Last Soccer Game & Team Party

Today was the hottest day-EVER-for Seattle (103 degrees) since they started keeping track back in 1891. We managed to beat them by hitting 104 here in the Tumwater area, just hot enough to tie the all-time record. What better day for Gabby's last soccer game??? Not only that, but it was a bit muggy, too. They are calling for some possible thunder storms. It just can't get any better than this!

Even so, her team went out and played really well. We were happy to end the season on a high note. The girls played against a team that they had already played at the beginning of the season, and the progress that they have made this season was definitely apparent. Afterwards we headed to Farelli's Pizza for our team party. The girls received dog tags with their names and jersey numbers on them. The coaches had great things to say about how fantastic the girls have been all season and how much progress each has made in 10 short weeks. It was a great way to end the season. Way to go Sounders!


Still smiling even in the heat!

After the game-she was so happy to be done! Look at that hot face!

That water was a life saver.

The whole group at Farelli's.

Some of the other parents said that Gabby was voted as "Most likely to become a supermodel". It couldn't be because she loves to pose, could it?? Hee hee.

Gabby showing off her dog tab. Daryl loves to have his picture taken. Maybe HE should have been a supermodel!

Enjoying a mint. They were really yummy. The girls pretty much swiped all of their mints :)

Gabby walking up to the coaches to accept her dog tag.

Daryl, Luke & Ally

Showing how cool they are.

Allison, Angela & Gabby

Heat Wave

It's official-we are having a heat wave here in Western Washington. Which wouldn't be so bad except most Western Washingtonians (including us) do not have central air conditioning. Today we hit the triple digits for the first time this year. The official reading at the Olympia airport at 5:00pm was 101 degrees breaking the record set in 1998. And it's expected to hit triple digits again Wednesday and Thursday. I hope I won't have melted by Saturday when we are supposed to "cool down" into the 80's.


This is the forecast for the next 7 days in Seattle which is typically about 3-6 degrees cooler than the Olympia area.

Plant of the Week #17

This week's plant of the week is the Lantana. This is a great flower if you live in a place that gets really hot. I had some Lantana when I lived in the high desert area of California and it did very well there. I don't have any this year, but I'm thinking next year they will be added to my annuals in the front where it is pretty sunny for most of the day.

• This hard-working plant will thrive with little moisture and in full, unyielding sun.
• It produces an abundance of brightly colored flowers all summer and fall and it's a magnet for butterflies.
• It is both an annual & perennial depending on where you live.
• Lantana's aromatic flower clusters (called umbels) are a mix of red, orange, yellow, or blue and white florets.
• Some species are invasive and are considered to be noxious weeds in South Asia, Southern Africa & Australia.
• The spread of Lantana is aided by the characteristic of their leaves, which are somewhat poisonous to most animals, while their fruit is a delicacy for many birds which distribute the seeds.
• The botanical name for Lantana is Verbenaceae.
  

Soccer Pictures

It has been a great soccer season and I think Gabby has had a lot of fun. But we are ready for it to be over! Tonight's game was forfeited by the other team due to extreme high temps (in the high 90's) and the heat is expected to continue through Friday. The final game is on Wednesday night.....we'll have to see how it goes.


Our beautiful soccer player!

Renton Volksmarch

Today we completed our 5th Volksmarch event in Renton with our friend Clarissa. We walked 7k this time and it was really hot even though we started pretty early around 10am. The trail wound along the Cedar River through downtown Renton down to Lake Washington and back.

The Cedar River at the start of the walk.

A World War I memorial in downtown Renton.

Lake Washington

If you look real close that is the Bellevue skyline in the background.

Gabby by a fountain.

The trail had an exercise area for those serious fitness people.

Scott at the half way point.

Corey by a fountain.

Corey doing an imitation of a puppy. Can you tell Gabby missed her while we were in Tennessee?

A better picture.

Clarissa & girls on the bench at the halfway mark. We took a little break before heading back.

Corey by a water fountain with a bust of Chief Seattle.

After the walk.

When we got in town we decided to go out to lunch at Brewery City before doing some shopping @ Kohl's and Target. It's back-to-school time again! We managed to find Gabby some tennis shoes with velcro (she hates to tie her shoes!) and a couple of yoga pants (that girl won't wear jeans!).

Girls Camp

Corey had a blast at girls camp! She was there from Tuesday morning until Friday afternoon. Scott was so happy when she came home because he had been home alone with only the dog for company for 4 days while Gabby & I were in Tennessee. He took Corey to her favorite restaurant, Saigon Rendezvous, for dinner that night and the next day the two of them went to see "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" before picking us up from the airport. Corey was tired because she had more fun than sleep during camp and slept from 11pm Friday until 11am on Saturday before Scott managed to drag her out of bed :) She has been teaching Gabby some of the songs she learned at camp. She earned 22 beads for her camp necklace by doing activities & certification. She hopes to go back again next year!


This is a photo of all the girls in the Olympia Stake that went. Hard to see, but Corey is in the 4th row on the right, 2nd one over from the left in the purple shirt.

This was taken after the "Iron Chef Challenge". The girls had to make an entree & dessert over a campfire or propane oven/stove. Corey is in the front row 4th over from the left. This was all Level 2 girls.

I got this photo off the Sayler's blog-this was taken on their 5 mile hike. Corey is in the group of girls in the very front row on the left hand side, in the middle wearing a pink shirt.

Opryland Hotel

Before we flew home on Saturday Rozanne took me & Gabby to the Opryland Hotel. It was incredibly beautiful! We had fun looking at all the different plants. We both were disappointed that they didn't label the flowers because we really wanted to know what they were! There were so many beautiful waterfalls & fountains. We went on the boat tour and learned lots of interesting facts about the hotel. It was so huge-it has around 2800 rooms! Wow! We ate some really delicious gelato and did a little souvenir shopping. It was a great way to end a great trip. Thanks to Rozanne & her family for letting us come out and stay with them! I hope we can make it back to Tennessee some time real soon!


Jesikah & Gabby's good-bye hug

Gabby & Rozanne enjoying some yummy gelato.

Rozanne & I thought this might be lantana.
These beautiful purple plants were right outside the hotel.
One of the walkways.

This gazebo was rose-covered.

Gabby lounging.

Two of several waterfalls.

They have tons of conventions there.

Gabby by some beautiful foliage.

More pretty flowers.

Nessie the sea monster.

This was really beautiful-I wish I knew what it was!

Gabby liked the swan topiary.

This was a steakhouse restaurant.

Me & Rozanne

Me & Gabs

The top of the glass dome.

Gabby & I by one of the beautiful fountains.

Gabby with the Opryland mascot-Sunny G

Gabby and I with the mascot.

One of several fountains.

A beautiful place to be married-they were setting it up for a wedding.

Another view of the beautiful gabezo from the side.

Glass ceiling above one of the concierge desks.

Beautiful fuchsia grafted onto a palm tree.

Gabby on the boat.

Both of us on the boat.

This is the largest waterfall and you can walk behind it.

One of several areas. That round part is a bar and it rotates.

Gabby thought the horses were creepy.

By a waterfall.

Rozanne took this picture of us when she dropped us off at the Nashville airport.

Gabby posing with her favorite thing-ketchup! We had lunch @ BK before flying home.