Sunriver 2014

    The idea of trying to catch up on my blog is a little too overwhelming, so I had decided to just start blogging about our current going ons.  I then saw several posts still in the draft stage that I had uploaded all the pictures for, but then never wrote anything and finished them.  This is one of those posts.

      We went to Sunriver for the second summer last year in the last week of August.  This time we stayed for a whole week and loved it.  We had Mat and my mom there for the first two days with us, then a day and a half with just the six of us, and then three days with Grandpa and Grandma R.  Our days flowed into each other with a delightful rhythm that went something like this:  wake up (some days when we had others to help with the kids Mike and I would run), eat breakfast, go on some sort of hike or bike ride, come home, eat lunch, lay Elliot down for his nap and let the other kids watch a movie and play in their bunk room (they had a room with double bunk beds which they loved!), relax while kids relaxed, pack bag for swimming, go to the little water park when Elliot woke up, play in the water until the kids got tired/cold (well the two younger ones, the older two could have went all night), play in the sand area at the water park, go back to the house to eat, some adults would make dinner while one watched the older kids in the hot tub, eat dinner, baths/showers for kids, board games, ice cream, kids to bed and then any adult who was not passed out from the days event would go sit and talk in the hot tub.

      Of course, not every moment was perfect.  Anytime we attempted more than a 15-20 minute bike ride Elliot would get unhappy and start throwing everything out of the bike trailer that we had put in there to help entertain him.  There was the one ride he almost managed to get out of his seatbelt and there were several times that I smiled at other bikers on the trail as if riding with a screaming baby was a perfectly normal and enjoyable way to spend time (while in reality I was sweating and pedaling as fast as I could to get back to the house).  There was also the float trip we attempted one morning when Mike's parents were there.  The trip said it was mellow enough for babies and it was.  My baby just wasn't mellow enough for the float.  He hated his life jacket and would not calm down for anything.  After a half and hour of being in the raft, we recognized that we were near the community we were staying in.  We paddled to the edge of the river (against the rules), stopped, and Mike took E out and walked about an hour back to our rental house while the grandparents and I finished the float with the other kids.  Mason was pushed to his edge several nights just because he was exhausted from bike riding/hiking/swimming and so there were some meltdowns, but all of this is to expected when traveling with young kids.  

       And overall it was a wonderful trip filled with memories and we can't wait to go back.  

Elliot climbing up the play structure at this cool park we rode our bikes to. 

Our Mason man.   He introduced himself to several children at the park that day by saying, "Hi, I'm Mason.  My yego (Lego) shirt glows in the dark."

He fearlessly walked up to big kids on this toy and wanted to push it.

Our little monkey. 

Elliot and Grandma.

Beautiful gap toothed girl.

Playing tetherball with Uncle Mat.

Nightly ice cream.

I probably took 10 pictures of these six before Grandma and Mat left trying to get a good one and this is the best I got.  At least Mat and Elliot were looking.  We loved having my mom and Mat join us (my dad couldn't get the time off work) and are glad they made the trek down.

Elliot warily eyeing Mike as he gets strapped in.  He's probably planning how to throw that binky out onto the bike trail (which he did).

Abby had been riding a bike for almost a year when we went on this trip, but this trip really solidified her confidence.  She starting riding a lot faster and going down hills.  It is fun to have two kids that can actually ride bikes.

After watching Mason endure one bike ride with Elliot in the trailer, we decided to rent one of these ride alongs.   He LOVED it.  His could barely reach the pedals when it was down, but he didn't mind.  He was so cute on this bike.  For some reason, Mike and him started calling it the "mini van" and Mason kept wanting to ride on his mini van bike. 

Stopping to explore a pile of rocks on a bike ride.

Two thumbs up mean "perfect" in Mason's language.

One morning we took the kids to a nearby visitors center in lava lands where you can go on a short hike. Carson was especially interested in learning about volcanoes and we spent quite a while in the visitors center where he asked the ranger questions.

This picture sums up our little guy on a hike/walk.  Trailing behind everyone else, hands in pockets, just chilling and going at his own pace.  It drives the older kids (and admittedly sometimes Mike and I) crazy, but I love his laid back personality.

The river

Elliot loved running out onto the deck and smooshing his face against this screen that looked into the kitchen.  Looking at this picture makes me realize just how much my baby has grown up since last summer.  

Reading a book with Grandpa Ricks.

On the mini van bike with Grandpa.

Goofy kids.

These three loved the hot tub and I love this picture of the three of them.  Although they can fight (and do it far more often then I would like), they really are each other's best friends and I am so grateful for that.  Nothing makes my heart happier then seeing my babies love each other.

Mike and Carson playing one of the old school video games at the house.

An intense Janga match. 

I love this guy and love it when we get a week together.  I think we need to move somewhere in Europe where they get a month off every year. 

The best family shot we had.  I love going on vacations with my family.  It is a lot of work, but it is so nice to get away from the daily responsibilities and distractions and just enjoy being together. 

Mason quote of the week:  When we got out of the car after a 6 plush hour drive, everybody ran into the house to check it out.  Mason stopped in the living room and said, "Hmm, I sought (thought) we were going to Disneyland, but..." shrugs his shoulders, "I guess it's Sunriver" and then proceeded to catch up to Carson and Abby to check everything out.