This one was Jared's favorite picture - it makes him laugh and laugh. He loves how his dad is tackling the dinosaur, but he's being eaten anyway.
Held up high on Tom's shoulders. Look how tall she is getting!
Here is part of the troop with their Padawan Learner robes on, ready to begin their Jedi training. Jared is the one standing behind the "speeder". 
First, a multi-part challenge course (balance using your "force", defending your space using the "force", shooting goals, jumping over lava, throwing balls into a target, fixing the Millenium Falcon, driving a speeder). Very fun for a hot, sunny day! Extra points for having this all outside with 16+ kids plus parents and relatives here!
Tom (aka Obi Wan) prepares the younglings for light saber training. 
Distributing the light sabers.
One of our treat table attractions was "Han Solo in Carbonite". They loved it! I wish we got more pictures of our food table. We had "Princess Leia Buns", "Yoda Soda", "Droid Dip" for the fruits, "Moon Milk", Ewok Food (fruits and vegetables), Wookie Cookies, Sweet Red Lightsabers, "Han Solo Rolos", and a light saber cupcake birthday "cake" presented with 6 1/2 candles. 
Oh no! It's Darth Vader! He has come to pursuade you to join the Dark Side. Will you go to the Dark Side? Neverrrrr!
Uncle Andrew in full costume. He knew all the lines. I think he's done this before a time or two...
Jared facing Darth Vader. He fought valiantly.
The danger of being Darth Vader...there is always an uprising against you!
Tom teaching the Padawan Learners awesome fighting technique before they faced Vader and Destroyed the Death Star (our pinata).
It was a tough pinata. After 17 people went through blindfolded with 3 hits each, we let them go without blindfolds. Here is the explosion of the Death Star!
It was a great day.
Sue and Steve got back from their mission and are thoroughly Swiss.
Ben, Cy's little brother, got married in Oakland. And I forgot to charge my batteries on BOTH cameras so our pictures are somewhat limited....
(Cyrus was very excited about all the walking around we did that day)
Cy's Grandma Marion turned 90! Sue and Steve welcomed guests to the party Swiss style.
While waiting out the party, Cy got to take his brother's bike out for a ride. Don't worry, he drove around the retirement community and was completely safe.
We found a screaming deal a few months back and Cy convinced me that I needed my own racing bike. It is awesome and goes really fast. Also, my new bike has clipless peddles and I haven't even fallen off yet. I'm very proud of myself!
Their son, Matthew, is already 14 years old (I've known him for 5 years already!). Jared enjoyed being with him, because, after all, this was the boy who gave Jared a box full of Bakugan toys last Christmas at their family party. Jared remembered him well because that was such a cool present. Matthew would also show Jared cool Wii games when I'd go over to visit teach, and Jared remembers that, too. The boys banded together to secure a trip to an ice cream store at Pike Place Market. They definitely won that request. Jared loves strawberry ice cream and was thrilled to get a waffle cone with it. Ah, the little pleasures of life.
We should have brought our cellos! It was PACKED. A beautiful, hot, sunny day in Seattle on Memorial Day weekend? Oh yeah. The people were definitely out.
A happy dance at the market next to the totem poles.
We also drove out to Snoqualmie Falls, which brought back many memories of the ski school bus (which always smelled of diesel, graham crackers and oranges) and family outings. It was almost tragic that the beautiful rustic road out to the lodge and falls was being built up with California-style tract homes and strip malls. Not quite what you'd expect to see out there. But the rest of the drive was gorgeous!
A few family photos at the Seattle Temple...(really located in Bellevue, but I digress...)
And a photo in the little grove of trees on the temple grounds. We couldn't catch Jared long enough to be in this photograph. And even Laura doesn't seem too thrilled about being stuck on my lap for a picture. Sigh. 
The rest of our time was driving and enjoying. Next time we'll stop and visit some old friends from Washington. I think that was the only part that was missing on this trip.
Look how big that little tree on the left has grown in the past 17 years!
Jared chasing the Canadian Geese at Lake Sammamish, where our family used to go to swim and water ski when we were kids. We ate a picnic breakfast there on Saturday morning. Beautiful!
Backyard fun back at our house. Laura LOVES this little cozy coupe car. Jared LOVES swinging in the hammock Tom puts up on sunny days. We're thinking with some chickens, a few blueberry bushes, and a trampoline, our backyard will be pretty fun for the kids!
Playing in the water works section.
Lindsay (baby was 17 weeks here), birthday boy Dallin and Emily!
This was taken shortly after Christmas. Elise is on the right, the other nakey baby is her cousin Brett who is about a month older. 
Elise is about the happiest baby you'll ever know. She smiles just seeing one of us walk in the room. Although her cheeks are getting heavy and if she's tired she's a little slower to smile for strangers.
Dad's princesses all in pink PJs.
Can you see about 5 dimples on her chin(s)? Her whole face scrunches up when she smiles. And those CHEEKS! (I wasn't sure if you noticed those)
