Crater Lake Weekend

Summer is winding down quickly and we’ve been trying to make the most of the final few weekends.   Our friends Joe and Char hadn’t been to Crater Lake in awhile so we took the opportunity to head down there. 

Crater Lake still leaves me in awe every time I see it.  I always try to think about what it would be like to have been an American Indian or an explorer and to have discovered this lake by pure happenstance knowing that I would have been one of the few to have ever seen it.  It is so breathtaking and beautiful.  My photos don’t do it the justice it deserves.

We had a nice dinner at the Crater Lake Lodge. I was so proud of Claire. She did such a good job in the restaurant. I'm always a bit on edge eating out with her. I get nervous she'll start screaming or acting out and we'll have to make a quick exit. It hasn't happened yet. She's been great.







We got there and did a part of the rim drive just as the light was failing and I managed  to grab some shots before dinner.



Claire had a great time, although she had difficulty staying put.  We'll have to work on not running off!

What a great day trip!

Snow Day!

Remember in my last entry when I was talking about how it was 65 degrees?  Well, those days are just a memory now.  We've had temperatures in the teens and snow nearly non-stop since Thursday.  As of this afternoon, about 18" had accumulated on the deck.  We spend the day outside playing in it and defrosting my car to put it in the garage.  Heh. Kind of late to put it in the garage, but at least it'll be dry for work on Monday!

Claire got her first taste of deep snow.  We don't have snow pants for her so we made some make-shift snow pants out of plastic bags and hair elastics!

They worked pretty well!

She got to play in the trailer that was full of snow.

I wonder if we'll be able to get out of the driveway?

Icicles on the front of the house.

Back inside looking out the window after a hot bath!

What a lot of fun!

I hope everyone is doing well.

Jane

Another weekend hike

Russell and I are loving the new pack we got for Claire.  We went out for another hike this weekend and did over 6 miles.  It was windy and pretty cold but Claire just loved it!  She was all smiles and interest.

I am thoroughly enjoying exploring nature with Claire and getting some much needed exercise at the same time.  It's just amazing.

Hiking Adventure

When veteran parents give out the well-meaning advice to first-timers like Russell and me, saying things like, "Take time to enjoy it! It goes by fast.  Before you know it she'll be 16!" I always roll my eyes.  I think to myself, "Yes, do they really think we aren't' enjoying it?"  Or, "It sure doesn't seem like it's going by fast."

The truth is, it really does go by fast!  Claire is now 7 months 4 weeks this week and I'm so excited with how active alert and interested she has become!  Russell and I have been feeling somewhat stir crazy and have been eager to get outside to get some fresh air and exercise.

We recently bought a Kelty Expedition backpack child carrier so we can get out and take hikes and walks with Claire.  

This thing is a Cadillac!  It has a water bladder for the parent, a zip off back-pack, a large storage pouch with changing mat, and a sun/rain hood.

Claire models the new carrier.

Sun/rain hood up.

Side view

Eager to test out the new pack, this weekend we got all packed up and headed out on a 3 mile hike in the Deschutes National Forest.  The weather was fantastic: not too hot, not too cold.  There was no rain in sight and the high clouds filtered the sun so it was pleasant even without sunglasses.  

Family hike

Claire was an absolute cherub.  She loved the fresh air, the birds singing, the sounds of the wind in the trees, and riding along on my back.  Every time I looked at her I saw a huge happy smile!

All smiles

 She did fall asleep for a bit of the hike, but mostly she was awake and wide eyed as though she was taking it all in.  I think we definitely have a nature lover on our hands!

Hiking with Mom!

 We had such a fun time that we are going to make it a weekly thing.  I hope to do many of the local trails and foster a love for nature, hiking, and the outdoors in Claire.  It was just fantastic.

This was a common face during the hike.  She loved it!

I hope everyone is doing well!

Love,
Jane

Claire learns about buying in bulk

This weekend was a big shopping weekend that included our monthly trip to Costco to stock up the kitchen.  It was also the first time that we tried putting Claire in the front of the grocery cart.  She did great and didn't fuss the entire time.  I was really impressed and beaming with motherly pride.  Especially when we would walk by other parents with kids in their carts that were loud, fussy, and crawling all over the cart.  Claire would just look around with interest and awe.

Future bulk shopper.

We did a bunch of other errands that had us out and about for several hours.  Claire was just a doll.  She really is such a calm and easy baby.   When we got home and I went to get her from her car-seat I found her just fast asleep.  I just adore her sleeping face.

Worn out from tons of shopping

Claire has been really interested in the food we are eating, but she's still kind of having a hard time with solid foods.  She makes weird faces and ends up spitting most of the puree out.  We did find out that she loves chicken with chicken broth.  She ate nearly an entire jar.

Chicken with chicken broth was a hit!

 During our shopping outing we found a cute bear suit for Claire at WalMart.  For $19 I just couldn't resist!  It's warm and cozy and will be perfect for the upcoming cold and dry winter.

Bear suit for winter.

It was a fun weekend!

Weekend Recap

It was a gorgeous weekend in Central Oregon!  Sunny, clear skies, and warm temperatures made it seem almost like summer had come back for a moment.

Saturday I did the Run or Dye race up in Redmond.  It was a fun 5K run where the chief purpose of running is to get splattered with multi-colored dye while you run.  It was about 30 degrees at the 9am start and absolutely bitter cold!  Claire and Russell were my most enthusiastic spectators.  Here's Claire with her cute handknit hat from Grandma Walner.  She doesn't really look too thrilled to be out in the cold.  I don't really blame her, but she sure was a good sport!

Here I am during the run getting spattered with dye at one of the color zones.

Here's a few post race shots showing the aftermath of all that colored dye.

The rest of the weekend we spent just leisurely hanging around the house.  Russell did some cooking and baking including making some really delicious cinnamon rolls from a Paula Deen recipe.  Oh my goodness, they were so delicious!  It could have something to do with the 3 sticks of butter and lord knows how many cups of sugar that were the main ingredients.  They were really quite easy to make too.  Store bought cinnamon rolls just don't compare.  Even Cinnabon.

That's about the highlights of the weekend.  I hope everyone else enjoyed themselves and the great weather.

I'll leave you with Claire being her usual super cute self!

With Love,
Jane