Summer, Summer, Summertime!

Well, Summer has been over for a while now, and it seems like we were so busy there wasn't even ever a time to tell the world about it.  So, without much further adieu, here it is in a pictorial nutshell.  

It all started off with a special trip to Eastern Oregon to our friend Emily's Wedding.  Ryan and I got to go without Owen & Lindy because they got to stay with Aunt Amy and Uncle Cross.  This was a super fun trip.

 

We went to the Zoo!  This special trip was super fun.  We got to pet the farm animals, see the raptor show, see the elephants, seals, giraffes, penguins, and everything in between.  It was an exciting day.

 

Grandma & Grandpa Bradstreet came to visit.

  

 

We went camping near the beach.  It was a great trip, and playing on the beach with Owen & Lindy was a blast.

We went on hike while we were camping at the beach.  

We played at a lot of parks.

Ryan and I got to go on a special hike on our second Anniversary.

We ate delicious cookies from our friends Scott & Mandy

We got to play on our land in Hoodsport, WA, where Owen and Lindy got a special ride on the lawn mower with Ryan.  

 I got to walk in Portland to Coast with my awesome team.  The WILF's (Walker's I Like to . . . . Follow).

All in all, it was a pretty fantabulous summer.  We were busy, but we were having a great time.  

Punchbowl Falls

Way back on April 28th, we took a hike up to Punchbowl Falls.  This hike is part of the Eagle Creek Trail and is located in the Columbia River Gorge.  We had a great time on this hike.  It is a very popular hike so it was pretty busy, but everyone on the trail was friendly so all in all it was a great day.

Below are three pictures of us at the first waterfall on the trail.  Metlako Falls.

Marlee the Wonder Dog!

Ryan & Owen taking pictures of Metlako Fall.

The whole gang at Metlako Falls.

The next pictures of us are at our lunch spot.  We are at the bedrock beach alongside the creek at the bottom of Punchbowl Falls.  Owen was not too sure what to think about the rocks so he stayed pretty close to me the whole time.  Lindy, however, was loving it.  She was crawling all over the place and having a blast.

Owen staying close to his Mama.

Lindy exploring the rocks and the creeks.

Me and the twinners enjoying our lunch.

The next pictures were all taken by Ryan on his Canon 30D SLR.  They are all HDR pictures, which stands for high dynamic range.  This is done with a program that takes three pictures of the same object in different exposures, then when Ryan uploads the three pictures onto his computer it combines the three exposures for a pretty amazing photo.

This is of the creek at the foot of the falls.

 Also of the creek at the foot of the falls.  (This one is my favorite.)

 

 Punchbowl Falls.

This was a great hike.  It was 4.2 miles total, and only 400ft. elevation gain, so it was just right for taking the babies out in their packs.  Any longer then that and they get a little restless.  Also, did you notice we have new packs?  We went and traded in our Kelty's for Deuter's.  I love my Deuter.  My Kelty was an uncomfortable fit on me, and neither Owen or Lindy ever looked very comfy in it.  If you are in the market for a kid carrier, I highly recommend the Deuter.

Aldrich Butte

On April 7th, Ryan and I went on a hike to celebrate his b-day.  Owen & Lindy got to hang out with Grandma & Grandpa Bradstreet, Aunt Amy, and Uncle Cross while we were hiking so it was a very nice date day for me & Ryan.

Aldrich Butte is located on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge.  The hike is 3.6 mile round trip, and it takes you up to Aldrich Butte which offers views of the Gorge including The Bonneville Dam, Dog Mountain, & Table Mountain.  To get to the trail head from Portland, take I-84 east to exit  44.  Cross the Bridge of the Gods and turn left on Hwy. 14.  Turn right toward Bonneville Hot Springs Resort between mile 38 & 39.  Park behind the Bonneville Springs hotel, and then you can see the trail from there.  

The view from Aldrich Butte looking out on the Columbia River and the Bonneville Dam.

Marlee enjoying some quality Mom and Dad time at the top of the Butte.

A view of Table Mountain from Aldrich Butte.  Ryan and I plan to go to the top of Table Mountain someday.

Enjoying ourselves at the top of the Butte.

 Another view of Table Mountain.  This time from Carpenter Lake.

We enjoyed this hike, and would do it again.  Afterward, we went to Solstice Wood Fire Cafe in Bingen, WA (right across the river from Hood River, OR).  We had some of the best pizza I've ever had there, and I highly recommend this place to anyone who is close to the area.  We had the Cremini Mushroom pizza with goat cheese & thyme.  It was awesome and I think I have had a craving for it everyday since eating it. 

Lower Salmon River

At the end of March we realized we hadn't done a hike all month long (our New Year's Resolution was to do at least one hike every month).  The weather was not good most of that month, but we finally got a nice day at the very end.  We decided to do Lower Salmon River, which is fairly close to our house and is always a nice hike.  Although, it was a nice day, the trail was still pretty snowy (passable without snowshoes, though).

To get to the trailhead for this hike take Highway 26 toward Mt. Hood to mile marker 42(near Zigzag).  When you reach the town of Zigzag, turn right on Salmon River Road.  Stay on this road for 2.7 miles, and then you'll see a pullout on right where you can park.

This hike is an easy flat hike that follows the Salmon River.  If you do the whole trail, out and back, it is 5.2 miles.  We just always do however much we feel like doing or what we have time to do.  On this day, I believe we went in 1.5 miles and then back out.

 

Ryan and Lindy on the snowy trail.

Owen & me on the trail.  Notice Owen's mittens.  We got them at REI at their clearance sale for just $7 (originally $20).  They are too big right now, so they make his hands look enormous, but they get the job done and will fit him for a while.  I love a good deal.

Marlee the Wonder Dog!  She loved running through the snow on the trail.

 View of Salmon River.  I loved how the sun was shining through all the moss covered trees.

 Ryan & Lindy near Salmon River.  Lindy loves hiking.  She babbles the whole time and just smiles at everything.

 Me & Owen on the trail.  Owen also loves being outside on the trail.  He talks to me a lot while he's in the backpack, but I think he would prefer to be out of the pack exploring.

 

 

1 year

The twins have turned one!  I am quite amazed that we made it through the year.  It was one of the hardest yet most exciting years of my life, and I'm sure Ryan would agree, too.  Here are all the Owen & Lindy's monthly pics leading up to their 12th month.

Lindy June Kaufman

Lindy - 1 Month

Lindy - 2 Months

Lindy - 3 Months

Lindy - 4 Months

Lindy - 5 Months

Lindy - 6 Months

Lindy - 7 Months

Lindy - 8 Months

Lindy - 9 Months

Lindy - 10 Months

Lindy - 11 Months

Lindy - 12 Months

Owen Dean Kaufman

Owen - 1 Month

Owen -2 Months

Owen -3 Months

Owen - 4 Months

Owen - 5 Months

Owen - 6 Months

Owen - 7 Months

Owen - 8 Months

Owen - 9 Months

Owen - 10 Months

Owen - 11 Months

Owen - 12 Months

Happy Birthday Owen & Lindy!  You are an amazing boy & girl.  You exhaust me more than I ever could've imagined, but you've enriched my life just the same.

Crawling

Now that Lindy has got the hang of crawling, nothing can stop her. 

Climbing Stairs

The world is like a Jungle Gym if you're Owen.  He loves to explore every nook and cranny of our house, and his latest favorite is the stairs.  This video is the very first time he attempted climbing the stairs.  He can now almost make it to the top.  He definitely keeps us on our toes.