July through October 2013

JULY:

Family Reunion, Girls Camp, Zoe's basketball camp, Courtney announces her pregnancy, and Jackson turns 18. 

 Courtney and I had the idea for the Thing shirts. I had seen them in Disney world and thought it would be fun to do with a big family like ours.  Courtney found the design and ordered the shirts, but had hers specially done to announce that she is Pregnant with Thing #32!  The above picture is Adalynn and Abigail, the future Sammi and Kylie in my opinion!

Day at the beach

Aftyn and Will

Aftyn looks for me when I have my camera out, asks to have her picture taken and then immediately wants to see it.  Wow, when I was her age we wouldn't get the film developed until we had forgotten what was on the roll!

 

                                                All nineteen grandkiddos at Fort Worden.

 Sierra and Anistynn at every ones favorite venue, Olympic Game Farm.  This place was awesome, a petting zoo at first, but then you get in your car and feed animals wheat bread from your hand.  Like they are sticking their heads in your vehicle to get to the bread.  Jackson had the life scared out of him when a ginormous elk got his head and neck in the car because Jackson had (for no reason none to man) dumped his whole loaf of wheat bread in his lap.  The head was so big and heavy he couldn't get his hand to the button to roll up the window--he just started yelling "guys, guys (we were looking out another window) guys, help guys"!  I'm pretty sure we won't let him live it down, EVER!

               We attracted a lot of attention going around Discovery Bay and Squim in these shirts!

 Some of the bears would wave when the kids would wave at them--they loved it (the kids).

 I have never in my life been so close to bears, they have big teeth and claws, to tell the truth they were a little too close for comfort---one day they might realize they are sick to death of wheat bread, then what?!

                                                Avery and Carter on Discovery bay beach.

                    Cousin sleep over in the Noftle condo one night, Carter, Carson and Dexter.

 The boys spent HOURS building this fort on the beach,  they were sad to leave it at the end of the week.  why don't they do this in my backyard, plenty of pine trees there.

 We also visited a war ship, can't even remember the name (blog on time not 4 months late Becky).

 We also took a good hilly hike the day we went to the Olympic Game farm, but Carter found an excellent resting spot.

                                                       Carter steering the moored warship.

                                  See Thing 24 and Thing 7 are expecting a little baby Thing 32!!

                                                      Pregnant people are weird

                                                               but artistically weird.

                                                                  Matt and Courtney and family

                                                                 Cousin sleepover.

                                                                   They started it all!

All in line, shiny and fine!!

                                          

 Holly and I took 6 hours one day to drive the four oldest girlies (Kylie, Sammi, Sydney, & Sierra) to Forks, Washington.  Here is "Bellas" house.  Something we learned that day was, nothing was filmed in Forks, Wa!!  The book is just set in Forks.

                                                       Kylie, Sammi, Sydney, and Sierra.

                                                               Toots and her man.

We took turns, each family had a night to make dinner for all.  We picked the 27th, Jackson's 18th birthday.

                                                           Adalynn and Aunt Heather.

Heather and I found ourselves with our babies on one point of the hike so we grabbed a stranger to photo document that semi-quiet moment.

                                                          Jackson and his buddy Will.

                                His birthday button to remind all he is officially an adult now!

Blowing out the birthday candles on his birthday brownie the girls picked black and gold decorations and he picked Alice Springs Chicken for dinner, and brownies and ice-cream for dessert.

My kiddos, minus Jackson (Michael took him back early for leadership camp since he was obligated to go since he became ASB President--oh man something else I didn't blog about!) at the Lavender farm.

                                                           Grandson power

                                                               Zoe feeding a llama.

                                                        The crew at Camp Worden.

                                               Heather, moi, Holly, Courtney, and Brenda.

              I love this picture, he was laughing at one of the kids crazy comments and I caught him!

                                                                   Things 1 & 2.

I love to see pictures of kids from behind, but apparently there is an art to it.  My kids were highly annoyed with me for making them hold hands.

But Carter was the most annoyed because the other boy cousins had found something dead and he wanted to investigate too!

My favorite people in the world.  Michael and I 42, Jax 18 (that day!) Sammi 16, Sierra 12, Zoe 10, and Carter 8.

                                                      Carson and Carter on a sailors bunk.

                                                   Adalynn and Sammi on the warship.

Kylie and Sammi writing in the sand, probably about how much they love their families--right?

                                                        Sydney was a little nervous.

                                                                    The original 7.

                                                                       The group hike.

                                                         Brenda calls him Thrilliam!

                                                         Two babies and a goat--so cute.

                                                   Did I mention Zoe loves Zebras?

                                                                          and crabs?

Also in July Jackson got his green cast off, and a brace on.  It had to be worn 24 hours and kept sliding, and needing adjusting.  It still felt good for him though to be moving in the right direction.

 

 Also in July Zoe went to the Big Bend Basketball camp.  This was while I was at Girls camp so we had lots of help with driving--thank you ladies.

                   Our skit at girls camp needed a Whale.  Sammi cracked us up as the whale.

 To pay Grandpa Kent back for the Discovery Bay vacation the kids were HAPPY to weed the nursery stock orchard trees.  See HAPPY to do it.

Sammi and Kylie were also woken up one morning, blindfolded and taken out to breakfast.  They were freaking out over it.  You gotta love Tanner and his fun date ideas.

Sammi had awesome day after braid hair at Girls Camp!

                                                         Our whale from the backside.

                                             Sammis' first day of Work at Extreme Pita.

                              "Dora or T" with Abigail, Sierra, and Yssenia at Girls Camp.

Sierra's awesome hair after girls camp. I was afraid we were going to have to shave her head.

Morning assembly at Girls Camp.

 

AUGUST:                                                                                                                 

 

 Andersens had a sleep over at our house , kind of a last party before starting school.  The girls were doing makeup and Anistynn decided to do her own makeover instead of waiting for her turn.

 Carter and Mrs. Ziegler, her fourth Noftle 3rd grader.  Only Jackson didn't have her as a teacher.

 The traditional Elementary School Sign.  Next year just Carter will be left in Elementary :(.  Michael had to take this picture, and the teacher pictures because I am started the school year as a long term sub for Elementary Life Skills.  I love the people I work with, love the kids, but don't love how hard it is to keep up with everything and everyone!!  The laundry, cooking and housework, never magically get done when I am at work all day.  Hats off to all of you who have done this for years.

                             Carter Michael Noftle on the first day of school--August 28, 2013.

                                  (ASB) President Jackson Matthew Noftle first day Senior Year.

Sierra Joli Noftle first day of seventh grade.

Samantha Reine Noftle First day of her Junior Year.

Zoe Ciel Noftle first day of fifth grade.

 All of the Kiddos, August 28, 2013.  Last first day of school picture with all five of them. Yikes, I'm going to cry AGAIN!

And with Grandma Louise.  Open your eyes mother, sheesh.

Oh my gosh, they really are growing up.

Also in August we had to take Jackson to Seattle Childrens for a couple of days of testing and exams so we took all the kiddos and went to the Zoo.  We wanted to do something fun, felt like the whole summer had one or both of their parents at the Restaurant. 

Also my beautiful daughters at beautiful Bellevue temple where Michael and I were married more than 20 years ago.  We went for beautiful Kara Allreds wedding.

 Sierra, Sammi, Jackson, Zoe, and Carter at Woodland Park Zoo---Jax was grumpy he was so afraid we would get him back to Royal late for his football practice.  Don't worry we were not late!

Sierra had to be bribed to be brave enough to feed a bird.  If you remember

 years ago in Florida for the make a wish trip we learned Sammi and Sierra were scared of birds.

At Karas reception there was a downpour, the rational parents made their kids come in from the rain, the irrational ones just enjoyed the peace while their kids got soaked.  But look how happy they are to play in the rain!



Kara and Cameron Shumway.  Brenda took the wedding pictures it was fun to have her there.  Now that I think about it this might have been July not August, hmmmm it was July or August for sure!

We had talked Sammi into to coming into feed the birds.  The very second she got in there a bird dive bombed for her food and got tangled in her hair.  She was soooo losing it.  I was laughing so hard that I didn't even think to video it, I'll always regret it too!  Needless to say when we freed the bird from her hair prison she was out of there.  There she is safe behind the glass!

At those Doctor appointments we discovered Jackson's arm didn't completely close, not fixed like they thought it would.  But knowing what he has gone through and that he LOVES football and has been dreaming of being back on the field the Ortho surgeon cleared him to play.  This reaction was followed by tears by all 7 of us.  So happy for him.  Basically she said, it might break, it might not, but go live your life and come see me if it starts to hurt.  Yippee Jackson!

SEPTEMBER:
I didn't download any pictures of Sammi & Sierra playing volleyball, Jax & Carter playing football which is pretty much what September and October were all about.  Some weeks we had 7 games between all the kids.  I'll post pictures and video soon (not committing to a date am I!!).  But here is one to hold you over:

                                           Carter and Zoe after Carters first football game.
I thought I uploaded the Halloween pictures to blog about, but I guess not.  Don't worry I'm sure once I get home at 1:00 am I'll feel like finishing this up!!