Haycock Family Campout!

This is our third little trip this summer and I think we are ready for a break! It is a lot of work to pack and unpack, but we sure had fun while we were there. This time the whole Haycock family, that was available, went to Honeyman State Park near Florence, Oregon. It is technically on the beach, but the two nearby lakes are actually easier to access and so we spent our time there. It was great because we not only had the fun of playing in the sand, we had canoe rides and jetskis to ride as well. I didn't get a lot of pictures this time, but we had fun being all together as a group. We were in a group campsite this time and this made mealtimes easy, since there was a central firepit and tons of picnic tables. We took turns being in charge of meals and Ericka, Steph, and I all brought activities for the little kids to do while we were in camp. They were painting, getting prizes from the fish pond, and going on a scavenger hunt. Dylan spent a lot of time taking over Lana's bike, since we didn't have room to bring his. Of course we all spent our share of time shuttling kids back and forth to the potty. It was just typical of our family campouts, but we wouldn't have it any other way. It was great to have Mason and Laura back this year, but we can't wait to have Amanda and Joe, and hopefully Emily and Steve next year.

Beach Vacation

We spent two days this week at a KOA between Astoria and Seaside. It was a lot of fun. We were in a little two room cabin and there was so much to do at the KOA, we didn't have time to fit it all in. We only spent a few hours at the beach in the afternoon. It was just enough time to get good and sandy. Dylan had fun jumping in the waves with Clint, and Courtney kept busy running to fill up her little bucket with seawater in an effort to make a sandcastle.
The jumping pillow at the KOA was a big hit with the kids. It is literally like a pillow on the ground that is pumped with air and tapers off at the sides. I don't think I ever saw it empty in the time we were there.
We also spent quite a bit of time at the pool. The kids have been in swim lessons this summer, but haven't been brave enough to dunk their heads in the water. This weekend Courtney finally worked up the courage to do it and was so proud of herself that it was difficult to get her out of the water.We also made an attempt to teach the kids how to do minature golf. I don't think they really got the concept. Ah well, you can't win them all. This place had so much to do, and we had so much fun, we can't wait to go back. I made the rest of them tour a historic home with me in Astoria, called the Flavel house. It had 14 foot ceilings and a tower so you could watch the ships come in. I love the uniqueness of these old homes. On the way home we stopped at the outlet mall in Seaside. Now, if we could just get the kids to sleep when they are not in their own beds I would say it was a perfect trip.

Southern Oregon Vacation

Clint and I decided to use the week between our birthdays to go down to southern Oregon and see some of the sites here in Oregon that we have never seen before. On our way down, we went to the Wildlife Safari, just outside of Roseberg. Clint took the kids on a camel ride and I couldn't believe we got Courtney to do it. Seeing all the animals up close was a lot of fun as we drove around the park. The bears were the most amazing and scary.
On day two we went to Crater Lake. We were staying near Grants Pass but it was still quite the drive out to the Lake. The kids were amazed to still see snow on the ground since we were at a pretty high elevation. I had to keep my eyes off the road because the cliffside dropoff is alittle too much for me. I was amazed at how clear and beautiful the lake is. We toured the visitors center and the historical lodge that had recently been renovated.
Day three was the busiest. In the morning we went on a tour of the Harry & David factory in Ashland. It was a pretty amazing set of factories and fields. At the end we got free samples of the chocolates and cookies. The kids loved them, but I think they liked the tour bus best. Then we had to stop by the Medford Temple since we were so close. It is right next to the stake center and we couldn't help wishing our temple was that close. It was small but beautiful and we were sad that we didn't have anyone to watch the kids so we could do a session. Later that afternoon we went to the Oregon Vortex. This is similar to the Bermuda Triangle. We saw a bottle roll uphill and people appear to grow 2 inches by walking on a level board. There were also these spots to stand in where, when you relax, you can feel yourself pulled to stand at an angle. I'm not sure how much the kids understood, but Clint and I were pretty impressed.
On the fourth day we went to a children's science museum in Ashland. The kids loved it there. They had a bubble room like the Gilbert House in Salem, but everything else was new and we spent a couple hours just letting the kids explore. That afternoon we also went to the city park to let the kids play and Dylan got himself soaked in the water feature there. We were scheduled to stay the night and go home Friday morning. But we decided that we really just wanted to sleep in our own beds that night. So we packed up after dinner and made it home late Thursday night. Whew! We had a lot of fun and despite the lack of sleep and the ant problem we'd definitely do it again, just not right away!

Ballet Recital!

Courtney and her cousin Leanne have been going to ballet all year and on Saturday they had their first big performance. They were a couple of bunnies. It was a little hectic getting them in costume (and make-up!) on time for their rehearsal. Then, when the curtain went up, Courtney had both sets of grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins there to watch. I think it was a little overwhelming. They were pretty tired afterward. But there was no doubt they had fun! I watched the video over with Courtney the next morning and she had fun pointing things out to me, like the fact that she almost fell at one point. I was glad that it was a positive experience for them. I know Courtney loved being able to go to class with her cousin and it was nice for me to be able to see Steph and the kids at least once a week. I know Courtney is already looking forward to next year!

She Walks!

Paige has been on the verge of walking basically since she turned a year old. She just didn't feel brave enough to let go of the furniture. Finally someone told me I needed a toy that she could push around. I can't believe that a mother of three didn't think of that on her own. Anyway I got out Courtney's babydoll stroller and it did the trick. She loves babies and the stroller was an instant favorite. I think she has already used it more than Courtney ever did.
Now she is walking on her own and is quite proud of herself. She has also been teething and has gotten all four of her top teeth at once. Babies really make you realize how time does fly--wasn't she just born?

Field Trip!!

I went with Courtney on her field trip to the Gilbert House and the Carousel in Salem. All the kindergarten classes from her school were there together! Wow--that's a lot of 5 year olds. We had a lot of fun! I had two other little girls in my group. They were named Bella and Calista. It was fun to get to know the kids she talks about so much. I also got to meet other moms and that was fun.

Easter and Dylan's Birthday

Dylan is the the last of the kids to have his birthday and he really was a goodsport in waiting his turn. But he has been talking about having a batman cake for months. I hope that it was worth all the anticipation. We had the party the day after his birthday, which was also Easter, so we ended up having it at mom and dad's house after church. His biggest concern was that Benjamin would be there. Not only was Benjamin there but so were nearly all of his cousins--so he really felt special I know. Every one gave him presents that were superhero related and that was just what he wanted. That is except for his bike. We felt like we had to get him one since Courtney had gotten one. I think he was pretty excited. I also had to get a picture of the kids in their cute Easter outfits before we left for church. I was so excited to get the girls matching outfits. Then when I got to church there was another family, with 3 little girls, who were also wearing the same outfit as Courtney and Paige. Their mom and I joked that we need to get them all together for a picture.