Our Summer in a Whirlwind

A whirlwind...that's the kind of summer we've had.  It's been amazing, fast, and nonstop. The things I have pictures of are kind of random.  I've decided to not be tied to a camera most of this summer.  So the pictures I do have are either from someone else, my phone, or the random occasion I brought the camera.  Here goes...

Salt Lake

School got out and we headed out to SLC the next week.  We played with all our cousins, even the ones from Maine and Logan were around.  We had a birthday celebration to celebrate Summer birthdays with a magician.

 

Went on a favorite hike and some trail runs.

Did some swimming and lots of playing.  Mike ran Ragnar.

We went up to the Tetons and Jackson Hole for a few days while we were there.

Mike headed home after a couple weeks and the kids and I stayed for another 10 days.  We hit all sorts of museums and more swimming and my kids were sad to go.

 We would miss being with all our family.  But it helped a ton that some were coming to visit just a week after our return.  My mom was kind enough to join us for the crazy drive back.  Let's just say it involved stomach distress for the youngest child and a carseat I threw away. Thanks for the help mom!

Cousins!

Mike's sister and her family joined us about a week after we got back from SLC.  Their kids match up so well with ours and they played so well together.  We had epic games of kick the can each night, hit Crater Lake and National Waterfalls,

and also Ashland and some games of tag,  and the Rock Museum.

 I don't know when the last time I played kick the can was, but I'm sure it couldn't have been as fun as this.  My kids asked multiple times if their cousins could move here.  It was so much fun to have them all here, we only wish they could have stayed longer.

Friends!

Our good friends in our old neighborhood came up too.  Their kids match up within months of each or ours.  We were thrilled when they called and planned a visit.  They arrived a few days after the cousins left.  We did the Crater Lake and Falls again (Clara grew a little tired of the Lake).

 The Oregon Caves had been elusive for us until they came and wanted to see them.  Mike was working so we made the trip without him.  Unfortunately kids under 42" couldn't go in.  I stayed out with the four youngest and they took the four big girls in.  Everyone really enjoyed it, but it was chilly.  The ranger told a great story all the way through that kept the kids very entertained.

We did make it to the coast and Redwoods with them.  Only downside was we didn't get a great day.  It was WINDY and a bit chilly.  But their girls made the best of it and were even in the water.  Brrrrrrr.  The two little boys fell asleep on the beach and didn't move for hours.  My kids played and played in the sand.

Cascade Lakes Relay

Mike ran Ragnar while we were in SLC and had such a great time that he signed up for a relay with his local running friends.  The race was the weekend after our friends left.  The relay ran from Diamond Lake to Bend (some crazy amount of miles like 200+).  He had a great time with everyone and the kids and I decided to join him at the end of the race in Bend, because well, we hadn't been there yet.

We spent two night and were able to meet up with Mike at the end of his race and float the river in tubes, which was very fun and relaxing for the most part.  We did a little shopping and I was able to go to the high desert museum with the kids (we like museums).

We did a little hike in the Lava Butte area and headed home.

So much to do there, we will be back to Bend with more time on our hands.

Shakespeare play

The little town of Ashland, a mere 20 min away, hosts the Oregon Shakespearian Festival 10 month of the year.  While we have been here a year, we had not been to a play yet.  So we decided that it would be a great thing to do to celebrate our anniversary. We made it a couple days before our next friends came out.  It was really fun.  We saw Midsummer Night's Dream.  I would strongly recommend it.

The Thomas's

More great friends from our old neighborhood came out the weekend after we went to Bend.  They got to stay a week and we had a leisurely stay-cation with them.  We went to the Crater Rock Museum, the Family Fun Center, the Zoo Safari and visited Ashland for ice-cream and stream playing.  Mike had the last couple days of their stay off and we headed to the coast and the Redwoods.  I felt so bad that we didn't get one sunny day with the Robbins at the beach like the two we got with the Thomas's.  We did a great hike in the Redwoods and then headed to the beach, saw whales and sea lions, collected rocks and built sand castles. Then hit a night in a hotel and did the beach again.  We saw more whales, checked out the tide pools, played in the waves, flew kites, tossed the frisbee and got sunburned.

 It was great.  They had to head back with school starting in a couple days in Salt Lake.

We, on the other hand, have two more weeks of excitement planned.  We are recouping from a couple of nasty bugs we got the last day our friends were here and then we get meet Mike up the coast as he finishes a marketing trip.  We've never been to Bandon.  And we get to stay in the Redwoods for a few nights with a huge group of friends, and then it's time for school to start.  I think we will be ready for it.

Phew.  What a great summer.  We are feeling a little lonely after all the visitors have left.  We will take more.  We have a small guest room with a full bed and couple extra trundle beds in the kids' rooms.  Can't promise good weather, but there is a lot to see if you don't mind driving a bit.