Category Archives: jonathan

Boy Scout Camp and The 50 Miler

Warning: This post has a lot of pictures. July was packed with Boy Scout activities! There were hikes, meetings, and backpack weigh-ins, all leading up to the big 50 mile hike all the new Scouts go on their first summer in the troop. Before that, the boys went to Boy Scout camp at Camp Parsons. Here’s Avery and his buddy, Henry, in their tent.

The boys waiting for their swim test


Luke, Henry and Avery

The trio in the car

Before heading away for the week (his first weeklong sleep-away camp).

Layla wanted a pic with Avery before he left.

Same door, different day. This is a couple weeks later, before Avery & Jonathan headed out for the big 50 miler!

Their backpacks, all ready to go

Here are a ton of pics from the hike. Looks like they had an amazing time, saw lots of natural beauty, wild animals, and made a ton of lasting memories.




Looking a little tired sipping his cocoa

Coffee for the parents

Huge frog (I guess they saw many).








Luke, Samuel, Avery, Cayden, Henry, & Owen




A deer visitor

Playing battleship with the logs



People were jealous of Jonathan & Avery’s Beecher’s & Summer Sausage tortillas.


Avery made this Donald Trump effigy for the fire. He got the hair right!

The boys all wanted to pose with it before burning it



They saw almost a dozen bears on their hike!




Lookin’ good!







They did it! Finished a day early, and all kids and adults were troopers. Here they are having their first meal at home – burgers, of course!

A couple days later we celebrated with a troop dinner at Luke’s house. The boys all swam and played in the lake and ate lots of food!

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Boy Scouts Adventure

Avery’s Boy Scout troop is getting ready for their big 50 mile hike that takes place in July. The weekend after school ended they did a one-night practice run. Avery was SO excited!

Kayden, Owen, Luke, & Avery

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Alumni Day

In mid-April the Western Crew team hosted their annual Alumni Day. Here is a group photo of everyone who rowed that morning.

And here are the alumni who rowed

Jonathan showed the kids the boathouse

This shell is named after Jonathan’s friend, roommate, and teammate. He was killed in a plane crash in Alaska a few years after we graduated.




“Row faster, Daddy!”
    

It’s hard to believe this was the first time our kids ever saw Jonathan row!
    

That evening we went to a BBQ at Russ & Heather’s house. Here are some of the old Varsity crew with their coach, Marty, in the middle.

Ali & Layla

New parents, Mike & Meridith, with baby Miles

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Avery is Eleven!

Avery just celebrated his eleventh revolution around the sun. Time is such a funny thing. It seems like he was just a baby, but at the same time, eleven seems about right. I am so proud of the big boy/young man Avery is becoming. He is smart, kind, and sensitive. One of the things I admire most about him is how fiercely he loves his little brothers and sister. Sure, he enjoys teasing them like any big brother, but he holds Silas’ hand at school and plays Legos with him for hours. He takes care of Layla, reads her stories, and looks out for her. And he loves being outside with Kieron. It’s easy to forget there are three years between those two.

At eleven, Avery loves Legos, chess, the outdoors, and Nerf. He takes pride in the fact that he is one of the fastest boys at school (and a good defender) but he does not want to play team sports or run track (breaking his arm playing soccer didn’t help any). Avery thinks girls are pretty boring, he doesn’t understand why some of the kids at school just walk around and talk at recess, and he is disappointed the middle school does not have a play ground.

This year has easily been the most difficult of Avery’s young life. Moving at the age of ten is hard on a kid (just ask me and Jonathan, we both went through it and swore we wouldn’t do it to our own). But then we did, and it has been just as tough on Avery as I remember it. And making it even harder, we moved from a neighborhood where he could walk to school and most of his friends’ houses to a home where we have to drive ten minutes to get anywhere. Are there advantages, sure, but I just really have to hand it to Avery, he’s been through a lot this year.

And through it all, Avery is excelling in school and has gradually made friends. He also had a really special teacher (who happens to have a son who is in class and friends with Silas). It has been reassuring to have an adult at school who is in Avery’s corner.

I think this next year is going to be really special for Avery. He is SO ready for middle school — even if there isn’t a playground. I’m excited to see what the future holds for him!

Per his request, a Nerf party

Battle face!

We started out with a little target practice

Our neighbor, Shaw

Shaw’s dog, Obie. It’s perfect that our neighbor has a pug who frequents our yard (and parties). Just feels right.

BFF Hayden came for the weekend

Luke & Kieron

Landon captured the flag

Braden & Avery

The gang

The house decked out for the party. Love the pretty sky (mind you, it’s March)!

Jonathan going over rules with the boys

Team A

Team B

Sniper?

Game on!

Jacqui & Layla, watching the action

Time to eat








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Christmas Eve 2017

It all started out with a little baking… (I think this was actually the day before).


“It’s The Avery’s of Pullman are here! Yessss!”

Now time to frost the cookies







Opening one present early

Christmas Eve is also the anniversary of the day this guy asked me to marry him! Fifteen years ago today. So glad I said “yes”!

The granddaughters

Andrew and Avery in the bar

Oh boy, look at them all!

Time for “The Dice Game”!




Layla got the hang of it pretty quick

A little kerfuffle erupted toward the end…

In the end, Jonathan got the big prize

Now onto some ping pong!



Time for the mama’s to rest and let the kids play




Look who showed up!





Layla was not so sure she wanted anything to do with Santa




Our best shot at a photo of all the kids with Santa

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!

And then…

Nana & Grammy outdid themselves!

Do you think we overdid it?

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