Sunday, July 19, 2009 A Week of Wilderness
Last Sunday (July 12th), we left for a week long vacation. We drove 360 miles (about 7 hours including a couple short stops along the way to take breaks) to the Eagle Cap Wilderness in Eastern Oregon. It was a very beautiful drive through the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway; however, we did pass some places with depressing names such as Starvation Creek, Poverty Flat Rd., and Dead Man Pass :). We rented a cabin in Wallowa Lake Resort in Joseph (Oregon's Little Switzerland). Our cabin was right next to the Wallowa River. It was so neat to hear the water rushing by constantly. That first evening, we went fishing at Wallowa Lake. Wallowa Lake was formed by a glacier. It is 5 miles long and 1 mile wide and approximately 300 ft. deep. The panaromic view there is absolutely gorgeous...captivating to say the least.
7-13-09: We drove through the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest to the Hells Canyon Overlook. Wow...what a spectacular view! Hells Canyon is the deepest gorge in North America and is the border between Oregon and Idaho. Along the way, we stopped to fish in the Imnaha River. In the evening, we went hiking on the West Fork Wallowa River Trail (starting at the Wallowa Lake Trailhead) to BC Creek Waterfall. Fantastic fall...quite rewarding!
7-14-09: In the morning, our boys practiced fishing (casting) in the Wallowa River behind our cabin. We then rented two row boats for 5 hours relaxing and fishing in the Wallowa Lake. My 7 year old son caught a Kokanee salmon. When we got back to our cabin, a buck was lying in front of our cabin's door. The deer around there were extremely friendly. They mingled with people and would not hesitate to eat from our hands. After dinner, we went back to the Wallowa Lake to do more fishing and enjoy the beautiful sunset. Each of our sons caught a rainbow trout. We enjoyed eating (cooked) fresh fish tremendously :).
7-15-09: We visited the Wallowa Mountain Visitor Center in Enterprise (Wallowa County's largest city). We then drove into the Eagle Cap Wilderness to Two Pan Trailhead in Lostine. We hiked on the East Fork Lostine River Trail until where the bridge was out. On the drive out, we witnessed the forest fire up in the mountain and talked to some firemen who said that the fire was caused by lightning. In the evening, we did some more fishing at Wallowa Lake. Each boy got a rainbow trout again.
7-16-09: We walked around downtown Joseph. We ran into some friends who happened to be camping at the Wallowa Lake State Park. Then we hiked along the West Fork Wallowa River Trail to explore a different area (than BC Fall). In the evening, we walked to the various gift shops in our resort area...enjoying ice cream cones and buying some souvenirs and candies.
7-17-09: We hiked up the Falls Trail to about 5,700 ft. elevation. Breathtaking view of the Wallowa mountains but dangerous & strenuous trail (especially for young kids). We took an important break at the waterfall :). My husband baptized our daughter and our youngest son. I thanked the Lord for such a precious moment! They expressed the desire to follow Christ and be obedient to God for the rest of their lives. We then rented two paddle boats at the Wallowa Lake. We had a blast racing (my daughter and I were in one boat, my husband and my sons were in the other) and laughing.
When we were at our cabin, we played frisbee and bouncy balls (having so much fun trying to prevent them from falling into the river :)). We also relaxed and played Kuuduk card game.
7-18-09: We had to say good-bye to the Eagle Cap Wilderness. By the way, the Eagle Cap Wilderness is the largest wilderness area in Oregon with a total of 349,987 acres, 53 alpine lakes, and 534 miles of trails in the Wallowa Mountains. The native people of the Wallowa country are the Nez Perce. Wallowa County is famous for bronze foundries. On our way home, we stopped by Multnomah Falls. It is the second-tallest year-round waterfall in the nation. The water of the Falls drops 620 feet from its origin on Larch Mountain.
A week of wilderness wowed us with God's wonders beyond words! What a wonderful & memorable vacation we had! We are so blessed and grateful for this opportunity. I'll post pictures later when I get a chance. |
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Thursday, March 19, 2009 Our Mini-Vacation
Last week, our family had a mini-vacation. My husband was scheduled to attend the Developing Leader Conference in Bend from Tuesday to Friday; therefore, he wanted us to be close by (isn't he so sweet?). We drove to Sunriver on Saturday and stayed in a condo there for a week. He spent the first three days and as much time as possible on the last four days with us. We had fun sledding and cross-country skiing at the Wanoga Sno Park.
We hiked at the Smith Rock State Park. The view there was breathtaking. The pictures don't do it justice.
 
We visited Boyd Cave; we discovered that our 10 year old son had claustrophobia so we did not go too far into the cave. We also went to Tumalo Falls but we did not get to hike to the falls because it was snowing hard and the trail was all covered with deep snow. We decided to just hike up a snowy hill nearby instead. We had a great time feeding two Canadian geese at the Tumalo State Park. We also hiked at LaPine State Park to see the biggest ponderosa pine in the world, "Big Red" (about 500 years old). In the evenings at the condo, we enjoyed playing Sequence and Rummikub. It was a nice, relaxing break for all of us. We are glad to be back home though...until our next vacation :).
(I took tons of pictures during our vacation. However, the new memory stick that we bought during the vacation does not work with our computer. I cannot upload the pictures. Here I can only share some pictures that were taken earlier with the old memory stick.) |
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Monday, September 22, 2008 Trip to the Oregon Zoo
On Sept. 14th, we took the kids to the Oregon Zoo. A baby Asian elephant has been the main attraction lately. We waited in line for about an hour and a half to get a peek at this cutie. He was born on August 23rd. "Samudra" is his name (nicknames: Sam, Sammy); it's a Sanskrit word meaning ocean (the calf apparently likes his bath time). He weighed 336 pounds (as of Sunday when we were there), up from 286 pounds at birth. His mom, "Rose" kept close eyes on him :).
Other animals that we visited included black bears, bobcats, mountain goats, beavers, bald eagles, Steller sea lions, sea otters, polar bear, penguins, lorikeets, tigers, leopard, babirusa, chimpanzee, mandrill, gibbons, African birds, rhino, hippos, zebras, pygmy goats, giraffe, crocodiles, duikers, Nile monitor, fruit bats, and python. We also saw the Frog traveling exhibition featuring frogs from around the world, including the endangered Oregon spotted frog. We had fun and got lots of exercise as a bonus (P.E. credit?) :).
 
 
 
 
 
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008 Step Back in Time
Last Friday, my daughter and I went on a field trip with our homeschool group to Champoeg State Park.
We had so much fun experiencing pioneer living. We visited Butteville Academy, a mid 1860's one-room country school where the teacher would teach students of different ages/grade levels (sounds familiar? :)). The teacher (in costume) played a pioneer learning game with the kids. Students were to choose an alphabet and supply an adjective for the first blank space and a proper noun for the second blank space beginning with the same alphabet. For example, I pick "s", then I say, "The preacher's cat is a silly cat and his name is Sammy."
My daughter got the opportunity to write with a quill pen on her hand-made journal and make a pioneer toy called, "Buzzsaw." We also checked out Butteville Jail. We then visited Robert Newell House Museum Complex. The home was built by Robert and Rebecca Newell in 1852 and was the only home to survive the flood of 1861. Later it was restored by the Daughters of the American Revolution in the 1950's and made into a museum filled with historical artifacts (i.e. pioneer furnishings, quilts, gowns, Indian artifacts, etc.) The kids were assigned a scavenger hunt of items used during the mid 19th century. They also had a chance to make a hand-dipped candle to take home.
 (Hair wreath)
 (Feather wreath)
We then went to Pioneer Mother's Memorial Cabin. This log cabin was built in 1931as a museum to display the artifacts collected from the belongings of the 1850's Oregon pioneers. The kids got to work with sourdough, card lamb's wool to make a bracelet, and wash clothes on an antique washboard.
After the tour, my daughter and I visited the Visitor Center and Museum Store. I bought a rabbit fur for my daughter's hope chest :). We both really enjoyed learning about "Champoeg, the Birthplace of Oregon" (it's the place where some 100 men met on May 2, 1843 to organize the first laws of the Oregon territorial government).
Then on Saturday, our family attended the annual Medieval Faire in our town. Lots of people were in costumes from that time period. It was neat to be able to step back in time and just imagine :).
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Saturday, April 12, 2008 Tulip Festival
Today was a beautiful, sunny day here in Oregon. We went to the Tulip Festival in Woodburn. I love tulips! This place called "Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm" has over 40 acres of tulips and daffodils. There are so many varieties of tulips. These tulips splendidly displayed brilliant colors that were such a feast to the eyes. I only wish I had more memory sticks for my camera :). People plant seeds or bulbs but the Lord makes plants/flowers grow. Our God is the most awesome Artist!
By the way, the watermark on the photos shows the address of my photo blog :).
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Monday, February 25, 2008 The Warrior
Yesterday, we took a Chinese friend to see a play called, "The Warrior." It's the story of David and Uriah (II Samuel 1:1 through I Kings 2:12). Marilyn Olson wrote the play script and composed all the songs and music. Two of our friend/fellow homeschool mom's children were in the play. They're very talented. The older of the two also directed and choreographed the play. She also teaches a drama class at our homeschool co-op. The play was entertaining and filled with delightful music. We just wished the costumes were more modest. They showed way tooooooo much skin and exposed the body parts that shouldn't be exposed. My 6 and 9 year old boys even pointed out that the actresses did not dress well (modestly).
Do you realize that we, Christ's followers, are warriors? We are constantly fighting against our flesh/sinful nature (Romans 7:18-20), the world (Romans 12:2, 1John 2:15-17), and satan. We need to be on guard and have the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) on at all times. Thankfully, God is with us and we are part of His army! "With God we will gain the victory and He will trample down our enemies." Psalm 60:12
"The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name." Exodus 15:2-3
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Saturday, February 16, 2008 Three Strikes and You're Out (of money!)
We are a very frugal family. But we enjoy eating out once in a while :). Well, the past 3 days are the exception. On Thursday (Valentine's Day), we went to have dinner at an Indian restaurant called, "Indian Palace" (we love their lamb dishes). Yesterday, we went to have dim sum at a Chinese restaurant (we love dim sum). Today we enjoyed seafood at Dooger's (we love seafood, especially fresh crab!). Now...we're broke but our taste buds are happy :).
Today was a long, fun day. First, we drove to Seaside. My husband and the boys enjoyed the carousel. We played in the Arcade. My husband got 4 different stuffed animals (one for me and three for the kids) from a machine with a metal claw (that eats coins!) We then drove to Cannon Beach. After our lunch at Dooger's, we went to Ecola State Park. We took in the fresh, ocean air and the beautiful scenery. We hiked around the area. Next, we walked along the beach enjoying the gorgeous sunset. Can anyone look at the sun set over the horizon on the ocean and not be filled with praise in his heart for God the Creator? "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom." Isaiah 40:28
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Tuesday, December 25, 2007 Storybook Lane
On Sunday (Dec. 23rd), we took the kids to Storybook Lane, beautiful outdoor light displays depicting different children stories and nursery rhymes. A local family graciously organized this every two years.
Charlie Brown Christmas! We're glad that Linus knows the true meaning of CHRISTmas.
Can you spot 3 different nursery rhymes?
Sorry, Mrs. Potts; I only got your nose :).
Poor Eeyore, he got blocked :).
Cinderella does glow, doesn't she?
Can you find Goldilocks? She's there but you have to look carefully.
By the way, have you noticed that there are dalmatians in every picture? There are altogether 101 dalmatians, of course :).
Good-bye! We hope you enjoyed strolling down the Storybook Lane with us. |
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Saturday, October 27, 2007 A Gorgeous Day in October
The weather was gorgeous today so we decided to go to the beach (Oceanside). On the way there, we stopped by Blue Heron Restaurant in Tillamook to have our lunch. Great food! When we arrived at the beach, we were pleasantly surprised that it was not crowded at all.
We got wet but it was fun getting lapped by the waves :). We enjoyed going through a little cave. The kids happily played with the sand while my husband and I relaxed in the sun and cool breeze. Next, we went to Cape Meares Lighthouse, Oregon's shortest lighthouse (38 feet tall). The tour guide led us to the top of the tower and explained about the history of the lighthouse. The tower light's eight-sided lens are made of glass (2,000 lbs altogether) from France. It must have been quite a challenge to haul up the lens over the cliff to the tower. Before we left, we made a souvenir penny in the gift shop.
On the way home, we stopped by Tillamook again. This time we went into an antique store. There were many beautiful original paintings but they're very expensive. One of the oil paintings was done by Heinie Hartwig, a well-known California artist. Exceptional artwork (exceptional price, too...$9,995.00!) We were excited to find a painting that we liked and were able to afford (no, not by Hartwig :)). We purchased an original oil painting by a Thai artist for $35.
We then went to the ice cream/candy store next door. We had pumpkin milkshake and cookie bowl sundae. Very yummily delicious (I just think we should be able to make "yummy" an adverb when necessary :)) That's how we spent a rare, gorgeous day in October. |
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Monday, July 23, 2007 Family Fun Day
| Yesterday, we went to Family Fun Day at Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals. There were 8 different game stations: Mineral Hunt, Rock Around the Clock, Stump the Tour Guide, Beat the Clock (quiz game), Musical Chairs, Sand Sift, Basketball Shoot, and Wiffle Ball Toss. After we played each game, we got a stamp on our tour de jour game cards. When the cards were filled, we received prizes (polished rocks and grab bags). Some of the cool stuff we found in our grab bags were garnets, opal, smokey quartz, sunstones (Oregon State gemstone), miscellaneous fossils, a $3 off coupon for use in the museum's store, and a free museum admission pass for 2 guests. We used our $3 coupon to purchase a beautiful onyx dolphin ($6; we only had to pay $3 with the coupon). We always have a great time there; we already plan to go back again for their annual Summer Festival on Aug. 18th. |
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Saturday, June 9, 2007 Fishing Fun
This weekend is "Free Fishing Weekend" in Oregon. It allows the public to fish, clam, or crab anywhere in Oregon without a fishing license or tag. Today we took the kids to Henry Hagg Lake to fish. It was raining all day but we had a great time. We are true Oregonians :). There's a saying, "A woman who has never seen her husband fishing doesn't know what a patient man she married!" Well, now I can say, "A mom who has never seen her kids fishing doesn't know what patient kids she raised!" :) They were so thrilled when fish bit and tugged and they got to reel in real wiggling fish. This is the first fish my 8 year-old son caught but we let it go because it's too small. Isn't it so cute?
Later he got a beautiful rainbow trout...
Then my 13 year-old daugther got one.
Well, the Lord wanted to bless all three kids so He helped my 5 year-old son catch one, too.
We all enjoyed eating delicious fresh fish dish for dinner. The wonderful aroma still lingers in the air :).
"'Come, follow Me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.'" Matthew 4:19 Don't feel discouraged if you haven't caught anything (anyone). It takes "patience." Keep praying for the unreached & unsaved and reaching out sharing the Gospel with love (...love is patient...)! Oh..the thrill of leading someone into God's kingdom is worth all the work and waiting! |
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Sunday, May 27, 2007 We were on Jeopardy!
It was a beautiful day yesterday and we had one blast after another :)! We first went to the Tillamook Forest Center. We participated in a fun game of "Recreation Jeopardy" hosted by "Alex Treebark." There were 6 categories: History, Wildlife, Trails, Campgrounds, Regulations, and OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) Equipment. My 13 yo daughter and I were one team and we won! Our score was 3,450. My husband and our boys were another team and they did really well. The third team consisted of a mother and her daughter. My daughter and I barely won because of the daily double :). The prizes we won were a T-shirt, frisbee, bag clip and whistles. Inside the building, there are exhibits and interactive displays. Through the back door of the building we walked out on the 250-foot long suspension bridge over the Wilson River. There are ten miles of hiking trail to the east and ten miles of hiking trail to the west. In front of the building stands the lookout tower. It takes 72 steps to get up there (we counted since we missed that question on the Jeopardy game!)
Our next stop was Tillamook County Pioneer Museum. We saw a replica of the tree stump "house" where Joseph Champion, Tillamook's first white settler, lived in 1851. A replica of a pioneer home and barn. On the upper level, we really enjoyed the Natural Hisory section which showcases tons of mammals, insects, birds, nests & eggs, shells, rocks, and more. We also saw a display of dolls and toys from the pioneer time. In the lower level, we found the last stagecoach to make the mail run from Tillamook to Yamhill in 1911, a 1902 Holsman horseless carriage, old washing machines, coffee mill, saddles, blacksmithing tools, etc. Other displays include intricate Native Americans handicrafts, rifles from the mid 1840s to 1860s, weapons of war, and lots more. Oh...there are so many things to look at...we will have to go back to visit again :). It was very interesting to travel through the past.
Since we were in Tillamook, we couldn't not stop by the Tillamook Cheese Visitor's Center. We have been there to see the cheesemaking room and packaging line through the observation areas several times. Their sample counter is always a big hit. They make very tasty cheese and ice cream! Have you ever tried them?
Then we drove to Cape Meares State Park and Lighthouse. This lighthouse was in use for 73 years from 1890 to 1963. The view there was fantastic. I wish I had more memory space on my digital camera :). We also visited "Octopus Tree" (Sitka Spruce with unusual branching and size formed by strong coastal wind).
The ocean was calling our names :). We decided to go to Oceanside. It was very windy but we didn't mind because we had too much fun beachcombing and enjoying the fresh ocean air.
It's going to be hard to beat or repeat...five fun-filled fieldtrips in a day! But we will certainly try :).
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Monday, March 19, 2007 "V" comes before "W"..."Vacation" comes before "Work" :)
We just got back from our vacation yesterday and my husband started his new job today. Our vacation began last Wednesday evening. We stopped to look at Detroit Dam. We drove over 5 hours to our rented vacation home in Sunriver. It was supposed to be only about 4 hours. Well, we blamed our voice navigation in our van. It led us into a muddy camping area in the Deschutes National Forest. It was dark and scary! The Lord saved us from getting stuck there. We're so thankful we have an all-wheel drive vehicle. We found out later that the voice navigation tried to take us through a shortcut to the backyard of the vacation home (which backs up to the Deschutes National Forest). The house was very lovely, surrounded by Ponderosa pine trees. It also has a nice hot tub which my husband and I took advantage of :).
On Thursday, we went cross-country skiiing at Dutchman Flat Sno-Park in the morning and at Virginia Meissner Sno-Park in the afternoon. We really enjoyed our new sport. The kids learned fast and did so well. We had a yummy lunch at Toomies Thai Restaurant in Bend. Their lunch menu was neat; each dish was served with rice, salad with peanut sauce, and Pad Thai. I like their style :). In the evening, we had fun playing Jenga before the kids went to bed.
On Friday, we went to the famous High Desert Museum. We got to experience the wonder of "America's Outback" (the nickname given to the High Desert that ranges from southern British Columbia through Nevada's Great Basin and from the Rockies to the Cascades and Sierra). Lots to explore indoors and outdoors! We visited the 1890s Lazinka Sawmill, 1880s Homestead Ranch (we went inside a log cabin and saw how pioneers lived), Changing Forest Exhibit, Native American Camp (displaying the real tipis like the ones used by Plateau Indians), Spirit of the West (Hall of Exploration and Settlement), Hall of Plateau Indians, DeMoss Stagecoach (the stagecoach that carried Mark Twain, Horace Greeley, and the DeMoss Lyric Bards, who performed throughout the West), and Desertarium (where we saw snakes, scorpions, desert collared lizards, owls, a black widow spider, etc.) The kids climbed a giant spider web (made of rope). We particularly enjoyed watching live animals. We saw a fox, porcupine, and Canadian lynx up close. We had a great time watching a playful river otter swim, sunbathe, run around, eat a pine cone, and act silly :). It's so cute! At the Birds of Prey Center, we saw different kinds of owls, Ferriguous Hawk (the largest North American hawk) stretching his wings, and a golden eagle eating a little bird for a snack. We also saw rainbow trout in a stream eating a bug in action. This is a great place for a field trip, especially for those interested in the natural and cultural history and resources of the High Desert. At night we played Junior Labyrinth and Visual Brain Storms. Cool thinking games!
On Saturday, we went up to Mt. Bachelor to do snow-tubing. It has 6 different tube runs and a lift that tows tubes (with riders sitting in them) up to the top. We all had a blast! We tried all 6 lanes (the 3rd one was our favorite). We snow-tubed down individually; we also did altogether (by holding hands). After lunch, we did more cross-country skiing at Virginia Meissner Sno-Park. We loved it there because the trails were groomed and there was no one around. At night, there were many rounds of "Rich Man-Poor Man" (our boys' favorite card game originated in Japan).
On Sunday (yesterday), we packed up and then stopped by Village Mall in Sunriver before heading home. We bought leather waistbags, hazelnut toffees, and thundereggs (we had fun & difficulty cracking them today; they're hard as a rock...oh yeah, they are rocks!). We took a lunch break in Sisters (a cowboy/western town). Very interesting!
The Lord blessed us with gorgeous weather during our vacation. We all had a fun and relaxing time. Hmmm...where should we go for our next vacation? Never too early to plan, right? :) |
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Saturday, February 10, 2007 We rocked today! :)
Today we went to Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals. We saw beautiful collections of minerals, rare gem crystals, petrified wood, meteorites, common & unusual rocks, and fossils. It was neat to see a baby psittacosaurus dinosaur's fossil. Yes, some of us even were brave enough to touch a coprolite (aka fossilized dinosaur dung  ). We also enjoyed the gallery of natural minerals that emitted magnificent colors when ultraviolet light shone on them. There was a huge area that displays numerous thundereggs (the Oregon State Rock) and sunstones (the Oregon State Gemstone). We were really impressed with a 70-pound meteorite, a 1,600-pound thunderegg and a 1,800-pound petrified wood.
This is our second time there and we love to visit again and again because there's so much to see and learn. We had a great time admiring God's wonderful designs. Outside the buildings, there's a "rock pile," consisting of agates, petrified wood, jasper, thundereggs, obsidian, quartz, crystals, etc. Each kid was allowed to pick a free rock from the pile. What a treat it was...to go through that pile of treasures! The gift shop was cool, too. We bought postcards (pictures of "petrified wood", "fluorite", "beryl", "gold", "pyromorphite", "rhodochrosite", "gypsum", "quartz", "malachite", and "azurite") and a ring (made from jade) for our daughter (early Valentine's gift  ). The kids plan to have a rock show of their own tomorrow. They do have quite a collection. Our fun field trip certainly rocked (and inspired  ).
"He alone is my Rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty Rock, my refuge." Psalm 62:6-7
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Monday, October 16, 2006 Spontaneous Vacation
Thanks to my husband's spontaneity, we had one of our best vacations this weekend! On Friday afternoon, my husband announced to me and our kids that we were going to spend our weekend at a cabin near Government Camp. We left Saturday morning. The cabin was wonderful (better than we expected)! It's cozy and secluded, located next to Still Creek in Mt. Hood National Forest. The creek with a small waterfall was right there when we stepped through the back door. We could enjoy the sound of the waterfall and the creek even from the inside of the cabin. Tranquility is what we loved most about the place.
After we settled in our cabin, we started our first adventure. We went to hike up Mt. Hood (Oregon's tallest mountain...also a dormant volcano) from Timberline Lodge (a National Historic Landmark, 6,000' elevation). The weather was beautiful that day. We didn't get to the peak (11,239') but we went up high enough (approx. 7,500' elevation) to admire the spectacular close-up view of Mt. Hood, the stunning scenic views of the Cascade Range (including Mt. Jefferson with Three Sisters) and Trillium Lake, and to sled down a ski path (nobody was skiing at the time and we used our coats as sleds). It was FUNtastic!
Our adventures continued the next day. We went to Wildwood Recreation Site and we were deligted to see young coho salmons swimming in their natural habitat (actual streambed) through underwater viewing windows. We also spotted a frog and a crayfish. Way cool! We then had salmon sub-sandwiches for lunch. Very yummy!
Our next quest for adventures took us through Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. Oh...it was incredibly adventurous (we kept going until we came to a dead end in the middle of nowhere)! We had a great time admiring (and taking pictures of) old growth trees and ravishing creeks while keeping our eyes open for any wildlife. We also had tons of fun trying to catch the falling leaves while the van was moving.
Our next stop is a lot tamer :). We visited Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum. The kids really enjoyed the scavenger hunt (trying to find the answers to questions on the sheet by acquiring info. from the different exhibits). Mom and Dad had fun helping :). We got done just at the closing time; each of the kids received a paper placemat featuring a 1940's map of Mt. Hood (and all the cool facts about it).
Our last stop before heading back to the cabin for the night was Trillium Lake. The view was splendid and I wish we had more time to explore there but it was getting dark and we had had a full day.
Today after we packed up our van, we revisited Timberline Lodge/Mt. Hood because it got snow up there (at least a foot thick). We felt like we drove through a winter wonderland. Sooooooo pretty!!! We played snow ball fights (of course) and did more sledding (this time we used our big cooler chest's top). There were no sleds for rent around and we didn't take ours so we were forced to be creative :). We would love to stay & play in the snow all day but we thought we'd better head back home before it snowed harder and our van may have trouble getting out of that winter wonderland.
Later on, we stopped by the Oregon Candy Farm in Sandy. It was neat that visitors could view the candy making process through large glass windows. They use old-fashioned methods of cooking, molding, and shaping chocolates by hand. We got a variety of scrumptious chocolates to satisfy our sweet taste buds for a while.
Wow...what a memorable & sweet vacation! We praise God for His creation that continues to hold many surprises and indescribable beauty. WOW!
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Sunday, September 24, 2006 Super Saturday in Salem
Yesterday we traveled to Salem to visit Grandma (my husband's mom). We (including her) went to A.C.Gilbert's Discovery Village (a hands-on children's museum). Oooh...we (young and old) had a blast! We loved "frozen shadows" where we had about 6 seconds to pose then we could see our frozen shadows on the wall. We went wild with our silly poses. So cool :)! We had tons of fun with bubbles, balls, and body parts. We even got to appear in a video game; a person can stand within a marked area and grab different items and sort them out either into a recycling bin or a trash bin (not in reality but virtual reality). In reality, you just grab air  and jump up & down and move from side to side like someone who's gone bonkers :) . This place not only has two buildings filled with fun, interesting, educational stuff, but also has a gigantic play structure outside that was outstanding! Complicated mazes, dark & scary slides, bouncy balancing bridge, rock climbing wall, etc. My kids pointed out that it's the perfect place for playing hide and seek :). I agreed! My 4 yo son had a great time shopping in the "grocery store" where there were play food items that looked and felt so real. Peaches felt fuzzy like peaches! Peachy cool, huh?
After we had an intense, energetic time playing & exploring, we went to Mill Creek and enjoyed our relaxing time of feeding the mallards, Canadian geese, and pigeons there. These animals love to eat and they're quite bold. We went through 10 loaves of bread in no time :). This feeding activity turned out to be somewhat a dangerous adventure...when a small airplane flew past causing all the pigeons to fly up above our heads. We all ran for cover (into our van) as fast as we could because multitudes of potential poop is not something we should take lightly. In addition, on the ground we had to be very careful where we stepped; it was like a land mine except that this was a pigeon's poop mine, instead. We had a fabulous day but we were pretty much pooped by the late afternoon  . |
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Friday, September 8, 2006 Family Fun Friday :)!
Today my darling took a day off work to be with us. We took the kids to Oaks Park (the amusement park in Portland) because it's "Homeschool Day" there from noon to 4 p.m. (homeschoolers could buy an unlimited ride bracelet for $8, instead of $13.75). We had a blast! There were lots of homeschoolers there but it was not crowded. We didn't have to wait long for each ride. The weather was gorgeous, too.
We went on Kiddie-Coaster, Hot-Air Balloon ride, Lewis and Clark journey (2 times), Ferris Wheel, Train ride, Tea-Cup, Huge Pink Slide (2 times), and Carousel. My youngest son also enjoyed riding a Jet Plane, a Motorcycle, and a Car (little kids' rides). My hubby and daughter were more daring (than me!) and went on "Screamin' Eagle" where all the loudest screams were generated and could be heard throughtout the park. My inner organs and my mind screamed, too, "No wayyyyy...I would ever get on that ride!" :) Just watching them made me scream enough (probably louder than them). After that ride, my hubby admitted that his stomach was not as young/strong as it used to be :). My hubby and daughter also tried an intense roller coaster later on. They survived.. barely :).
We then went to have dim-sum at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants. After that, we went to Baskin Robbins for yummy ice cream treats. On the way home, we picked up pizza for our (late) dinner. We had a wonderful family time together. Now I will spend my weekend getting ready to start school on Monday. I'm so excited...I just can't hide it :).
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Monday, July 10, 2006 Dangerous, but Fun...Exhausting, but Fantastic
This past Saturday, the weather was so beautiful that we just had to go hiking. We picked Saddle Mountain (4 miles-up & down). Steady incline...steep slope...stumbled...slipped...sweated...loose gravel...lost balance...took breaks...drank tons...pretty wild flowers...narrow path...aching knees...towering trees...twists and turns...then...finally, we're on top of the world  (okay...not quite)! The breathtaking view of the mountain range and the ocean made it all worthwhile. So gorgeous...so gigantic...so grand!!! It's hard to describe the feeling I had when standing on an over 3,000 ft. high mountain peak (especially on the edge/tip that protrudes out into thin air). I was in awe of God's awesome wonders! I can't imagine anyone can stare at that striking beauty and not praise its Creator. God is the best Artist!
After cruising downhill, we went to Seaside to make our tummies happy. Ooh...nothing beats fresh seafood! Have you ever tried Salmon cheeks? They're very delicious. We also enjoyed shrimp cocktail, clam chowder, elephant ear, and ice-cream. We walked to the beach (too crowded) and went sightseeing (more walking). Our last stop...was a candy store where the kids enthusiastically selected various candies (sold by weight). Sweet ending to our fun-filled Saturday!
"For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care." Psalm 95:3-7
The mountains and seas testify the majesty of our God Almighty!
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