Rock climbers

Cousins hiking

More hiking pics

Hiking the Washington side

We spent the morning climbing with beautiful views up the Sincline (or Coyote Wall) near Bingen, Washington.

Hood River jaunts

Yesterday we hiked the creek trail that runs behind HR high school. We've been playing lots of catch and whiffle ball. Annika is a natural and Nick is trying to convince her to play softball, while Britta has become very enamored with Lucy

Washtucna turkeys

After an early morning start yesterday to visit Christina, Annika, Britta, and Grandpa and Grandma in Hood River, we stopped for a bathroom break at 7:22 am. Wild turkeys are taking over Washtucna, and were not in much of a hurry to cross the road.

More Disneyland

This is Abby going through Nick's phone pics, and I found a bunch from our first day that were never posted. Included are a couple on Main Street showing the crowds waiting for the rope drop to let everyone in to the rest of the park. Luckily we were almost at the front. We immediately signed the boys up for the first Jedi Training of the day because all the day's slots fill up within minutes. The bottom pics show the boys learning light saber moves, as well as the opportunity to defeat Darth Vader or the evil 7th Sister from the cartoons. We adults (and Signe) were entertained watching the show while munching on corn dogs. It was pretty cool when the middle of the stage rose up as the kids used "the force", and to see Darth Vader appear in a cloud of smoke (and later Kylo Ren).
Nick was one of the first in line to get Space Mountain fastpasses that lets you into the "cutting line", as Gunnar called it, and Nick took one pic of the view while waiting in line. It was Karsten's favorite ride, and we rode it again on Thursday. We were the very first people of the day to get in the submarine ride that we both remember riding when we were kids back in the 70's, but now with an added "Finding Nemo" theme.

Post Falls tournament

Signe with her Evolution Volleyball team and coach Dave Brown. She is serving underhand consistently well enough that her coach sometimes subs her in just to serve. She is getting better at overhand serves (but not quite good enough for tournament play yet!)

Volleyball in Lewiston

We planned our entire vacation around Signe's busy schedule: her Irish step recital was last Saturday night, and we got home about 1:30 this morning so she could get up at 6:00 am for her volleyball tournament. I stayed home with cranky boys. Signe apparently was a little spacy from lack of sleep, but did well and served about 15-20 total points for the team today. In the first tournament she always played libero (in black); today she traded off with the other girl in the black shirt.
They lost the semifinal match in 3 sets; in the second pic Nick and Darren Doane (with his son Knox, a first grade classmate of Zane's), have their rally caps on as the girls went down 15-5 in the last set.

More pics from Disney California Adventure Tuesday

I had tried to post this earlier this week, but it didn't go through so I am trying again from LAX as we wait for our flight to board.
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> Papa and Karsten ride in the mildest bumper car ride in the history of the world. And Nick enjoys a ride with his mother-in-law.
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