First Day of School!

We finally started school today! Brandon is in 3rd grade at Errol Hassell Elementary.

 That boy wouldn't do a normal smile if his life depended it. :)

Alexis started 6th grade at Mountain View  Middle School! Our little girl is growing up!

 And can you believe it...she's the class is 2020!! Yikes!

She'll be graduating before you know it!

Fun Day in San Francisco!!

August 3rd, 2013: The Coles and the Dimits spent the day in San Francisco ...we had a blast!

This is where they filmed part of the opening scenes of the old sitcom, Full House. Beautiful Victorian homes with downtown in the background.

Kids at Pier 39 at Fishermen's Wharf. Alcatraz Island is in the background.

San Francisco Fire Department boat.

Las dos hermanas at the foot of Coit Tower.

Hilly, windy Lombard Avenue.

Looking downtown through the steel cables of the Golden Gate Bridge.

And, finally, a bath for a tired, adorable baby Matt!

January - June 2013

Here area couple pictures of Brandon's baptism in February 2013.

Baby Matt w/ his favorite aunt.

Brandon's first Pinewood Derby.

The kids at Fort Clatsop, where Lewis and Clark wintered. We visited there over spring break.

Brandon's homemade haircut. I took this picture in the stealth of night. :)

Cool Bubba at the glasses store.

Alexis at her spring dance recital.

Alexis & Lester @ the father-daughter campout. They also have a father-son campout. Notice the lack of mom at these outings...which is just as it should be. :)

Alexis @ BizTown, sponsored by Junior Achievement. The 5th graders study economics and business for several weeks in class. Then they are "hired" for a day to perform certain jobs at BizTown, a simulated city with businesses such as a bank, store, cafe, insurance, healthcare facility, etc. Alexis was a project manager at Discovery Center, where they learned about robotics, etc. She was so excited because she got a robot working!

Summer/Fall/Winter 2012

In August, we kidnapped the kids and took them to Great Wolf Lodge, an indoor water park in Washington.

Then we went up to Seattle. Here is a picture of us on top of the Space Needle. It was crystal clear, a rarity in the Northwest. You could even see the Olympic Mountains across the Sound and Mount Rainier to the southeast.

Here is a picture of the kids in their Halloween costumes. Alexis, as usual, is taking center stage. :)

This is Alexis at her dance recital in December. She loves it. The world could be ending, and she would still want to do dance.

Uncle Danny, Lester's younger brother, came to spend Christmas with us. He's the single uncle who spoiled the kids with toys. He ate his way across Portland in the four days he was here. I don't think he left a single restaurant untouched. To say he is a foodie is an understatement. It was so fun having him.

And after Christmas came the birthday season. It was fun and full of presents and friends and goodies. This is a joint birthday party Brandon had with his friend, Tyler. Great name, don't you think, M? :-)

And on January 13th, we celebrated Alexis's 11th birthday. Not quite sure what she's doing here.

And, finally, here is Brandon making a flag during his second week of Scouts. He really enjoys it. We had a FHE about getting baptized tonight. He is excited for his baptism on Feb. 2nd. We will send lots of pictures. Grandma Espinosa (Lester's mom) and Great-grandma Hoogendoorn (Lester's grandma) will be there.