Eight is Great!!! (and so is backpacking...)

Happy, happy birthday, Paigie-bug!! Our "Paige in the middle" turned eight this month and we celebrated from dawn 'til dusk! (Which is a lot of hours in August.) She was able to have a slumber party with two of her cousins to ring in the birthday. After she and Kinley fell asleep, her older sisters and Kaiya decorated the whole house with "eights". We breakfasted on aebleskivers, scrambled eggs and strawberries then loaded up and went to Grandma's house where more cousins were waiting. We spent an hour or so at the park and by late afternoon we were ready for the pool and pizza. It was so fun as the evening became a mini-reunion with ALL 26 of the cousins together for a rare moment! We capped off the day with another cousins sleep-over and Paige is officially eight!!

Although I try, I cannot be perfect all of the time, :) and this day my flaws came through in the form of very little camera action. What kind of a mother (and blogger) am I that I didn't record her every moment?! We were just too busy having fun, I guess. :) Hopefully these will give you a small idea of her joy!

In July Matt took Nicole and Corinne backpacking with friends, Troy and Rachel. They were excited when they left and happy when they returned so I think it was another successful adventure!
Corinne landing a fish with Nicole's fly rod:
It's hard to see, but it's there.
Nicole reeling one in:
Matt said that Nicole really wanted to catch, clean, cook and eat a fish all by herself this time, and she DID!
Around the campfire:
On the trail for home: