Camping in Bend - Aug 2010

For 3 of the last 4 summers, we have gone camping in BEND, OR with John and Sandy * my in-laws * and with Corey's family friends the Houston's/Penner's. This year, due to the long drive we decided to stay for a whole week.

Here is our tent. It says it sleeps 8, but 5 is full enough for us!

We brought our bikes and kiddo bike trailer. So fun!
The kids just LOVE the tent! Napping in a hot tent was some of the best naps EVER!

Maz' had been sneaky the boys some treats!

We had a great spot. HUGE for the camper, our tent in the back - a trail to the pool and the bathrooms and a playground right across the road! A FREAKIN' JACKPOT!!!

We brought the walkie-talkies. That was HOURS of silly fun! Also Corey and I planned better- we had a TOY tent. A netted tent that we planned on for food, but didn't need it and so we used it for toys (legos, books, and coloring. ) Nothing short of BRILLIANT on that one! Bikes were a hit and the throwing beanbag game. Plus the sight was good, OH!, and we brought the grandparents - very smart thinking! ;)

Gavin being Gavin ~ silly and a bit wild all in one!

Gabriel all played out, lounging on Papa John's chair.

Corey and Sandy visiting in the background with boys on the exercise bike. Just kidding- they put it in a rut and then they pedalled, just the back tire just SPUN. Exercise bike!

Papa John on his new PHONE!

Corey showing pics that he took to Sandy.

Bedtime in the TENT!

Me and the Man I LOVE!!!!

Sweetie Pie Gavin!

Sweet Pea Gabe!

Cutie Pie Grant!

Now after night one, we all learned some valuable lessons.

1. Bend is HOT during the day, FREEZING at night. We froze, 5 in our double sleeping bag by morning

2. We need more layers on us.

3. We need more blankets.

Corey the marshmellow man!

Look how big and golden and AWESOME his were!

Corey makin' smores for some happy, tired boys!

This was night 2 and we were warm this night due to stealing almost all the blankets in the trailer!

Swimming while camping in the desert is amazing!

3 pools: family, kiddie, and adult pool

Lunch in the camper

Lunch and then off to SunRiver!

Family shot

The week flew by while we hiked, played, laughed, rested, swam and biked daily!

We were sad to see our week end!

Hamburger Man

What do you do for dinner when you don't really have much food in the house, need to go shopping and the hungry hubby is going to be home in 30 minutes? You make Hamburger man for dinner.

You don't need buns - because we know I don't have any (grocery store), Just hamburger and random condiments. Empty out the refrigerator baby!!!

For condiments I get out a platter and start throwing lettuce *hair* on, pickles sliced length-wise (legs), avocado slices *arms* , cheese, olives *eyes*, and then use ketchup and mustard to finish the face. The beauty is: FAST, EASY and picky eaters can put on what they want, and kids love cooking and creating therefore eating more dinner. We love to joke and say, "I'm eating his LEG!" Add some chips/trail mix/ fruit whatever you have and that is dinner folks. Easy, peasy!

Grant's Hamburger man!

Gavin's Hamburger Man

Showing you that he eats tomatos!

Gabriel's Hamburger Man

Gabe's a little closer!

My Hamburger Man- Yum! Oh and I went grocery shopping after the kiddos were in bed.

Muddy Buddy

My boys are DRAWN to dirt. Now add some water and well, that makes for a good day. These boys came and showed me their hands and said, "Dirty. Not mad Mama, FUN!" Alright, at last they warned me about the dirt/mud so I could undress them and start a bath. Sure, why NOT! What's the fun of being a kid in the summer, if you can't get dirty, maybe even filthy! Here they go!

Into their undies!
I loved Gabe in underwear and his camo CABELA'S hat.

My 3 dirty little monkeys with dainty pink spoons from their kitchen!

And yes, they definitely NEEDED a bath __ then a shower __ and then the bathtub needed cleaned. Oh for the love of my boys! :)

Skam County Fair

Corey and I boycotted the Clark Co. Fair for many reasons:

1. Cost (admission + parking + food + rides = $100 for a family of 5)

2. So busy (that you are waiting to park, get in, stand in lines, find food- Ugh!)

3. Don't know anyone

4. It's gigantic

So we decided to drive up the beautiful Gorge and go to the small, FREE fair in Skamania.

Yes, I dressed up my 3 dollies (oops, I mean boys!)
Took a picture or two of them before we left and they were covered in straw from the barn, sno-cones, and elephant ear sugar!
Found some of our favorite people - Cousins! Ate those delicious SNO-CONES!
Grant's first sno-cones -- watermelon, bubblegum ! Yum-O!

Oh and stickers on the head from Smokey the Bear. Only in Skamania!

Now the rest of the time I put the camera away and we rode rides like crazy ($50 worth) and then looked at animal after animal. GREAT family night and who doesn't love the view from the Stevenson Fairground? Stunning, AWESEOME!!!

Summer lovin' had me a BLAST!

I am catching up on all of our fun summer blogging! Forgive my tardiness, but summer in the Pacific NW is never a guarentee. It might rain until the 4th of July -- YES IT DID! It might not actually get too warm -- YUP, NOT TO WARM! It might still rain and be cloudy plenty in July, Aug. and Sept. -- YES, CLOUDY UNTIL NOON OR ONE almost every day! Be so crabby weather that gardens here would barely grow-- YUP, FIRST YEAR TO STRUGGLE! So regardless, in those several weeks of BLESSED, WARM SUNSHINE we LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

We love summer time:

GARDENING

SUN BATHING

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

Playing in the POOL

Cooling off in the water

Hanging out with our homies

Wearing Sunglasses (2 of the 3 are upside-down)

and chasing down the ice cream truck and eating popsicles!

Oh Summer, we do love you. Next year come early and stay longer, and hey feel free to bring your best friend, MR. SUN!