Summer Vacation 2011

So we set out for our Summer Vacation 2011 late on the afternoon of July 31st. It was a great trip. I've decided to put pictures by activity instead of day. Here's the rundown of our two weeks.

My mom flew down to help me drive up to Portland, thanks mom. We spent Sunday night in Redding at my sister Caryn's house. Thanks to the Corbin family for their generosity. Then Monday, the first we drove to Portland. We had a safe, uneventful trip and were glad to be at gramma and grampa's house.

On the 2nd we spent the morning shopping for school clothes, gotta love the tax-free option Oregon has to offer. After lunch we headed to OMSI to hang out and have fun. On the morning of the 3rd we went to the zoo. It was a little chilly but we had a great time seeing animals. After lunch at gramma's house my mom surprised me with my first-ever pedicure as a present for my birthday. I picked a deep peach color and I love it, thank you mom!

Then the kids hung out with G+G while I went out with Kristi and Amy to celebrate my birthday. It was so good to get together with my friends and catch up on their lives.

Thursday we headed to Oceanside beach and met up with Jenny, Ryan, Kaley and Braden to play. It was so good to see them and get our families together. On our way back from the beach we stopped at the Tillamook Forestry Center to visit and learn more about the different forest fires that destroyed that forest in 1933, 1939, 1945, and 1951. They learned a lot as time progressed and now can manage the forest to prevent horrible fires from doing as much damage.

Friday we went back to the zoo in the morning and then hit OMSI again in the afternoon. Saturday we did shopping, Pump it Up, movies and played with water and shaving cream in the backyard. Sunday we left for Gramma and Grampa Lindh's.

Sunday the 7th we went to the Laser Light show at the Grand Coulee Dam. Monday we got to go and tour the Grand Coulee Dam and see inside the dam. We watched a movie about how Eastern Washington was created from floods and ice. We had a good time. Then in the afternoon Linda took us to see turtles at the neighbor's house. What a great time for all the kids. They had a blast petting and holding turtles of different shapes and sizes.

Tuesday we packed up and headed to Spokane to visit friends. Thanks to the Mallonee family for letting us stay at their home. I spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday ferrying kids around to different locations to see as many friends as we could. Friday night Jason flew into town. Saturday we packed up and headed up to his sister's house to visit with Gramma and Grampa Lindh and cousins Brandt, Holden, Wyatt and Ainsley. Unfortunately, Selina and Mike were out of town that weekend.

We then drove up to the South Hill to witness the wedding of our good friend, Jenn Brown, to Ben Guhl. It was a lovely little ceremony and then we were off, no cake and punch for us. We traveled to Hermiston, OR and stopped at Kim Kern home. We stayed for about two hours and then decided to try something completely insane. We left at 10:15pm and arrived back in Reno at 9:30am and collapsed into bed at 10:15 and slept til about 1.

It was so good to be together and home again. Visiting is great but being with family at home is the best. Thanks to all for their hospitality, it was great to see you!