October is such a fun month for our family! Our adventures this week included a chocolate fountain at our church growth group, a birthday meal with family, Graham’s 7th birthday, a trip to the Oregon Zoo, hosting book club, and pumpkin carving! The whole month feels like one adventure after the next. It’s been a bit of a pace – keeping up with all the good times. I love all the activities of October, but I also look forward to the hibernation vibes of November. We’ve had an unseasonably warm and sunny October. It’s been perfect for adventuring! Now the rain moves in this week and I’m honestly ready for it. Give me a reason to hunker down at home. I’m all for it!!!
Chocolate fountain at church! Then the kids got to bounce off their energy in the bounce houses.
Celebrating a belated birthday for Papa and an early birthday for Graham!
Graham started his birthday with a candle and a song!
Birthday candle and song – take two!
Mountain goats at the Oregon Zoo
Still not too old for the zoo train
I loved sharing cookies, cider, and books on Friday night. It was my turn to host book club and I went for all the fall vibes!
Owen’s Bowser pumpkin! This year we carved our homegrown pumpkins. Owen and I helped clean out the pumpkins, but Jeremy was the MVP who did all the carving magic!
Graham’s Goomba! Graham supervised most of the pumpkin carving, but wasn’t into getting his hands dirty.
We had our first co-op field trip this last week. We visited the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery in Salkum, WA. It was super educational. I was surprised by how hands-on and informational it was. I’m not sure what I expected, but it surpassed my apparently low-bar expectations. We started the experience by watching the salmon get sorted at the top of the fish ladder. All the kids who wanted to participate got to help sort the salmon. Owen loved the experience and declared he could see himself sorting salmon when he grows up. Graham did not want to sort the salmon. That’s okay, too.
After sorting the salmon, we learned about the complete lifecycle of a salmon. From there, we went to feed the fry, which I learned are small salmon. The kids got to grab a handful of fish food and toss it into the tank. All the fry made the water splash as they gobbled up their meal. We all reacted to the feeding frenzy. I didn’t watch the last part of the presentation too closely. There is a viewing window in the visitor center where you can watch the employees harvest the eggs of the spawning salmon. This process was explained very well and the kids were fascinated. I just didn’t need the visual!
We played around with the visitor center displays for a while after the tour ended. Soon, it was lunchtime and part of our group made our way down to the river shore to eat sack lunches on logs. The kids wrapped up our field trip by throwing all sorts of rocks and sticks into the river. Nothing quite like being kid – throwing rocks into the river on a sunny day. Life is full of simple pleasures.
Field trips are one of my favorite parts of homeschooling. I love adventuring with my boys. We all learned so much at the salmon hatchery. It was an unforgettable experience. The rest of our week has been quieter. The boys combined their birthday money to buy the biggest LEGO set they’ve ever had. 1,216 pieces. It took them about 24 hours to complete it (with sleep in the middle, obviously). They are so proud of themselves! We had friends over for tacos last night. I attended a baby shower today. Tomorrow we’ll do a chocolate fountain and inflatbles with our church growth group. We are thankful for friends, community, field trips, and October sunshine!
Owen the Salmon Sorter!
Graham would only touch the plastic salmon…
A scenic lunch spot
So excited for the biggest LEGO set they’ve ever built!
We just got back from a wonderful vacation to Sunriver, OR this last week. We visited the Sunriver Resort four years ago and absolutely loved our time there. Since Graham was two at the time, he had no memories of that trip. We decide it was time to visit again and make new memories.
When we arrived at Sunriver Resort, we discovered the condo we rented was right next door to the one we stayed in last time. It felt very familiar and welcoming. On our first day there, we hit the Cove (aka the pool) and took a twilight bike ride. Uncle Eric gifted the boys lights for their bike tires and we put them to good use that evening!
The next day, we took off for Crater Lake. Graham had never been there and Owen couldn’t remember his visit at 20 months old. It’s no secret, we love national parks. The week before our trip, the boys worked on Crater Lake Junior Ranger books so they could get their badges in the park. The weather was perfect! The sky was blue and the water was even bluer!
When we got back to the resort, Jeremy and I rented bikes so we could take family rides on the paved trails that weave all around the resort. Honestly, I was very nervous about riding bikes on this trip. It had been over 20 years since I’d ridden a bike and I wasn’t sure it really comes back to you. Fortunately, it did! We didn’t start small to break me in. Instead, we went for a five mile ride around the river loop. It was a beautiful ride and I’m so thankful that I was able to do it (especially without injury). We wrapped up our day at the pool. We stayed till dark and got to view the sun fade while hopping between the indoor and outdoor pools.
Lava Butte was our first destination the following day. We walked the path around the cinder cone and then took a walk through the lava fields below. It seems our vacation was really a geology field trip. After a volcanic morning, we went into Bend for lunch and shopping. Our afternoon included another family bike ride. This time to the resort playground. We returned our bikes after that ride and went for ice cream and souvenir shopping in The Village at Sunriver. We went to the Cove for our final swim, only to discovered that it was closed. Such a bummer, but we changed plans quickly. We went back to play at the park and then we grabbed a sweet treat to eat by the fire pits behind the Sunriver Lodge.
We were so sad to pack up and leave our Wildflower condo on Thursday, but we left with so many good memories! We loved our volcano adventures, our biking, our swimming, our relaxing at the condo. The whole trip was wonderful! I would have never guessed many years ago that outdoorsy vacations would be my thing, but my boys have certainly changed me in the best ways. Our final stop on the way home was Smith Rock State Park. We made this a quick stop to take in the view and look for rock climbers.
Which leads me to today! It’s Owen’s 9th birthday! Halfway to adulthood! Yikes! After such a full week, Owen requested a chill birthday. He wanted pizza, cake, and video games. He, especially, wanted to participate in his island birthday party on Animal Crossing. Usually, we try to do big, special family adventures on birthdays, but I agree with Owen on this one. It was nice to have a laid back day at home.
Birthday month has treated us well so far! From family celebrations, to roller-skating, to vacation, to chilling at home! It’s been good. So good! We are only one week into the month! Still lots more fun to be had!
Settling into our condo! Owen fell in love with that pillow and kept it by his side when we were at the condo.
Settling in
Exploring the Cove
Twilight bike ride
Crater Lake
Family bike ride
The river loop was so pretty!
We called this slide the polar plunge! It was freezing!
My favorite place! The outdoor spa!
Walking around the Lave Butte cinder cone
The view on top of Lava Butte
We loved our time at 64 Wildflower!
Enjoying our final night
Looking for rock climbers at Smith Rock State Park
Such a beautiful view!
Happy 9th Birthday, Owen!
Owen’s birthday requests – Animal Crossing, pizza, and chocolate cake!
Birthday month is here! Our boys will turn 7 and 9 in October. We kicked off birthday month with a day full of family celebrations. We had brunch with my family and dinner with Jeremy’s family yesterday. I’m so thankful for our families. They loved on our boys and made them feel special! I also love having a combined birthday party at the beginning of the month. It’s an exciting way to start birthday month. On our boys’ actual birthdays, they will get to choose an activity for us to do as a family. More celebrating is still to come!
This weekend was BIG, so we had a fairly chill week to prepare. We visited my friend, Christa, on Monday. She offered to let me borrow her bike this month, but sadly it didn’t fit in my van. She passed along her scooter instead which started a new scooter obsession with the boys. We love visiting Christa and walking her neighbor together. She has a cool neighborhood lake and a great view of the mainline of the train tracks.
On Tuesday, Owen started something new! He is now taking piano lessons from Nana. He has had one lesson and has been diligent to practice every day. As a homeschool mom, I struggle to teach music as a part of our curriculum (since I’m not musical). I’m so glad Owen is getting this opportunity (thank you, Nana). The boys have also started kid’s choir at church on Sundays. We’ve been listening to our practice CD non-stop in preparation for the December performance. I love the musical opportunities we have this fall!
Before running birthday errands, we visited the corn maze on Friday. We got there right when it opened and we had the whole maze to ourselves! The kids had a blast and didn’t want to leave. I love getting outside and adventuring as a family. I don’t follow the corn maze map every well, but Jeremy has an excellent sense of direction. I just happily follow along, getting my steps in and enjoying the outing.
We spent part of today recovering from the big birthday extravaganza yesterday. After kids choir, the boys came from home from church to play with their new gifts. I used the time to do some chores around the house. After a restful afternoon, we took off for a church skate party. This was the boys’ first time on roller skates. I opted to watch from the side. I was a little worried about injuring myself! We had a great turn out from the church and I was super proud of the boys from trying something new.
October has been a blast so far! We are looking forward to all the family fun this fall has to offer. Birthday month is always special and feels like one big month long celebration!
Starting something new! Owen is learning to play the piano.
Rutledge Corn Maze
Rutledge Corn Maze
Rutledge Corn Maze
A Super Mario Birthday for these boys!
Doughnuts for brunch!
Cake and cinnamon rolls after dinner
I’m a big fan of theme parties! Love adding all the Mario details to their party.
We are swiftly sailing through September. The month has disappeared in what feels like a blink. I’m not used to the pace we’ve been keeping. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that the last week of September is upon us. The good news is October is my favorite month and it’s full of fun. While I’m baffled that September is almost over, I’m very happy to welcome October soon! Autumn adventures are the best and now I can fully revel in all that is fall!
My last post found us in the thick of hunting season for Jeremy (and the boys) and a conference for me. Prepping for a conference with Jeremy out in the woods wasn’t always ideal. Thankfully, Jeremy had the boys with him a few times so I could practice for my workshop without kid chaos in the background. The boys love tagging along during hunting season. While I had girl time during the conference, they had boy time in the woods. Win-win.
The day after the conference, Jeremy and I dropped the boys off with Nana & Papa so we could attend a staff retreat with the church team. The turnaround of conference prep, attending the conference, packing for a trip (for the kids and myself), and curating school (so Nana could substitute teach) meant I came into the retreat worn out. Fortunately, there was plenty of time for this introvert to recharge in the schedule. It was a good mix of conversation and connection while still finding time to be quiet with a book and journal. My highlights were our conversations about the Enneagram (which I adore), our rides on the golf carts to and from meals, and taking morning walks with the sun shining on the Columbia River.
We got home on Wednesday and I had Thursday set aside as a recovery day. We still did school, but the rest of the day was very chill. Jeremy took the boys out for the final evening hunt of elk season. I was able to recharge enough on Thursday so we could adventure out on Friday. We met some friends at the Ape Caves yesterday for some spelunking. We hiked our way through the more challenging cave and did another hike at Lava Canyon. I didn’t feel it yesterday, but I can tell today I climbed over boulders yesterday. It was a very fun outing and I got a chuckle that on a beautifully sunny day, we went underground for our recreation.
September sure has kept us busy. It’s been good, but I’m tired! I’ve been able to rest more today. A quiet home day is doing wonders for my soul. It’s the small things like working through the laundry, making mac & cheese, and sitting down with a book that fills me up. God has been so good to sustain me through this non-stop month. I’m certainly ready for things to slow down a bit!
Hunting buddies! I love the memories they are making out in the woods.
Sunset golf cart ride to dinner!
Not a bad view for my morning walk!
Afternoon free time means introvert recharge time. Nothing like reading a book surrounded by pillows on a comfy bed.
Ready to explore the Ape Caves
Going down…
Exploring inside the cave
Caves might not ever be my happy place, but they are cool!
Today’s blog will be more pictures than words. I just got home from a women’s conference at our church. It was a Friday night and most of the day Saturday event. I led a workshop this morning based on the book Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley. I don’t get many opportunities for public speaking so studying and practicing my notes was a big portion of my week. Now that it’s done and the adrenaline rush is over, I can feel the crash coming. Thus, a post of mostly pictures! A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Right!
Constantly being left in the dust now that these two are always on their new bikes!
My parents were on a trip this week so the boys and I checked on their dog and watered the plants while Auntie (the house-sitter) was at work. The kids loved their daily doggie duty. As you can see, TC just patiently put up with us.
Chess with co-op has started! In PE, Graham got 2nd place in the mile run. The boys love co-op and can’t wait to go back next week!
We took home Junior Ranger books from Fort Clatsop in August. We completed them and the park ranger mailed our boys their badges. We love the Junior Ranger program!
MILESTONE! Graham lost his first tooth this week. I was starting to get nervous since he is almost 7. This experience was even more memorable because he accidentally swallowed it while eating his cereal. Oops! The tooth fairy was very understanding, though.
‘Tis the season to dress like a tree! Jeremy has been out elk hunting all week. The boys got to join him Thursday evening and today!
No need to visit the pumpkin patch. Jeremy grew our pumpkins this year! They are so beautiful!
I didn’t take any pictures at the conference, but here are my cookies that I decorated in the afternoon workshop. YUM! Love the fall colors!
I always think September is going to be a month of getting back into routine after the hubbub of summer… But in reality, September isn’t that month. Each week is different and it makes finding our normal tricky. I looked at the calendar yesterday and realized that our first normal week in September is the last one! It’s always like this though… the things that make September zany are annual events. I should see this coming, but alas, I’m surprised every year! So October… November… those are my fall into routine months! The bonus of being in our third of homeschooling is that we fell back into our school routine fairly easily. Muscle memory kicked in and we’ve picked up where we left off. It’s taken way less energy to get back into the swing of school than in years past. I am grateful for that. And as much as I wish September would be more chill, I am thankful for the many adventures of September!
Let’s recap our excitement for the last week. Over Labor Day weekend the boys had a sleepover with their cousins. They’ve been asking for this sleepover since May and we finally made it happen. Jeremy and I got a hotel room nearby. It was Graham’s first sleepover (other than with grandparents) and we wanted to be close by in case he needed us (which he didn’t). Jeremy and I were able to enjoy dinner and breakfast without the kids. It was a win-win for the kids and the parents.
We kicked off our homeschool co-op with rocket launches this week. Jeremy helped facilitate the launching and families came with their rockets ready to fly. This was the third year we’ve used our silver rocket and it’s now basically held together by packing tape. It’s lived a long life and seen many a launch. The kids always love this activity and it was a fun way to kick off our co-op year.
Bikes have played a big part in our week. Graham mastered riding without training wheels! We also upgraded the kids to bigger bikes since they have outgrown theirs. The new bikes are actually birthday presents for our October birthday boys. We gave them their present late last year (Disneyland in November), so why not give them their present a month early this year? The main reason we opted for early gifting is we’re taking a trip this fall and we wanted the kids to be comfortable on their bigger bikes before we travel. They are definitely ready to hit the trails!
The final highlight of our week was a field trip to the Tillamook Creamery and a stop by Hug Point (beach). We love to have family adventures on Fridays! Our fall field trips are some of my favorites. We can enjoy the last bit of summer and the good weather that seems to stay through October. Winter field trips are limited to inside, so it’s nice to get outside while we can. We watched them package three different types of cheese at the creamery. It’s always exciting to see what is being processed. On Friday, it was Monterey jack, sharp cheddar, and pepper jack. We went through the sample line (possibly twice) and had ice cream for lunch. Our time at Hug Point was spent cooling off in the ocean and exploring the rocks and caves. We even found a small waterfall! It was an excellent field trip!
Wow! We packed a lot into one week! More adventures still to come!
Riding off into the sunset without training wheels!
Hot Tub Club – We let the kids swim at our hotel before the sleepover.
Jeremy took this last week off from work and we had a family staycation. Instead of chilling at home, we were out and about a good part of our staycation. With June’s weather being so wet and July being quieter than expected, we’ve crammed all of our summer into August. Specifically, the last two weeks of August. While we’ve been home in time for evening swim lessons, we’ve been out exploring during the day. Sort of burning the candle at both ends. We unintentionally decided to end summer by going BIG with our activities. Here’s a look that what we’ve been up to:
Hiking at Mt. Rainier National Park – Jeremy has declared Mt. Rainier a summer tradition. Now that our boys are older, the tradition includes what feels like scaling the mountain (at least to my incline-adverse legs). This year, we went hiking on the Sunrise side of the mountain. We took the trail from Sunrise up past Frozen Lake and halfway to the Mt. Fremont Fire Lookout. Our goal was to find mountain goats and we ended up spotting dozens (one very close). We also got a close-up look at a fox who had just eaten a ground squirrel and was settling in for a nap. Chipmunks, squirrels, and a lone marmot round out our animal sightings. On our way home, we stopped at the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center. We took the mile long nature trail past the hot springs. It was interesting to find hot springs on the mountain. Spoiler alert, they were pretty small (so don’t think Yellowstone).
The Oregon Coast – It’s not summer without a trip to the beach! COVID cancelled our original beach trip in July, so we were so ready for a day at the ocean! We started the day off at Pig’N’Pancake in Astoria for breakfast. Then it was off to Cannon Beach to play near Haystack Rock. Lunch was at Mo’s and we made a stop at the candy store and the bakery before leaving town. For our afternoon activities, we did a quick visit to Fort Clatsop and Fort Stevens. The kids picked up Junior Ranger booklets that we hope to work on this weekend and redeem for badges. Dinner was Fultano’s Pizza in Clatskanie. We like to eat and play at the beach in equal parts!
Tolmie State Park – One of my goals this summer was to hike some local trails. Tolmie State Park was on this list. Located on the Puget Sound, we arrived at low tide and were able to explore the wet sand and puddles. We spotted plenty of little crabs which delighted Owen. Graham would have happily hiked there longer, but this was a shorter outing for us. It was nice to mix in a smaller outing among the bigger ones. It was fun to explore a new place and the kids have already requested we visit again – maybe at high tide next time.
The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium – Our library gave the kids free tickets to the zoo as a part of the summer reading program. The zoo was on our summer bucket list and the free tickets were a nice bonus. The weather was perfect for the zoo – overcast and cool. We saw almost all the animals and enjoyed the lunchtime animal show. To make this outing even sweeter, we met up with my forever friend, Maggie, and her kids. Graham’s favorite animals were the red wolves and Owen liked the sea otters. I loved seeing the penguins and Jeremy kept trying to get the lemurs to “talk” (which was quite loud and aggressive sounding).
Owen Beach – After the zoo, we went over to Owen Beach in Point Defiance Park. Our Owen obviously loves the name of this beach and he claims it as his own. This rocky beach on the Puget Sound is perfect for throwing stones or balancing on driftwood. There are plenty of boats to watch and a new “natural” play space that was recently added while the park was closed for updates.
Millersylvania State Park –On our way home from Tacoma, we stopped at Millersylvania State Park for a quick hike and swim. We’ve been keeping swim clothes and towels in the van “just in case” and this seemed like the perfect time to make it happen. This state park was also on the summer bucket list, so we were able to check off one more activity.
The boys wrapped up this epic week with a sleepover in Owen’s room last night! We tried to squeeze every last bit of summery goodness out of this month. We’ve planned an intentionally quieter (quiet-ish?) weekend so we can be ready for school to start on Monday. It’s crazy to believe that we are in the final weekend of summer. It’s going to be a bit of a shock next week. Our schedule feels like it’s taking a complete 180 degree turn. I’m not sure I’m ready for it… but here we go. From one adventure to the next.
Mt. Rainier National Park
Mt. Rainier National Park
Visiting the mountain goats at Mt. Rainier
Cannon Beach, OR
Cannon Beach, OR
Stepping back in time with Lewis & Clark at Fort Clatsop
Watching the waves on the jetty at Fort Stevens
Tolmie State Park
Tolmie State Park
Tolmie State Park
That’s a wrap on swim lesson! We saw so much improvement in the 4 weeks we spent at the pool. Both boys passed a level this summer and we are so proud of their hard work.
Our family is reunited after Jeremy was away for a full week at kid’s camp. Owen joined Jeremy at camp for the latter half of the week. This was our longest stint with Jeremy away from home and Owen’s first time at overnight camp. It was a different week, but we made it through. Graham missed his brother a lot. It was strange to parent only one child for a few days. Jeremy co-directed seven days of camp like a champ. Owen had a blast at camp and can’t wait to go back!
Jeremy took a couple days off this week to make up for missing his normal days off at camp. I love doing outings during the work week because places tend to be quieter. We visited the McLane Creek Nature Trail on Monday. This nature trail had all my favorite things – it was a shaded walk through the forest, there were lots of boardwalks and bridges, and no incline. Hiking heaven for me! The boys really enjoyed the trail and they are excited to go back again. We also stopped by Lattin’s Cider Mill and Farm to see their animals and snag some treats from their bakery.
Tuesday, we took a drive up to Mt. St. Helens to visit the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The observatory recently reopened after being close for some time and it had been a while since we’ve visited Mt. St. Helens. The power of the eruption always amazes me and I’m awestruck at restoration of the landscape. We had a picnic lunch at Coldwater Lake and we let the boys dipped their toes in the lake.
It was fun to check a few outings off our summer bucket list. Jeremy has some time off next week and our staycation will hopefully include more local adventures before we buckle down and start school. We opted for another around of swim lessons so our evenings at spent at the pool. We got a few end of summer play dates in this week as well. We’re making our last days of summer count!
Graham and I survived the absence of Jeremy and Owen by eating a lot of carbs!
A sleepover and movie night in Mom’s room to end camp week.
Unloading off the bus! Happy to be reunited!
A tired camper with his welcome home cake!
Exploring McLane Creek Nature Trail
So glad to have Jeremy home! Life is better by his side!
Summer camp has been a part of our family life since I married Jeremy. He is a part of the directors’ team for our Assemblies of God network. He makes kids camp happen for hundreds of kids every summer. Before having kids, I tagged along and went to camp with Jeremy. Now I stay home and keep the kids alive while he is away. After a two year break (thanks COVID), summer is camp is back! Not only that, Owen is now old enough to be a camper! WHAT?!?! How did this happen? I’m also super nostalgic because camp this year is at the same campground I went to as a kid. I love that Owen is making childhood memories in a place that I also have childhood memories!
We were in summer camp prep mode this weekend. We went shopping down in Portland, OR to pick up more shorts and t-shirts for Jeremy. His camp commitment is a full seven days, so he needed to stock up on essentials. We stopped by Crumbl Cookie and visited a spray park. Jeremy left on Sunday to direct the first week of camp (Sun-Wed) and the boys and I held down the fort at home. Then Owen took off with our church for the second week of camp (Wed-Sat). Being home with two kids is one thing, but being home with one kid is completely different. Graham misses his brother a lot, but we’re making it. Graham wrapped up swimming lessons today and we got McDonald’s as a special treat. Graham is doing all the menu planning this week. He loves deciding what our next meal will be. No surprise, last night was mac and cheese. Tonight is biscuits. Tomorrow, we plan to get pizza. We are living our best carb lives here.
This whole week has felt a bit strange. We, obviously, miss Jeremy a ton while he is away at camp! Now that I have two elementary-aged kids, being on my own with them is less intense than the baby/toddler/preschool years. The dynamic of having one kid being gone is new and certainly an adjustment. Keeping Graham distracted is actually a good distraction for me. I miss Owen, but I’m not too worried about him now that he is actually away. I was more anxious leading up to his departure. Jeremy has kept me updated, so I at least know Owen is eating and having a good time.
We have two more days until we’re all back together again! Almost to the finish line of this long week. I’m hoping the rest of summer camp goes well for Jeremy and Owen… and that Graham+Mom camp continues to go well, too!
Spray park in Wilsonville, OR
Crumbl two weekends in a row! I’m living the dream!
New flashlights from Grandpa & Grandma.
I went a little OCD and labeled everything in Owen’s suitcase. Everything is ziplocked to keep things clean, dry, and easy to find. And yes, that’s a lot of crackers, but he is so picky. I wanted something I knew he would eat at camp.
Ready to go! Once he puts shoes on….
Cousins ready for camp!
We wrapped up our summer school books this week! Now we have two weeks off before starting school at the end of August. I planned our first quarter yesterday afternoon. Feels good to have it all written down in the official planner!
Amy Scott's Thoughts 