Candyhouse Grandpa

While up in Oregon, Dylan wanted to do whatever my dad was doing. He'd be getting in to his swimsuit and he'd ask "Is Grandpa getting into his swimsuit right now?"

We'd be getting ready for the day and he'd ask, "What kind of shoes is Grandpa going to wear today?"

Hiking stick time

On Grandpa's paddleboard. They took almost daily trips around on the lake together, Dylan perched on the front of my dad's board.

Making fires at night.

Swimming on the lake together.

Fishing.

Playing his guitar for the kids. (He's learning to play a metallica song that is just too cool).

We found them clowning around together at the Newport Aquarium.

Dylan loved spending time with his Candyhouse Grandpa.

Honeyman Park, Oregon

The park across from my parent's house is called Honeyman. People from all over the country come there for vacations and camping and to enjoy the hills, lake, sand dunes, with popcorn and ice cream in the little store. We spent one afternoon there for Dylan and Grandpa to look for a special hiking stick to keep at the lakehouse. It was gorgeous.

Enjoying the pretty flowers at Honeyman Park while Dylan and Grandpa looked for hiking sticks

Dylan with his new hiking stick he and Grandpa found together and carved up.

Dylan and his Grandma with their hiking sticks.

Ice Cream!

After this, we went over to the sand dunes so Dylan could try some sandboarding/sleding. The saucer we brought with us didn't work, so Dylan decided instead to run down the dunes. You wouldn't have ever known THAT wasn't the plan. He was all giggles. I have a video of it. He was just too cute.

On the lake

Kathy and Addie on the dock

On the motor boat!

Driving the boat with Grandpa.
Too bad I didn't get a picture of Kathy that day on the boat. She hadn't ever been on a motor boat and it was fun to watch her with the wind in her hair and just laughing and having so much fun.

Loving just being on the lake together with my boy in the paddleboat

I even got brave and tried out my dad's paddleboard near the end of the trip.

And while I'm bragging, I'll mention that my mom and I swam out from the dock to the trampoline on our last day there. Both my mom and I NEVER go actually INTO the lake, being that it's pretty cold and we just prefer to watch everyone else in the water and stay dry. But that last day Dylan had done a lot of swimming and I had promised him that I would go with him if he practiced his swimming earlier in the day. I drug my mom with me. Misery (fear) loves company. Dylan swam out with us and we were all very, very brave!

Oregon

This year because of Ryan's work, he was unable to come with us to Oregon. We missed him very much, wishing he could be a part of our adventures and there to enjoy relaxing on the dock as we love to do together. We took lots of pictures, however, and here are just a few.

The front garden at my parent's lake house.

On the airplane on the way from LA to Oregon...

Our friend Kathy came with us for the first half of the trip and it was really neat to share such a special place with her. And can I just say that flying with two kids is WAY easier with another adult? I really missed her on the way back to LA...

Newport Aquarium
In the glass walled tunnel where we sat and watched the sharks swim right over our heads.

Grandpa clowning around in the aquarium giftshop (where Dylan got a 'REAL sharktooth!')

Heceta Head Lighthouse
The view at the bottom of the hike up to see the lighthouse. It was just so beautiful.

Hiking up the hill with Addie happily in tow.

One of the few pictures Kathy let herself into. It was such fun to share the trip with her!

Gorgeous view when we got up to the top.

On our way back down the hill from seeing the lighthouse.

Last Day :-(

We canoed out to a cool sandbar today with Dylan and realized we should have been using that spot all week because it was perfect for Dylan. He played on the sand and the water was only knee deep for him. A good idea for next year!

Heceta Head

Yesterday we spent the day up the road at Heceta Head.
We hiked up to the lighthouse.

Taking pictures and picking wild blackberries along the way.
Then a picnic by the ocean.
This morning Ryan took the canoe out by himself for a bit while the lake was still quiet.

Swimming with Daddy in the lake.
And here's another one of Addie with a new hairbow debut...

Oregon Day 1

We got to Florence, OR yesterday and had fun today playing on the lake.
Dylan's grandma and grandpa have a trampoline raft anchored out in the cove of the lake they live on, and Dylan and I (Ryan) swam out to it. Dylan had fun jumping till he had no energy, and I had fun watching him.

Dylan and I took the paddle boat out, then came back and picked up mommy for another ride. By this time Dylan actually was so tired he almost fell asleep in the boat.

Meanwhile, Addison enjoyed the cool breeze off the lake all day.

A Candy House

A few of Dylan's highlights from our Oregon trip:

-Dylan helping grandpa make a fire in the fireplace
-Driving the boat with grandpa
-Making a candy house with grandma (gingerbread house)
-Staring at the candy house, eating the candy house, talking about the candy house
-Bathtime in grandma's huge spa tub (ok, that was one of my favorites too!)
-Pluto and Mickey Mouse movies
-Walking in town by the boat docks
-Christmas morning!
-Cooking with grandma
-Sleeping in everyday until after 10:00 (ok, another of my favorites)
-Chasing grandma's kitties around the house
-Singing "Pop Goes The Weasel" in the car with grandparents (over and over and over and over again)

Christmas in Oregon

We just returned from a 10 day trip up to the Oregon coast, where my parents live for part of the year since they've retired. Their log-cabin house is incredible and very comfortable, which made it not only hard to wake up each morning while we were there, but also very hard to leave yesterday.

This is the house - viewed from the lake on our boat-ride between rain storms (FYI, Oregon gets something like 70 inches of rain a year!)
Here we are on my parent's boat, snuggled up and enjoying the time outside!
Dylan loved "driving the boat" with his grandpa (who he calls his Tapa).
Dylan in front of the Christmas tree that my parent's got for us to have downstairs during our stay and wake up to on Christmas morning.
Time to open presents... Ready, set, go!
Lots and lots of presents.

Sidenote: When we arrived at LAX yesterday, we ran into the paparazzi at the baggage claim. Who were they looking for? None other than Larry Birkhead (the daddy of the late Anna Nicole Smith's baby). As I stood waiting for our bags, I chatted with the camera-man for TMZ who said that the celebrities actually tip the press off themselves to get publicity. Gotta love LA.