Summer in Prineville: Misc.

This was the first day Jonathan was up on a two wheeled bike.

Our days in Prineville are always full of fun activities. Here's a few pictures of them to finish off this series of posts. Can't wait for next year!

Summer in Prineville: Smith Family Olympics

Trevis explaining the rules.


Abby's best event was the aim the water in the bucket game.

The most hilarious event was the baby relay. We all got a bunch of laughs at Geneva's and Abby's expense. They were good sports, though.

6 events. 2 teams. Only one winner. Smith Family Olympics.

Summer in Prineville: Cousin Time!

I absolutely adore my nieces and nephews. There is nothing more fun than to watch my kids and their cousins play together. We missed Xander, Caden, and Hailey this year, but here are a few pictures of fun times with Claire, Jorden, and Ava.

Coming home from my fabulous breakfast date with my niece Claire. Love you, Claire!

We've finally reached the years in our family that we've all been waiting for--those years we can send them out back on their own and tell them to just stay on the property! I'm still watching after my sweet Abby, but the rest of them had a ball creating their own fun. This year we let them sleep in the tent out back all by themselves! Of course, Uncle Trevis sweetened the deal by offering a dollar to any child who could make it out there until morning.

Ava, our fearless one, holding a mouse caught by Pop-Pop's mousetrap.

The boys playing "Mountain Trolls"

It was so fun watching Geneva and Ava hit it off this year. They are really two of a kind: spunky, fun-loving girly girls!

Summer in Prineville: Daddies vs. Kids Water Fight

Ahhh...the moment the kids have been waiting for all year!

Note to the daddies: your years of drenching domination are numbered.

Jonathan's Funny

I have to get this story out before I forget it.

Yesterday I cleaned out the boys room and so the boys spent hours playing together in the living room. They were great for the first two hours or so. Then Aiden comes in and says, "Mom, Jonathan keeps destroying my Lego creation. I keep telling him to stop but he won't." So I said, "Ok, send Jonathan in." Jonathan comes in and tries to explain why he did it: "Aiden keeps taking all the Lego weapons and hides them from me and I don't have any." I say, "So that made you angry and you destroyed Aiden's creation." Jonathan says, "Yea, everything in me wanted to hurt his Lego, Mom. My brain wanted to, my hands wanted to, my eyes wanted to, everything except my skin wanted to Mom. My toenails?...(thinking)...oh yeah, my toenails didn't want to . Everything except my skin and my toenails wanted to Mom." I was already trying to hold in a giggle from the skin comment. The minute he said TOENAILS I couldn't hold it in anymore. He says, "What's so funny, Mom?" And of course I had to say that I was thinking of this thing that happened some other time...nothing to do with toenails, nope, nothing.

Summer in Prineville: Grandma and Pop-Pop

Jan is always cooking up something delicious for her family. Her specialty is pies, crumbles, and cobblers--using berries fresh from the Northwest--mmmmm.

Jan took us all out to a lovely dinner and play. We are very pampered by Jan--she is always treating us to pedicures, massages, and girls nights out. Thanks, Jan! The young lady between Jan and I is Ania, Rebecca and Trevis' friend from Spain.

Don didn't need to go to the gym this week with all the pushing he did this week!

Enjoying Don's special homemade creme de mint ice cream!

Nothing is more fun than riding Pop-Pop's lawn mower.

Don's beautiful garden

Don and Jan are the reason we love to come here. They are absolutely the best in-laws a wife could have. I thank God that I not only married an amazing man but married into an amazing family.

Summer in Prineville: The Fourth of July

Geneva with cousin Claire.

Jonathan and cousin Ava not far behind.

Devin and Jonathan take first in the water balloon toss.

Aiden takes first in the sack race.

Amy and Geneva find a cool spot.

There's no wrong way...

to eat...

watermelon!!

Abigail and Geneva feeling very patriotic.

There is nothing like summer in Prineville, Oregon. It is so small town America, it's like something out of a movie. And for me, who grew up in the suburbs of L.A., it is a world I never really knew about. But since marrying a man from a small town, I have lost count of the special, simple memories and blessings of this most favorite place. Catching up with family on the back deck...cutting lettuce out of Pop-Pop's garden for the evening meal...watching the cousins play... Smith family Olympics...dads vs. kids water fights...Central Oregon sunsets, lightning storms, and the inevitable rainbow that followed...homemade ice cream and Pop-Pop popcorn...pedicures...Scrabble...riding bikes or running along the canal road...Icee runs...the sound of the sprinklers at night...and garage saling with Grandma. Traditions come a dime a dozen in Prineville.

This year I tried to capture the best of Prineville summers and will hopefully be able to put together a series of posts in the next few days. It is best when the whole family is together, but this year, we missed Devin's brother Jory and his family.

Enjoying our freedom to set off fireworks in Prineville!


L.A. kid still not quite used to them!

A picture of Aiden and Jorden just for you, Bec! =)




Classic golden evening glow in Prineville.

Classic Prineville rainbow.