Beautiful Oregon coast

The Gray Blanket Is Back

Fall is here and the trees are beautiful! The gray clouds are starting to form and seem to stay longer and longer as each week goes by. Maybe I'll be indoors enough now to actual update the blog every once in awhile! Summers here are just too wonderful to be inside blogging. We went on some amazing hikes, an awesome camping roadtrip, and just had an all around amazing summer. Dan climbed Mt. Adams. I climbed Mt. St. Helens. Halen and Liam went on their first backpacking trip. Halen is a crazy good hiker, trekking up to four miles with no problem! He's only 3! Next year, he'll be leaving us in the dust.

The boys on their first backpacking trip!

Me at the summit of Mt. St. HelensTubing with Halen in ArkansasRedwood Forest!My favorite spot of the summer, Lassen Volcanic National Park!Crater Lake!Cathedral Tree in Astoria, ORPlaying in the Sandy River

14 great iPhotos

The other night we went for a walk after dinner. As we were walking
by this little creek that runs through the neighborhood, we spotted a
couple of beavers! We watched them swim around awhile. Halen was
real excited, well, we all were. The next day we went to our weekly
"story and a stroll" at the state park that's just 15 minutes from
our house. The ranger reads a story in the nature center and then we
head out for a short hike to explore. Amazingly, that day's story
was all about tails and the featured animal was Beavers. Halen got
to tell everyone that he saw two beavers the night before and was
real excited. After the story, they made these beaver tails that
make a smacking noise, like the noise the beavers make on the water
to warn other beavers of danger.
Yesterday, we went out for a great hike along the Salmon River. The
weather and the scenery were both amazing. We LOVE Oregon!

Buzz

There's a state park only 10 minutes from our house! Every Friday,
they host 'story and a stroll.' The ranger reads a book to the kids
and then they go on a hike and learn about what was in the book.
This week it was about bees. After the story, the kids made antenna
bandanas and pollen pockets, and then headed to the meadow to collect
pollen. They both had a blast.

Sleepers

They always fall asleep in here. All warm and cuddled up together.

kids

Liam has real big feet.

Dry Creek Falls

This one is called Dry Creek Falls, even though the creek apparently
never goes dry. It was a great little hike. I'm so glad hiking
season is back, long long NW days and lots of sunshine!

Liam Likes It Hot

Apparently, the granola we give Liam in the morning isn't spicy
enough. He wants red pepper flakes in there, and lots of them!