We were able to get away for a few days this summer and enjoy being together as a family with no distractions. We went to Hood River and Mt. Hood and didn't realize there was so much to do. We wished we could have stayed for a couple more days but we had to go.
The place we stayed had blackberries everywhere. The kids picked and ate them everyday.
One morning I couldn't find the kids. It turned out they were just hanging out on the porch talking and taking in the sunshine while Paul and I got things ready for the day.
On the first day we walked all around town and to a local beach. We checked out all the windsurfers & kitesurfers that flood the area.
Just walking around downtown Sage saw this cafe and wanted a picture.
The place we stayed at had a hot tub and a view of the local mountains. It was a huge perk and the kids LOVED playing in it everyday.
Mt. Adams could be seen all over town. One afternoon we rode our bikes to a local park and wanted to snap a pic of the beautiful peak.
I just like this picture of Xavier and I. That's it really. I just like hanging out with him when he just wants to talk and visit with me.
The boys room. They loved having a bunk bed.
Haven's room...she loved having a big bed to herself.
We took a 12 mile bike ride one day on an old closed highway that had amazing views of the gorge. We've found that long bike rides get the kids pretty tired so Paul and I always have some satisfaction afterward that we've worn them out and they're a little more calm than usual.
Just one of the many stopping points with gorgeous views.
This was the kids favorite part of the bike ride. A huge tunnel that goes through the mountain.
Awesome Mt. Hood! We took a hike around this lake and it was fantastic.
In the past the kids wouldn't want to take the lead on trails when we'd hike. Not anymore.
There were wild blueberries along the hike. The kids would pick them and eat them.
There were many places along the hike to stop and enjoy the lake. According to the kids, this was their row boat.
Just the Fam. It takes work to get a family picture but we're trying to get better at remembering to do it.
Lunch time! Not a bad spot.
Xavier's chair. Doesn't every kid ask to take a picture inside a tree?
We have a lot of pictures of Sage like this. He will find a spot he likes and just stare out into the wilderness.
The kids first paddle boat ride. I really don't enjoy these but the kids had fun. We paddled out into the lake and sure enough Mt. Hood was there towering over us.
Columbia River beach fun. When I moved here from Cali after growing up so close to the ocean I remember thinking it was so weird to call all these places by the water beaches. Now it's so normal. This was a little cove with still water and it was my first time swimming in the Columbia River. Pretty cool.
Mom - this picture is for you! You mentioned you'd be bummed missing seeing me pregnant so I'll try and post some shots from time to time. Here I am just over 5 months.
Look how grown up Xavier looks. We had a doctor visit recently and found out that he has doubled his weight since his surgery. He was 42 pounds before heart surgery and now that his body can actually focus on growing and development instead of surviving he has put on the pounds and is starting to shoot up. I think he weighed in at 80 pounds. We're still so grateful he's doing so well.
These boys played for hours in the water. I'm still so happy to see that all the time we've put into swimming is paying off. They also helped a family collect clams for dinner. They were so sweet. When it was time to go they wanted to make sure the family they were helping knew they were leaving and that they couldn't help anymore.
