Desert, mountains, and back

From Corvallis, we drove east over the Cascades, stopping in Sisters for a playground and bakery break. From there, we continued east across the high desert to Clyde Holliday State Park, where we camped by the John Day River. It was an eventful night in the tent: first Caden got sick, then, once he was settled back to sleep, Finn woke up with an "owie mouth" from a molar working its way through his gum.

The next day, we followed the John Day up into the Blue Mountains, then the Grand Ronde back down the other side before turning north toward Wallowa Lake and Ama and Adad's cabin. 

We had fun poking around in Joseph and Enterprise. We were (unintentionally) there for Chief Joseph Days, which brought parades, street vendors, and the rodeo to Joseph. The kids *loved* the parades, especially the horses (Finn) and the scramble for candy (Caden). 

Back up at the lake, we enjoyed s'mores, fishing, swimming, hiking, and mini-golf. 

We then headed back west, stopping for a night in The Dalles, where we spent a fun evening with Mama's college friends. Then, we met up with Aunt Erika, Uncle Brad, and cousins Rowan and Sawyer for lunch and wandering at the Edgefield before flying back to So Cal on Sunday. 

Coast and valley

On the 11th, we caught an airport shuttle to LAX and flew north to Oregon. It was Finn's first official flight in his own seat. From PDX, we drove over to Aunt Erika and Uncle Brad's place in Hillsboro. Nana and Boopa were also visiting, and we had another little birthday celebration for Finn. It was fun to stay and visit with Aunt Erika, Uncle Brad, and cousins Rowan and baby Sawyer.

And our visiting didn't end there; from Hillsboro, we headed to the northern Oregon coast, where Mama was setting up an experiment. Nana, Boopa, Erika, Brad, and the cousins rented a nearby house for a couple of nights and even went to check out Mama's Cape Meares field site with us on Sunday.

We dropped Caden off at Camp Magruder on Sunday afternoon after a stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for ice cream. This year, Caden went to camp for five nights and had a great time.

Over the next several days, Mama, Dada, and Finn visited several study sites along the coast, collecting mussels for Mama's experiments. Finn was quite excited about visiting and playing at so many beaches. And we even found a toy digger abandoned at one of the sites!

On Friday morning, we picked Caden up from camp and drove back over the Coast Range and down the valley to Corvallis. Ama and Adad's retirement celebration was on Saturday, so all of their kids and grandkids convened for the celebration. It was great to see everyone and especially to watch the cousins interacting. 

Of course, it was also fun to visit favorite places in Corvallis. Tomorrow, we head east, across the Cascades to the high desert and the Wallowas. 

Playground fun

We are in Oregon right now, where we gathered yesterday to celebrate Ama and Adad's retirements. There was a playground at the park where we celebrated, and Finn had a great time climbing and rumbling around.

New scooter

Finn got a new toy for his birthday. Look at him go!

Birthday song

Finn sang a song on his birthday. Be sure to turn up the volume...

Finn is 2!

Today marks the second anniversary of the day that Finn was born. We celebrated with friends yesterday at a party featuring construction vehicles, including a cake being excavated by a digger.

The party was in a covered picnic area at a nearby park, where kids could climb, dig, and play. We made giant bubbles and brought a play parachute.

It's hard to believe that he fit into this tub two years ago. 

This morning, Finn was crowned as he arrived at the Infant Toddler Center. 

We're back in Irvine for a few days, having returned from Swampscott on Tuesday. We leave for Oregon tomorrow. Before leaving New England, we visited a spot we had always meant to check out: Walden Pond.

And on the drive back to Swampscott from Concord, we introduced Finn to D'Amici's Bakery. Yum!