A very BUSY July!

What a July it has been! The Sanchez Family has been BUSY enjoying the sun and our family! Here's a few things the we have been up to!

Chase turned out to be a prettygreat waterskier!

Elly's first time tubing SOLO!


Feeding Grandpa the yummy huckleberries that the kids worked so hard to pick.

Madyson enjoying the waves!

Mom and Elly right after riding Timber Terror at Silverwood

(she was scarred to death at the beginning and as soon as we stopped she said "I want to do it again!")

The guys riding Panic Plunge

Water Baby! (Hard to believe that last summer she wouldn't touch water!)

My little bathing beauty

Happy 6th Birthday Elly Monkey!

Destroying the pinata!

Cake and homemade ice cream - YUMMY!




First of all our little Elly Monky turned 6 on July 20th! I CAN"T believe that she's already that old. I remember meeting her that HOT July evening and staring at her beautiful skin and full head of dark hair. I knew that instant that she was something special and not a day goes by that she doesn't prove it to me! We had a birthday party the day before her actual birthday. We had a dual slip and slide that lasted all of an hour! They certainly don't make those like they used to. I remember the yellow one we had as kids that lasted for years! My mom probably still has that thing hidden away somewhere! :) On her real birthday we went to Silverwood Theme Park as a family! We spent the morning at the water park and rode the rides all afternoon. We were all starving when we left so we finished off the night at Olive Garden (Elly's favorite!). Jorydn amazingly made it through the whole day and dinner without a nap! As soon as her belly was full and we loaded into the car she passed out and slept until late the next morning. I think Elly really enjoyed her birthday and we had so much fun with her.

The following week was CHAOTIC! Terry had a Gas and Welding regional convention to attend and I was fortunate enough to be invited to all the "fun" events that were part of it. On Wednesday night we toured Lake Cour d'Alene and enjoyed drinks and appetizers on one of the resort cruise ships. The next day we were invited to spend the day on the lake with one of the distributors. This is the biggest boat I have ever been on! It was amazing to see all the gorgeous home on the lake. Some of them were borderline castles! That evening was a delicous catered dinner at the resort! I ate like a QUEEN! Until then I had never even been in that hotel. It was fun to pretend to be among the "rich and famous" for a day or two but the next morning I woke up and it was back to reality. We were supposed to head out to go camping in a few hours and I hadn't even started. Somehow I pulled it all together and off were went...... again.

We spent a awesome weekend at Seeley Lake with mom and dad! Other that than mosquitos that tried to eat us alive and Jorydn's "sleep issues" it was a pretty darn good weekend. Mom and Dad's boat was running again so we all got to innertube and low and behold I actually got up on waterskis after a 10 year sabaticle! I was feeling pretty good until my hubby and stepson both got up and made how I skied look pretty pathtic! Oh well - other than the fact that here I sit, a week later, and my body is still feeling it I was pretty amazed that I did it! Yes, age certainly changes things. Things certainly don't work like they did when I was a teenagers. Funny how the signs of age creep up on you! I know you are all thinking "you're still so young!" but think back to just before you turned thirty and all the little "details" you started to notice! Hee hee - gotta love it! The kids and Terry also scoured the campground and picked a full bag of yummy huckleberries! I just finished making a huckleberry cheesecake with chocolate truffle glaze that we're going to bring to a friend's house for dinner tonight. Can't wait to taste it! It looks soooo delicous!

I hope all of you are enjoying your sunny days as much as we are here! And to all you wimpy Seattlites complaining about your weather - put on your big boy/girl undies and suck it up! JUST KIDDING! But 100+ weather here is not uncommon so I guess that I ALMOST feel sorry for you!

LOVE YOU ALL! -AMY_

The kid's new toy!

The big boys play on the new toys!

Couldn't have done it without our great friends! Thanks Shawn and Ruthe!

2 days later and the project is finally complete!

There is something that I have been wanting to get for my kids for the longest time - a new swingset! A few years ago our neighbors moved and "donated" their old (15+ years!) swingset to the kids to play on. I wasn't sure if they would even use it but we eventually had to take it to the dump for fear that it may actually deteriorate or flip over on top of them. I've talked to Terry about getting another one several times but he wasn't convinced that it would be worth it and I let it go at that.

Over the last 6 months I have been saving money here and there and putting it aside. I wasn't sure what I wanted to use it for but when summer hit and the kids desperately wanted to play outside my decision was easily made. Icounted up the money I had put away and it was actually a lot more that I expected. I spent the next few days scouring the internet for the best deal I could find. After deciding on one I talked to Terry and he was so impressed that I had saved the money for it he didn't even question it. We went down to Toys R Us that evening and and as he handed over the cash (for the VERY LAST one they had) he said "there goes my plasma TV, again......). The cashier responded by "but your kids with LOVE it!" He told me that he felt like a good dad when she said that to him.

We asked our great friends the Sexton's to come over and help us put it together. Shawn and Terry both had Friday off for the 4th of July so they spent ALL DAY Friday piecing it together. At the end of the day it was only half finished! They aren't kidding when they say "assembly required"! We spend the next day at the lake and celebrated the holiday. Sunday morning rolled around and after church the guys were at it again. By the end of the day all the hard work had paid off and we had a BEAUTIFUL swing set for the kids to play on. We have since spent HOURS outside enjoying the sun and each other. I love hearing my kids laugh, play and be carefree, just they way they are supposed to be. It reminds me that although Madyson is 9 1/2 (not they typical "swingset" age) patience always pays off. I so easily get discouraged when I look at other people's beautiful houses, fancy cars, boats, vacations......... and I think, "will I ever have that?" It's hard not to be envious! But in those simple moments of sunshine and swingsets I know more that ever the my God provides everything I need! He is so good and gracious - and I am blessed beyond measure!!! I have all I need, many of the things I want and all the time in the world for the rest!

Thanks again to Shawn and Ruthe! We love you guys!

Love - Amy

Remembering to enjoy the simple joys

I enrolled Madyson and Elly in a summer art class that was offered at their school for two weeks this summer. They started on Monday and while they were there it just just Jordyn and me for a couple of hours. At first I planned to just spend the time running errands and getting things caught up that I have been procrastinating about for weeks. But the weather was just sooo nice out and I had my baby all to myself. We ended up go to the school about 45 minutes early and just playing on all the toys and playground equipment. It was in those moments that I was reminded that I sometimes take these precious opportunities for granted. I look at Jordyn and wonder where the time has gone. How much have I just let slip by because I was "too busy" or had other things going on. She is growing up so quickly! Watching her run, play, laugh and smile is better that anything else in the world that I could be doing. Pure and simple she is my joy! So for myself, and all the other moms out there whose days seem to just slip by and there is always more to do just sit back and breathe. Enjoy each day because you will never get them back. The dishes can wait, you can clean the house tomorrow, one more day of dirty laundry won't make a difference.... but our babies continue to change from moment to moment and if we don't pay attention we may just miss it.

Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take, but by the moments that take our breathe away!

Love, Amy