SilverFalls Hike

Wow! Today was 72 degrees! So, as soon as the second session of conference was over, we jumped in the car and headed east to SilverFalls Oregon State Park about 40 miles away! We have heard so much about this park and let me say we were not disappointed! There are 10 waterfalls that you can hike to and the grounds are very well taken care of. The trails are great, well groomed and very safe! We only had enough time to hike to the South Falls and then drive to the North Falls and hike to them. The kids had so much fun and even Marni walked quite abit...we were very impressed! The kids especially loved being able to walk behind the falls...they thought that was so cool! The park has cabins, a campground, a couple of ranches, and even a small cafe and gift shop. We will definately be back in the summer to hike the other trails and see the falls we missed...plus the kids want to do alot of camping and this place would be a nice transition to the endless coast trips we have been taking. If you would like to check out the park go to www.oregonstateparks.org and go to silverfalls. There are alot of pictures but I hope you enjoy them as much as we had fun taking them!

The beginning of our hike down to the south falls.

Of course you can't tell which ones are Brent and the kids but they are among the hikers heading to the back of the falls. My phone camera won't zoom for some stupid reason and Brent had our camera at the time...dough!

The kids posing inside a cutout behind the waterfall!

Posing on the bridge at the bottom of the falls...we made it!

Now we have to head back up Marni...come on you can do it! (She actually did really well and never complained the whole time)

Here we are heading down to the North Falls...Trey is way in front and Jayden is being super cautious (thats my Jayden!)

Trey really liked this tree seat...he thought it was a great place for him to rest.

And of course, the girls needed to try it out as well! Say Cheese!

We came around the corner and...whalah!

The kids and Brent heading to the back side of the falls to get their picture taken. OK...you probably can't see them very well but they are there behind the falls. You can actually continue all the way around the back of the falls and keep hiking another some odd miles and get back to the south falls.

Hanging out behind the falls...we took a break and feasted on strawberries and brownies...can life get any better? I submit to you that it cannot!Heading back up the stairs...Marni counted every step...1, 2, 3, 7, 4, 9, 2, 8.......

Here we are at the end of our little trek...we had so much fun and it was so nice to be able to enjoy the beautiful weather. And the cedar trees made the forest smell so good! Mmmmmmm!

Fun Times...Fun Kids!

We recently started another round of swim lessons for Jayden and Trey. They both are progressing very well and we are so proud of them! Both have overcome any fear of the water and are beginning to learn how to actually swim as opposed to just getting used to the water. Now, we just need to start teaching Marni. The aquatic center only teaches children 3 years and up so we can't registrar Marni until next March! That may not even be necessary though...she has absolutely NO FEAR of the water and keeps trying to get out of our arms in the deep pool. Brent has allowed her to go under a few times and she is beginning to learn how to hold her breath! Maybe we could just begin teaching Marni on our own and she'll be leaps ahead when we enroll her in March of 2010! At any rate, our kids would live at the Dallas Aquatic Center if we let them and they have soo much fun! I love that it is open year round and nice and warm heated pools!

Modeling their new swimsuit coverups given to them by their aunts!

Great job Trey...nice and easy!!!

Marni showing her back float abilities...she does this in the bathtub too!

Trey sporting his new goggles...they were so excited to get these! Jayden really has a problem with the water getting in her eyes. I think her eyes might be extra sensitive to the chlorine.

Jayden practicing her swimming to and from her instructor. Only one other girl is in her swim class...so they both get alot of extra attention! I'm very happy about that...Jayden seems to be picking up on it quicker becuz of the extra one on one time!

Marni loves to play in the zero depth pool! She plays in it while Jayden and Trey have their lessons. Jayden's class is the first half hour and Trey's is the second half hour. They both play in the zero depth pool while they wait for their class to start.

We also have been able to go to the coast frequently now that we only live 45 miles from our favorite beach. This beach is located at the south end of Lincoln City by the popular Mo's Restaurant. The beach isn't as heavily crowded as the other beaches in Lincoln City becuz it's at the far end of town and is covered with alot of drift wood. Most who do come to this beach use the drift wood to make fires on the beach and cook and hang out. We didn't start a fire this time but we promised the kids next time we would roast some hotdogs (they're favorite) and smores. This day was actually quite warm even though it was overcast. It was about 60 degrees and the slightest breeze. Because of its location (we think) it doesnt get alot of wind that is typical for the west coast.

If you look real close, you can see our darling children sporting their plumber's butt. We are so proud. Marni's diaper was pretty full of sand when we got back to the car! That just can't be comfortable! Brent wrote each of the kids names real large in the sand and it was fun watching other people walk by and try to read them. The kids were so excited to see their names in the sand and the attention that they got from other people.

Ok, just two more pictures...a few days ago, I found Marni getting into something (I can't remember now what it was) but she had made a huge mess and I got pretty upset with her. While I was cleaning up her mess I told her to go to her room since it was her nap time anyways. She got mad at me and started to cry as she headed up the stairs. I could hear her crying at the top of the stairs while I was cleaning her mess and then suddenly it stopped. When I came to see if she had gone into her room, this is what I found. She apparently was ready for a nap!

This last picture was taken when Marni had found a dry-erase marker laying within her reach and decided to use her body as a canvas. Brent had taken her up to the bathroom to wash her off in the tub and I guess he wanted a picture. Well, Marni is such a poser and decided that her artwork deserved a thumbs up! She's our little Monster!! That's all for now folks!

I'm back!!!!

OK, so it has been quite some time since my last post and to be honest I was truly thinking of stopping my blog. I guess I didn't really think too many people would be interested in the everyday happenings that go on in my corner of the world. Then, I found out that my kid's cousins like to see pictures of them and read about what they are doing. And, we often check the blogs of family and friends to see what they are doing too. I've been repremanded by a few that I haven't posted for awhile, so I guess my corner of the world needs to be updated more frequently than every three months. Oops...sorry!

Well, now I have some catching up to do. We have had some birthdays in the past 3 months. In fact, everyone except Trey (his is in September), had a birthday recently! For Brent's birthday, January 17, we (of course) went to Harley Davidson! Secretly, Brent truly likes the Yamaha Raider and is hoping to get one this summer, but he needed some raingear cuz even the rain isn't going to get in his way and HD has really nice gear. There was a ride that Brent saw at HD that seemed to call to him but the price difference between a brand new harley and a brand new raider is almost $12,000! And we need to build a home so the raider seems more realistic!!! Besides, from what I have been told by many a biker, HD is more expensive becuz of its name and sound (which is really the bike backfiring!?!). At any rate, I just like to ride on the back of the bike and I don't really care what the brand is...my hubby is hot in black leather on his ride! Anyways, we got home late and I had to hurry and decorate Brent's cake...The kids ?helped? kinda and Brent really liked it!

On February 4, Brent really out did himself and threw me a surprise birthday party! I truly had no idea which is impressive for Brent to pull off without me being tipped off! Even though we had only lived in Dallas for 5 months, many of our friends were there and we had a real fun time! We are trying to make the birthday cake a big deal in our family (one of our traditions), and I had been teasing Brent about how he was going to come up with my birthday cake. I like cheesecake and I was wondering how he would pull it off. Well, the morning of my birthday, he had a mini cheesecake in the fridge with a note on it (yes, store bought, but points nonetheless),

and he had a beautiful bouquet of daisies delivered to me that afternoon. (Daisies are my favorite flower-they're so happy!)

And then there were three more cheesecakes at the party brought by our friends. So, Brent didn't make me a cheesecake, but he made sure I got four of them! Nice! (I didn't eat them all by myself, bytheway!) Becuz we are still in an apartment, he had the party at his new physical therapy clinic and he had given the keys to our friends, the Thackerys, and they decorated! I'll post a blog about this family later...we love them so much, they have been so kind to us and our kids. After the party, we went to the Thackery home and played games. It was a really great birthday! Thanks babe!

Jayden's 6th birthday was next, March 13, and she decided she wanted to go to the coast instead of a party (phew!). We stayed at the condo in Depot Bay for two nights and we also had a good friend come out too! Her name is Whitney, and our kids adore her!

She brought 2 of her friends and we had a great time! Jayden had requested a strawberry cake this year and with the help of Whitney and her friends, this is how it turned out...

Very yummy huh Marni?

Jayden got a new bike and helmet, a baseball mit and ball (she starts T-ball in April), a swimsuit coverup from Aunts, wallet with $ from Cutler Grandparents and book, stickerbook, and pencils from Darrington Grandparents. We played in the pool at the condo and spent some time on the beach! Jayden loves to search for seashells, she has quite a large collection now! Here are some pictures of the kids and the girls having fun at the condo...

And just recently, Marni turned 2 on March 27th. Marni loves "kitties" and she got a Hello Kitty bank, stuffed kitten, swimsuit coverup from Aunts, and some books from Darrington Grandparents. (Cutler grandparents present still in the mail, they didn't forget). We made a Hello Kitty cake for Marni this year and she was very excited! We also spent the entire afternoon at the aquatic center here in Dallas. Marni is a water baby and we have to keep an eye on her...she loves to jump in even though she still doesn't know how to swim! She keeps trying to get out of our arms while in the water because she sees her siblings swimming and thinks she can too! No fear!

Welp...this post is getting a bit long, so I will try to keep it updated more often with our 'goingsons' and photos. We are having so much fun here in Dallas and want all our friends and family to know that they are ALWAYS welcome to come and visit! We have lived away from family for most of our marriage and sometimes feel blue when we miss out on family gatherings. It isn't easy living so far away from family and want them all to know that we love them so much!