Oregon-the rest of the time

The last day the boys and I went to a park while Chris napped as he would be driving over 12 hours that night.

These pics should probably be in the post before, b/c that's when they happened.

Steph's dogs were big enough to ride, and they for the most part let you ride them. John thought that was great, cept he kept trying to ride Kebap when we got back!

He loves to drive!


He started to learn to hold on correctly to the swing this trip, but still preferred to lean to the front and be superman!

John exploring the park. It was pretty amazing. It had a couple of fountains that kids could play in, a mud area, multiple different play gyms, and some old timey looking structures (a saloon where there were little benches and chairs, a train car where there was places to play in, and an old fashioned water system throughout the park, that you could pump water, and make it run down the gutter) that they converted to play areas

John climbed to the tippety top of one of the structures, up one of two ladders that went to the turret. He unfortunately was too afraid to go down the slide, and I couldn't fit up the hole, so I had to help him back down, and he went up again, and then I had to help him back down. I finally put a stop to that and moved to another play area!!!! :)

Here's an example of one of the old watering systems.


Neil, Ben, & John on the couch right before we took off on our drive!


John passed out as we were nearing Avon. I love how he's holding his feet!!! :)

Oregon-Boating/Tubing

Yep, still catching up on our summer vacation!

The next day Justin came home (he works away from home 4 days out of the week and comes home on the weekends) and took us for an unforgettable ride in their boat on the lake.

Ben was all excited til he had to get his life jacket on!



Our family in the boat. John wasn't feeling good, and actually looks it, but he thoroughly enjoyed the ride.


The one fairly decent picture of Ben where he's not screaming. That's Justin in the back.


Yep, can definitely tell he's not feeling good (we found out the next day that he had pink eye and a double ear infection).


A family picture on their inner tube behind the boat. It was a 3 seater, that we all rode on!

Here we go!!!


Ben wasn't enjoying the tube ride, so he and I got out and Daddy and John got to go on a ride together.

John had a blast!

I wish the surroundings were this pretty at our lakes in Texas!! It was amazing to be on this beautiful blue (albeit cold) water surrounded by hills and pine trees. Absolutely glorious!

Trying to wave!


A random content moment!

Yep, this is pretty much how he was the entire boat ride. The pics before were just capturing his few good moments!
Daddy riding the waves


John scared for daddy! I think the paci helped calm me down, rather than my kiddos!!! :) It's been in my mouth the last 4 pics

Steph and I getting ready for our turn
Making the first wave

We managed to hold on!!

Daddy has the touch!


After we docked, John climbed in the back of the boat and "played."

Our family pic at the lake

Oh, and that night, Steph made the most delicious meal, YUMM bowls. They definitely fit their name. Pretty much a concoction of whatever you want to put in (rice, chicken, cilantro, onions, etc.) and topped with YUMM sauce. Delicious!

Funnies

So, today John came and woke me up from my nap. Tess was sleeping with me, so he began petting her, and when she jumped off the bed, he followed her, where he saw the dirt on the floor from the plant she had knocked over earlier (as she was trying to eat the leaves). "Mommy, dirt!" he exclaimed, and then he saw a big chunk of dirt, and said, "Mommy, Antpile!" I chuckled, and said, I don't think it's an antpile, but he was insistent. He then proceeded to grab the broom and dustpan and attempt to sweep it up!

In Ben news: So when we nicknamed Ben, monkey, it was b/c he clung to us, and wanted to be held like a baby monkey. Well today he earned it officially. He had left the living room and was quiet for a little bit. I go to find him in our guest room, navigating the cd player on the floor and using it as a stepping stool to get up on the guest bed. He was so proud of himself. And later he did the same thing, and ended up sliding off the bed, and getting stuck in the pile of boxes at the foot of the bed! Crazy kiddo. (Oh, and bananas are his absolutely favorite food, wants them with every meal-so that plays into his monkey status!)

Sorry no pics this time, forgot to capture the moment!

Oregon- the coast

So we arrived in Oregon after a very long drive (5 hours in which neither boy decided to sleep, or at least sleep longer than an hour). Thankfully our rental minivan had a DVD player, and so we stuck Ratatouille in. I was more into than the boys I think! I was slightly bummed when we arrived at Steph's house 10 minutes b4 the movie was over (Good thing I saw the last 10 minutes at my sis's house like a year ago!), but that all changed when I got to see her, and hug her sweet little boy! Neil is a little over a month older than Ben. That night we even got to see her mom and bro, who moved up there shortly after she did!
This was the first thing Chris noticed when he got out of the car. The recycling bin is the bigger of the two trash cans. He thought that was silly and had to take a pic of it!

My 3 boys excited to be out of the car!

Pretty much after dinner we gave the boys their baths, and put them down, and then we weren't too far behind them.
Neil joined the boys in the big boy bath! Apparently it was his first time in the actual bathtub! Got to be there for one of his firsts!


Steph and Justin own an RV and they brought it to their house and parked it outside, so we got our own little area to stay in. It was so much fun. Ben enjoyed playing in the overhang above the driver/front seats where we stashed our clothes!



The next day we were there, after the boys took their naps, we headed off to the Oregon coast! Chris thinking it was like any other coast, didn't exactly dress for the occasion. It actually dropped almost 20 degrees from Eugene to the coast, and it was drizzling when we got there. But we still had fun! Especially John!




John LOVED the sand!!!

Following his daddy's footsteps.
Ben "hanging out" literally!
He went into the water for about two seconds, and then ran out when the water started chasing him to the shoreline!

I think that phone needs to be surgically implanted in his ear, with how much he's on it. Even on vacation at the beach he can't get away from it! (notice how frozen he looks-and is) I think without the wind it was 50 degrees on the beach. Makes ya wanna sunbathe, huh?

John climbing the rocks.
Yep, still on the phone
Family picture



Playing with my boys

I love this picture!

Chasing seagulls

Steph and I with our babies. Not sure why my hand is behind my back.

John is so trusting of his daddy. He will jump from any height into his arms. Why can't I trust Jesus this way? Why do we lose this uninhibited trust as we get older?

Chris enjoying the view


The view on our drive. I love how green and treey it is.

More beauty!