What a surprise. . .Whitney!!!!!

My cousin Whitney holds a very special place in our hearts here at the Bates house. She has just recently graduated and was making her way back to Portland when she decided to surprise us and come stay for a few days. Needless to say she is FULL of energy and we have been jet skiing the rapids, boating or hanging out on the river for the last four days with her. The babies love her and we are always sad when she leaves. Whitney is off to college this fall and we couldn't be more proud of our Whitters!Here's Whitney wakeboarding like a champ! This girl is gifted with natural talent and it's so much fun to watch her learn all the sports we love. She is just full of humor and whitty phrases. We will miss her tons!
Annelise has been having fun getting to know our friend Bobbi. She doesn't look it here but Bobbi had her giggling up a storm moments later. A little girl time out on the water!

Zoo Babies!

Last week the babies got to go to the local zoo with a few of the McCurry children. It was a great day that started out with perfect weather and by the end we were literally running for shelter due to the heavy rain. The babies and I still enjoyed seeing Paula and her kids along with some of their friends. The tiger just kept pacing in front of the stroller and the babies have now seen this so many times that it doesn't even phase them. As if a huge tiger a few feet away is perfectly normal. I guess being a twin is preparing them for the wild better than I thought! The zoo is still one of our favorite places to adventure rain or shine!

How cute is this?

I just thought this photo really shows what a happy girl Annelise truly is. She is always available for a quick game of peek-a-boo.

Meeting Friends for the first time!

Monday morning the babies and I finally got to meet a great family that we know from an IVF web page. Kimi and her family were gracious enough to let us come tear up their hotel room before heading home to Seattle. These are her babies Sean and the twins Alyson and Noah! It was so great to finally meet her in person and what a beautiful family. Her husband Michael took this picture which is a favorite for me for sure. She is the calmest mother of three little ones I have ever met. Bodie thought sean was super funny as well while Annelise just sat in wonder of the other set of twins. What a great morning!

Some Recent Activities

Annelise just looked too sweet in this dress so I had to show it to everyone.
Bodie crawls. . . EVERYWHERE!!!! We cannot keep this kid in our sights for more than a few seconds. He is soooo busy moving and exploring while Annelise is busy watching.
Our friends came to town this past weekend and the kids were happy to get some Jerrianna time in. It's always a treat to see them and it was nice to hang out on the river with them and the kids. We had a blast with them as always and hope they come again soon!Baby Bodie and his WILD hair!
Just the boys here! Some of our favorite friends have four of the sweetest children that we get to spend time with here and there. The boys requested this "All boy" picture so I had to put it up. We were lucky enough to have them for an afternoon and the babies were thrilled to have some fun playmates for the day.

Visiting Uncle Wade in the Hospital

The babies Uncle Wade recently had a pretty bad fall and ended up breaking his pelvis and wrist. YIKES! He was pretty lucky he didn't break his back or have spinal chord damage but he is still pretty banged up. While he's been layed up the babies and I have been making regular visits to keep him entertained . Annelise has really found her inner care taker with Uncle Wade. She was patting him on the hand as if to say "It's alright." It was sweet for sure and we hope he can come play with us soon!

A Black Canyon Afternoon

We spent this past Sunday enjoying ourselves at the river as always. Daddy and I took turns racing our jet skis around the lake while the babies played in the shade. We even managed to get the very seldom family shot of everyone in the river playing. A rare moment for sure!
Daddy on his jet ski! Go Daddy Go!!!!
Mommy getting her turn as well!
The little fella was literally falling asleep here with his hands behind his head. If you knew how cold that water was you would be even more surprised. He is a true water baby.
Mommy and the babies on the river bank enjoying the warm weather. The babies were great all day and we never heard a peep out of either one. They had a great nap in the stroller and had a fabulous view of the hills and the river while they dined on the banks for dinner. Life should be this great for us all!

The River. . .again!

Just pretending to be daddy at the river. We see future jet skiier for sure!
Our friends daughter Nerissa. She is cute as a button and tough as nails!
Passed out! The babies go to bed at 7pm and have a hard time making much longer than that!
Riding the rapid!
Cassia, Amber, and Annelise. Just some girl time on the beach.

Together Always!

The babies were laying on the rug just talking away the other day. Seems they don't spend much time in that position anymore so I thought I better capture it while it lasts. Then of course we couldn't resist a double set of baby bottoms! They love to look at the bath filling up with water as much as they love playing in it. Any activity that can keep them busy is a good one for me!