9 months old!

3 blessings

Guess we're 'blogging'!!!

Hi!
Debbie & Ryan are now officially 'blogging'. ....I think! I don't even know what I'm doing... & I hadn't really intended on opening a blog- hm... but this could be fun!