All Things D

Determined to keep posting at least two letters per week! Diligently plugging away... ;)

D Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* The Dalles (home of the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum)
* Dave & Buster's (family-friendly restaurant/arcade)
* David Douglas Park (Vancouver)
* Deception Pass State Park (Oak Harbor, WA - north of Seattle)
* Der Rheinlander (a popular German restaurant)
* Devil's Punch Bowl State Natural Area (Otter Rock, OR, along the coast)
* Dog Mountain (beautiful wildflowers along this hike; great for older kids)
* Dorothy Fox Park (Camas - adjacent to Fox Elementary)
* downtown (Portland, Camas, Vancouver, Seattle... whatever downtown you wish to visit)
* Dry Falls (near Coulee City, WA... was once 5 times the width of Niagara!)
* Duggan Falls (much closer - and wetter - falls to play in along the Washougal River)
* other D restaurants in the Portland area

More D things we'll be doing:
* Donate stuff to Open House Ministries (whatever is left from our garage sale... )
*Draw in the dark

The original D is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's photography summer. Photos of my daughter's D photography can be found here.

As always, please feel free to share my blog with friends and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story. Expect excited E ideas soon!

All Things C

Certain that no other moms I know are sitting on their rears watching "American Ninja Warrior," I decided I'd better at least blog another letter while I watch and listen to crazy commentator Matt Iseman try to make his voice even deeper and impressive...

C Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Camille Park (Beaverton)
* camping in any of the hundreds of options around here (this is something my husband and children enjoy... not so much my idea of fun)
* canoeing (we did purchase a canoe last year, but the last time I went was long before children entered my life... I will attempt to pull on my big-girl panties this summer and go once)
* Cannon Beach, OR (still my favorite of those I've seen so far)
* Cape Disappointment (southwest WA where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean)
* Cape Horn (our family just spent our Memorial Day morning climbing the first leg of this - beautiful view of the Gorge!)
* Cascade Lakes Highway (90 mile scenic route from here to the Bend, OR, area)
* Catherine Creek (near Hood River; best in June)
* Cedar Flats (great for younger children; just east of Mt. Saint Helens)
* Central Library in downtown Portland
* Children's Museum (Portland)
* Children's Playground at Washington Park
* Chuckanut Drive (near Seattle)
* Columbia Hills State Park (north of The Dalles on the WA side)
* Columbia Park (Portland)
* Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
* cookouts (we enjoy them in our backyard, but they're great in parks, too!)
* Cooper Mountain Nature Park (SW Beaverton, OR)
* Council Crest Park (SW Portland)
* Cove Palisades State Park (Madras, OR)
* Crater Lake National Park, OR
* Crown Park (Camas)
* Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Portland
* C restaurants in the Portland area

More C things we'll be doing:
* Cheer up someone who needs a boost (derived from Bucket Filling from A to Z)
* Crayon art (if we get this accomplished as planned, I'll post photos)

The original C is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's photography summer. Photos of my daughter's ABC photography can be found here.

As always, please feel free to share my blog and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story here. Don't worry, D will be here soon!

All Things B

Believe me when I say that I have every intention of blogging more than once a week to get this ABC summer stuff going! The days just fly by and get away from me...

B Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Bagley Community Park (Vancouver)
* Hellen Baller Elementary playground (Camas)

* Battle Ground Lake State Park

* Beacon Rock (even our youngest has climbed this on more than one occasion)

* beaches - take your pick! Or...

* Beaches Restaurant
* Beaver Marsh Open Space (Vancouver)

* Belknapp Hot Springs (McKenzie, OR)

* Bend, OR
* Benton Park (Camas)

* Best of Portland walking tour (our whole family did this with my dad last summer... it was a lot of walking, but we all found it to be fun and informative)

* Big Four Ice Caves (North Cascades area)

* Big Obsidian Flow (Newberry National Volcanic Monument near Bend, OR)

* Big Stump (Forest Park in Portland)
* Blue Lake Regional Park (Fairview, OR)

* Bonneville Lock & Dam

* Bridal Veil Falls (Central Cascades area)

* bridges - Portland is known for them (the Broadway Bridge is in many films)

* Bridge of the Gods (cross to OR, walk around the island, and play in the park)

* Bull of the Woods (hiking along the Clackamas River - best in August/September)

* Burgerville 

* Burnside Skatepark under the Burnside Bridge downtown (let your kids watch the crazy boarders)

* (other) B restaurants around Portland 

More B things we'll be doing:

* Be a bucket-filler for your siblings! (borrowed from Bucket Filling from A to Z)

* Bendy Buddies (pipe cleaner people)

The original B is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos of my daughter's ABC photography can be found here. 

As always, please feel free to share my blog and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story here. Letter C soon to come!

All Things A

I am finally getting a letter accomplished! Here is the plan: for each letter of the alphabet, I will be posting a list of things to do or places to see here in the Pacific NW. I'll also be linking this post to my original list of ideas that begin with this letter. While I'm at it, I'll probably link you to the photos we've taken for this letter, too. Might as well include it all! :)

A Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* aerial tram in downtown Portland (take the 4 minute ride up to OHSU)
* Airplay Cafe's Open Tike events (where children get the mics)
* Andy & Bax Sporting Goods (military surplus and gear for camping/backpacking... sounds boring, but they supposedly have some of the oddest products in town)
* Ape Caves (hike through lava tunnels - Take your lanterns and dress warmly... It's cold and wet down there!)
* apple tree farm tour... I don't have a specific farm in mind, but my kids thought it would be fun
*Art ala Carte (cute little "all you can make" art studios set up in old salad bars in Vancouver and Portland)
* art museums (we'll likely hit the Portland Art Museum, which was founded in 1892 and is the seventh oldest in the US)
* Ashland, OR, for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which has performances February - November
* Astoria, OR (for the awesome Astoria-Megler bridge or just to check out the quaint town where part of The Goonies was filmed)
* Audubon Society of Portland (150 acres of nature preserve with 4 miles worth of hiking, bird-watching, and an interpretive center)

I love that the Dining Channel has an alphabetical listing of area restaurants on their website. Here are the A restaurants around Portland.

In addition to fun activities the kids and I do this summer, I am attempting to come up with a way to help us all think more of others... Last year I picked up the children's book, Bucket Filling from A to Z, by Carol McCloud and Caryn Butzke, since I am naturally drawn to ABC items. Some of the ideas in it are great, others are so-so. The A plan is to: Ask someone if you can help him/her with something.

My original A is for... ideas include places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos of my daughter's ABC photography can be seen here. If you think of great ideas that I have ignored, please let me know!

As always, please feel free to share my blog and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story here.

ABC Summer 2015...

It's getting so close! Granted, it would be much closer if we were still in IA, and it would be one day closer if our teachers weren't holding a walkout on Wednesday (only to be made up at the end of the school year)... Nevertheless, I am deep in the planning process of our big summer.

I was bothered by the fact that we'll be gone for three weeks straight, thus missing out on entire letter opportunities here in the great northwest. So, I decided to really mix things up this year. No, that does not mean I'll be doing letters out of order. If you have read my post The Joys of Being Anal, you are well aware that I like things in order. The alphabet, therefore, must remain in alphabetical order. Go figure.

But, there are so many things to do around here for nearly every letter, that I didn't want to miss out on celebrating any letters right here. Here's my grand idea... We are going to go through the entire alphabet not once, not twice, but THREE times this summer! Woo-hoo!

To make it all come out right on the calendar, we are going to double up on the letters that begin our first names. The first time through the alphabet there will be two days of B, E, L, N, and R. The second and third times through we'll just double up on the kids' initials (B,E, & L). We will also be pairing Q with R and X, Y, and Z together those subsequent times. My children were excited to hear that it will be different this summer. Should keep things interesting!

Beginning later this week, I will be posting my ideas for each letter. I'll also be sure to share the links to my other posts on those letters. Can't wait to get started!

First time on my blog? Check out my original post here. Happy Mother's Day!