Adventures in Oregon

***WARNING*** 

**LOTS OF PICTURES!!**

We decided to take a family vacation to visit Aunt Alisa and Uncle Jared in Oregon!  We met in Bend first.  We had fun at The High Desert Museum - which wasn't a museum at all.  We saw a show about flying predators, a small town with people dressed in period clothing, and more demonstrations about desert animals.

Why are they cleaning without complaining here?!?!

This is what Skye and Ethan looked like the whole trip - super, duper adorable together.  Skyler reminds me daily that Ethan is his cousin and he wants to go to his house today.  Too bad it's so far!!

We visited Smith Rock - a state park.  It was a beautiful area, but the playground was the highlight for the kids.

On our last day in the Bend area, we finally figured out why people rave about Bend.  It just took us a couple days to find it for ourselves.  We ended up at a little lake - perfectly serene in the mountains with a trail going around it.  The kids found a ba-jillion little frogs and spent a lot of time catching them.  Skyler just wouldn't let them go!

In route to our cousins' house, we stopped at Crater Lake.  It was beautiful.  But sadly, it was dusk, so we didn't get the true-blue effect of this amazing place.  Guess we'll just have to go back.

We then went to Alisa/Jared's home, only to hang out for a day then go venturing out towards the coast!  

The Oregon coast is just a few hours away...  and we were there on the most perfect day ever.  We could have stayed there longer - but we wanted to see the Redwood Forest too.

(that's a seaweed jump-rope)

En-route to the Oregon coast, we passed through this marvel of nature...  once again, we could have been there for hours, but nightfall was soon upon us!

I'd like to plant one of these in my front yard!

Now about our actual visit to Alisa's home - it's the dream spot - acres of property, lots of trees, and just a great place to live.  Highlights included a big bike ride (with a goat chasing us), the yummiest pie in the world (Marionberry Pie) with ice cream, showing Alisa how to use her homegrown veggies to make Ratatouille, and simply passing time hanging out and being together.  The kids set up a table to sell bracelets and acorns and pine-cones.  Did I mention that there was no shortage of pine-cones or acorns in this lush and beautiful area?  And it was a lonely road where people rush by at very fast speeds?  Lucky them, they still managed to earn a few dollars from generous neighbors and a couple passerby's.

We went to the favorite local spot to have a real soda known as a "phosphate".   They had all sorts of fun names for the different drinks such as Toxic Waste and Blue Fungus plus they served them in tall soda glasses with a straw - the kids loved it.

 We also had to try rafting down the famous Rogue River.  We got a raft for each family and it proved to be fun for all - except little Eli... he HATED it.  Honestly, he really hated it.  And that made the trip especially long for the mommy holding a crying infant while slowly floating down the river.  

It was such a fantastic trip, we loved, loved, LOVED it!  The best part was having time with the cousins.  Everyone got along so well - parents and kids!  I don't know how we got so much adventure in during such a quick trip.  A huge shout out to Alisa and Jared for doing the planning - everything was awesome.  We just showed up and that made the vacation even more relaxing.  LOVE YOU all so much, and I don't blame Skyler for constantly begging to go to Ethan's house!  We just might be in your driveway in the morning.

And they're off!!

Back to School 2014

Yes, I cried when the kids all lined up to go in for the first time.  I get so emotional!!  And look at how Danny is shorter than almost everyone - even though he is probably the oldest kid there!! 

Wrapping up our summer...

To wrap up the summer, we sent Hunter off to a camp for a FULL WEEK!!!  This is a school camp - run by teachers for only 5th graders.  It was tough to get him in (it filled up within 30 minutes of opening registration), but we managed.  And he was so grateful!  He went with one of his best friends, Liam.  He still walks around the house singing songs he learned at the camp.  When someone asks him about it, he usually tells them that he would have paid for it himself if he had known how great it was, but luckily mom paid that bill.  (and he has thanked me many times)  We sure missed him, and there was a little piece of Mommy that is in denial about this guy growing up so fast.

While Hunter was out of town, we went to meet with a REAL scientist at BYU.  He married one of my roommates and I've been itching to take my boys to see a real science lab and learn about what he does.  He was so gracious and kind, and PATIENT!  Dr. P let Cole get decked out with gloves and a lab coat to measure and mix a little "potion" (that's Cole's scientific word).  We saw all sorts of cool lab equipment and learned how he uses them.  I hope I can take Hunter sometime - I should have done this when he was home.  But, it was definitely a special treat for our budding scientist, Cole.

What they say and do

I've been wanting to post a few little things that Skye and Cole have said or done - I'm sure I'll forget if I don't write them down!

Skyler:
"I y'am!"  (when I ask him a question)
"thank youuuuuuuuu"   (it's sooo sweet, and very drawn out)
"I do it!" (especially when climbing into the car and his carseat, he'll get down and do it again by himself if I lift him in)

Our conversation in the car last week:
"Mommy, I not big. I little.  I no s'tache."  (mustache)
me: I don't have a mustache, how do you know I'm big?
"You taaaaall.  I no s'tache, I not big."
(PS how many men around Skyler have a mustache?  None!  That had me laughing!)

Cole:
The big boys were babysitting one morning.  When I returned, there was a hole in Skyler's shirt - a burnt hole.  My conversation with Cole -

me: Why is there a hole in Skyler's shirt?
Cole: probably from fireworks.
me: What?  Fireworks?  You aren't allowed to play with fire or fireworks when I'm not here!
Cole: We didn't play with fire!
me: Well, yes you did - it takes fire to light fireworks.
Cole:  No, we didn't play with fire.  I know I'm not suppose to do that.  We used a magnifying glass!

Little sweet spots from my summer

There were lots of bike rides - and I found a new favorite spot down the road from me to watch the sunrise.  

I made REAL Fried Green Tomatoes with Michelle - yummers!

More bike rides - with Shayne.  This was one to Dog Lake.  Love hanging out with my favorite person.

Bike rides with my girlfriends too - Jenny, Sarah, Susan - only wish I could have done more.

I hosted a "clarinet ensemble party" - filled up my house with my students practicing in small ensembles.  Then we performed for each other.  That was mama-bear pride just filling me up -  I loved having the house full of clarinet music!

I harvested a new crop - cucumbers.  And now I have MANY jars of pickles to enjoy.

And here is an amazing sunset from the East bench.  Love where I live.

Cowabunga, he's 6!!!

After the family vacation, we celebrated Danny's 6th birthday at home with a few of his friends.  He was able to take them to Cowabunga Bay - a waterpark relatively close to us.  It was AWESOME!  His friend Ryan told me "it was the best day of his life."  We're lucky Danny has so many great friends and that he had such a great day with them.  And just for the record - the whole going to a waterpark for his b-day was definitely due to the fact that his dad is the deal man.  He scored a bunch of passes by donating canned goods at a food drive.  Yeah, it was a Shayne-deal!

All about Danny:

When he grows up: I want to be a normal dad (direct quote!)

Favorite part about being 6: I can do bigger stuff

Favorite vacation: Yellowstone

Favorite foods: Candy.  Or the candy chicken pot pie (my April Fool's joke)

I asked him a lot of favorites and the general answer was - I DON'T KNOW!

Danny is constantly in motion - an bottle of energy!  He loves to play with friends, ride his bike, and play at the park.  

He's a very sweet and loving boy!  Keep the fun times coming!