Aloha! Well, I think I’ve scratched off at least half of that list that I came home from our trip with! I’m feeling much more settled now, and actually super happy to be home.
(One benefit of living in Hawaii: Ending a vacation is kind of like entering into another vacation. 
)
Besides being busy with all of the settling in here at home, I am kind of bursting on the inside with all sorts of things related to this blog. I’ll be back in the next couple of days with a few updates. (You may notice that we are trying out the new “Excerpt style” blog roll…I’d love to hear if you like it, or prefer it how it was before with a whole post showing)…Anyways, more of that and some other things soon.
Before I can move on though, it’s time to share our Oregon fall vacation photos! I’ll try not to over-photo-dump, but it’s gonna be hard to hold back…We took a LOT of photos, like usual.
Here ya go:
First–Amtrak! If you’ve never taken your kids on a train trip, by all means, do it! It’s such a peaceful and fun way to travel, (I mean, if there is such thing as a peaceful way to travel with four kids, this would be it.) It’s also pretty cheap! We had a fun 3 1/2 hour train ride from Tacoma, Wa. to Portland, Or. It was longer than expected because we had a thirty minute delay due to forest fires which came right up to the track. Kind of a bummer, but….well, you might say Levi was in fire-truck heaven with all the action going on outside our windows! We had perfect lounge-car window seats.
Next we rented a car, and drove out to McMinnville. Fall was bursting with beauty, and I liked to think it was all for me…:)
Dave’s parents’ home is absolutely lovely. The view of the countryside is spectacular. There is so much space to roam, and the boys even made their way into the pool a few times! (Brrrrrrr.)
We feasted on what was left of the summer fruits in Grandpa Lyn’s garden…Grapes to DIE FOR!
Raspberries (I might have cried just a little when I tasted these.)
And apples. Oh my, there is nothing so good as an apple fresh of the tree.
Just ask Levi.
Although Levi would rather talk about his RIDE ON GRANDPA’S BIG, GREEN TRACTOR…Which may have been the coolest thing he’s ever done.
These two got along just fine…
Levi loved the horses.
And the horses loved…the apples.
One fun part of our trips to Oregon is the amazing skate parks we get to visit all over the state. This trip I think the guys hit four different parks. The Newberg skate park is my boys’ very favorite, and during school days…they owned it. It’s huge, and it was ALL THEIRS!
Back on the home front, there were serious games of chess and ping-pong, and some intense games of croquet with Grandpa…They said Grandpa kept winning. Someone said that there was some cheating going on, but I’m not so sure about that. (I can’t imagine Grandpa cheating…:))
And of course Levi was Instagramming and texting all week, like usual.
“What Mom? She’s JUST my friend.” hehe.
The highlight of our visit, of course, was the special time with friends and family. I got to connect with some of my dearest friends in the world, and that was such a treat.
Here’s Dave and his brother Jonathan, the wizard behind much of this blog. (**Let’s all say THANK YOU JON!)
Do you think they look alike?
The other highlight–amazing family meals. Dave’s mom is a servant-hearted hostess, and kept us all well fed and happy.
Get this: My kids were served real meals, at a beautifully set-table, three times a day. I’m not kidding! (Coming home might have been just a tad of a shock to their little systems…hehe)
I’ll cut myself off there. Because I’ve got to stop somewhere, and because I am still on Oregon time and I tend to fall asleep wherever I am by 9:30 PM…
It’s a big week ahead, so be sure to stop in and to see what’s going on. Happy Fall Days, wherever you are!
with Aloha,
GM
{ 0 comments… add one now }