June Trip up hwy 101

  We left a very rainy Onalaska on Monday June 18th 2012, to head south down I-5 to Crescent City CA. for our vacation up Hwy 101. It rained pretty hard at times till we got about an hour out of Grants Pass. Then weather changed to sunny with very few clouds.
   We stopped in Grants Pass to pick up some sunscreen at a Rite-Aid. An old fashioned one. The kind we used to like so much. Was fun. Then we hit up a Sonic for some happy hour 1/2 price drinks. Non-Alcoholic of course. We had some cherry and Raspberry Lime-aides!! Ah -so good!
   We stopped at a Redwood visitor center, was closing but got a little info. Then on to Crescent City.

   We arrived at our Hotel "The Light House Inn" around 5:45. It was pretty nice. Clean, really friendly, firm but comfortable beds, fun Lobby. Would definitely stay there again!
Below some pic's of Motel.

Not sure what the blue's brother guy is about.

 I had decided that I wanted this to be a fun vaca, but I also wanted to focus on eating good and trying to get 2 to 3 miles of walking in.

  So by 6:pm we were off exploring the town. We started at the bay/Harbor and headed to light house.

1st of many light house we would see or visit.

 Last two photos are of view from light House looking out.

Then headed back to our hotel. Stopped 1/2 way back and ate dinner at 7:15pm at Apple(something) restaurant.
Was good food. Nothing fancy.
     Finished the walk back to hotel. After clocking some of it with the car next day, we walked 3.5 to 4 miles !!! And I felt it when I got up Tues. morning.
  

 

hiking with the grandkids

As Tressa and I were driving back from Spokane, we thought a hike w/ family on memorial day, if weather was good would be fun.

   Well, it was fun! Weather was not the greatest. But it quit raining and sun did try to break through during our 1 miles hike on the Hummock trail up at Mt St Helens.
   Because it had been raining I didn't take my camera on the hike! I'm very much regetting that and won't do it again. So, all pic's are post hike.

   Most of the kids but, Isabell and Madison, were carried on shoulders or carried in a child pack at one time or another. They all seemed to enjoy it and though tired, didn't want to get in the cars to head to ColdWater lake to have picnic.

They have tables there. But , once we got there they all seemed to have fun. Eating, chasing a soccer ball around the parking lot, throwing rocks in the water or climbing on a rock wall.

 For Brady this was great. Something he could do, and not get told no. So he did it over and over again.
    The rain was starting back up so we headed out to go to Papa Pete's Pizza and let the kids play some games in the game room. The Morgans had stopped at an over look of a Bridge so we all stopped too.

Nate Looking a pic's on his new phone w. Madison

Then it was on to Pizza. It really was a nice day and the kids, even little ones did pretty well. Riley fell asleep in her pack during the hike. Brady wanted to go to everything he saw, even if the route(down a steep cliff) was dangerous. The trail became more level without any drop offs and we found a pond of water were Brady, and all the boys could throw a few rock. Unfortunately 2 yrs olds aren't too aware of their surrounding and Parker did hit Brady in the back of the head with a rock. But he survived.

   Would really love to take the 3 oldest on a hike. Peyton was so excited to wear his new hiking boots and socks.

Peyton & Brady Blog

http://ddabrahamson.blogspot.com/  started a new blog about P&B and Autism at this web address.

Gymnastics w/MBP

Madison, Brady and Parker have been taking Gymnastics classes once a week for most of the year. They all really seem to like it. Madison has recently gotten moved up to an advanced class she is doing so well. Coach says she has some natural ability. Brady had the perfect built for it. and light bones.
 But, sitting and listening is a bit of an issue for him. Parker-- well he is just cute and has fun!!

                                                         

                                                   Brady had trouble with the crawl. He just kept flipping over.

                           Madison has mastered the crawl!!

The Morgans came for dinner

It's always fun to see what kids will think of when parents are talking, enjoying themselves and leaving the kids to their own devices.

  First off we have Riley just being cute and hanging with Grandpa.
Then we heard lots of noise and laughter from back bedroom. Good. They are having fun.  Later Isabell came to tell us they had put all the blankets and pillows on the floor and were jumping off the top bunkbed to the floor. well, this we had to see.

  It was more like sliding off the top bunk on their bottoms and dropping to the pile they had made. Once they each jumped standing up. But, they never tried it again. I think they still hit the floor a bit. But, they sure had fun!

                                                I believe this is the one were Isabell did the standing jump!

                                                         Peyton Dropping to the pillows!

And for Peyton to think this through and come up with ideas ( hard to say who had the most input on this grand idea) is really great.

After awhile Brady wanted to join them. He had been enjoying some Hi-Ho cherry O with Ellie. Or really just playing with the apples.

 He perfered the hanging over the edge and dropping down method.
Then Peyton and Isabell thought it would be fun to crawl on crib, Peyton decided to join his little sister Riley, who we put in the crib to protect her from someone jumping on her.

It was a fun crazy night. We had Calazones. and Oreos. spent most of our time chasing kids around. And ended the evening with the 4 oldest playing with the tubs of beans in the family room. tarp didn't really get put down very well, and Brady doesn't seem to have a concept of boundaries anyway. he'd fill something up with dried beans and then throw /dump them all over the place. But, kids seem to have fun. Melia and I got out the brooms and swept the carpet( yes this really worked) to clean up most of it.
Sorry no pic's.
  Should have another blog up soon ( for you Alesha) with Gymnastics and Dance!