Oden Adventures

Our usual summer trip to Oregon included some scouting in Sacramento this time.  Needing to be relocated up there by September, we needed to find housing so we spent part of a day looking on the way up.  First we stopped at the Fuller Sacramento campus (where Patrick will be working for at least the next three years), which we hadn't yet been to, and it was a pleasure to see it and meet everyone who works there.

We grabbed lunch at the In-N-Out near campus.  I think this may have been Oliver's first time there.  In any case, I regret to say, this In-N-Out is now referred to as "The In-N-Out Where Oliver Pooped All Over You" by Vianne due to a very unfortunate and messy incident while I was ordering at the counter. 

After ruling out several neighborhoods in north Sacramento and trying to find our way to & around Plumas Lake which seemed like a foreign planet to our GPS, with Vianne screaming in the back seat because she wanted to be at Grandma's house already, we pressed on towards Red Bluff for the night.  Regardless of previous attitudes, the kids - thank goodness - always love a hotel!

 Off and away in the morning - by Mt. Shasta (always my favorite part of the drive)...

 A pit stop at our usual nighttime stop in Weed, where Oliver offered to take the wheel...

 ...finally at Grandma's, we quickly got to our summertime business, playing with cousins and picking raspberries & blueberries!

 "Hey, lady, I'm not sure you should be taking my picture..."

'Uncle' Thom brought the Parisian ambiance to our dinner gathering with his newly-acquired accordion

 "Grandma gave me a waffle!"

 Attempting a family photo...Patrick & I hope that if we smile really hard & look directly at the camera, the kids will, too.

 Oliver's first summer-of-wonderful-Oregon-berries.  He's a fan!

 Backyard pool time!  The boys got one...

 ...the girls got the other.

 Oliver & Grant

 Story time with Grandma

 Making cookies with Grandma

 Showing off the finished product

 Climbing monkey boy

 Old enough now to ascend the stairs

Doing our trip in July meant lots of birthday parties, since the Gustafson side has five birthdays in July!  First up was Grant's party, and since he was turning 10, he got to have a party at the Lego store in Canby.  Looking through the Legos with cousin Molly...

 Love this guy, even though he had the nerve to turn TEN on me...

 Showing off her car creation to Grandma...

 ...then racing it down the track...

 Sisters with boys :-D

 Adorable cupcakes by Jenny, as usual!

 The morning after an overnight with Bea & Margot - matching nightgowns!

Now, the pool all to herself!

 A trip to Hubbard to see the Terwilligers & play at the water park

 A dinner gathering at the Storeys, including some pool time

 The next day, a beach trip to Seaside with the Storeys & Grandma

 Riding the "carous-well"

 Bumper cars!

 And ice cream to finish the day!

 Little Maestro

 Oliver got such a kick out of climbing into this baby swing and making it rock, and we all got a kick out of watching him.

 Next birthday, Vera's 30th!

cousin Rachael & Oliver

 Eating cake is hard work

 Oliver & cousin Matt

 The boys, back at Grandma's

 Some pool time with cousin David

 A quick visit with Christy & Pastor Jim on our last day in town...

 ...and one more pool party at Aunt Jenny's!

 Sisters with boys born in the last year!