Our Summer Vacation

Telling Grandma all about it

Better late than never!

In August we took a trip to see Grandpa and Grandma B. It was a wonderful trip with lots of memories..

• A sign we live in a flat agricultural area: as we drove through hilly northeastern Oregon, Katya's comment was "Oh! Lots of big piles of dirt covered with hay!" We explained that the 'big piles' were hills and the even bigger piles farther away were mountains.
• When traveling with two little ones, frequent leisurely breaks are necessary. But with good weather and pleasant places to stop, some of our stops were downright enjoyable: a long lunch in a grassy area generously shaded by large trees; a foresty rest stop were K learns another vocabulary word--stump; a city park with really great play equipment and lots of shade.
• We were lucky with the effect of music on this trip. Going, K had been wide awake and going strong the entire day but finally collapsed into a snooze when I put a Johnny Cash cd on; coming back, both fussy kids relaxed and slept when I put on a classical cd I always played at home when it was time for T to nap.
• It was nice to see the the grandparents and the aunts all taking turns holding T and playing with K.
• Tobiah made it through an entire church service for the first time in his little life. It helped that there was a large area in the back where I could walk him to and fro, and I think he was soothed by Grandpa's voice up front.
• Though the 'tyranny of bedtime' loomed large at dinner, it was great to have grownup conversations about China and hear some of Grandpa's stories from his younger days.
• The four of us successfully slept in one room! This is something K talked about for a long time. She also liked to remember that she slept on a cot with "a bag on it."
• It was a treat to see how beautifully Mom and Dad have decorated their house since we were there last and how well all their flowers and trees are doing.
• When Mom took Tobiah around the yard to show him the different colored flowers, he got all excited and kicked his legs when he saw ones he liked.
• There was a pool at the hotel we stayed at coming back. Katya and I took a swim and we had the pool to ourselves. She enjoyed kicking while I toted her around in the deeper water. Later she said, "I got to swim in the big pool! Mama fit in it too. Because it had stairs."
• I guess we rarely eat fast food: we picked up lunch at McDonalds for a picnic in the park. Katya looked at the french fries in front of her and said "What are these?"
• We visited the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. A powerful experience vividly recounting life on the Oregon Trail. As we drive home, it's about all I can think about as I watch the dry sagebrush land pass by.