Camping Again

We went camping this past weekend with our good friends George, Lanette, Brad, Nicole, Mike and Brenda. We had a blast playing latter ball, eating good food, fishing, quad riding, camp fires, marshmallows, and visiting. We love to camp and thank heavens we have friends who feel the same. How do you spell dirt? J-A-C-O-B. Man does this kid know how to get dirty!

Just before this picture on the yellow quad, Porter learned his first lesson in quad riding. Never make a sharp turn while giving the quad full gas. He was a little quad shy after his spill but he came around and just said he was too little to ride one by himself right now. I think his pride hurt more than the bruise.

Porter caught a couple of crawdads with dad's help while we were fishing and he even ate them.


Madison spent most of her days lounging in the hammock. She did however get the hang of riding her friend Brad's little quad all by herself, her daddy was quite proud. Especially when she reminded him that he had promised to get her one once we sold the Idaho house.

Porter and I kickin' it in the hammock. Patrick showing off his happy side.

If anyone doesn't know...I love love love to fish, so our friend George and I usually get up early one day and head out for some fishing. We had been fishing for about 3 hours with only one bite that got away before I got it to shore and had determined it just was not our day. But then a man and his family show up next to us and just start reeling in fish after fish after fish and so I asked him what they were using. He came over and rigged up my pole gave me some slip sinkers, treble hooks and this wonderful orange stink stuff and then the fun began. Patrick and the kids showed up just in time for the fun as the fish started to be reeled in one after another. Patrick got into it so much that after his line broke with the last little treble hook on it that he ripped of his shirt, took off his shoes and swam in after is line (which he did retrieve). All in all the count was George-10 Patrick-3 Me-2 and 2 more fish that someone gave us while we were getting skunked earlier. It was a great time and we ate a ton of fish back at camp.

We love the great outdoors.

Madison kind of got the shaft on the whole birthday party thing...considering her birthday was in May and her party was the middle of June. Pretty much everyone we know was out of town so we ended up taking her and the boys into town to the mall to play and shop and eat those enormous slices of cheese pizza (which are her favorite). She got to pick out some Hannah Montanna pj's and we took her to the movies to see Kung Fu Panda. Which will probably be the last movie we see there for a while unless Jacob is not with us.

She wanted a Hannah Montanna cake...so this is what she got. I has better visions in my head but decided last minute to still do the cake. Madison and Porter were great helpers and Madi seemed happy enough.

Make a wish.....

Slip and Slide

One of Madison's presents from her birthday was this slip and slide. So we decided to give it a whirl. I wasn't sure how well it would go over considering the size of the back yard and the fact that it is flat. Madison did great slippin' and slidin'. However if Porter and Jacob invented the slip and slide it would have been called the run...stop...drop to your knees...splash onto your stomach...and army crawl. The name would have been a little longer but the smiles would still be the same.

Wrong way Jacob!!!

Porter and Jacob scooting to the end.

Jacob cheering Madison to the finish line.

Gotta Love Summer Time!!!! (Just not in Arizona!)

HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY MADISON

Our sweet little baby girl...

Girls are made of sugar and spice,

Everything sweet, & everything nice,

Girls are ruffles, bonnets, and bows,

Dimpled smiles and dancing toes,

They're tears and giggles, dolls and curls,

That's how it is with little girls.

Six great reasons to love our little girl...

1. She has a smile that will brighten your day.

2. She is a great big sister and loves her family.

3. She is a girl through and through...painted nails, clothes, shoes, you name it.

4. She is very tender hearted.

5. She can't wait to grow up. And tells me all the time, I will do everything for you and daddy today so you don't have to worry about it.

6. She is the best daughter we could have ever asked for and we are thankful everyday that she is such a special part of our family.

WE LOVE YOU MADISON

Taco Bell or Oreo? How about both!

Yes you are seeing clearly...


















I finally broke down and let my "dog lover" little girl get a real puppy! After many years of trying to get her to love stuffed animal dogs and watching her drag them around the house on make shift collars I gave up the fight and let the kids get a puppy last night. They (with Patrick's encouragement) gave the puppy the name Oreo. The other names were as follows Madison's pick- Sweethearts, Porters pick- Laser, Jacob's pick- ahhhhhh, My pick- Ellie and Patrick's pick- Oreo, which really is the most fitting. The kids love her and woke up at 4:45 this morning bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to play puppy. I of course got up and washed the poop out of the kennel with a little less enthusiasm. Wish us luck, I have a feeling I am going to need it.

Madison chillin' with the pup. They do look like a good pair.

That is the face of TROUBLE. Not hard to tell who is happier in this picture!!

Well there you have it the newest member of the McCabe family. Welcome Oreo.

Our first Camping trip of the year!!!

This past weekend we went on our first camping trip of the year with some friends from our neighborhood Nathan and Sonda Bryce and kids, Micah and Laura Woods and kids, Brian and Lori Munoz with their dog Abby, and Lori's sister, husband and little boy came and visited. It was a great time with great friends, great weather, and great memories. The kids both young and young at heart had a blast. We played horseshoes, catch with the baseball, Frisbee golf, farkle (dice game), Texas hold em' (with Starburst), roasted marshmallows and hot dogs, took rides on the Quad, shot tomatoes and coconuts, went spotlighting for Elk, plenty of chatting around the fire, a little dancing (thanks to Lori and Savannah), and the kids played in the dirt, made a toy store, and had a blast.

Want a Smore? Some more of what? A Smore. How can I have some more of something if I haven't had anything yet?

Now that is how you roast a marshmallow or five!!!

Spittin' image. Jacob is such a daddy's boy now.

Now that is one HAPPY CAMPER!

Tricks already and he can't even drive.

The boys plotting out their approach to the next hole of Frisbee golf.

Pictured left to right...Rocko, Jacob, Ryan, Ethan, Madison, Savannah, Charly, and Porter. Not pictured is Maverik who is asleep in the trailer.

This was the kids favorite place to be. It was a little space fenced off, none of us could figure out why, but inside they built a house for the stuffed animals, a toy store, and it looks like they may be holding some type of meeting? They had a blast to together. Both Madi and Porter were ready to adopt themselves into the Bryce family by the time we hit Arby's.

Patrick, Porter, Jacob and I went shooting tomatoes and coconuts. Porter absolutely loves it and I think Patrick loves that he loves it even more. Porter was so proud when he shot the tomato and each time had to go check out his target. Patrick blew a coconut to pieces and I split my coconut right in half. The kids were so excited to eat coconut from the shell when we got back to camp. Jacob hung out in the truck where he was safe and the noise was minimal.

Patrick and I engaged in a friendly game of horseshoes the first day, which for anyone who has not seen us have a friendly game it is hardly that. We are both very competitive and love the bragging rights and trash talking, in the most loving way of course. Sadly to say I fell short after a close game and Patrick was declared the winner that day. However on our last day there right before we left we had a re-match and the stakes were high. The looser had to wear my beautiful full zip pink and gray sleeper (very sexy) to Arby's in Payson for lunch. It was a very close game at the end we were tied 18 to 18 and Patrick threw one horseshoe that landed right next to the pole putting him at 19 and right after threw his second horseshoe and it was a ringer putting him at 22 and winning the game unless I could top his ringer and cancel it out. Fat chance because the ringers were pretty few and far between. So under pressure I stepped up and yes I threw a ringer, whooo hooo. I still had a chance. On my next throw amazing and with a great amount of luck I got another ringer for the win. It was crazy. That meant Patrick was wearing the cute little sleeper to Arbys. No, I didn't actually make him wear the PJ's, I thought it may be a little damaging to our son to see his dad in women's clothing and in public. But it sure made the game exciting.

And this is how we all felt after the weekend was over.