Monday, September 01, 2008

White River Camping

We wanted to camp more this year but it just didn’t work out. The kids and I did manage one trip with Gma Marie to Mount Hood again along with the cousins and a ton more of the GmaM side of the family. The kids were excited to go and could hardly wait for the vehicles to stop moving before they jumped out and headed into the woods.Sounded like we might not have gotten “our” camping spot if it was not for the rest of the families help again this year. Another small group had set up camp in this one spot but after chatting with our family they decided to move to another area on the mountain.
I think it went something like this.
Other Family: We have three or four more people coming tonight for the weekend.
My Family: Great, we have another thirty to forty people coming tonight for the weekend too.
(An hour or so later)
Other Family: (driving out with all their stuff) You might want to pull a vehicle into the spot to save it. We’re going to find a little quieter spot for the weekend. Have fun.
My Family: Ok, thanks, we’ll do that.
Thanks to our family for parking the truck to save us a great camp sight! Like they do for us every year. And to the “Other Family” I hope you had a quiet weekend and a good time.Gma was the first up every morning and started a fire. Cole found the fire building quite interesting and was the second one out of the tent to join her. (Cole is the last one up at home, every day…and I mean every day) Gma was great, fire going and water on the stove for hot cocoa every morning for anyone who wanted it!

Jo was one of the last ones out of bed each morning. See these cloths? The only thing that was changed during four days of camping was underwear. I believe that goes for all of us really, not just the kids. Oh well. Hey, we did brush our teeth and run a brush through our hair too.

As you may have noticed, we were bundled up most of the time. It was down right cold up there this year. Sunny on Friday and warm enough for the kids to play in the water and swim a bit but then the wind blew in from the mountain top and chilled us all to the bone. I didn’t take many photos, about the only thing I thought of was “what else can I do to warm up?

We did make the trip up to see my Grandparents at the old family campsite; the kids get to ride in the back of the pick up bed for this and they like that a lot. It’s a bumpy ride up and down hills and through some tight spots. They took Crater Lake rocks to leave at their head stones; I think my Grandma & Grandpa would like that.

We also took part in Geocaching with the family. It was our first time treasure hunting and we had a blast. Oh, it was cold and that part was not fun but hunting for a little box in the woods was really fun! We might do this in the future for ourselves. Neat!

Last photo and end of this post because I still need to clean the van, do more wash and clean up the camping gear.This is what the kids looked like sleeping the last night. Blankets, sleeping bags, blanket on top, warm pj’s with heavy socks and snow hats to top off the bedtime gear! Did I say it was cold this year?

Monday, August 25, 2008

Family Visiting

The Ruiz family came to visit for a few days. We did some chillin’ around the house and let the kids play hard in the yard. We also packed in a few busy days of things we enjoy doing and were able to share with them.

Back to the lake!
Connie was great to take the boat out for all of us to play with. She skied and played too but it was mostly for our enjoyment. Another awesome day of being the only boat on the lake and the sun was shining bright!Cole was sick this day so could not make the trip along with Oma but the girls did not hesitate to get into the water.

It was Maggie and Lanna’s first time in a ski boat and we not only pulled them on the tube but they looked like experts on the knee board. Lanna actually knee boarded twice and on the second trip she was going across the wake like she had done it many times.Carol and Dan…Oh, what can I say here…Mom had some new blood out on the water wanting a tube ride! (devilish grin here and laugh) Ok, I even had that look while they told me they wanted a tube ride. And yes, I even laughed out loud as I wipped them to the right, left and over the largest waves I could make. Carol got a little beat up but they both laughed and had a good time.

Wild Life
Oma and Cole met us the next morning to head to Wild Life Safari. We made the trip early enough that most of the animals were out and about which was nice. Even seeing the bears playing in the water. (they are usually sleeping when we drive through)
The kids got up close and personal to a few animals and they all thought this was fun. The way the kids went from one side of the van to the other was funny. If we were a boat we probably would have took on some water.
East Coast Visit Crater Lake
Trish, Andrew, Mandy and Paul came for a visit. We managed a few days together which was awesome! We had a one-day trip with Crater Lake and it could not have been a better day for it! It started out over cast and cool…ok…it was damn cold actually! But then the sun came out and it was very beautiful and comfortable!
We made the hike to the bottom of the lake to touch the water, float some rocks (pumice) and just “be”. A feeling like no other really.

Just to update some of you. Andrew will be 18 in a few weeks and a senior in high school. Mandy is 16 and a junior. Both are turning out beautiful and are wonderful young people. Like they could be anything but.


I will end this post with my panoramic photo of the lake!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Just busy

We have stayed busy busy for the past couple weeks, mostly with a house project that I started and needed to finish. BUT, we also managed to play here and there to keep us all a little happy.

First Ski Trip

Cole and Derian had a ball on the water. Jo ended up having a fever during the day so she didn’t knee board but did play in the water a bit and take a boat ride or two.






I also got my turn on the lake.





Jo LOVES being on the boat or in the water. And heck, it doesn’t hurt much that Michael was taking this photo.












Laughing, we get to do a lot of laughing while at the lake.


The kids wanted to throw the javelin in the yard so we brought in a
national champion for some one on one lessons. Nothing but the best for the kids don’tcha know!







Each time our collegiate stops buy to teach,
the kids get a little bit better.
FAIR
We met up with Gpa Norman, Gma Marie, Derian and Hannah for the fair. The kids were spoiled by the grandparents, nothing but smiles all day and then a little pouting when a “no” was actually heard, though that just didn’t happen much. No ashtrays or shot glasses were brought home on this trip, only blow up hammers and a few stuffed animals and four tired kids. Ok, four tired adults too!

Derian, Jo and Hannah all jumped on the swings for the first time ever! Jo was so excited to actually be tall enough for a “big” ride she could hardly contain herself. All three came off bouncing and talking over one another.

HOME PROJECT…again…
I had a vision of the kid’s room and so we gutted their room and started in. The kids picked the colors and Mom picked the design. With the help of the kids and our friend Sheila we managed to make this vision become reality.

Jo picked Hannah Montana colors and wanted them to sparkle.
They do!Cole wanted Mariner colors. Living and loving baseball.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Longview – Track and More

Made a trip to the Smith side of the BS Family for a weekend of play, work, more play, including swimming and birthday cake!Lanna’s birthday theme was “In the Kitchen!” What fun it was for the kids, decorating aprons, cakes and then a hunt in the yard for kitchen items. Who knew spatulas grew on trees?

The weather was not hot enough to swim the whole weekend but when the sun finally came out and the pool was ready, in they went! Almost a whole day in the pool. What a good life.
Maggie & JoNanny and Gpa bought this neat blow up Habitat Maze for the pool.
Lanna & JoColorful and fun!
While visiting, the twins each lost a tooth, the same day. Jo lost hers while eating blueberry buckle cake in the morning. Her words: “I took a bite and then I bit some thing hard, I pulled out my tooth, it had a blueberry on it. I ate that again”Cole bumped his teeth in the pool and it hurt so he got out of the pool and pulled the tooth to eliminate this issue from happening again.

TRACK
Our second track meet was again fun. A little better planning on our part, Oma brought a chair, we packed a dinner and lots to drink.

Long Jump, Softball Throw for all of them. Jo also did the 60m and then the twins did the 200m as well. Jo has a nice stride to her run, not fast but smooth and consistent. Cole ran hard and fast taking third place at the finish line.


Our Athletes
Derian placed 7th in her long jump, her form and understanding was so much better this week. Impressive! She threw 53’ in the softball throw which earned her a 3rd place ribbon!Cole threw around 53’ and Jo around 30’.
Smiles all around and very tired little people when we got home!
(working on Oma to participate in the adult All Comers Meet on Thursdays so we can see her throw)

THE LAKE!
We made our first splash at the lake again! Full day of water skiing with only one boat from 11am – 4pm on the lake…and that boat would be the boat we were using!

More photos of the knee boarding and water skiing at a later time. We used another camera for those shots.

Just know…We played ALL DAY in the water while you were at work! ;O)

Thursday, July 17, 2008

First Track Meet

The kids participated in their first All Comers Track and Field Meet all learned what it means to actually compete in this sport. We might have found Jo’s activity. Yippy!

They could choose three events in which to participate. This being our first meet we stuck to the same three events but will change it up for the next one.
Long JumpDistance not measured for Cole and Jo.Cousin Derian participated too with a jump of 6’4”.
Softball ThrowCole: 50’
Jo: 30’
Derian: 54’

200 Meter Dash
Our Athletes and their Ribbons.Derian earned a 4th place ribbon for her softball throw!
You Go Girl!
Orange Ribbons are Participation Ribbons, six & under all get these no matter where they place in events. Seven and older earn placement ribbons we think up to fifth place and then the rest earn participation ribbons as well. All kids come home with a ribbon for each event they participated in.