Winter Break

Here are a few pictures from our most recent trip out to Flathead Lake.  

We enjoyed a lovely, restful vacation with family.

We saw lots of geese.

Everyone got a post-turkey nap.

Making silly smiles for Grand Dad.

It's always nice to see the beautiful Gorge as we head home.

Jeep Nostalgia

Our Jeep Wrangler has facilitated many adventures.  We have loved it!  Whether we were exploring the back roads of Baja, trekking to Grand Canyon mountain bike rides, hauling tubes to float the Klickitat, returning to a trail head after a long ski trip, or camping on remote BLM land, the Jeep was a reliable workhorse for all that we asked.
After having a baby, we made the tough decision to own something a little more family friendly and safe.  We sold our sweet Jeep this summer...here's a look back on of some of our favorite Jeep moments.

Thanks for all the wonderful memories!

Post Canyon

Over the summer Jonah discovered the joy of riding bikes.  He became obsessed and anytime we were outside he was on his green bike.  Gone are the days of training wheels...balance bikes are the new "thing" these days because of their ability to translate the tricky part of riding bikes (balance) into something kids can master before adding pedals to the mix.  

Jonah gets momentum with gravity and pushing with his feet.  And now that flat pavement has been mastered, we have introduced Jonah to the "ladders" and "bumps" at Post Canyon.

Cruising!

Stopping for a sip of water from Daddy.

We found a cool purple mushroom popping up from under one of the elevated ladders.  

This is the only photo that I took that was actually in focus.

Wheee!

Jonah says, "This one is skinny."  And is very careful.

Jonah has a really good attitude and even when he falls, 

he wants to get right back on and ride some more.

It's pretty special to see him out riding trails just like his Daddy.

Afghanistan

The photos from my last post in August, were taken the day Jesse left for Afghanistan.  It was a work trip and we had very little advance notice, so it really rocked our summer plans.  He was abroad for three weeks.  Since his return, we were able to squeak in a trip to Flathead Lake before summer ended, attend a memorial for his Nana in San Diego, spend some time with friends in Bend, and tackle a few projects around the house.  

My thoughts and energy have been focused elsewhere the last three months.  It has been too long; I'm committing to getting back into the swing of blogging.  I've missed sharing with you--there will be more photos and updates to follow.

Playing Tourist

There are a few attractions in the Columbia River Gorge that locals generally avoid in the peak of summer.  They are as follows:

a) Vista House

b) Multnomah Falls

c) Dog Mountain on the weekends

d) Downtown Hood River

These places are all totally fantastic, but because of their accessibility and obvious awesomeness, they are a bit crowded for folks who like rural living.  We usually enjoy these sights when we have company visiting or during the off season when you can enjoy the scenery at a calm and quiet pace.

Vista House (or Crown Point) is one of the mile markers of my childhood.

Day or night, I would look for its crown of lights and know how much further we had to drive before reaching home.  It is a beautiful building perched on top of a remarkable rock outcrop with vistas of the entire Gorge.

Peekaboo View.

Today's adventure started because, after running some errands in Portland, I asked Jonah what he would like to do.  And, like a child of the mountains, he replied, "See waterfalls? Hiking?" He asks to see waterfalls or go hiking regularly, and I find it the most charming request.  I could not be more pleased.

So we decided to play tourist and drive along historic hwy 30...

stopping to see waterfalls and go hiking.

Multnomah falls was very exciting!

 Thanks for the suggestion, Jonah.  I had a lot of fun with you.

xoxo

Plenty

Once a year, we rise early and drive to Dee, Oregon to pick our annual stash of blueberries.

I do grow some at home, but my two young bushes only give us a few handfuls and we like to get about 10 lbs to eat fresh and another 20 lbs for the freezer.

This was our first time bringing Jonah to the blueberry fields.

He loved it and kept saying "Ahhhg, BIG one."

He also discovered the wild strawberries growing underneath the canopy of berries.

Summer is a time of plenty.  It seems like there's never a spare moment to be had.  Our family does our best to eat fresh and local all year, which means that, come summer, we are picking fruits and vegetables to preserve and freeze.  So far, we have checked blueberries and cherries off the list....and next up are the peaches and blackberries.

This is my latest favorite picture of Jonah.  I call it Blueberry Eyes.

It's hard not to smile with so much goodness at your fingertips.

Happy Summer!