Swing Time

Now that the weather is getting nicer, the girls spend a lot of time playing outside. The other day I looked out my window and saw the girls taking turns spinning each other. It's not often that they take turns or play so well together. I had to get some pictures of the fun.

K winding L up.

The release and dodge.

L laughed and laughed as she unwound.

L spinning up K.

It was a little harder for L, but she managed
with some help from her sissy.

And the wind-down.

Brice Creek Falls

Are you sick of seeing all these falls yet? I think we may be starting to get tired of driving to all these falls. We aren't tired of the hiking, just the drive to get there. The kids are kind of whiny and tend to fight a lot in the truck. I am guessing it is because of their close proximity. Anyway, on Monday we went to Brice Creek Falls. It was more of a swimming hole than a fall. It was a very easy walk, even wheel chair accessible. There were quite a few people swimming in the pool of water below the 5 foot fall. The girls put their hands in and the water wasn't too cold. After the hike we drove up to see another fall, Dinner Ridge Falls. I think we were a little late in the season for it to look impressive. But since we could see it from the road, not a big loss on our part.

A side fall going into Brice Creek.

Brice Creek Falls.

The girls putting their hands in the churning water.

Dinner Ridge Falls.

Independance Day BBQ

We went to our friends house for a BBQ this year. For the past four years we have gotten together with three other families to celebrate the 4th. Unfortunately one of the families moved away so this year was a little sad for us. One of the other families was sick so they also couldn't attend. A different family was invited this year and we all had a really good time. I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of the womenfolk, but I got lots of the cute kiddos. Thanks for the yummy victuals.

K and K

Eli and Randy with E.

M and Randy.

Eli was a good sport, pushing the girls in the car.

L was pretty good at pushing the little kids too.

L playing on the swing set.

Pinard and Junetta Creek Falls

Yes, we were at it again this weekend. We went to Junetta Creek Falls which was just off the road. We were able to walk down to get a closer look but it was really just a creek falling down a couple of feet. After we had our fill of looking at the fast flowing water, we got back into our truck and headed to Pinard Falls. It was a half mile hike off the road and it was a little hard in some places. There was a slippery part where I fell down, but I was only skinned up a bit. When we got near the base of the falls, there was a steep and kind of slippery part where M had to carry the kids down, but we made it to the fall. This one is really tall and very pretty. We rested at the base of the fall while daddy took pictures. The trip back up to the truck was a little harder. The slippery parts were trickier going up than down, but we made it in one piece.

A picture of Junetta Falls from the road.

Junetta Falls

The family headed to Pinard Falls.

A small fall we walked past along the trail to Pinard.

Pinard Falls.

The family in front of Pinard Falls.

Alsea Falls and Green Peak Falls

On Saturday we went to pick strawberries and after ward we headed to see some more falls. We went to Alsea Falls recreational site. Alsea falls is just a few hundred yards from the parking lot. There is also a trail to follow through the woods along the creek that comes out at Green Peak Falls. It was a mile hike to the falls and it was so hot. But once we got there, we were able to put our feet into the cool creek water. While we were there, some other people came down and were catching crawdads to cook for dinner. After relaxing and cooling off for a while, we headed back to the car. This hike seems to be the hardest one we have done so far. I am not sure if it was, or if it just felt like it because it was so hot. Either way, it was fun and exhausting.

Alsea Falls.

Us girls sitting by the falls.

Look at my heart, dad!

Green Peak Falls.

L didn't like the cold water too much.

K didn't mind the cold water too much.
After a while she got used to it, she just didn't
like the sharp rocks too much.

Great Minds

We both thought of the same gift for each other this year: lever action rifles. Last year before Christmas, M told me about a guy who was selling a .22 lever action he wanted. He said I should buy it as a Christmas gift for him. I told him I didn't buy it, but he got really cocky about it. So I hid it away to give to him later.
On Valentine's Day he again told me he knew I had gotten him the gun and would act surprised when he opened it. I left it hidden away hoping that he would forget about it, or at the very least, accept the fact that he was wrong about me buying it.
So when our anniversary rolled around and he hadn't mentioned the gun, I decided it was finally time to give it to him. He was happy when he opened the box and found the gun I "didn't buy."
I also got a great surprise. He bought me a .38 lever action to match my .38 cowboy revolver. I was happy to finally get it. They look great together! I can't wait to go out and shoot it; I just have to find a babysitter before we can go.

M with his long-awaited .22.

I couldn't figure out why he gave me the guitar
case to unwrap. But it was all the rifle could fit in.

The new additions to our family.
Aren't they pretty?

Here is my revolver with my lever.
Pretty good match, would you say?

Here are my pretty guns with the holster
M got me for Valentine's Day. All I'm missin' now is a horse.

I stopped by Sweet Life for some treats after dinner.
This is mousse and a black bottom cupcake.

I couldn't resist getting this cake called
Chocolate Obsession. It was so yummy!

Eight Years and Still Going Strong

Monday was our anniversary. In some ways it doesn't feel like we have been married for eight years; in others it seems like we have always been together. We have experienced a lot including: Two jobs, 4 homes, 5 vehicles, 1 cat, a myriad of church callings-mostly with the youth, 2 wards, and the many challenges and thrills of raising 2 girls, just to name a few. To celebrate the occasion, we decided to go on...a HIKE! Are you surprised? Yeah, we weren't either. It seems to be in our blood this summer. You would think that if you've seen one fall, you have seen them all. But that is not the case. Each one has a uniqueness to it and the hike there is always serene, beautiful, and FUN!
We went to some falls that are about an hour drive from our home: Spirit Falls and Moon Falls.

The beautiful country drive.

Spirit Falls

A picture of the happy couple.

K in front of the fall.

Our adorable family, minus one.

K and daddy sharing a moment.

L and the clover leaf before she decimated it.

The next fall we went to was Moon Falls. It was an easy walk, but there was a lot of mud to maneuver around. When we got to the fall, M walked up a steep rocky slope to get some better pictures while I stayed behind with the girls. We passed the time throwing rocks into the creek.

One of the muddy areas we tried to get through.

Isn't it pretty?

We are in the lower middle of this picture.
M was up the steep incline from us.
If you click on the picture, you can see us better.

Moon Falls

The beautiful landscape of the Willamette Valley.

After going to the previous two falls, we thought it would be fun to go back to a fall we went to on our first anniversary. Salt Creek Falls is pretty but costs $5.00 to see. This is the first fall we have had to pay to look at. I don't think it was worth it. However, it was fun to go back and remember the first time we were there.

Salt Creek Falls

From the top.

Half way down the trail.