The ABC Summer Mom : July 2015

Lots on this list!

L Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Lacamas Park (Camas)
* Lacamas Heights Elementary playground (Camas)
* Ladybug Theater (Portland - currently "taking a break," but possibly in another year...)
* Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (North Central WA)
* Lan Su Chinese Garden (Portland)
* Latourell Falls (Columbia Gorge - our family has hiked there and loved it)
* Laurelhurst Park (Portland)
* Lava Lands Visitor Center (Bend)
* Lava River Cave (Bend - best in June)
* Leach Botanical Garden (Portland)
* Leavenworth (cute German-style town in Central WA with great food!)
* Leonardo's Pizzeria (Vancouver)
* Leroy Haagen Memorial Park (Vancouver)
* Leverich Park (Vancouver)
* Lewis & Clark National Historical Park (Astoria)
* Little Cranberry Lake (Seattle/Puget Sound area)
* Little Cups & Grown Ups Play Cafe (Vancouver)
* Lloyd Center (Portland mall with indoor ice rink)
* Lumosity games (if you haven't tried this website, you're missing out...)
* other L restaurants

More L activities we'll be doing:
* lemonade stand (my kids have been begging to have one ever since we moved here...)
* play date with Liam
* listen (for birds, for music, for directions, etc.)

The original L is for... list includes places to go, foods to eat, things to do, Bible verses, and pictures from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Pics from my daughter's ABC photography can be viewed here.

As always, please share my blog with your friends. And if you have no idea why I made these seemingly random lists, check out the beginning of my ABC summer adventures. Make sure to read my M masterminds soon!

Today was our first full day home after our huge road trip back to IA. Just wanted to list out the highlights (before I forget them... It's already becoming a blur) and attempt to mention everyone that we got to see!

Friday, June 26th: Ross went to work for the morning, my awesome neighbor Lana took my kids to VBS, and I headed to a doctor's appointment. I picked up the kids at 10:30 and we made the slow (traffic!) drive downtown to get Ross. An hour later, we were on the road headed south. We drove through lots of the redwood forests, checked into a little lodge in Crescent City, CA, and randomly met four fellow University of Northern Iowa Panthers at the restaurant down the street.

Saturday, June 27th: More Redwood National Park, including a (tight) drive through a tree trunk. Drove across northern CA on a horribly curvy and hilly highway (note to self: avoid Hwy 299 in the future, if at all possible). Watched an awesome thunderstorm ahead of us as we neared NV, and stayed in Reno that night.

Sunday, June 28th: Drove across NV; we were surprised by all the salt flats. The Great Salt Lake Desert and the Bonneville Salt Flats were an unexpected bonus along the drive. Never mind that it was 110° outside... Saw the 2002 Winter Olympics ski jumps in Park City, UT, where we stopped for the night.

Monday, June 29th: Happily ate at Kneaders (recommended by all of our local friends who are UT natives) for breakfast. Besides the great food, it was by far the best mocha I had on the way to IA. We stopped for a late lunch at a McDonald's (the one time we gave in to that request) and met an IA native in line for the bathroom. Craziness, I tell you. We made it to Rocky Mountain National Park with time to hike to a pretty little waterfall, saw huge elk, several rams, a cute little marmot, and got to touch the snow at the peak (this was the highest elevation the kids and I have ever been to... over 12,000 feet). After a yummy meal in downtown Estes Park, we indulged in ice cream (for my husband and two youngest) and fresh salt water taffy (for my oldest and me). That was a late night to bed, but well worth all we saw and tasted.

Tuesday, June 30th: We visited an old college class mate, Johi, in Ft. Collins so my daughter could meet her six horses (the boys were happier to meet the dogs and cats). We lunched in Cheyenne, WY, and decided to forgo the out-of-the-way trip to Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff in NE... Everyone was tired and anxious to get to my in-laws' farm. So, we drove straight to Kearney, NE, where we ate at the HyVee deli and salad bar (something we'd all missed) and stayed in the beautiful new Hampton Inn. We're talking total HGTV decor.

Wednesday, July 1st: Because it would be unusual for us to make a five day trip with no major "incidents," I somehow locked the keys in our car while attempting to load up that morning at the hotel. Yep. We had to wait almost an hour for the locksmith. Sigh. Once that was taken care of, we headed to IA! When we got gas at the Casey's in Adair, we couldn't resist getting slices of pizza (well, they were out of cheese pizza, so the younger two split a cup of popcorn chicken). Yum. We'd all really missed Casey's pizza! Made it to the farm outside of Dysart around 4:00 that afternoon. By dinnertime, everyone was there (except my SIL's husband, who had to drive separately from WI the next day). The older kids slept in tents with a couple adults and the rest of us took over the beds. My five year old kicked me all night...

Thursday, July 2nd: Woke up with what felt like a bug bite on the back of my neck (more on that later). Spent the day in LaPorte City, my hometown, at my sister's. We took the kiddos to the pool despite the very mild temps (I shivered sitting outside the pool in the sunshine). Then they ordered FOUR Casey's pizzas for dinner and we all had more than our fill. Ugh. Back of my neck felt weird and crusty by the end of the day. Made my husband take a look and he thought it looked like I had gouged a chunk of my skin. Put up with my restless little one all night long.

Friday, July 3rd: Lots of fun on the farm. I held our six month old nephew as much as possible. His giggles are the best! Took the kids into town for the requisite kiddie parade. Stayed up too late with everyone. Was again beaten up by my youngest all night.

Saturday, July 4th: Husband and oldest ran the Firecracker 5K (BIL Kenny won again, as always). Our 11 year old beat his dad, who found an old high school class mate with whom to finish. Dave was a fellow band geek with us, witnessed my first attempts at skiing, and got married a couple months before we did. Hadn't seen him in years! My sister joined us in our regular spot to watch the parade (my niece was in the marching band and my dad drove one of the LPC firetrucks with my twin nephews along for the ride). Kids played all afternoon, partly at the farm and partly in the city park at the festival rides. Ate s'mores, caught fireflies, and took in the amazing fireworks display. Our youngest braved sleeping in the tent and I was happy to welcome our daughter into bed with me (she slept so still!).

Sunday, July 5th: We got up early to send off my SIL's family back to CO. Loaded up most of our stuff (not all, as the kids and I would be back later in the week), passed around hugs and kisses to the other SIL's family, my BIL's family, and in-laws, and headed to Ankeny for church. It was wonderful to see so many friends there (Amity, the Suedmeiers, Elizabeth, Pam, Krista, Ann, and probably others that I am forgetting). We met my BFF Lisa's family at Jethro's for lunch. My daughter actually choked up when we got to hug everyone! We froze in the AC through lunch, then drove south of Grand in Des Moines to David Primeau's house for a gathering with some of Ross' former co-workers, where our oldest was eaten alive by mosquitoes. We then took L to his friend Truman's to spend the night. The Pattersons treated us to wood-fired pizzas before the rest of us spent the night at Lisa's.

Monday, July 6th: Got up early, picked up a tired L, and took a mini road trip to Pella. We visited Ross' grandma Helen, toured his uncle Scott & aunt Cindy's new home, happened to see the same high school class mate (Dave) riding his bike in the rain, ate lunch at Smoky Row, and bought Dutch Letters at Jaarsma Bakery. Then we drove to West Des Moines and spent the rainy afternoon and dinner at Pizza Ranch with the Songers. We dropped L back off at Truman's house, and the rest of us stayed at the Stovers. After we got E & B to bed, Ross & I stayed up until 12:30 catching up with Jen & Paul. It was so much fun!

Tuesday, July 7th: Said goodbye to the Stovers and headed back to Lisa's for the day (Ross was in WDM and then downtown with old co-workers). Got to see another Jen (who blessedly brought me my favorite Caribou Coffee!) and her boys. After lunch, we spent another chilly couple of hours at the pool, where E met up with her friend Anna. Truman's sister brought the boys to the pool to meet us. After they'd had enough shivering, we visited our old neighbors, Fred & Ginger (yes, seriously). It was a little difficult to be right next door to our old house, but we managed. BTW, if you know Fred & Ginger, please reach out to them as their son, Curt, passed away unexpectedly this weekend. :( L was very disappointed (to the point of tears) that we didn't have time to visit his old chickens at his friend Judd's house because we had dinner plans near the airport with the Hershbergers. As soon as we finished dinner and chatting, we took Ross to the airport to catch his flight back to WA. I drove the kiddos back to the farm, drank some coffee, and turned around to go back to Lisa's for a few more nights.

Wednesday, July 8th: I spent the whole wonderful day with Lisa, getting pedicures, shopping, and eating. Unfortunately, the thing on my neck began itching again, grew into a welt, and by evening was gross and crusty. Ew. Lisa thought it looked like a hive (sadly, she's had much experience with hives). When we shopped at my happy place (the Ankeny Super Target), we ran into Jessica. Ross & I had wanted to get together with her and Josh, but schedules hadn't worked, so it was an awesome surprise. Our besties, Jen & Amy, met us at Fong's Pizza for dinner. At the table next to us happened to be Aimee, another old and dear friend of mine! Then Jill and Margaret from our old church showed up, too. It was so cool. After dinner, Jen took us through the new home she and Kyle are building in Polk City, and we got some so-so frozen yogurt at Yumz.

Thursday, July 9th: My sister came down to shop with me (and eat, of course). It was a great day, and she even helped me find the perfect dress for the family pictures we're going to have taken in Portland later this summer. I also bought the prettiest rainbow umbrella I've ever seen and a UNI rock for our front step. When she took off for LPC, Lisa and I watched Divergent before bed.

Friday, July 10th: Tearfully said goodbye to Lisa and her little guy (her daughters were still sound asleep), and headed back to the farm. I spent the better part of the day cleaning out the car and repacking. We did meet my BIL and his family at the Dysart pool late in the afternoon, and partook in Casey's pizza one final time.

Saturday, July 11th: Before we left, I had my retired nurse MIL check my neck. She thought it looked like a bug bite to which I'd had an allergic reaction. Thanked my in-laws for everything and drove to my parents'. The two of them, along with my sister's family, rented a huge van to make the drive back to WA with us. We set off north and stopped in Blue Earth, MN, to take pics with the Jolly Green Giant. Later that day, we visited the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. We arrived at the Badlands at the perfect time to eat dinner at the Cedar Pass Lodge. After dinner, we saw some big horned sheep on our way out of the park, and we made it to Rapid City to spend the night.

Sunday, July 12th: Mt. Rushmore was our first stop (very cool), and then on to Devil's Tower in WY. We ate a nearby greasy spoon and then made the long and boring drive to Billings, MT. Let the kids swim a bit, had pizza, and hit the sack.

Monday, July 13th: Made our way to Glacier National Park. I had so much fun with my 16 year old niece, who wanted to ride with me most of the way. This is where my phone lost service (which I figured was normal, since we were in the park). Though it was a bit rainy, we bought the always desired stuffed animals at the visitor's center and saw a beautiful rainbow. Those in the van got to see a big mountain goat, but we missed it. Once out of the park (still no service on my phone), we drove to Kalispell where we ate at Five Guys Burgers & Fries and spent the night.

Tuesday, July 14th: My plan had included a stop at the Grand Coulee Dam, but once again, we were all tired out and done with sight-seeing. So, we drove straight to Leavenworth, WA. It was nice to arrive early enough to take in a little window shopping in this cute little town. We ate at Andreas Keller, which served authentic German food, and then we had very tasty ice cream in homemade waffle cones a couple doors down.

Wednesday, July 15th: My phone finally began getting a signal again (thanks a lot, AT&T) when we left Leavenworth. Stuck to the interstates and got back to Camas around 2:00. Gave everyone the tour of the house, started some laundry, and blew up a couple air mattresses for our guests. Ross made burgers and hot dogs for dinner, and everyone crashed pretty hard that night.

Thursday, July 16th: Ross had to work, but he put my dad and BIL to work, too. They were tasked with getting a bunch of ribs onto the smoker. I think they liked having something to keep them busy. The kids were happy to play outside and use the Wii a bit. With more laundry going, I took my sister and niece to Portland. We spent time at Powell's and then had ice cream at Ruby Jewel (if you have the opportunity, do not pass up their S'mores ice cream!). The ribs were great that night, too.

Friday, July 17th: The guys went and bought a car load of fire wood on Livingston Mountain before we all took off for the OR coast. Ross & I rented a sweet beach house in Tierra Del Mar that had the perfect number of beds for all of us. We ended up having to take a 75 mile detour because of a fatal car accident that had occurred ahead of us, but it was a chance to remind the kids how grateful we were to still be driving. And though we were close enough to see the Life Flight helicopter land just a hundred yards or so in front of us, we were grateful to not be close enough to witness the accident scene. Once at the house, the beach and sunset were gorgeous.

Saturday, July 18th: Ross, Dad & my BIL went on a 5 mile hike in Cape Lookout State Park, where they spotted a whale off the coast. The rest of us got to hang out on the beach (most of the kids splashed in the frigid waters all day). There were a few sunburns, but everyone had a great time. When the sun set that night, we were able to see at least three planets near the tiny crescent moon. So cool. My neck began itching again...

Sunday, July 19th: Woke with a crusty spot on my neck. Sigh. Packed up and ate breakfast at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We all saved room for ice cream or fudge. We then took one last pic of all the cousins before saying our goodbyes. Ross led the van through Portland and then we parted ways as they continued on towards IA. Our family slept quite well last night.

Whew! It was a wonderful and exhausting three weeks. I have many photos to sort through and still have loads of laundry to do. I also have a doctor's appointment later this week to figure out just what it is that is making this spot on my neck itch, swell, and then scab over repeatedly. So gross. Thankfully, it's hidden by my hair! Now that we're back to the norm, I am planning to get back to my ABC blogging more frequently. Summer isn't even halfway over here in WA!

The ABC Summer Mom

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

All Things N

Saturday, July 25, 2015

All Things M

Thursday, July 23, 2015

All Things L

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

All Things K

Monday, July 20, 2015

A Three Week Whirlwind

Saturday, July 4, 2015

All Things J