Our family trip to Bend this summer was fabulous. We're always so busy at home with work, school, and kids activities, so it was wonderful to have a few days to just be together without all the usual interruptions
We spent some time just hanging out at the house. The rental was equipped with toys for toddlers which ended up being a huge help because we didn't bring much of anything to occupy Asher's time.
The kids read everyday. I still find it adorable that Asher will pick one of the big kids to sit with and read his book. What a great thing for him to mimic.
The back yard of our place bordered nature trails and trees. It was so peaceful.
The hot tub was a nice perk for everyone too.
We rode bikes from our house to explore the forest. The kids can go for mile upon mile.
There was river exploring, rock climbing....good fun.
Asher tried to follow the big kids up this hill and boulders. My adventurous little dude.
We drove to the Mt. Bachelor area one day and hiked Mt. Tumalo. The kids rocked the mountain. It was a big elevation gain and only a couple miles up. The view was well worth it.
Mt. Bachelor in the back as we climbed higher.
One of many views at the top of the mountain. We all had lunch and hung out for awhile.
The view of South Sister peak. Just awesome.
The kids enjoy trick pictures right now. Here Haven is eating a mountain and Sage is so strong he can hold up the peaks with his hands.
Another day we visited the lava fields and walked around a caldera.
Asher wanted to get out of his pack and hike on his own. I spent a lot of time making sure he didn't walk off the ledges.
Paul with the kiddos.
Walking through the lava field our kids certainly made an impression on spectators as the kids posed for photos.
We decided to journey into a mile long lava cave. Surprisingly this was one of the kids favorite activities and they wanted to go all the way to the end. It was 40 degrees in the cave and when we walked out if felt so nice and warm.
Our last day of traveling we went to Smith Rock, a rock climbing mecca. It seemed so out of place compared to the surroundings. We started our adventure at the top and worked our way down into the valley...
The kids loved exploring and watching all the rock climbers.
It was a great last hike before we headed home.
