Oregon Visit (Week 2)

Sadly, Bailey came home from the coast with Strep throat. We caught it really early and got her on antibiotics really quickly and she got better almost over night. 

Friday we went for a jeep ride together and explored all over Grandpa's ranch. We even packed a picnic lunch and found the perfect spot by the creek to eat. It was a beautiful day and the bumpy jeep ride has us all laughing. 

Rosie, Grandpa's dog, tagged along as well. The kids are all obsessed with Rosie. They love her so much. She's a pretty good dog. She's super protective of Don and its pretty funny to watch. 

We enjoyed a nice lunch at the creek and explored a bit before we drove back. 

 

Tanner also got to learn to drive on the "Side-by-side" and he thought he was pretty big stuff. 
Chris took him for lots of drives around the property so he could practice. 

Then Friday night we had a family BBQ over at Uncle Matt's. Uncle Matt is Grandpa's brother and he lives over by the river. He has a beautiful spot right on the river and it was the perfect spot for a BBQ.

 

 

Benson fell asleep on the way to Uncle Matt's and we let him nap in the car for a bit. 

Once all the cousins got to the river, the kids played hide and seek together. They had so much fun running all around together. One of the best parts about Oregon in the summer, (besides the amazing weather) is that there aren't any poisonous snakes or ticks. It makes running around outside so much more fun. 

Even though the water was freezing the kids had fun playing. The pedal boat was a big hit. 
The kids took turns pedaling the boat together. 

Paul and Tanner actually pedaled the boat all the way from Matt's shop down to our spot on the river. 

Chris took Tucker and Paige out for a ride and eventually Benson joined them too. 

We BBQ burgers and made lots of yummy sides. It was so fun. We got to chat with Chris' cousins and Uncle Matt and Aunt Susie. 

 

On Saturday we met the cousins at a little swimming hole in Brownsville and let the kids play. 

It was actually pretty hot on Saturday so the water was a welcomed relief. 

 

Uncle Phillip even brought pizza which made everyone happier. 

 I love this shot of Chris and the kids floating together. 

We had so much fun. But we had to hurry back to the farm for family pictures. These were a bit of a disaster since Benson was in a mood. But we got it done. 

I did manage to get a cute one of my kids all together. And I took some of each of my kids individually. 

 

But the group shot of the whole family was a different story. 

Because Benson was being so awful we didn't get one with Mimi and Grandpa and all the grandkids. It was a rough session. 

Grandpa also wanted one of all the kids on the jeep together so we took a cute one and a silly one. 

After pictures we ate home made ice cream and cobbler and let the kids play. 
Sunday was spent hanging out around the farm.  The kids really love life on the farm and it cracks me up how much they have taken to farm life. Grandma bought them boots and they wear them non stop. She even got Benson a cowboy hat and whenever he helps with farm chores he makes sure to wear it. 

 

These cute kids love life in Oregon. 
They are the cutest little farmhands. 

And because blackberries grow wild all over the farm and ranch, we are eating our fill of them. Look at this big bowl the kids picked. Benson was pretty proud of it. 

Uncle Brad and his family left to drive home to Utah so we said our goodbyes to them. Later, we had church with Mimi and Grandpa and eventually Uncle Phillip and his family came over to play and eat dinner. 

After dinner we decided to go for a ride in the side-by-side and Uncle Phillip drove his family in the Jeep. We rode all around together and had so much fun.

I love these pictures. The blue skies, mountains, open fields. It's so beautiful at Mimi and Grandpa's. 

 

Monday morning the kids and I played in the sprinkler. Grandpa's lawn in carefully watered and the sprinklers are on a timer. So we had fun running for sprinkler to sprinkler playing. 

Tanner felt like he was too old for this, but the rest of the kids had a blast. 

 

 

On Monday night we drove over to silver creek falls to hike and see the waterfalls. It was gorgeous. 

 

The kids had a great time hiking and climbing around together. 

Chris and I were both pretty shocked at how well they did on the hike. We had to carry Benson on thy way back up but it was pretty steep. It gives us hope that we can start doing more stuff. Bigger kid stuff. So exciting!

On Tuesday we went over to Aunt Stephanie's house. She had rented an inflatable water slide for Conner's birthday and she invited us over to play. The kids played non-stop and had the best time. 

 

This boy played for a bit but then decided it was too cold and wanted to sit in the sun for a while. He also wanted to show off his strong muscles. 

I love this "muscle" face. It absolutely cracks me up. 

Eventually it got hot enough outside that I went down the slide too. I took Benson down a couple of time and I took Tucker and Benson once. We had fun racing each other. 

 

 

 

 

 After playing all morning and afternoon, we went back to Mimi and Grandpa's and prepped for a camp out. The kids had been dying to sleep under the stars and so we worked to make it happen. We ended up camping at the same spot by the creek where we had our picnic. Dad and Grandpa even built us a fire pit.  Mimi, Grandpa, Uncle Phillip and his family joined us and we had a wonderful time. 

The kids roasted hot dogs and we made s'mores.

Tanner carved us some roasting sticks too. 

 

And of course, the best part of camping for kids is the soda. 

I also brought pop rocks for all the kids to enjoy. Those were a big hit. 

Tucker, Benson and Bailey slept in the tent, while Tanner, Conner and Chase slept under stars. Chris and I slept in the back of the truck. Of course, I was so nervous about bobcats dragging the kids off in the night that I hardly slept. It was  a bit ridiculous. Rosie slept next to us the whole night and watched over us. But I still felt anxious. I think I slept for 4 hours the whole night. 
Stephanie and Phillip went back home to sleep and Mimi and Grandpa left as well. So Chris and I kept the 6 kids out all night. The kids did  great. Once they stopped talking, they slept all night long. 
Benson was too grumpy the next morning for a picture. But the rest of the kids cooperated for me. 

When we drove back to Mimi and Grandpa's house, we unloaded the truck and got cleaned up. Then we repacked and left for Mimi and Grandpa's cabin in Summer Lake. The kids were so excited to visit the cabin. It had been 8 years since we have been there. It was a long drive there. It took us about 5 hours. 
When we arrived we got unpacked and got the house cleaned and ready for us. Since Mimi and Grandpa don't live at the cabin full time, it needs to be cleaned and aired out between visits. 

That night we ate chicken salad and let the kids swim in the hot tub. Then it was off to bed. 

And that wraps up week 2 of our time in Oregon.