"Less Talking, More Walking"

"Less Talking, More Walking" became our family motto this last weekend. We went backpacking to Island Lake on Thursday. We got a late start hitting the trail head sometime after 7:30pm. We started out hiking with my sister Brittney, her husband, Brent and their super hiker of a daughter Oaklee. Only a few minutes into the hike our kids were done. After dragging Chloe a few hundred yards with her kicking and screaming Brent picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. Without him we might have been hiking all night. Braxton a little farther into the hike started having a hard time. First, he was tired and ready for bed, but then thought he should ask a million questions. Which brought about the new Pace Family Motto. As the dark night rolled in, we kept going. We were only able to find a few headlamps to hike the last mile in the dark. Somewhere around 10:30pm we rolled into Island Lake. At that point, I think we were all asleep. So we threw up the tents and crawled in. My bothers family was supposed to be coming up as well, but my bro. got lost in the dark and ended up 3 miles in the wrong direction. Luckily, the next morning he was able to find us. We spent the next day playing with fire, in the hammock, with dirt and bugs, swimming to the island and walking on water. Saturday morning we packed up in the rain and hiked out. This is where the trip took a turn for the worse. We literally spent the next 3 miles dragging Braxton out. He cried the ENTIRE time saying he was tired and didn't want to go any more. He would stop for a break every 50 feet and pretty much sit down. It was a very long, long, long, long hike out. And, I am glad to say that we didn't leave him there. Overall, it was such a great trip with our family and can't wait until we do it again (without kids)!! We're not going to invite the mosquitoes next time either. (Let's just say, Chloe has 28 mosquito bites on her face alone!!!)

Our week was insanely busy. We have had so much going on.
We had a pizza-Q, BB-Q, Ryan had his weekly meetings and of
course, the 4th of July. The video is kinda long so I won't say much
this time. Enjoy the pictures of our 4th of July festivities......

Christmas in June?

On Sunday, we went to my parents house and much to my surprise, all of my siblings were there. It was like Christmas in June. The only time my whole family ever gets together is Christmas Eve, so it was really different to have us all there at the SAME TIME and have it be warm outside and not exchange presents. I felt like I should be giving gifts.
Dan's fiance, B, came down from the Phillipines. It was so good to see her again. I have only met her once and I just adore her. I can't wait for her to be officially part of the family. She got her picture taken with all the grandkids. She is so good with children that they all love her so much. Which I personally think is amazing since they hardly know her. Chloe will just run to her and give her hugs and kisses. Anyways, we all played games together as a family and enjoyed each others company.


Chloe has a new trick of being able to cross her eyes. Every time I try to take a picture she can't seem to do it. So this is her trying to do it for the camera. Braxton's poor attempt at going cross-eyed. Last Wednesday, the kids and I went to Chick-Fil-A for dinner. Ryan has his meetings on Wednesday and it's kids night at Chick-Fil-A so we decided to go. They had face painting and of course, Braxton had to be Spider Man. I didn't think Chloe would sit there long enough so I just had them do a quick butterfly by her eye. They were so cute. I absolutely loved it and so did they. They wouldn't let me clean it off so for like three days they were just silly looking because most of it had come off and you couldn't tell what it was. Last Friday, while I was watching Oaklee, we went to the Dinosaur Museum with my sisters and their kids. It was just the three adults and we had NINE kids. It was a little chaotic but very very fun. I loved watching all the cousins play together since they don't get to see each other very often. Calvin, Oaklee and Braxton making the dinosaur. Oaklee mostly just liked the water and kept wanting the sand to be washed off. It was funny. I could tell that she doesn't really like her hands to be dirty for very long. Braxton with his little dinosaur. Chloe and Oaklee just playing. Again, Oaklee isn't really playing in the sand. Little Elliot, with his dinosaur. So cute!! Calvin, Elliot and Madison. One of my favorite parts was when Calvin went and picked up Elliot and helped him play and showing him what to do. He is such an amazing big brother and very good with Elliot. I was pleasantly suprised. They never sat long enough for a picture so we just took one. I asked Braxton what he was doing while he was in the sand "digging for dinosaur bones" and he just said, "I'm just scientisting mom." It was so cute. I didn't think he even knew what a scientist was, but as always my kids continue to suprise me.