What a hot day!!

WOW!!! It got hot in Spokane today! It was 102 degrees where we live. So, what do we like to do when it gets hot??? We go to the MOUNTAINS!! We went up to Mount Spokane today. Very pretty. So....Now a little bit of education for you on Mount Spokane!!

Distance from Spokane: 28 miles

Summit Elevation: 5,889 ft

Base Lodge Elevation: 4,200 ft.

Ski-able Vertical Rise: 2,000 ft.

Number of lifts: 5 double chairs

These next two pictures are from their website. I just wished they came out better. They are so pretty with the snow!

Vista House

The Vista House was originally constructed in 1934 and has acted as a warming hut to skiers and riders since that time.

The pictures we took of the Vista House are below. It is a rustic, granite building that can be rented for day-use events. I loved the rock work, Mike loved the floor, the kids thought it looked "Cool".

Cool Window!!

CeilingFloor

Purple flowers on the mountain-Kind of reminded me of "snow on the mountains" they were in two different purples and white.Ski lift near the Vista House.
What a view!
Can you say that you had a snowball fight at the end of June?? Mike and Josh are having fun! Can you see the snowball in mid flight?
This is another ski run-was pretty neatCaite and her rocks

OK...I am just a Montana girl...I have never seen a Cedar Tree before. I thought the pines looked funny and then Mike told me what kind of tree it was...so here are some pictures of the Cedar trees. The little brown "things" are their pine cones

Proof that it is Cedar. Josh wanted to count the rings to see how old the tree was.What a view!! Isn't it gorgeous?
This is a look of the ski lodge from where we were.
I had to take a picture of this "weather rock". I only have seen in in "jokes" emailed to me, never in person! Had to laugh about it!!

Well, when we got back to Spokane, it was still hot....100 degrees, so the air conditioner felt really nice! Hope every is staying cool.

Silly Kids!!

Here are some pictures of the kids, some of them silly---Boy, can they make you laugh and smile!!

We went to eat at Hooters with the kids, they were surprised, they thought it was a strip bar...We bought a sweatshirt for Caite, but, Josh wanted to wear it, so we snapped a picture of him...silly boy! Caite got her ears pierced!!! She was so excited! Showing off her ears
Blah!!!playing with their food!! Olive eyes and corn teeth...you think they were hillbillies or something!
I think you need to see a dentist, Caite!! Wait, you didn't tell a fib did you?? Now your nose is growing!!!

Somebody wanted to dye his hair....He thinks it is permanent...like 6 years!!

Spiking the 'do!

What a cutie!! The color turned out great! Makes his eye look really blue!

"Mis"adventure of Grand Coulee Dam

This past Saturday, June 21, we took the kids to Grand Coulee Dam. We had 3 things that did not go right with our adventure.

1. No camping spots....you have to RESERVE your spot in early January if you want a spot in June.

2. The elevator to powerhouse #3 was not working, so no tours of the dam were being done (one of the main reasons why we wanted to go there!

3. The laser light show was "having technical difficulties". They only could show the colors blue and green...no other colors so you could not get the full effect of the laser show (the OTHER main reason why we wanted to take the kids)

So it ended up being somewhat of an "educational" trip. ("ah, man, you mean we have to learn?"). We watched 3 movies inside the visitors center, one on the making of the Grand Coulee Dam, one on the geological structures surrounding the dam and one other that was not as interesting. Actually, Josh like the geological movie the best.

Some information about the Grand Coulee Dam:

--It was built in 1933 in the Columbia Basin Project.
--It took 9 years to build.

--The spillway wall is over 300 feet tall

--The Grand Coulee Dam dwarfs the Great Pyramids of Egypt and generates more power than a million locomotives

--Grand Coulee Dam is one of the largest concrete structures in the world-containing 12 million cubic yards of concrete.

--There is enough concrete in the dam to build 2 standard six foot wide sidewalks around the equator.

--Three important functions of the dam are: irrigation, power production and flood control. When the dam was built, it was not foreseen as a primary function for the production of electrical energy, which is the most important job of the dam.

--water from Lake Roosevelt is lifted up 280 feet up a hillside to flow into the Banks Lake Reservoir

I must also tell all my fellow Montanans...That Grand Coulee is ran by the Bureau of Reclamation and NOT by the CCC like Fort Peck is.

Enough education for now, please enjoy the pictures!!

Grand Coulee Dam from Crown Point State Park

Top of the dam (see the truck in the upper right corner, now compare to the next few pictures to note the size)Bridge crossing the river from the town of "Grand Coulee" to the town of "Coulee Dam" Face of the Dam 300 feet tall!Crown Point State Park

Crown Point State Park (Looks like an alien landing pad to me, Mom!!)Caite Rock climbing above the bridgeAAHH--No pictures please!Irrigation pipes, 280 feet up the hillside to Banks Lank reservoirLake Roosevelt, 151 miles of shorelineBefore the water was "put" into the dam, jugs of water from 50 states were dumped into the lake, one jug was only 1/2 full due to having "water rights fights" with a neighboring state. 50 Apple Blossom princesses dumped the water.Behind the Dam-Lake RooseveltMike and CaiteMike, Josh and CaiteI Love my Daddy!Rock Marmot that we saw, cannot tell if it 1/2 badge/1/2 squirrel or what!!

Even though we were not able to camp, tour the inside of the dam or view the whole laser show, we did have a wonderful time!!

Adventure of the "cousins"

Last week, Mike's cousin, Kari and her son, Jack, were in Spokane. Not to just celebrate her dad's birthday and father's day, but to help out her sister Kathryn who just brought home her little guy Seth from the hospital a couple of weeks ago.

Mike, Josh and Caite spent time with sister Julie and her two boys, Zach and Dylan; Kari and Jack, who was watching Kathryn's older three kids, Sean, Carey and Kayleigh; Cousin Donnie and his wife Mariya and their two daughters, Carrisa and Siage. They went to the movie Horton Hears a Who...(I thought they were crazy by taking so many little ones to the movie, but it worked out OK), hiked up the "Beacon", went to a water/splash park and then had a pizza together at Donnie's house on the last evening Kari and Jack were in town.

Here are some pictures from their adventure:

Are you guys coming?? (climbing up the Beacon)

Bringing up the rear We made it to the top!!All the Second Generation Cousins: back row-Saige, Caite, Sean, Josh, Carey, Second row-Jack, Zachary and Dylan"I love you Josh!"

Double the fun!! --Dylan and ZachWhere you going?Kayleigh-Kathryn's daughterJosh and Zach

Kari

Rest Break! Carissa, Jack, Caite and DylanSaige and Caite-Being SillyI wanted to add, I asked Caite if she knew what Saige's last name was...she said no. When I told her it was "Schlicht"...she could not believe someone else had the same last name. "is it spelled the same way??" When I said yes, she asked..."Does that mean we are sisters???" Caite was excited to have a cousin with the same last name as hers and is the same age as she is!!

Daisy-Saige's Puppy (Caite took this pictures)I Love My Daddy!!