Black Butte

Another photo montage. 

We just returned from Black Butte from a fun filled family vacation!

The week flew by but it was so much fun:)

Here are the highlights

We dine in style. Jack LOVED getting to eat lunch sitting in Bailey's bed in the back seat. 

Here he is attempting to master the straw from his first juice box. 

 Jack and Papa being cute before our family photo session!

The best Jack and I could do. I think our next family photo session I should just plan on going to an open field and have someone snap pictures as we run around in circles. 

(Please see below for our attempt at a family photo.)

Smokey smokey sky. But if you look closely you can see that purty mountain!

So blessed to have a home in such a beautiful location for the week. 

Good for the soul to wake up and see this view.

 Climbing Black Butte! 

An attractive job, but someone's got to do it!

 Jack sporting his "take a hike" shirt Grammy got him. 

(But he cheated and grabbed a ride up and down the butte on daddy's back.)

Jack made a chipmunk friend!

Family photo at the top!

He's not even walking himself up the hill, yet at the top he manages to get FILTHY. 

ALL BOY. 

But the cutest boy there is.

The boys feeding the fish at the fish hatchery.

All the girls having fun at the pool:)

By the end of the week, Jack was really getting into this vacation thing.

 Enjoying a ride across the boardwalk to the meadow.

 There! The mountain came out from the smoke to say hi at the end of the week finally!

One last family selfie before heading home. 

And here we have 5% of our efforts for a family photo. 

Please tell me your family experiences this too?

And yes, we did have 1-2 pictures that were a success.

No, I'm not spoiling that here.

Yes, you'll have to wait until Christmas!

Until then, please enjoy our failures on the road to family picture success!

We go to the sea to.... pLaY!

Jack and I were able to get away to the beach recently!

Saturday was Mommy's day of rest and relaxation!

Have you ever SEEN such a gorgeous day at the beach! It was much needed time with girlfriends!

Thanks to Steve for being super Daddy and watching Jack so I could recharge!

The next day, we all met up at Camp 18, did a kid swap and Jack and I stayed to play and Steve went home to be a bachelor for a night :)

Didn't take long for Jack to start in having fun!

Starting to get a little more committed to being dirty. 

I decided to just let him go for it! He's having fun, so let him explore to his hearts content!

 SOAKED from head to toe. 

but look how happy he is and how much fun he's having!

(note to self. next time bring 3 outfits a day for this boy at the beach)

 The next morning we went to explore the tide pools and saw SO MANY beautiful starfish!

Then we played on the beach some more

Then it was time to head home!

Thanks Auntie Suellen and Kathy and GG Faye for letting us come and play!

We always have so much fun :)

Daily Life

Some happy highlights of our past month. 

Things not pictured... Jack throwing food on the floor at almost every meal. 

Numerous scrapes, bumps, bruises from learning about life. 

Tantrums!

Grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning house, cleaning up after Jack, changing diapers, nap time are also not pictured but take up a significant amount of time. 

Tantrums. 

(Maybe the next blog should be a reflection on the art of perfecting toddler tantrums. Hmm) 

Anyhow, though I do share the happy here, we are normal. But the normal is just so, normal. 

So please enjoy our not normal.

End of June hike up to Angels Rest

 I DISLIKE it GREATLY when they stand this close to the edge. 

(This is where I won't confess to tears shed on many a trail where they stand (WAY TOO CLOSE) on the edge to enjoy the view from whence we came.... meanwhile, my imagination views them tumbling down the rocks... but we won't go there.)

*insert deep calming breath*

 Anyhow, here we are on more solid ground, smiling happily (mostly) as a family

 CAMPING TRIP TO CAPE LOOKOUT

 Eating lunch out of the back of the car

 I adore our new tent! It is so tall and fabulous

 Sunset walk on the beach

 S'mores and learning about fire safety!

 Boys and their beverages

 We took a hike along the Cape Lookout trail that is supposed to have a spectacular view point. Well the clouds we thought were burning off, came back. So this was the best view we got lol

It was a very pretty but very muddy trail as well.

Happy 4th of July!

 (oh did I just insert another lapse in parental safety skills?)

He likes to climb. A lot.

 Here he is trying to climb UP the slide. 

He had so much fun at PumpItUp!

 I love his little face when he's in observation mode.

 In exploration mode

COUSIN DAY AT THE ZOO!

 Looking at giraffes and flamingos!

Our wild animals!

Once again, thanks for stopping by!