Old as Mold

This lovely lady is turning 40 today.

It's a good thing they say the 40's are now the new 30's...

Age is just a number anyway.

Shannon is vibrant, funny, interesting, witty, and you would never be able to guess her age by looking at her.

Have the best day ever, Shannon!!

Sunriver Vacation 2009

This year we headed to Sunriver, Oregon again to the exact same house we rented last year.

Only this time the occupants differed a little bit... We met my brother Scott, and his wonderful family for a whole week of relaxation and fun.

This is a foot bridge above the Deschutes river... only a block away from our house.

Here's Scott, Hanna, Shelly, Kenny, and Grace

My Aunt Linda and Uncle Al joined in on the fun for a couple of days. They always add an element of fun to any gathering and we are so glad they could make it. (My parents couldn't make it because my mom's back is giving her lots of trouble, we missed them terribly and hope to see them next year at another shindig!)

This handsome fellow is my nephew Kenny. Such a great kid!

Speaking of a great kid... here's another one! Nick just watching the river slowly roll by.

Scott is an avid fly fisherman. He found his way to the water's edge on many occasions trying his luck at catching "the big one". I guess it's pretty obvious to see that this was NOT the big one...good thing I had dinner planned that evening. :)

When we were not riding bikes, it was a good bet you could find us in one of Sunriver's two pools. The kids found themselves here a few times trying to escape the wrath of Con-nor. :) "Shark attack" is the game of choice in the pool where Connor sneaks up on them and pinches or tickles their feet. Good times!

Okay, this is a typical photo of Nolan and Hanna. These two are inseparable and almost identical in their crazy, goofy ways. I tried to include a video of a skit they created...but for some reason Blogger won't publish it. Basically, it was a rap/dance/comedy routine about big macs, crispy fries, beaches, and a little cabbage patch dancing to go along! Funny stuff.

We drove a few miles North to Bend to check out the shops one day. It's nestled along the same river and was really cute. Plus they had a great Ben and Jerry's shop where we found the BEST ice cream and milk shakes. :)

Just like last year we went river rafting down the Deschutes. They were able to fit all nine of us in one raft so we were thrilled! Here's Connor trying not to launch himself out of boat. He said he was trying to paddle but there wasn't any water underneath him! :) Glad he didn't fall out!

Here's a nice shot of all of us. Our guide was a lot of fun and made the trip memorable.

We especially liked it when he told the kids aboard that the first set of rapids was called the "child grinder". I saw some eye's get real wide!

Go Nolan Go! Nolan's the only one who didn't have anything to hold onto. Most of us had paddles that help you from falling out of the boat. Nick and Hanna had hand holds on their seats. He liked his wild ride!

We spent a lot of time along the river's edge. When it was hot we hop in the river to cool off.

Here's Shelly and Grace. I love this picture.

Kenny and Scott...love this one too!

Grace is such a sweetheart.

We brought our canoe along this year and we are glad we did.

By the end of the week we had figured out how to launch it way up stream and take a leisurely 2 hour float right back to the bridge where we'd disembark and roll it a block to our home. It was peaceful and fun at the same time.

When Al was visiting we went to explore the Lava Tube Cave only a mile or so from Sunriver. It's 5000 feet long and only 40 degrees inside. We carried lanterns that doubled nicely as small heaters. Spooky, chilly, and fun!

Our trip to Sunriver was perfect. We love spending time with these guys. Our kids instantly bond and have fun the minute we walk through the door. Kenny said it perfectly "we don't have time for awkwardness, we know we only have a week together!"

We were busy most of the days outdoors and in the evenings we played many many games. One night Connor had me in stitches while playing Apples to Apples. The category was "touchy feely" and he played the card that said "Helen Keller". I almost lost it. :)

We created many new memories on this trip. I love my brother and his family and wish we lived closer together. You know it was a good time when even as saying goodbye in the driveway, you are already talking about the next time we can see each other. Tahoe next year???

As Connor and I drove home we crossed over Mt. Hood. We noticed the ski area had an alpine slide in the summer time. We pulled over to surprise the boys with a little more fun before heading home.

Connor and the boys hopped on the chair lift and headed up the slope. They slid down the mountain on this cement slide while riding little wheeled sleds. I sat surrounded by hundred of butterflies waiting for them at the bottom.

It was a nice way to end a wonderful week.

Down by the fishin' hole

Today, Nolan is off to basketball camp until 3 pm. So since I didn't have to work today... (let me hear you say Hallelujah) I was trying to think of something fun to do with Nick to pass the time.

He thought it'd be fun to try our luck at fishing in the lake down the street. Sounded good to me, but with the sun shining high and the temperature climbing I really didn't expect the fish to be too interested in biting. Boy was I wrong! As soon as Nick casted off the dock he instantly had a bite. I barely had time to sit down in my chair before he was reeling in a trout. He brought it up to the shore but it fought it's way off the hook before he could land it. In my book, that is a catch. I told him if their fins touch the grass even while in the water... chalk it up as a catch!

Well, about 15 bites and SIX catches later he was practically walking on the clouds. This never happens down by our lake. Usually fishing consists of a lot of casting, an occasional snag on sunken logs, and a lot of disappointment. But today the fish were apparently starving, it was so much fun to watch Nick light up every time he had a bite. We were only there for one hour and caught 6 fish, most of which were at least 12 to 14 inches in length.

It was a memorable fishing experience and a lot of fun! He was worried no one would believe him, but I assured him I was his witness. He even called me his good luck charm!

Did I mention I LOVE summer? Seriously, the best time ever!

(Our trip to Sunriver was last week and was an absolute hoot. I promise to post a story and lots of pictures about it soon.)