Black Belt Testing- First Degree, Level Two

The girls recently took their first degree black belt level test which allowed them to advance from level one to level two. This photo was taken during the warm up exercises on testing day... Emily is on the left towards the back. 

Girls sitting with their classmates while Master Eric gives directions to some of the other students.

Lauren doing her form testing... she is on the right. 

Emily doing her form testing... she is on the left. 

Emily doing nunchuck testing. (I could not see Lauren well from my seat!)

Emily doing a high jumping kick for the board breaking portion of the test. 

Lauren breaking her board with a high jumping kick.

Congratulations, girls! We are so proud of you!

First Day of Fifth Grade

Emily and Lauren are fifth graders!

Lauren's teacher is Mrs. Kronsup, and Emily's teacher is Mrs. Lindbeck. 

The girls are fifth grade ambassadors this year which means they help out in the mornings before school, making sure that students are getting to where they need to go and providing assistance to anyone who needs help.

Lincoln City 2018

At the end of August we went on our annual Oregon coast trip to Lincoln City. We stayed in our favorite oceanfront condominium complex.

Even when the weather is cloudy, it's still beautiful!

Eating breakfast at the condo. 

A family portrait with the help of a camera remote. 

Justin teaching Emily to fly a kiteboarding kite. 

Lauren flying a kite. 

The girls love to wade in the water and jump over the waves. 

The evening sunsets are always pretty. 

We hiked the Cascade Head trail... it was steep but worth it for the views!

The girls took a surfing lesson while we were there. 

 We also visited Cape Kiwanda in Pacific Beach.

Walking up this giant sand dune is no joke! The line of three people walking up the hill just to the right of center is Emily, Lauren, and Justin. 

 Made it to the top!

The view was beautiful. 

On our last night, we had an amazing chocolate cheesecake for dessert. The slice was HUGE.

A fun black and white image that I took with Justin's Go Pro camera. We can't wait to go back next summer!

Party, Fort Stevens, and Hero Up 5K

Eating cherries at a friend's birthday party. 

Emily and Lauren love to celebrate their friends' birthdays!

Girls taking a selfie at Fort Stevens.

Justin and Emily. 

Checking out the military equipment. 

Lauren in the driver's seat with Emily as passenger. 

The girls did a 5K race with Grandma and Grandpa Rufener... the race helps fund children's cancer research. They had a great time!