Sunriver

Sunriver is a place that we went many times growing up, and it holds a lot of memories for my family.  So it was really fun to venture back there with Eddy and Ryan, my parents, and my brother and his family from Seattle.  It was a great middle ground meeting point for us all...translate to a 7-8 hour drive for us all.  What more does a family need for vacation besides bike paths, swimming pools, golf courses, hiking trails, and a backyard for nature walks and deer spotting?  Well, maybe some sunshine.  We were all expecting warm temperatures in the "high desert", but the first few days were a bit disappointing.  As the rain came down, we were trying to keep busy anyway.  However, we made the most of it, kept our spirits high, and by day 3 the sun came out in full force, and we made the most of the pool and sunshine.  A wonderful end to a wonderful week. And once again, a great time for the cousins to get to know eachother.  This time Ry had even mastered their names....Connor became "Ner", and Elena became "Na".  Ah well, we'll keep working on it.  

We went bike riding pretty much every day...Eddy and I switched off riding with Ryan on the back of our bikes.

We spent time hanging out at the house...

the boys found this bathroom cabinet rather cozy

Blongo Balls in the backyard

Elena and Connor had a blast riding their bikes on the driveway and around the court.  Poor Ry had to just sit back and watch.  Next time buddy, you'll be riding with the rest of 'em!

this trip Ry was much more okay with sharing his bathtub with the cousins

There was silliness at the table...

There was plenty of time spent at Fort Rock Park playground...

Elena showing Ryan the ropes

We spent one morning at the Nature Center...

On our final rainy morning we decided to hike into the lava cave...

heading into the cave

watch out for low ceilings!

After the cave hike, the sun came out so we had lunch in downtown Bend and spent a few minutes running at the park.

On one of our bike rides, we stopped for some snacks along the Deschutes River and a few family photos. 

The pool at Sunriver is pretty amazing, with slides and a big kiddie pool and all.  This was the only photo I took however, as Ryan loves the water and pretty much has no fear, so it was either save the child or save the camera.  I opted to save the child and put down the camera.   

My parents offered to stay at the house one afternoon while Eddy and I, and Derek and Kim went hiking at Smith Rock State Park.  It was a gorgeous afternoon, a gorgeous spot to explore, with the rattlesnakes and all.

Derek is waving from the top, Eddy is hiking down below.  And not sure if you can tell, but there are some crazy rock climbers dangling on the left side of that tall rock spire. 

 We had a wonderful trip and can't wait to spend time together again!

Camping

On our drive up to Oregon last week, we stopped mid-way to spend the night camping in McCloud, CA with my parents.  It was a good way to break up the 8 hour drive, and a great way to test the waters to see how Ryan would like it (and if he would sleep okay in the tent!).  Turns out, he loved it!  And he slept great, not a peep out of him until just before 6 am.  It was light outside by that time, and he woke up just enough to realize that mom and dad were sleeping right next to him, and that was all he needed to be excited about the day!  Early morning for us, but fun nonetheless.

 There were 2 water falls within walking distance from our campsite, so we spent the afternoon walking and exploring the falls.  Gorgeous.

"ohmygosh!  There are so many sticks and rocks around here!"

reading a book before "nap time" -- no actual napping took place as it was far too light outside, but it was a nice intro to the tent for Ryan

exploring the bear box

helping Dzia Dzia set up the grill to cook our burgers for dinner

A tutorial in the Camping Stove -- my parents gave this to us as a wedding gift, and I'm embarrassed to say this was our maiden voyage with using it.  So my dad gave Eddy a little lesson in how to use it, since they've had theirs since their wedding almost 40 years ago!

 The next day, my dad had the great idea of stopping at a nearby lavender farm.  It was off the beaten path, but well worth the views of the valley and nearby Mt Shasta.  And a good way to stretch our legs a bit before continuing on our drive up to Oregon. 

"make sure you get that one Dzia Dzia"

 Ry was quite the helper, carrying the baskets.  He would have been cutting every stem he saw too if we would've given him the scissors. 

 A little further up the road, we had a picnic lunch at this cool logging museum, perfect for a little boy.  Tons of old logging equipment and trains, tractors, etc that has basically been sitting around.  Someone put it all in one spot, and they called it a museum.  And we called it Ryan's dream. 

"I know this has to move somehow..."

 And then it was back in the car for another 2 hours to our final destination....Sunriver! 

twenty months

Choo choo!

playing IN the toy box.  He climbed in on his own, I just sat and watched in amazement.

I'm sure I've said this many times before, but I feel like Ryan is all toddler these days. 

• His vocabulary continues to multiply daily, both with the words he has learned and with his ability to copy nearly every word we say.  On Sunday morning I asked him if he wanted pancakes for breakfast, and then for the next 10 minutes while I was making them he sat at the kitchen table yelling "pancakes! pancakes!" nonstop.  He had never used the word "pancake" before that moment.  
• He is starting to try and name the color of things, however they all seem to be "bue" in his mind. 
• He still loves to point out the big machines we see on our drives about town, with some serious enthusiasm....tractor, big truck, "elicopcker" (helicopter), bus, boat, bike, airplane, choo choo, and my favorite "aler cacker" (roller coaster).  Without the proper context, there are times I'd have no idea what he was talking about.  But once I repeat it correctly, he gives me a big smile and a "yeaaaaaaah". 
• He has fallen in love with his train tracks and trains.  He can sit and put multiple track pieces together on his own, and loves to connect as many trains as he can in a row and try to drag them across the living room.  
• We ditched his highchair, and he's now officially sitting at the table with us in his booster seat.  A bit messier, but way more fun for us. 
• He finally dropped his morning nap last month, and although I was dreading a rough transition, he quickly fell into step and now takes a lovely 2 1/2 to 3 hour afternoon nap.  That sleep training early on really did pay off!

Last weekend we visited the Marine Mammal Center on the coast in Marin.  It's an amazing facility, where they take in injured or sick seals and sea lions, rehab them, and get them back out into the wild. 

typical coastal CA summer day...freezing!

They have an amazing "art" exhibit on display there right now.  The artist collected trash from the oceans and beaches nearby, and turned them into these amazing sculptures.  It really makes you think twice about how wasteful we can be.  And how that really does impact the animals around us. 

the cool fish made of "junk" that welcomes you to the center

"hello Mr Otter"

It's only a statue...that's the size of a full grown elephant seal!  Not sure what I'd do if I ran into one of those on the beach

Ryan running through more of the art

this boy loves to run!

Auntie Dana, Eddy, and I loved the tour we took of the place.  Very informative (and yes there were animals there, I just apparently forgot to take pictures of them).  I think Ry more enjoyed running around like a wild man, but he was a trooper nonetheless. 

the 4th

Since our kid goes to bed at 7:30, and fireworks don't start until at least 9:30 around here, I find myself watching the people of NYC and DC celebrating this holiday on tv, and listening to the distant sound of the local fireworks out the windows.  And here I am updating the blog.  Such is life these days.  But we did have a fabulous weekend, celebrating our country's independence during daylight hours.  Hope you all had a great long weekend, and Happy 4th of July! 
Here's a look into our weekend in Tahoe with my folks.

Cheers to breakfast on the deck at the cabin!

The little hiker wanted to hold only Dzia Dzia's hand.  He must know the experience that man has with hiking.

The Bayer family, with Cascade Lake nearest to us, and Lake Tahoe beyond that

Ryan dips his toes in the mountain river, and got his first lesson in how cold that mountain water is!

Eddy and I sitting at the top of Cascade Falls

what's a hike in the mountains without a little toss in the air? 

family photo at Inspiration Point, overlooking Emerald Bay

are these eyes gonna be heartbreakers some day or what?

lounging

storytime with Dzia Dzia

We hit the beach both days.  Normally, Tahoe water is cold.  Like, it takes time for any of us to get in (still can't believe I used to go waterskiing in the Lake without a wetsuit...because that's what you do when you ski with the Garffs!).  But this year, the water seemed colder than normal.  However, Ryan had NO fear, or no concept of cold anyway.  He headed straight in, which unfortunately meant we had to follow.  Love that he loves the water!  Now we just have to get him to learn how to swim.

oh good, my toes are still there

"c'mon dad, let's get more water in this bucket"

We also took a 15 mile bike ride, with Ryan sitting on the back of the bike.  He loved the beginning, and wasn't so much a fan by the end (too long for him to be strapped in!).  But a midway stop to throw rocks in the lake definitely helped.  My dad captured this picture on his phone.  How many rocks can a kid throw at once?