Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer

Cody, Maddie and Emma hanging out at the sound booth

Ryder cruising around

Christian and Maddie

Ryder with his cheddar bunnies

"Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer
You'll wish that summer could always be here"
~Nat King Cole

August came and went without so much as a wink. It's hard to believe that September is fast approaching. Two more camps have come and gone and we look forward to the final stretch of the camping season and new friends we will meet.

Night is coming faster and the kids are back in their normal sleeping routine. Matt and I have been able to get some much desired reading in and even some time together hiking up Inspiration Point and swimming off the outer dock. It's fun to dream again of climbs we want to do together and passions we want to fulfill that were previously shelved during the sleepless nights of diapers and night feedings.

Maddie continues to be the "belle of the ball" everywhere she goes and at the same time likes to hike up the steepest rock face in her Cinderella light-up princess heels. She constantly reminds us of an old Garth Brooks song called "Fire and Ice." She's a whole lot of spirit, spunk, and sweetness.

Ryder likes to crawl everywhere. He hasn't quite had the desire to walk early like his sister. Taking his time is alright by Dad and Mom who continue to ooh and ahhh over his charming personality and even tempered disposition. However he will put up a fight with his sister favoring the football to the pink tutus she tries to dress him up in!

Matt continues to work hard both at Malibu and on dreams back at home. It's fun to see so much life come back into a man who thrives on working hard, being a man of his word, and completes every task with finesse and humility. These words by Dwight Eisenhower describe Matt well: "The qualities of a great man are "vision, integrity, courage, understanding, the power of articulation, and profundity of character."

I've been challenged these past few days in my own desire to see dreams achieved both here and upon our return to the States. Time passes so differently here and the ebb and flow of life back home is going to come as a culture shock to our simplistic view of living. Not only that, raising children has completely changed my view of what is important in life and what really constitutes a priority. If training is the opposite of hoping then I want to be actively pursuing dreams, implementing the changes I want to see, and resting in the trust that comes from knowing and believing that God is good and loves me.

Sending prayers for Indian Summer,
Julie

Always Sunny at Malibu!

Harbor Regatta

Ryder and Julie

"Cool Girl!"

Fancy Dinner

This post is appropriately titled "Always Sunny at Malibu" not because the sun always shines here, but because the joy in serving others and the pristine beauty that surrounds us constantly brings a comforting warmth and smile to our hearts.

The last two weeks have been quite a whirlwind for our family. The summer camper season has officially wrapped up and we have said our "goodbye's" to treasured interns who are off to their respective schools.

Due to a break in the schedule we had a short window to take a quick trip down to Gig Harbor to visit with family and friends and squeeze some shopping in. We visited our favorite pizzeria Fondi's and enjoyed ice cream at Ben & Jerry's.

Because our quick jaunt was during the Northwests heat wave, albeit short-lived, we fired up the grill for some BBQ and spent some time learning how to paddle board and hang around outside with friends. Julie had the opportunity to meet beautiful Audrey Windham, Ben and Annamarie's newest blessing while Maddie played with all her little buddies. We made it to the spray park for a couple of outings and played catch-up on life tales. Our next trip home will be in late September, just in time for Maddie to start her second year at Skyline Presbyterian Preschool and before the weather turns up here in BC.

Although the season continues with specialty groups like the Military, Washington Leadership, Women's Camp, and other private groups we have found time to dive into a new climbing book. Together we take turns reading aloud and dream of Himalayan quests upon our return. Ok...maybe more reasonable ascents like Rainier, Baker, and Adams! If you haven't done so already, check out No Shortcuts to the Top, by Ed Viestures. It's a great companion book to Jon Krakauers Into Thin Air.

We hope you enjoy a few of our more recent photos. Our internet connection has been down for almost 3 weeks due to a thick smoke haze created by neighboring forest fires and cloud coverage from rain so our previous posts didn't go through. Keep checking in as we have our final adventures here at Malibu Club!

And last but not least, a special Congratulations to Tyler, Julie, and Kiley Pigott on the arrival of baby Emmy Faith on August 22nd. A beautiful new addition to an extraordinary family!

Best,
The Cyr's

These are good times!

It's another first!

Bedtime stories

Living room dance party! Flash Mob style.

Wow! What a fun few days we have been having around here. Maddie has taken a fond liking to playing board games, skipping rocks with dad by the beach, and dancing with mom in the living room. Ryder is cruising around and starting to get into mischief. To his advantage he appears completely innocent when we catch him in the cat food or unraveling the toilet paper. He turns one in a couple of days and we will officially be entering a new phase of life! Check back in for birthday phots - in Malibu fashion, of course!

Enjoy,
The Cyr's

Home Sweet Home

Ryder's ready for the Annual Green Jacket Tournament!

"My house is me and I am it. My house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams," Mr. Plumbean said.

~The Big Orange Splot, by Daniel Manus Pinkwater

I'm learning a lot about what the phrase "there's no place like home" means to me. It's easy to believe that home is the place where we grew up. Whether it's a specific town, house, or familiar room inside that house. But it's more than that. It's about the atmosphere and feel of the places that we currently reside in. For our family we currently live in an old wooden home that has musty carpets, a rolling dishwasher, and frisbee golfers patrolling our back windows for lost discs. If we want to go somewhere we walk, take a boat, or on the rare occasion a sea plane. We love it. I wouldn't change our experience here at Malibu for anything. My kids are richer for having made new friends from all over the world. I have personally grown to love the freedom of taking walks along the beach with my daughter to look for treasure and run up and down the boardwalks saying hello to new friends we meet.

It doesn't mean that at times I don't want to click my heels three times and be back in Gig Harbor at Matt's parents house leaving peanut shells on the tree for squirrels or giving the horses licorice sticks. Or be sitting around the table at my grandparents house eating berry cobbler and the World's Best potato salad with my family. Not to mention sharing in the company of the friends we love and miss back in Tacoma.

So, it now appears to me that the responsibility to create a loving, warm, hospitable environment that others want to share in is up to Matt and I. The freedom we feel to call Treehouse our home for a short season in life is a wonderful feeling. Our quaint home that offers us the best of the Canadian wilderness at our fingertips, rest and comfort from a busy world, is a place where our children can take their first steps and partake in some incredible adventures. What a true gift.

Julie