McKenna and the Molahiettes!

McKenna has been pretty darn busy this summer - dance practice and drill team practice sure made the summer go by quickly for her, but she can hardly wait to be a 9th grader!

After Drill Team Camp in August, the girls came to our house for pizza and swimming. It was fun to see everyone relaxing and having fun and BOY were they hungry! Yesterday the girls gathered for their team pictures at a place called Hidden Meadows here in Moses Lake, I had not ever been there, but it sure is a slice of Paradise in the middle of nowhere! Here are just some of the pictures of the Freshman girls and a couple of Sophmores, I'll post the whole team (all 28 of them!) when I get them back from the photographer!

College Days!

Wow...what a week last week! Ron, McKenna and I took Lindsay to Phoenix to move her into her dorm room at ASU. Long drive but worth spending the time with her and making sure she had everything she needed to feel comfortable. In the meantime, Danny and his friend Alec packed their stuff up and returned for their second year at WSU! I haven't seen Dan's new dorm room, but they are all happy and have set up their sleeping area and their "game room"!

Move-in day at ASU was pretty impressive, we pulled up to the curb, upper classmen were there to unload your car, load everything on carts and haul the carts to the new students rooms and then unload! It was all very organized and moved quickly. We spent the rest of the day getting Lindsay's things set up in her room - yes she has her own room! She has a roommate (Sonia) and they share a common area, sink and bathroom, but each have their own sleeping area. Very nice and new!

Ron and I are very proud of both Danny and Lindsay!

As One Life Ends...Another Begins

This past Saturday was a very sad, very happy, very special day. Ron, the kids and I traveled over to the Seattle area to finally put Ron's brother Kevin to rest. Kevin passed away a year and a half ago and after many complicated, unforeseen moments, his daughter Christy and her mom were able to make it here from Oklahoma to scatter Kevin's ashes in the Puget Sound. The Sound is a very special place to the Reis family and hopefully it is somewhere we will all end up together. We took a ferry from Mukilteo, the Captain stopped the boat, announced to the other passengers what was happening, let us have our moment, sounded the horn and continued to Whidbey Island. Irish Eyes was sung followed by the WSU Fight Song and I am sure Kevin was pleased. I have to say, I am very impressed by the Mukilteo Ferry system and the Captain.

Unfortunately, one of the brothers, Mark (Danica's dad), had to have emergency kidney stone surgery Thursday morning and missed out on the "guys only" fishing expedition, the service and following poker game.

We headed back to John and Debbie's house and followed up with a baby shower for our niece Danica!! Danica is due in September and we are so excited for her! She and her husband Rick have decided to wait to find out if it is a girl or boy...good for them, but they sure make it hard to find a gift with a "safari" theme that is neutral!! I think we all did pretty well though!

It was, all in all, a really great weekend. I just absolutely believe I married into the best family possible (well actually Ron married into the best family, but the Reis' are a close second!).

The Beautiful Christy ReisPast Coug Jeremy (Sarah Reis' husband) and future 2009 Coug Nicole (Amy Reis-Dille's oldest daugter)

Greatest New Dad (Ben Reis) and daughter Mia...(she actually said MY name!!)
Debbie Reis, daughter-in-law Monika (Mike's wife), daughter Sarah
Danica Reis-Garcia with safari animals!
DanicaLindsay with basket of Life Saver/Mike 'n Ike pacifiers (she made)...SO CUTE!Poker...Rick Garcia, Art Reis, Danny ReisPoker Faces...John Reis
Ron ReisMike Reis and Christy's Grandpa
Random faces....Aaron Reis, Julia Reis

Lake Okanagan once again...

We have a timeshare up at Lake Okanagan Resort in Kelowna B.C. and almost every year for the past 12 years or so, we have spent a week up there. This year looked like it was either going to be very quiet or not happen. My in-laws were going on their own vacation the same week, so weren't going to be joining us, Lindsay had to work, Dan's friend Alec wasn't going to be able to come, so Dan decided to stay home and work, McKenna didn't want to be alone with just Ron and I...

BUT it all worked out! Lindsay found out the camp she was teaching was actually the following week, Alec was able to get off work and McKenna's friend Chelsi was able to come! YEAH! So off we went. The weather was hot hot hot (perfect) the kids old enough now that they don't need to be watched every single moment (more perfect) and Ron and I were actually able to get away for wine tasting and dinner for our 20th anniversary (most perfect)!

On the way home we even stopped off in Oliver and had lunch with my in-laws at their rental on Lake Osoyoos, so had a great ending to a great week!

View from our room
First night in the pool (couldn't get anyone to Karaoke)

McKenna and Chelsi jetskiing
Dan and Alec goofing around
Kids looking fierce on Ogopogo
20th Anniversary!
Winery gave us a bottle of champagne and Ron got to uncork it with a Saber!

Guys golfing
Kayaks and canoes and floaties