Pictures from the last couple days of our trip

These are at Crater Lake (Saturday)

We're home!

We made it! I'll catch up a bit on the last couple days...

Friday, we arrived at Crater Lake at around 10:30, set up camp and tried (unsuccessfully) to put Abby to bed. She ended up snuggling with Mike in his sleeping bag (mine is a mummy bag and doesn't fit more than barely me). I don't think that either of them slept too well!

Saturday

• We loved driving around the rim of Crater Lake. It is beautiful with such a nice blue hue.
• We went on a ranger led hike into a beautiful canyon
• Abby successfully slept in her sleeping bag:)
• We visited the Visitor's Center and I read a display on the CCC during the New Deal. It is interesting to think that we likely wouldn't have the roads, trails and other infrastructure in our beautiful parks and forests without the efforts of these programs and young people who participated in them.
  

Sunday

• We took down camp and drove to church in Klamath Falls - on this trip especially I have been reminded what a blessing it is to be able to visit congregations around the world and to instantly feel at home (both the Newport and Klamath Falls Wards were very welcoming and enjoyable)
• We drove to Winnemucca to begin the journey home
  
• We saw wild donkeys on the way
• Sometime along the way we finished listening to New Moon by Stephenie Meyer - entertaining listen
  

Monday

• We drove some more, listening to Eclipse - now that we're home we'll have to find 11 or so hours in a car (or by a CD player) to finish it off!

We had a great time on our trip and are especially grateful to Mike's parents for the gorgeous beach house we were able to stay in for the week! Here is the view we got to look out each day. Can you tell that's the ocean outside the window?

MPG

My sister and b-i-l drove to Yellowstone last weekend and got 45 mpg in their little Chevy Cavalier (with 3 kids in the back seat). Kevin forced himself not to drive over 65 the entire way. I've always said that Yellowstone does wonders for gas mileage because the speed limits are so low. Well, this drive to Crater Lake has had virtually no freeway (i.e. slower) and after filling up our Santa Fe we found on these rather slow and windy roads we're getting 24-25 mpg. Love it. We never get more than 20 (and that is on a really good day).

Days 8 & 9 - Various parts of Oregon

Thursday

• Drove to the Yaquina Head lighthouse and walked to the top – very interesting mini tour
• Toured the Hatfield Marine Science Center and watched an octopus eat a big ole’ crab
• Lunch and naps at the beach house…
• Went with Bekah and Lance to the outlet mall in Lincoln City for a “productive” shopping trip
• Back to the beach house

Friday

• Took family pictures on the balcony and down at the beach
• Packed up and left the beach house :(
• Headed south on the 101
• Stopped at Cape Perpetua (if I lived in Oregon, I’d go camping there—very pretty)
• Stopped at an overlook to the Heceta Head lighthouse
• Stopped for lunch in Florence
• Watched lots of different types of cool seals and sea lions just south of Coos Bay
• Said goodbye to the rest of the family and began the drive to Crater Lake
• Stopped for dinner in Roseburg (it was warm when we got out of the car in Roseburg—I suppose we haven’t been off the coast for a week—I’m not complaining, I’ve loved the cool beach air, but the warm, dry heat had a familiar feel to it:)
• We’re still driving to Crater Lake

Days 6 & 7 in Oregon

Life continues well for us! We are a bit chillier than all the Utah folk. (It's been in the 60s, but a welcome cooling off.)

Tuesday

• Drove to Yaquina Head to see the tide pools
• Came back to the beach house for lunch and naps
• Went to the beach for a lovely afternoon (it had to be higher that the 60s--no wind and I was perfectly comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt--Abby loved the water but I promise that it is really cold)
• Played Acquire after dinner (someone who's name starts with Mar- and ends with -inda won)
  

Wednesday

• Mike, Kaye, Tim, Katie, Kalyn and I went on a whale watching boat tour - it was lots of fun and, yes, we saw whales (even if it was only momentarily)
• Abby hung out with Grandpa, Bekah and Lance
• Drove out to Yaquina Head again and went to some better tide pools with very pretty sea urchins
• Returned to the beach house for lunch and naps (love the naps)
• Went to the beach again
• I finished The Wednesday Letters - lovely little book - I like the way it all came together at the end
• Happy Birthday to my dad!
  

Days 3, 4 & 5 in Oregon

Saturday –

• Left Stevenson and visited the Bonneville Dam and fish hatchery (great big turbines and very large fish)
• Drove the Historic Columbia River Highway and saw a few great waterfalls and beautiful views
• Arrived in Portland and ate lunch at the mall
• Took a while to find and park at the Rose Garden (lots of lovely roses)
• Some of us thought we had died and gone to heaven in the Tillamook Cheese FactoryJ (Mike is a manufacturing man and he loved deciphering the web of machines that eventually shot out little packages of cheese—Abby just loves cheese—I thought it was nice too)
• Arrived at the lovely beach house here in the Newport Area

Sunday –

• Went to church
• Took long naps
• It was our food day – We made German Pancakes and fruit for breakfast and fish tacos and broccoli for dinner
• We drove down to the chilly beach

Monday

• Mike drove into Corvallis and worked a half day checking out a machine builder
• Abby and I relaxed in the beach house
• In the afternoon we went to the beach to play in the sand and fly kites
• Played games in the evening
  

Elephants in Oregon

Mom & Dad: Abby, look out the window. What do you see?
Abby: (pause, look) ELLA!!
Mom & Dad: (chuckle) They look a little like elephants. Those are cows. What do cows say?
Abby: Meow!

(Clarification: Abby does know that cats say meow and cows moo, but they oftentimes get used interchangeably.)

Day 1 & 2 of our trip

We're on the road!

Thursday -

• Drove to Twin Falls and stayed with Bekah and Lance

Friday -

• Went to the Twin Falls Temple Open House with Bekah, Dave and Kaye
• Drove for a very long time
• Watched the elephants off the side of the road
• Stayed in Stevenson, Washington - the Columbia River area is beautiful

I'm in a movie (only at the end though)

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Pony rides, goats and chickens

Today we went with Shana and Cooper and Tami and her kids to Thanksgiving Point Farm Country. I didn't know if Abby would go for the pony ride. She was kind of hesitant with the other animals (like when donkeys and cows tried to eat out of her hands), but she loved it!!

Here is Jack on a the pony ride.

Abby and Cooper in jail:)

Yeah, I went...

Yesterday, pre-noon, I didn't have tickets to the American Idol concert. Post-noon I did (at half price, I'll add). Mike is out of town. Shana went with me and we really had a fun time! We laughed at a little bit of cheesiness (mainly that we were there), but it really was a great show.

A couple thoughts:
David Archuleta cried. He is very cute and the cheering was deafening. (Shana and I had lots of ringing in our ears for a while after the show.)
Brooke said that "This is the place!" and that she appreciated all the support she got from Utahns. Nice of her to acknowledge her friends in the faith:)
I still think that Jason Castro is adorable and I loved hearing Somewhere Over the Rainbow live. (Shana isn't a fan, but she let me enjoy it:)
Queen is great at any concert (thanks, Michael Johns).
David Cook was fabulous and admitted that he (and 8 of the others) were a bit intimidated to come into Archuleta-land. We welcomed them well, I think.

I love the way she talks...

My Big Helper

I think that my baby is so cute! (I think that your children are great as well, but my baby...she's amazing!)

So on Friday, Abby spilled a bit of water on the coffee table so I told her to go into the bathroom and get a tissue and wipe it up. She did it! I was so impressed and I praised her for a long time.

Tonight, I was on the phone and I turned to see Abby very intentionally dumping an entire water bottle onto the floor. (Yes, I recognize that it isn't too smart to allow access (i.e. outright give) a 20-month-old a water bottle, but water dries...no harm done.) Anyway, I get off the phone and go downstairs to get the mop. This is what I found when I came upstairs:...a very proud little girl, lots and lots of water and a very itty-bitty piece of tissue to clean it up (note the white spot in the middle of the picture). I couldn't help but laugh. She loves to be such a helper! It was so cute!

PS The picture wouldn't be complete without her trying on one of my shoes (different topic:)

Two by Two

I am waiting to go to the park and just checked my blog roll. Looks like I have been tagged by Katrina...

Two names you go by:
1. Marinda (how creative)
2. Mommy

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Shorts and a t-shirt
2. A ponytail

Two of your favorite things to do:
1. Go out to eat
2. Vacation:)

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. A weedless and green yard
2. A piece of cheesecake

Two pets that you have or have had:
1. Bunnies named Oscar and Snowflower
2. A cockatiel named Merrill
**They were actually all my sister's but I lived with them too...

Two things you did last night:
1. Made stir fry for dinner
2. Started a new book (River Secrets by Shannon Hale)

Two things you did today (disclaimer: it is only 9:55 AM):
1. Walked with Abby around the block
2. Weeded in the yard (and followed Abby into the back yard to find her on top of the bakers rack on the patio trying to get to the little "lat-lock" (chocolate) candy)

Two things you ate today:
1. I've only eaten strawberries this morning
2. ???

Two people you last talked to:
1. Mike
2. My grandma Marva

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. Go to Mike's co-worker's b-day party
2. Run a couple errands for Enrichment

Two memorable vacations:
1. Tahiti
2. Canada/Banff/Glacier

Two favorite holidays (same as Katrina:):
1. Thanksgiving
2. Christmas

Miles Leo

This is our new nephew, Miles. We really like him! He was born on Tuesday and all is well! The second picture is my grandma with her newest great-grandson!

Bike Ride

Thanks to our neighbors letting us try out their bike trailer, Abby went on her first bike ride the other day! I think she liked it. She walked around the house with her helmet (albeit slightly big--we're working on that) on for a while--we're glad she doesn't mind it:)

Bathtime!

Today I told Abby to go into the bathroom for her bath. When I followed her into the bathroom this is what I found. Water running...tub filling...in the tub...completely clothed - minus the typical left shoe (but proud)!