Recipe for a good summer. We've got to go home several times this summer, spending a few days at Devin's parents and then over to my parents.
Here is our time in lovely La Grande.
Eaaarly morning raspberry picking with Grandma.
Fresh raspberries for nearly every meal.
Not even 7am and already a fatality.
Sleepy faces but MUST play before breakfast.
Yes a lot here happens before breakfast even starts. A huge summer storm crashed the berry picking.
Oh I love summer storms. Beautiful. Then the morning was topped off by a rainbow.
Perfect.
Gage taking a corner super fast.
Dustin, Cache and Kyle shoveling in raspberries for breakfast.
The little girls below, Naomi and Krista.
Dresses made by Grandma Orton
Piggy tails too.
Eggs and doughnuts made by Grandpa.
Lots of swimming
Horse riding
Hay rides
The two princesses on their ponies.
Tube socks and crocks. This cowboy values his comfort
Cousin Krissy had a birthday!
Grandma and Grandpa took everyone out for Pizza and back home for her to open presents.
The girls did lots of girly stuff and watched princess barbie movies,
screaming and hugging during the scary parts.
The boys did boys stuff in the barn.
(Love Kyle below aiming for Cache.)
Most of the trips home I took on by myself and my 3 littles, resulting in pictures like this:
(Naomi is not the best traveler on the planet.)
And this: (taken in my bed)
And also these:
Swinging legs and singing.
Whoever invented these seats was surely a desperate mom traveling alone with 3 kids.
Our second trip back to LaGrande. Devin got to come along this time!
Highlights of the trip:
- Seeing Grandma Orton taking off on her morning walk with 11 grandchildren! I watched her going off with 3 strollers(some older grand kids pushing younger) and kids with swords etc and thought: "Wow, what a brave brave woman." She is one of a kind and I have no doubt about that! To top it off, she didn't return for over an hour and when they did, everyone was smiling, including her.
- Naomi and her little cousin Kelsie running through the pasture in the "fwim suits" singing and flailing, dancing and then shaking their little bums to some imaginary music. So stinking cute.
- Weenie roast in the back yard on a sweet summer evening.
- -Gage living in the kiddie pool. Like hours.
- Cache finally getting to sleep with all the boys in the red barn bunk house. kinda pictured below. He did great!
- -Frisbee Golf in the pasture.
- -Watching Olympics!
- - Going on a morning run with Devin up one of the beautiful mountains in La Grande. He spotted a road across the valley years and years ago and said: "I wanna run that road!" We made his dream come true. Our plan: park at the bottom and hike up till we find it! We had to go off trail A LOT and get chased by a dog and a few cuts and stickers in my hair and only one non trespassing sign, but we found it! It was THE most gorgeous view. I have to go back and take a picture.
Devin is so so handsome in the Mountains. I love being outside with him. Our running dates are one of my MOST favorite things. We have a blast running and goofing off.
Farmers market on the way home we found a cabbage the size of Devin's head.
- -Date night to Nell's specialty drink shop. We will return.
Straight hair for Krista and curly for Naomi.
Pampered by their teenage cousins Katelyn and Kristen.
Sweet summer memories made.
Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Orton.
They don't come better!
Next up, Oregon summer: Pendleton edition.
