Bike Ride

Last night for our young women's activity we took the girls on a bike ride out on the 'spit' (the jetty) as it's called! It was a lot of fun. We went about eight miles (4 out 4 back). Let me just remind you that I haven't been on a bike since I was a teenager, I don't even own a bike!! I was really excited to go, but oh my goodness I found muscles last night I didn't even know existed! It was quite the workout. The road we went on was a gravely, sandy, bumpy, but pretty good road! The view was pretty awesome, it followed the bay all the way around. There were some foresty parts, and it was really nice. I will say this however: this morning I wasn't as stiff and sore as I thought I would be, although
my rear end hurts SOOO bad! I can't even sit without feeling excruciating pain!

Speaking of riding a bike: Last night as I was out peddling on the jetty Ty was at home riding his little bike without training wheels!! It's true! His daddy took off his training wheels last night and started teaching Ty how to ride a two wheeler bike! Can it be true that my little Ty is ready to ride his bike without training wheels? He was pretty excited about it and when I asked Nate how it went he said 'It was okay, but he will need lots of practice!' I'm so grateful Ty has a willing daddy to teach him how to ride a bike! Thanks Nate!! You go Ty!!

Questions & Answers!

"You know that children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers." (John J. Plomp)

I guess Ty is really growing up because he asks questions ALL day long!! Sometimes his questions are random and I wonder how in the world he thought of them. Other questions he asks I think he's just trying to push my buttons and drive me crazy! With every question Ty asks he has a follow up question of "Why?" Then usually another and sometimes another! Just to give you a few examples I've made a list of recent questions Ty has asked lately:

• Why do big people have showers and little people have baths?
• How does Jesus answer everyones prayers?
• Why do houses get old?
• Why do toilets have holes?
• Why don't clothes grow?
• Why does the sun go around the world?
  
• Why does food melt?
• What are policemen for?
• Why does the sun go down at night?
  

Remember these are only SOME of the many questions Ty has asked! Sometimes his questions really make me think and I try to come up with a good answer. I am often thankful for my college degree, but honestly it hasn't come in too handy with some of his questions! Ty is such a funny kid! He keeps us laughing and thinking! We love our little buddy!

Hide & Seek

Today I had quite the scare--but turned out to be quite funny! As I was getting ready for the day doing my hair and makeup Mara was just playing here and there. I was pretty sure she was in my room, but when Ty came in from being outside and asked where Mara was all of a sudden we couldn't find her anywhere. We called her name, no answer. We looked everywhere for her, upstairs downstairs, no Mara. I started to panic, where could she be? Maybe something happened to her? Maybe she fell asleep somewhere? Outside? No, she doesn't know how to open doors. We looked in all closets and could not find her. I thought for sure she was in my room so I went and looked one more time in only one spot she could possibly be: Under the bed! Sure enough there was little sweetie with a huge smile on her face! She had been as quiet as a mouse I didn't even know she was there! She just started to giggle as soon as we found her and once I realize she was safe and found Ty and I started to laugh as well!

E's New Do

Yesterday I decided it was about time for a haircut. If you know me I hate getting my hair cut! I don't know why, but it makes me nervous and I fret about it! So it's been since February since my last trim and decided it's super long it needs a change! So I asked Nate to watch the kids while 'I went to the store!' and I went to the salon I always go to. When I walked in to my surprise there was a man cutting hair. I have never seen him before, and I'm not trying to be sexist but I've never had a guy cut my hair! Maybe he only cuts guys hair so I might be safe I thought! I sat down and waited for a few minutes and got to thinking 'what if he does cut womens hair and this guy is the one to cut my hair?'!! Then I got really nervous! I really wanted this other girl to do it since she's cut my hair before and I like how she cuts it! So I'm just about to leave I figured I've waited five months what's another week? But it's too late--he calls my name and as I approach him I say "I've never had a guy cut my hair before. Do you know what you are doing?" He was a little surprised (and I think a little resentful) towards that comment but I had to know! He said yes he knows how to cut hair. I showed him a picture of an idea I was going for and told him what I wanted. To my surprise he was very knowledgeable and precise! Although he was a little quirky he did a really good job and most of all I like the finished result!!

The funny part was when I got home and saw Nate did he notice? Of course not! He asked what I got at the store and I said 'oh nothing really'!! And he took it as I didn't want to tell him! So I shook my head a little and turned from side to side but still no comment on my cut hair! As he was at the hardware store I hurried and dried it and did it, and thought for sure when he gets home he'll notice--oh no!! Nothing! Oh well, Nate --you might not be the most observant husband but you are definitely the best husband, daddy, tool man, friend, companion, and hard worker I know!! Love you!

So here are the before and after pictures of the new do!! Now I just have to figure out how to style it so it looks great!

Okay--neither are really good pictures of me! But you get the idea!

Summer Vacation

Lassen Volcanic National Park & The Coast

Summer means one thing: Family vacations and adventures! The past week we spent a few days with some of the Lewis Family at a family reunion at Lassen Volcanic National Park. We had a great time camping and enjoying the outdoors. It was fun to see Grandma Lewis, Colin, Trish, & Garrett, Grandma and Grandpa Card and other extended relatives.
We enjoyed the hot weather in Lassen where summer actually felt hot! Although this trip only had two degrees: hot & cold! The days were hot but the nights were pretty chilly! We went on a couple hikes through the park, our favorite was Kings Creek Falls Hike. It followed a river the entire time, which eventually turned into one big waterfall near the end. Although Ty would have loved this strenuous hike he stayed in the motor home with the grandparents and took a nap! Mara enjoyed the backpack ride and by the end we were all pretty tired!

The hike that Ty did enjoy was a walk around the lake. It was perfect for little buddy to throw rocks in the water, climb trees, and even at the end get a ride on daddy's shoulders!



The highlights to this part of the trip were:

• Seeing family
• Nate liked chopping wood
• Ty had a blast playing with Uncle Colin
• Mara loved kissing Garrett
• going on awesome hikes

The worst part of the trip was I lost or thought I'd lost the camera! I searched everywhere. I finally came to the conclusion it was stolen off the picnic table. I was pretty sick about it, for nearly two days I was without photos. I almost made Nate stop at Wal-Mart to buy a new one! But after many fervent prayers we found the camera wrapped up in Ty's hoodie in this kids' bag. Oh how blessed we are!

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Patrick's Point State Park--Near Trinidad, CA

We stayed three nights and two days in Lassen. After driving through the smoke filled air of Northern California due to forest fires we were ready for clean, blue skies, and sunshine on the California Coast! However it was clean air but cloudy and overcast! Oh well, it was beautiful! We stayed the night just south of the Redwoods at a state park called Patrick's Point. We really had a great time discovering and exploring this area.

We saw some great tide pools, although the rocks were pretty slippery and slimy so our footing wasn't too great. Ty and Mara get such a kick out of finding starfish and sea anemones (or as Ty says "enemy's"). We were able to see and hear sea lions and harbor seals from one area.

Mara climbed every single one of these stairs all the way to the top! This is one of her favorite things: climbing stairs! We call it 'up the hill and down the hill'!!

Just five miles south of Patrick's Point is a little place called Trinidad. We went for the most amazing hike which overlooked the coast and harbor of Trinidad, but the sights were the only thing that appealed to the senses, it was the sounds of the foghorns, and the bells from the buoys, it is indescribable, the sights and sounds of that little hike one we will never forget. I was able to take many pictures from my camera phone so once I can figure out a way to post them on the blog you can see some of the photos. Until then here is a link which has a couple neat views:
http://www.humboldt1.com/~popenoe/scenes/Trinidad.htm

We visited the Humbolt Marine Center in Trinidad and were able to view tanks of fish. They were pretty neat to see but our favorite was the touch tank they had. Not only could we feel and see starfish and sea anemones, but also Sea Cucumbers, sea erchants, and other amazing creatures.

Patrick's Point State Park

Harris Beach State Park---Brookings, OR

Today when we woke up it was cloudy and overcast--again! Ty said the morning prayer and asked Heavenly Father for sunshine. Well the prayers of a four year old were answered and it was the sunniest most beautiful day of trip--it was still cold but at least we had sun! Today was one of the most scenic days of the trip. We explored and became familiar with the Samuel Boardman State Scenic Corridor. Talk about breathtaking views of the Oregon Coast! One of our favorite spots was the Indian Sands Hike. We felt like we were hiking through Southern Utah with red sand hills, but then we looked to the west and there was nothing but ocean! It was incredible! It was really windy up on the top, and one part felt like a wind tunnel, it was hard to walk through the wind was so powerful.

The Samuel Boardman Corridor has view point after view point of rocky coast and natural rock arches and bridges. We stopped at all the spots and took it all in!

Brookings

Jesse Honeyman State Park--Florence, OR

The kids had such a blast camping. They loved sleeping in the tent and playing outside. I had a struggle at first with all the dirt! I tried to keep their hands and faces clean and dirt free at all times but by the end it was almost pointless! I just had to keep reminding myself 'we are camping, camping is dirty and it's okay!'

We only drove three to four hours each day once we were on the coast and most of that time we were going on hikes and seeing new things. We would have a good stretch of driving in the afternoon and the kids (and co-captain) would get great naps during that drive. Ty and Mara were such troopers the entire trip. No melt-downs or problems! They are great little travelers and perfect little happy campers!

We stayed the night near Florence Oregon at Jesse Honeyman State Park. A really beautiful campground near a nice lake. We were hoping to go out on the paddle boats or canoes, but they weren't open when we were there! But we had went for a lovely walk around the lake.

We were only four hours from home and the thought of being back to reality really made us want to delay our return home! We visited Strawberry Hill Stake Park on the way home and saw awesome tide pools. We even saw from a close distance seals basking in the sun on a rock. The pictures don't do justice for the beauty we saw.

We had a lovely little picnic along the bank of the Beaver Creek. We watched dragon flies fly around and fish jump from the river.

Our final hurrah before we made it home was a stop at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. We saw an octopus, jelly fish, and all other kinds of sea creatures. There were many touch tanks full of sea life that the kids loved getting their hands in.

Strawberry Hill S.P.

Visit from Popcorn Papa

Papa's his name...popcorn's his fame!!

Why the name Popcorn Papa? Well he loves popcorn and my kids do too! Every time we visit papa's house he always has popcorn and ever since Ty could eat popcorn he has loved eating it with his papa laying on the floor with a bowl of popcorn on their tummies! It's a tradition, what can I say!
Well last night we had a great (but short) visit from our popcorn papa! He had meetings here in Oregon and since he was in the state he decided to come say hello! Ty was more than excited to see his papa! He could barely talk he was so thrilled! He wanted to show papa everything, all his toys! He was seriously bouncing off the walls! Mara on the other hand, well surprisingly enough she too was excited to see papa, but she has her own ways of showing it! She ran up to papa and actually let him hold her. Then she snuggled up on the couch by him and of course she too wanted to be part of the popcorn tradition so she laid right down by him and had a bowl of popcorn also! It was sure fun to see papa we wish we could have seen him more! But even more so, we wish we lived closer so we could see our family more often!

My two little monkeys!

Ty and Mara are funner than a barrel of monkeys!! They keep us laughing by what they say and do. Ty loves singing songs and with the help of primary he is learning many new songs. Today while we were walking up the aisle of the grocery store I heard a little tune coming from the car-cart "Called to serve him Heavenly King of glory..." Ty sings anytime anywhere. In the video Ty is singing a popular song from Fiddler on the Roof "If I were a Rich Man." (Or as Ty sings it "I'll be a rich man...") I heard him singing while I was doing the dishes and I ran in and got the video camera and as soon as it started taping he didn't want to sing anymore, but he did!

Today we went to the park and Ty did the monkey bars all by himself! I was quite impressed and excited for him! There was another little boy there who said to Ty "You can't do those monkey bars, I'm 7 and I can't even do them!" Well Ty showed him and made it to the other side without any help. The little boy was quite surprised and thought Ty was amazing--well, he is!

Little Mara is so silly! She jiber-jabers all day long. She isn't fluent in the English language yet but she is learning new words and sounds! Our favorite is "a-dada-doe" which we hear all day long. It means 'where did daddy go?' One day I ran into the store and the kids waited in the car with Nate, all of a sudden Mara said, "A-mama-moe" or 'where did mama go?'!! Too cute!

Mara's favorite thing at the park is the swings! Today at the park they had a swing-set with ten different swings on it. Most were really low and she could get on by herself. She went from swing to swing making sure she swung on each one! She just giggles and squeels when I push her. I put her on my lap and we went swinging together. She loved it! I could tell it tickled her tummy how she laughed and giggled! It was really fun.

We love friends!

Saturday night we had a great time at the park. We went to Bay City and had a BBQ with some friends. We got together with the Bastings and another family the Sables, who aren't actually in our ward they live twenty minutes north so they go to the branch. Nate Sable works for the State Forest and actually has the exact same position as my Nate who works for the Federal Gov. Seth Basting also works for the State Forest so all three of them are in forestry and have lots to talk about. Ty had a wonderful time getting together with Kase and the Sable boys. They have three little boys. Tyson is five, Quinton is three, and Eli is one. All four little boys had so much fun playing on the play ground and running around. Poor little Mara was the only girl there, but she loved going on the swing--that's her favorite thing! It's so nice to have friends our age here, something we really missed in Pennsylvania. Life sure is great when you can do fun things with friends!

Fun times at the park

Niagara Falls Hike

Friday Nights are one of our family's favorite nights! We try to do something fun together, whether it's playing at the beach, watching a movie together, or a nice evening walk. Last night we went for a great hike and as we were hiking Nate said, "This is what life is all about huh E?"!! It's true! Doing fun things and being a family (especially out in nature) is one of our favorite things. The hike we went on is part of Nate's forest. It's called the Niagara Falls Trail and it is two miles round trip. It's actually the third most popular hike in the forest, and after hiking it last night we could understand why. When we reached the end of the trail we were pleasantly surprised with two awesome waterfalls. They were really neat. But what we enjoyed even more than the waterfalls at the end was all the berries we found! Oregon has many different kinds of berries our favorite are blackberries. But the kind we found were salmon berries. They are a little tart but taste kind of like raspberries and they are bright orange. The kids loved eating them, and we must picked several handfuls. We were pretty tired after the hike, it was steep in some parts but what a great little adventure for our family.