Moving In and Getting Settled

On July 15 we finally moved into the house.  While there are still boxes in the garage and some unfinished things to be dealt with in the next few weeks, we are loving the new place, neighborhood, and being together again in our own home.  No picture were taken... we were too busy trying to figure out where the dish soap was!  In the meantime, the kids started swim lessons and are becoming little fish.

Eagle Crest Swimming

Summertime fun at Eagle Crest with Grandma!

Epic Day: Dinner @ Sunset

Our epic day came to a close in the most perfect way: a delicious dinner overlooking the Dechutes at sunset.  We hadn't planned it that way, but logistics brought us to Hola in Sunriver after our tired bodies decided we didn't want to drive to Bend and back for food. 

A very tired Abby carried into Hola

 

We just can't keep our hands out of the freshly made guacamole!

 "It's so good!"

 A pleasant dinner, brought to you by the glow of hand-held video games.

 An amazing view to end an amazing day.

Epic Day: Bike/Golf

Guess what?!  We still aren't done with the Epic Day!  (And we stayed on schedule, much to Jeff's delight.)  A scenic drive back down to Sunriver from Elk Lake allowed the kids to wind down a bit and prompt the adults to seek out caffeine in order to have the energy to soldier on through the planned day's events.  Hey, we aren't above admitting repeated use of performance-enhancing substances to finish this day strong.  We all did it, so it just kept the playing field level. (Although I did see Jeff eating a Stinger waffle behind the car right before the final push into Sunriver.  Just sayin'.)

 4:30pm: Noah & Tyler ready for some extra energy - Goody's ice cream!

 "Say Cheesey Cheese!!"

 Abby finds a new friend.

 Noah sulks while Abby shows off her ice cream.

 Tyler plots his revenge...

 ...Two giant milkshakes!!!

 Hayden chose Mint Chocolate Chip

 Brain Freeze!!!

 5:30pm: Golf (ok, it's mini-golf, not a full 18 holes on a championship course.  This is a family friendly Epic Day.  Deal.)

 6:30pm: Bike (Yes, again, not an exhausting ride, but we got on 2 wheels and rode.  It counts.)

Tyler leads the pack of kids and anxious adults.

 Abby checks to see who is creeping up on her...

Noah is taking this very seriously.

I realize that at this point in the "Epic Day," we are indeed doing a wide variety of activities but at a very low intensity level.  It's planned that way.  We have kids. 

Epic Day: Picnic/Kayak

After the skiing and sledding, we were shocked to check the clock and find that it was still officially "morning."  A short drive to Elk Lake, change of clothes, and we were on to the next item on the schedule: Lunch.

 A rare moment of sibling love.

12:30pm: The yummy spread included Pressed Italian Sandwich (in a variety of combinations to accommodate olive-haters, vegetarians, and meat lovers), Hummus, Pita Chips, Lemonade, local cherries and homemade Fireworks Cookies decorated by Abby & Hayden.

 Noah & Abby

 Hayden & Jeff clowning around.

1:30pm:  Kayaking!  Paddling is optional when riding in a tandem kayak.

 Holly, Abby & Aunt Pat give the canoe a try.

Ahh... the sun!

 

 Lisa & Tyler

 The Mesaros Family Paddlers

 Grandma's favorite mountain: South Sister!

 Lisa & Tyler getting their paddling in sync. 

Noah, Abby & Tyler taking a snack break.

The photographer took an unflattering photo of Grandma in her inflatable kayak that I opted not to publish, so despite a lack of photographic evidence, she was with us!

Elk Lake Resort looked just like the East Coast summer camps I would see in Disney movies as a kid - unbelievably blue sky, canoes and kayaks on an equally blue lake surrounded by tall pine trees, a log cabin style lodge, and little cabins nestled along the shore. I kept looking around for my long lost twin frenemy with an English accent to bond with and switch parents!

Epic Day: Skiing/Sledding

The lure of a free t-shirt can make us do some crazy things.  Like getting up at 0'dark thirty in July to go skiing.  Snow skiing.  The first 250 people on the lift were promised a t-shirt, so despite the lifts running 8am-1pm, we felt compelled to arrive at 7am like a quartet of crazy teenagers to secure the free shirt. 

 6:30am:  What a greeting!  Lisa looks ready to go... back to bed.

7:15am:  Ready to get our tickets and t-shirts.

 7:30am: Free t-shirt secured!

 7:55am: Ready to ski with our bright friends.

 8:00am: Lifts open... sunny skies!

 Up to the top of Summit

 Happy 4th of July, skiers!

 "We love summer skiing!  And free t-shirts!"

 Papa Smurf shreds Cowface

At 10:30 we met up with Grandma Carla & the kids along with Aunt Pat & the boys for some sledding.  The Mesaros family (including the Mom vs Mom Race) won all sledding events.  Heavier objects move faster downhill, right?

 10:30am: Hayden pulls the sled for another run while Grandma stands guard.

 Abby takes a run.

What sleds down must be pulled up.

The "Mom vs Mom" race: Lisa is the winner!

One of the most impressive events of this segment was Dennis's sister Pat, upon seeing the blue skies and soft snow, deciding that she needed to get on some skis.  Her last time on skis was about 10 years ago.  Dennis got to ski with her, making for a very memorable day.

Go, Aunt Pat, Go!!