Summer Memories!

I've attempted to write this blog entry all summer, and now it's the second half of August and I'm just going to do a big summer photo dump so that I can remember summer 2024 thus far.... 

4th of July is always one of my favorite days of the year.
Parades and fun neighborhood gatherings fill the day and night!

This is the very first year John and I didn't march in the neighborhood parade. Our boys sped past on their bikes, lapping the parade route several times. 

It was a hot afternoon to be in a parade. Lucy was less than thrilled to be decorated and made to march. 

My favorite thing by far is spending time outside in the beauty that surrounds us. Cherry picking in Hood River was such a fun experience. Once again we went over board on the picking (and the eating too) We had to quickly figure out what we could bake with cherries. 

While in Hood River, we also did a wonderful hike in Mt. Hood National Forest, Tamawata Falls. It was magnificent. The hike wound its way through a shaded trail, following a bubbling brook. 

The path to the falls was rather treacherous towards the end.  But coming upon the falls was magnificent. 

Caleb and I hiked up and around the falls. However as we attempted to cross the rushing river to finish our loop, I barely made it across as the current was a lot stronger than I anticipated. Stuck on the other side from Caleb, he had to turn around and go back up and around the waterfall by himself to meet me on the other side.

We spent this day with our friends and neighbors the Hampson family. 

The water was really cold, but very refreshing on such a hot day. 

"Do you smell something fishy?"

The aroma of fish and river is so very strong in much of our home. 

Dried worms lay at the bottom of the downstairs refrigerator.

"Wash your fish hands!" is a common phrase commanded throughout the day. 

My boys are obsessed with fishing (especially James) With their new independence this summer, they are able to spend hours by themselves down by the Tualatin river. They are even allowed to ride their bikes to Cabellas near our home to restock their worm and hook supply. 

Fishing strategy occupies their thoughts. 

Dreams of catching "the big one" compels them to run down to the river for one more try. 

    

Another fun thing we did this summer was paddle board down the Clackamas river. The week the boys were at camp, Evelyn and I were invited by a friend on a 5 hour float. It was one of the hottest days in Portland, so the cool water felt very refreshing. 

We stopped along the way to jump into the water for a swim. 

A weekend adventure to Molten Falls right over the Washington boarder allowed me to experience a bit of paradise. The water was crystal clear. I love sitting in the rapids and letting the water rush over me. Even Lucy got in and paddled around for a bit. 

 

Evelyn helped at VBS this summer. She has attended this VBS since she was 4 years old. Now she was a leader to the 4 year olds. After the first morning she came home exhausted. She told me the stories of clingy preschoolers and emptied her pockets of all the trash they gave to her throughout the day. She also caught a nasty cold. 

Welcome to the world of  caring for children. 

All of our kids have been busy making money this summer. Evelyn is constantly booked with cat sitting jobs, plant watering, dog watching and some babysitting. 

Levi has been making homemade ice cream sandwiches with John and selling them around the neighborhood. They are delicious. 

James has been helping John clean out our big van we've been renting out to people this summer. 

And Caleb has been building quite a positive reputation in the neighborhood doing odd jobs such as watering plants and scrubbing moss off bricks. He comes home dirty and sweaty, but he often times gets tips. He even secured a job for the entire summer: $20.00 for watering a tree 20 times. 

One time he confessed to me that while he was pulling a weed out of the earth, he heard it squeak. Tenderhearted, he quietly tucked the plant in his pocket with the intention of replanting it later. 

When he told me he planted it by the side of our house, I finally had an answer to the strange plant that suddenly appeared and seemed to grow like a beanstalk! It was a plant mystery that was finally solved.

Caleb is a natural at talking to people. He can find common ground with just about anyone. This summer he finally got to do something he's been waiting a long time to do: go to Chicago to spend a week with Grandma and Grandpa alone. John had a business trip there in mid-July, and he was next on the rotation to visit Grandma and Grandpa solo. 

Except for the threat of tornados, Caleb had a wonderful week being the center of attention, fishing and watching baseball with Grandpa. 

During that week, I hosted the neighborhood summer gathering, Wine Wednesday. When we had originally signed up for the date, this trip was unplanned. Despite doing it solo without John, the night was a great success. The hardest part was figuring out to do with Lucy. 

She seemed pretty content being tied up outside. 

Many of our days are spent at the river. I bought two mini "sit upon" kayaks this summer which we have used several times on the Tualatin River and other little spots. The week Evelyn was at camp, the boys did a day camp that focused on river fishing and boating. 

All ready for another adventure on the river

Evelyn and I have had some special times paddling the river together 

    

The kids also took a week of tennis lessons this summer at the local park. Except for the sibling competition, they seemed to enjoy the game. 

In the past, I had to plan the summer everyday. This summer  I have to plan to plan a day out with the kids. 

Some of the places I've taken them were: 

Oaks Park Amusement park. 

 

Tillamook Forest and Forestry Center

 

Tillamook Cheese factory

 

    

Tunnel Beach in Oceanside City

 

And the Canby Rodeo! 

Alls well that ends well. 

The summer is not over yet. 

And this year I'm actually wanting it to last longer. 

June

 The Pattons officially added one more critter to our home: Welcome Bolt Patton.

He is under the tender loving care of Levi, however, it is John and me who have to run out to Petsmart and refill Bolt's cricket supply. I vowed that I would never own a pet who ate other living creatures. But alas, once again I surrendered to the desires of my kids.

And in case you are wondering...the crickets have escaped and I spotted them hopping for their lives down my hallway..  🤢 

June was the culmination of our spring sports season. Evelyn excelled in track, qualifying for the "meet of champions."

 

Her 4 by 4 team was really fast!

The boys ended their undefeated season with a first place medal. Watching my three boys work together on the pitchers mound, catcher and 1st base truly was a highlight of my life. 

In other news....John resigned his 12 year career at Salesforce and accepted a new job which starts July 1. He took the month off; however, in "John fashion" he continued to fill his days with side jobs and work. 

We did manage to spend one of the final days when the kids were in school hiking. We hiked Dog Mountain, known for its beautiful wildflowers this time of year, and it did not disappoint! It was one of the toughest hikes I've ever done. It was up hill for miles. Lucy came with us, and she lost a few pounds of her cookie consumption in the process. 

It's all uphill from here!

The view from the top was worth the climb!

The boys concluded their 4th grade year with the "state float parade." Each fourth grader is assigned a state to research and then they create a float (displayed on a wagon) which they parade around the track at school. Caleb lamented his assigned state of Vermont. "Vermont! Who wants to live in Vermont? More people die there each year than are born!" he claimed.

James told him that it was shady and quiet, so people go there to retire. 

I told him Ben and Jerry's is produced there. He didn't know what that was so I contributed to his float by purchasing a pint. After trying it out, he decided that Vermont was a good place to live. 

Levi had Kentucky and he decorated his float with little blades of blue grass. I'm not sure he knew that blue colored grass didn't actually grow there. Nonetheless, it was creative. 

James had Idaho. He wanted to attach a potato. I got him the biggest one I could find. He also tapped into his creative talent of diorama making and created from scratch the rolling hills of Idaho. I was impressed. 

The last day of school ended with the annual water gun fight and BBQ. It was bittersweet, as always, to end another year. However, we really didn't have time to mourn because we had to get everything packed up and ready to leave for Chicago bright and early the next day. 

James says he likes getting up early for the airport. He says it's more exciting. 

 

One of our first stops was in downtown Chicago.
John's new job is headquartered in the city next to the Chicago river. 

Our time in Illinois was a great way to start the summer. Leaving Portland, it was rather cold and cloudy. Illinois was hot and sticky, just how I remember the summer days growing up. 

The minute the boys arrived, they couldn't wait to run out to my parents backyard and start playing baseball in their big yard. My Dad is such a good sport; he found the energy to get out there with them and play hard. 

Fishing was a part of this trip. Caleb caught the only fish.

We had a Chicago style deep dish pizza. The kids said it was the best!

  

This year was a unique year in this region.  The 17 year cicada bugs emerged along with the 13 year ones. There were a lot of these critters all over the place. The kids weren't scared of them; they actually liked them and treated them like a pet. I wish we could bring some back to feed to the lizard. 

 

Much of our time was spent with family. 

GG with 9 (of her 11) Great Grandchildren!

One memorable experience this year was  a Cub game at Wrigley Field. We went with my parents and GG. GG is a lifelong Cubs fan. It was a hot evening, culminating in a win and a dreamy sunset. 

However, there was a bit of tension, as the extremely competitive males in our family are die-hard Giants fans...

 

At the end of our week, we ventured down to Springfield, Illinois for three days with my parents and GG. 

Grandma and Grandpa and the kids in front of Lincoln's house. 

In front of Abraham Lincoln's tomb

 

This is a trip that GG wanted to take with her great grandkids. My mom also has a love for Abraham Lincoln and wanted to share his hometown with us. 

The special time with GG was the highlight of the trip

 

Dinner on Route 66

 

 Although it was extremely hot, we toured the Lincoln home, went to the Lincoln museum, saw the Emancipation Proclamation at the Lincoln library and learned a lot about the Civil War. 

 

We also toured the Illinois Capitol. 

The rotunda was magnificent. 

  

Summer is off to a great start. Summers in the PNW can't be beat. 

Here are some other pictures from activities this June:

Strawberry picking with Gramie and Grandpa

Evelyn made homemade jam

The Tualatin Blender dash race was a fun challenge for the kids. 

And of course James couldn't wait to get back to the river. For the first time he was allowed to venture down there by himself with a friend.
Now he has to figure out how to take the fish off the hook by himself. 😊