Oden Adventures

After weeks of talking about the trip to Grandma's house - to the point where I think Vianne was starting to wonder if it was ever going to happen - in the early hours of May 15, we packed a whole bunch of our stuff into our Adventuremobile and employed our roof bag (a Christmas gift) for the first time and headed northward. This is our first vacation that feels like one, pretty much since we got married, as one or both of Patrick & I have usually been working on any trips that we've taken.  With the PhD finished, APU grades turned in, and me not currently employed, neither of us have anything pressing required of us at the moment, and we're trying to make the most of it!

Stop for lunch: Vianne's first Happy Meal! :-)  Including a pink Spiderman sticker book so she now claims to "love Spiderman!"

Afternoon nap

 Our traditional stop in Weed, CA, for the night.  Despite the manmade intrusions, still love the view of Mt. Shasta!

 Vianne getting "cozy and cozy" in the big bed

World's Cutest Traveler

 Stop for lunch on Friday at A&W (inside a convenience store) - almost to Grandma's now!

 Rest Area Wiggle Release - 100 more miles to go!

 We arrived at Mom's/Grandma's about 3:30pm and got to see the Blairs that night.  Cousin snuggles on the swing...Vianne & Margot Mae

One major reason for coming up when we did was to see my dear Kirstin Terwilliger get married on Saturday evening (May 17).  Grandma watched Vianne while Patrick & I enjoyed a date-night-of-sorts at the lovely (and surreal) event.  Kirstin was radiating beauty, joy, and love, everyone and everything looked beautiful and went unusually smoothly for a wedding!  It was such a blessing to be there for this big event in her life and to see many friends, too!  We enjoyed sitting with the Hsiehs & Lincolns the whole time as well.

The cute couple, cutting the friend's head...er...cake...

 Super sweet Dad/Daughter Dance to Steven Curtis Chapman's "Cinderella"

 Rebekah & Ian

 Me & Kirstin

Vianne's been enjoying Grandma's Kindle in addition to Daddy's tablet

Trip to Costco with Aunt Emily & Bea.  The silly girls were pretending the Tillamook cheese loaves were babies :-).  This is V's tender-mama face...

After putting Vianne to bed on Tuesday night, Patrick & I snuck away for a Gustav's date.

On Wednesday, a walk to Canby Library and Wait Park

Talking to Granma O. on the phone...V says, "I go to the store for awhile".

Grandma's silly audience of one

On Wednesday night, I got to introduce Rebekah to the updated La Provence.  Culinary delights and great conversation!

On Thursday, we went to McMenamins' Boon's Treasury (another checked off our list) in Salem...

...to see Heidi, who's spending the summer in Oregon!

Then a visit from Vera & David and a bit of croquet back at Grandma's...

...and then a trip to the Blairs' for dinner, with a bit of jump-roping.

On Friday, the Storey kids were off school and Chris was off work...


...so we took a trip all together to Timberline Lodge, with a stop at Joe's Donuts on the way, which delighted everyone.  Even a not-a-big-donut-person like me thought theirs were excellent! :-)

Behind the donut shop was this really cool playground!

It was about 15 degrees colder up on the mountain than the weatherman had predicted so we weren't entirely prepared, but the kids still had a blast.  We saw the Lodge, had a picnic lunch, and regretted the lack of visibility.  For another time, perhaps!

Back down the mountain...Vianne's "Minnie Book" has provided hours of entertainment so far on the trip. She doesn't seem to ever get sick of it!