.summer vacation- oregon.

.we arrived at uncle dave and aunt lisa's beautiful home 4.5 hours later on saturday. 

.the kids were beyond excited to get out of the car, and see gma, gpa, lily and aunt lisa's pool.

.we were greeted by lily and grandma, who were playing out on the front porch as we pulled up.

.we unloaded the car, got rid of the trash, and ate dinner. we were starving and food made my either debbie or lisa is absolutely fabulous. 

.the kids were SO eager to get in the pool. so so excited. so into bathing suits...and out to the pool. it was funny to watch everyone's reaction with my fearless kids. they went down the slide multiple times, but their favorite was jumping off the diving board. poor texas babies are spoiled and the 85 degree pool and 90 degree day just wasnt warm enough for them, so they were wrapped in towels sitting watching others swim for most of the time. it was still a blast, and we were looking forward to spending the next few days in oregon.

.sunday we went to church. b was BEYOND tired. she was SO grumpy that morning, and just being rude to everyone. i had enough. we went home after sacrament meeting and made her lay down for a nap. she cried and cried for about 10 minutes and than was out cold. it was exactly what she needed because she woke up happy. we than drove to gpa jim's house (roger's dad) and visited with him and some of roger's brothers and their children. this is the FIRST TIME i had EVER met grandpa jim. almost being married 5 years and i FINALLY got to meet grandpa jim. he is the sweetest man, and he and andrew have the SAME build. SO thin. he was so sweet and pulled out pictures and such to show us. we had a great time and of course....i had to get some pictures. 

(this is b sunday morning...GRUMPY...throwing a fit over sharing)

(roger- bottom left)

 (gpa jim with 3 of his sons)

.once we got back from grandpa jim's, andrew and i and our kids and tyler headed down to see grandma and grandpa muir (debbie's parents) who live just down the street from lisa and dave. aunt lisa has a golf cart, and we took that down to their house. the kids loved it. grandpa david told us so many awesome stories from the war, and when him and lois were first married. we stayed until it was SO dark. luckily, when the sun was just starting to set.. aunt heather came down with lily and took the kids for rides on the golf cart and than back to lisa's house until we got back. we really enjoyed catching up with david and lois and hearing stories. it was a great day to be able to see gpa jim, and also david and lois. 

 (this is on gpa jim's front door)

 (this is in gpa jims front window....he LOVES golf and horseshoes)

 (the house roger grew up in)

 (golf cart ride)

 (gpa david and gma lois--Brooklynns great grandma and grandpa)

(this is their silly faces)

.monday some of the boys went golfing in the morning (this is a MUST when uncle dave and roger are together...this was NOT the first golfing trip...i think it was more like the 2nd or 3rd (they got there saturday early afternoon)...they got back just as we were about to load up and head to this children's works museum aunt lisa told us about they her grandkids LOVE and beg to go to every time they come to visit. it was a lot of fun. we all went together and had a blast. we packed a picnic lunch and afterwards headed to Lithia Park in Ashland area of Oregon. The kids played on the swings, and than Lily and Brooklynn went to Tyler and Andrew and went upstream. It was the same little stream that we have video of Tyler and Andrew playing in when they were younger. its fun to watch next to each other. when we got home, of course, we had to go swimming again at aunt lisa's pool. 

 (the boys had a race to see whos would make it down the water the quickest)

 (inside a bubble)

 (inside the bubble)

 .bubbles.

 .such a cute picture of tyler and b.

 .so much happiness in these pictures (top and bottom)

.great picture of the brothers.,,,just missing evan.

 .3 generations....roger, andrew and parker.

 .adore this picture of ty and b.

.tuesday the boys went golfing (see, told ya) with gpa jim and a few uncles and cousins. while they were gone, the girls got everything packed and ready to go to head up to the campsite all the westensee brothers (well most of them) were camping at. (something they do every year). we just planned to just got up for a few hours and let the kids play and get dirty and have lunch up there. one thing the westensee family does is horse shoes. it was fun to sit back and watch all of them. we had a delicious lunch (thanks debbie) and the kids got dirty and LOVED this cool "game" grandma westensee came up with....to fill a pop bottle with the little acorns on the ground. it kept the kids busy for AT LEAST an hour. we left earlier than planned when a thunderstorm came over and just started down-pouring. we all just yelled good-bye, no hugs as we were all running for cover (us, getting the kids in the car and all the food to head home).....when we got home, we headed down to see great grandma lela (this is brooklynn and parkers great-great grandma)....heather wanted a generation picture, and we hadnt visited with her yet. we had a great visit. she is a sweet little lady, who is still going strong. afterwards, we went across the street to say good-bye to david and lois and visit with them for a little bit....we got back to lisa's and headed to the pool. one last swim before the LONG drive home the next morning. 

.adore this picture of b and gpa jim...this is right before he took out his teeth and freaked her out.

 .great grandma lela and grandma lois---great great grandma lela and great grandma lois to brooklynn and parker.

 .checking out grandpa david's berries.

 .right after andrew dunked me.

.andrew did successfully do a backflip.

.we loved our visits oregon. we miss you so much. we hope it will work into our vacation plans in 2015. thank you dave and lisa for allowing all of us to stay at your home, to use your bedrooms, your bathrooms, your towels, your toys, your food, your pool, your golf cart, and for reading to my kids a bedtime story at night (lisa). until next time oregon.

.stay tuned for summer vacation- utah part 1...coming soon.

.summer vacation- washington part 2.

.saturday- we woke up early to get everything finalized and put together for bre's baby shower. it was choas, and stressful at times...but we had a great turn out, and bre got some awesome stuff for it for maverick. it was worth it when we got to see old friends we havent seen for years, and when your sister has 2 boxes full of stuff from the baby shower to get home. 

.after the baby shower, we cleaned up, put things way, and than i took my mom and little sister and the kids to shop for parkers birthday the next day. (yes- andrew was not there for his 2nd birthday. yes- i planned it that way so i didnt have to pay for his flight. no- he is too young to remember or care. no- i didnt get him anything before because i wasnt going to fly it there and back on the plane). it was a lot of fun, i always enjoy spending time with my baby sister...reminds me of the rexburg days....and my mom, its so funny. i thoroughly enjoy spending time with her, since it usually only happens once a year. we headed home after being out for a few hours.

.sunday- we attended church, and afterwards had a delicious dinner and celebrated parkers birthday. i attempted to make parkers cake. i didnt really think things out completely, but thank goodness he is 2 and a boy, he doesnt care. we facetimed with daddy as we sang to him, when he blew out the candles and opened his presents. afterwards the kids were wired. they played and played....grandpa pulled out a remote control car and the kids took turns driving it. 

.monday- i went to winco with my baby sister to get some things for her plane ride home to go smoother. i watched the kids while my mom and sister kristina, took baby sister bre to "learn how to drive a stick." I have a ridiculous amount of video from that on my ipad that i will have to upload to another post. she was pretty awful and killed it many, many times. once she got back i watched maverick for her to finish packing, and than took her to the airport with my mom. once we got back, my be ami (who recently finished from beauty school and is now an instructor) came over to do my hair. orginially she was only going to do my hair, but my sisters wanted in on the action....so kristina got hers cut with some layers, and natalies and i got ours cut and highlighted. i absolutely LOVE how my hair turned out. and wish we lived closer, because going through ami i could actually afford to do my hair more than twice a year. 

.tuesday- my 2 older sisters (natalie and kristina) went to the zoo with their kids. my kids didnt get to go bacause im too cheap and cause we did it last year. it doesnt appeal to me when i can get my kids in free at the zoo in san antonio. so i told my mom i would go up to her classroom and help her set things up. we ran a couple errands, grabbed lunch, and headed up to the school. we had the car running, because we were going to unload the kids and the stuff into her classroom and than she was going to go park it. just as i was shutting the door from getting parker out mom says "dont shut the door it will lock". shut. door shut and keys inside and we are locked out.  THANK GOODNESS my kids werent in there as well. luckily, my parents live 6 minutes from the school, and my dad was home, so i called and he brought us a spare key. after working in the classroom for a few hours, i headed home to leave again. this time to the oneal family's house.

.it was kenzie's birthday and it just so happened i was in town for it. they were doing a bbq in their backyard and having her open presents and eat cake and ice cream. the kids and i headed over. the kids were in heaven. running around with the girls, eating food, finding karen's candy drawer. we stayed pretty late, but had a blast. i love seeing the oneal family. karen is a "mom" to me. karen got me my first job right out of high school, and i spend many, many nights over there and at the baseball fields growing up. it was great to see them, as always.

.wednesday-  i hung at home and helped my sister packed up. (she and my mom were heading to UT together in the morning to see my sister and her NEW baby Dallin). Unfortunately, Adi got sick that night with a fever. So kristina didnt know if she was going to leave in the morning or not, due to the fact that my sister JUST had a baby and adi had a fever. that night i got to pick up ANDREW from the airport. it was great to have him close to us again. we were excited for some time with daddy, and more vacation.

thursday- my mom and sister didnt leave until 9 or 10 in the morning. adi still had a slight fever, but my sister figured why hurry to my sisters house in utah when she has to just keep her distance? so she figured if she got their late, she could put adi down for bed, and it wouldnt be absolute torture. the poor souls got stuck in some road closure on the way their and the 12 hour drive ended up to be like 14 or 15 hours! (did not envy then one bit). after they left, i went on a lunch date with the one and only tammy schwanz. she is a "mom" to me, and every time im in town, she takes me and the kids out to lunch. she is absolutely adorable, and i love her to pieces. my kids were a bit rowdy this particular day, so not as much catching up happened....but it was still great to be able to talk for the time my children allowed, and see her again. she has a smile that can light up a room. we went back to her office and b played with her puppy. b was IN HEAVEN. she wants a puppy so bad. it was great to catch up with tammy once again. 

.we got home, the kids napped for a bit, than we headed off to get burgerville with my good friend from high school, Ashley. We talked and laughed just like old times, and they told us how crazy we were to be pregnant again. lol. We got shakes at BURGERVILLE...it is my ONE place i get a shake EVERY time i go to washington (multiple times...like 4-5 times i visit and get a shake). Ashley has this awesome boyfriend Sean, and they are awesome together. We love visiting Ashley!! 

.After Burgerville- Andrew went to a movie with my dad, and i took the kids to a dinner date with Ami. When she was doing my hair, we got to catch up, but not enough. So we planed a dinner date to talk more. This girl amazes me. She works full time, has 2 kids, and her hubby is deployed. She balances everything EXTREMELY well, and her kids are more adorable than ever. i love Ami to death, and am inspired by her strength.

.friday- andrew and i went to Hockinson Cafe. A local place that use to be in our small town, and just down the road from the high school...but since expanded and moved to Battle Ground. the cute little place brings back so many memories and just "feels" like home. this is another place i go at least once, when i visit. so we took the kids for breakfast. on the way home, we stopped by Tammy's office and said our "good-byes" and got pictures. we drove up past Andrew's old house and looked at how different it is, and than stopped by Chelsea's (Petey) gravesight. It is such a peaceful place. Her headstone was just as beautiful as I remembered it. The kids picked wildflowers and put them in her vase on the headstone. We told the kids how one of mommy's friend's died, but she is now with Jesus. It was a special time, to be with my family, to have my kids there, and my hubby, and to visit Chels. Her presence was definitely there as well. 

.we got home, and our BF Megan stopped by to visit with her 2 kiddos. I cannot believe how much both of them look like her hubby arom, and how RED Ryker's hair is. Megan is another friend who has been through A LOT, and still stands strong. I also do NOT envy her for her children's food allergies. We visited and laughed and the kids played. It was fun to see our children interact, and think how it was not too long ago we were in high school dating guys who were best friends. CraZy how things have changed, and how different our lives are now, compared to what we "thought" they would be when we were young, dumb, teenagers. I love this girl and glad we still have a friendship even through the distance. 

.friday evening we had dinner with our "family". the kirby family. gosh, how much i miss them every time we get together. every time i leave i still have to hold back tears for this family. they have been there for me for A LOT. especially tammy. i remember one night coming to tammy (kyle was working a shift at the firestation) and just crying my eyes out to her. she just sat, hugged, and listened. her kids are growing like weeds, and i cannot get over how much these kids are going to impact their friends and the community around them for the better. they are absolutely fantastic. we love them. we ate a great dinner, and sat in the backyard watching the kids play and run around and be loud. once it started to get dark, we moved into the house and continued talking and catching up. i hope when we visit next, we can go on a camping trip with the kirbys. we love this family and hope they come visit soon. once we got home, i packed us up to leave the next morning. 

.morning came. i ran a couple quick errands, loaded up my parents surburban with our stuff, stuff for my sister in utah, stuff for my sister in idaho, my dad's goldclubs. i could not believe how much room it took up, and how packed the car was. we went to breakfast with my dad, his friend mike, and an older lady in the ward ann, and her grandson jessie. ann absolutely adores andrew, and thinks the world of him. when she found out he was in town, she insisted on seeing him. our days were already so packed, so the best day that worked for us was Saturday morning before continuing our vacation to oregon. we enjoyed the food, and the company. ann is the sweetest lady, and we look forward to seeing her every time we visit. 

.mike gave my dad a ride home, and we started our 4.5 hour drive to medford oregon to meet up with andrew's family (who had driven down from utah) and see uncle dave and aunt lisa and stay with them. but first, we stopped at Emma's gravesight (andrews friend) and left some flowers for her, and visited her. the kids were asleep, so we made the visit really quick. we just hugged each other and looked at the beautiful headstone. Another special experience where we could not see Emma physically, but we felt her presence....we cannot wait to reunited with Emma and Petey again.

.we continued on the drive to medford. we talked about how much we took for granted the BEAUTY of our "old homes" and how GREEN it is. we love loved our washington trip, and cannot wait to visit again- come june 2015.