First BMX Race

We found that there is a BMX park in Coeur d'Alene where you can ride the track for free and races are held every aturday during the summer.  James was pretty brave when we found it and he even started ffrom the top with some encouragement.  The guy at the track mentioned that James should enter into the race on Saturday and that was all the encouragement that kid needed.  Every day from then on he asked when it was going to be his racce day.

He is a pretty good rider for a 4 year old.

Summertime means fun with the hose in the backyard, and this spring feels like summer so it has started early.

Two lovey ladies on mothers day.

Sierra is starting to smile and laugh alot more than she used to and it is so much fun to hold her and make her smile.

I have many many pictures of her just laughing and smiling.

I have been at work again in St, Maries and have stayed down there a couple of times this year already.  My coworker and I regularly fish after work and I caught this 27" sucker.

Not a bad way to end a day of work.

Last weekend we went to Prairie Home Companion downtown Spokane.  It was lots of fun to watch a 2 hour live radio show.

Nothing like wrestling with your brother to give you your first bloody nose.  He loved every minute of it.

I was out working the other week and dragged the kids and the wife along with me so they could ride the trail as I worked on it.

They had a ball.

Sierra also had a great time.

Nothing like a bike ride to tucker some kids out.  The silence of a car ride with kids sleeping is priceless. 

So, the weekend finally arrived where James entered into his first BMX race.  He had only rode the track about 5 times prior to the first race, but when I asked him if he was ready, I got a snarl look from him and intense eyes meaning it was go time.

Here is James doing some practice runs.

After three races James locked up second place overall.  He was quite amazing for a 4 year old.

Smiles were all around and this was one proud papa.  Good thing I had sunglasses on, so no one could see me tearing up.  It was a day for the ages.

Matthew was equally amazed at the trophy when we got home.

In all my infinite wisdom, I thought it was a great idea to go to the races that night.

As always, smiles were all around and we had a blast.

I think the boys like the headphones most of all.  They loved to see the kids division which races cars that go about 60 mph and the ages run from about 7-15 yrs old.  All in all we had a blast and we had some tired kiddos that fell asleep right away on the ride home.  That is the sign of a good day...kids fast asleep in the 

Camping in April

These kids really take up a lot off your free time.  All of this have proved to make free time and blog updates slim and lets all be real, it is always how you manage your time, and I have not been managing it very well.  I

Sierra is really starting to smile and even laugh occasionally.  She is so adorable it is hard to put into words.

It is rare when the weather is so nice in April.  With nice weather like that I thought it was time for some man time in the mountains.  Brenda was nice enough to bring the boys down to Heyburn State Park and then decided to leave the boys with me for the night.  The weather was perfect for camping and pretty good for fishing.

Matthew was amazed at the big trees around the campsite.  James was given a pocket knife a few weeks before (I dulled it up for safety reasons) and he loved to site next to the fire and whittle some sticks.  It was priceless.

The next day we went fishing with a co-worker and his kid.  The boys did great given the fact we did not catch a fish for the first 4 hours.  Matthew eventually got his first fish and was excited to catch this perch.

Back at the house and it is spring and that means we have to plant and start up the normal yard work.  Matthew and James are quite the helpers. 

These two are normal brothers.  They can be so nice to each other at times and then they can be so mean the next.  Most of the time they are pretty good though and it is priceless being around them and watching them grow up.

Nothing like another ride along helper to rototill the garden.  Both of the boys needed turns and of course had to wear their cowboy hats.