Miniature Golf with the boys

On Friday the 23rd of September, we took they boys mini golfing at the golf-a-rama in Hazel Dell.  They have been wanting to go golfing for quite some time and have been bothering us a bunch so we decided to go for 18 holes and see how they would do.

They were really having a blast, and doing pretty well for the first few wholes and then I think they got a bit bored, because their strokes were more and more and the balls were not going in the holes.

When we got to hole 14, Kenny looked at the strip and said (and I quote), “ Oh my curvy mother, you need to hit this one with uumph!!” (see photo below for the pic of hole 14)

All in all, we had a great time.  The scores ended up being:

Dad: 47

Mom: 66

Kenny: 84

Kale: 92

The course was a 41 – so you can judge for yourself how well we all did.  Afterword, we enjoyed a meal at Steak Burger and then went home and watched movies and ate popcorn.  A great way to end the week.

Saturday @ 7 am…

I awoke to a strange buzzing sound.  Kenneth was not in bed with me but Kale was sleeping at the foot of the bed.  I rolled towards the sound and found Ken's cell phone ringing.  He had it on vibrate, which is abnormal for him.  He was asleep downstairs on the couch (for reasons unbeknownst to me).  I answered the phone to his Dad asking if we were up (why would we be up on a Saturday morning at 7am???) and wanted to go to breakfast with he and Carolyn.  He was taking her to the Red Mill in Milwaukee, Or.  He claimed that it was some of the best breakfast food in Oregon.

I crawled out of bed and wandered down to find Kenneth to see if he was interested.  He thought it sounded fun, so 25 minutes later we were off to meet Ken and Carolyn at their house and head to breakfast.  We drove for about 20 minutes and as were came around a curve in the road, there it was; a big red barn complete with a water-wheel.

We parked and went inside.  As we looked at the menu, I realized this was going to be about as “healthy” a breakfast as anything could be that contained biscuits and gravy, pancakes and waffles.  Whole grain everything, oats and grains of all kinds.  I have to admit, I was a bit worried.  But the food wasn’t half bad…  I don’t think I will go back anytime soon to eat, but there was an amazing array of whole and bulk foods, kitchen gadgets and other neat things.  I will have to go back when I can explore the store at my pace (meaning no kids).

The boys seemed to enjoy it and anytime they can spend time with their grandparents makes them pretty happy.

What did I do this summer (part 4 of ?)

The weekend before Labor Day, we spent at the Beach in Rockaway, Or.  We spent 4 days on the beach, crabbing, riding bikes, playing in the surf and sand, flying kites, attending community street parties and wandering through the shops and stores on main street.

 

The boys had a blast and I actually got to relax a bit.  The views were spectacular and I loved the salt air.  Ken got to eat fresh-caught crab and some of the best sea bass he has ever had.  It was just a great weekend.  And we got Tillamook Ice Cream twice in one weekend.  I forgot how great “real” ice cream is, and they had so many flavors it was hard to choose just one.

It was a great weekend to close the summer and get the kids ready to go back to routine and homework.

What did I do this summer (part 3 of ?)

SO, what should we remember next…

How about MOSSY ROCK and the Lumberjack Festival??

We drove up on Friday evening, pitched a tent at the lake and built a rope swing for the kids.  Bryce, Shantel, Zoey, Ben and Grandpa joined us.  We haven’t done much camping this summer so this was a weekend we were all looking for. 

The Rope Swing was by far the biggest hit -

When Kenneth was young, his family would block out this weekend every year and spend the weekend in Morton and on the lake.  We have decided that as long as we live here, we will make it an annual event as well.  The campground was really nice, not to busy or crowded and there was plenty of room to run and play.

Saturday Morning we got up early and went to a pancake breakfast that was being hosted by one of the “Clubs” and then went to the parade…

What a great shopping cart – don’t you think???

This is a beam from the Twin Towers.  It was being brought to the area to be placed at a memorial that is being created in this area.  I found it very interesting to actually see what a “twisted” piece of steel looks like after working in the Fireproofing Industry for several years and talking about and hearing about what happens to steel when heated too quickly. – Sorry, the ramblings of Melissa can be a bit off the wall.

The Festival was next, after wandering through the flea market a bit.  And who can forget the FOOD – all kinds, all fattening and all good.  The boys had never seen anything like it, except on a WII game and they thought it was pretty cool to see it “for real”.

The day was a great one, not too hot, not too cold, and packed full of fun and food and by the time we got home we were all tuckered out and ready for bed.

What did I do this summer (part 2 of ?)

So we are at the beach and while there, we decide to write our names in the sand…

Overall, the kids and the parents and even Grandpa had a great time.  We love to explore new place and experience new things.  This was a fun trip that we will definitely have to do again soon.  Spending time with the family is definitely one of my favorite things to do and spending time with family in the beautiful Northwest is just an added bonus.

What did I do this summer (part 1 of ?)

This summer has been jam-packed full of activity.  We moved, played, camped, explored, hung out, worked, played some more, got reacquainted with family, ate lots of food… 

I will try to share most of it over the next few posts and hopefully most of the memories we made this summer will be included.  If I forget any, feel free to remind me so I can add them.

So where to start…

Let’s start with our trip to Astoria and the Fort in July.  We went with Grandpa Harmon.  We went to the Astoria Tower, climbed all 164 stairs and flew a pinewood airplane from the top and then climbed all the way down.  I never knew 164 stairs could be so hard to climb…

                                       

The boys loved it and we enjoyed seeing the bay and watching the boats.  They also loved the bridge and tried to guess how long a bridge it is…

It was a cloudy morning and this added to the great effect of the bridge.  We also watched the tug boats and large, commercial barges.

 

After we explored the tower, we went to the Fort and let the boys run, play, climb, hike, explore and see what they could see.  They loved it.  They climbed the trees, crawled around in the remains of the fort, and tried to imagine what the buildings would have been.

        

Next, we stopped off at the shipwreck and the beach and boy did they get dirty…  But then again, what Harmon boy wouldn’t take advantage of an opportunity to get dirty and wet???

     

                        

Read the next post for more memories…

Kenny's Nine Now...

So yesterday was Kenny's ninth birthday. We had celebrated his birthday a few weeks ago with the family and I don't think he even remembered it was his birthday yesterday.

We decided to take he and Kale to OMSI for his birthday because he had been asking to go for several weeks now. We started out in the science wing where Kenny and I went to the chemistry lab and did some neat experiments. He really seemed to enjoy playing with beakers, chemicals and learning.

Next, we went to an IMAX Movie,

about elephants and orangutans and what people in the world were doing to rescue and save the babies when their moms were killed by poachers or their enviornment being destroyed. It was really cute and sweet but reminded us all of the importance of taking care of our world.

After that we went to the Video Game Exhibit, Game on 2.0 where we explored over 40 years of gaming entertainment; from the first commercial coin-op to the latest in virtual reality and 3D technology. They had Nintendo, Pong, Wii, Centipede, Pac-man, pinball... the list goes on and on for 125 titles.

After OMSI, Kenny picked Izzy's as his birthday restaurant, so off we went to eat salad, pizza, chicken, Jell-o, all the good stuff that kids like. Unfortunately, for mom and dad who are dieting, we could only have a small amount of salad and just a bit of dressing (and not even the good kind). But the boys sure enjoyed their meal...

Later that night, Grandpa & Grandma Ericson & Megan and Tyler came for dinner and desert. IT wasn't bad and Kenny seemed to enjoy it all (Kale ate earlier as he doesn't like fish). We had cake and ice cream and brownies with raspberry sauce... all things mom and dad couldn't eat. But seeing everyone else enjoying it made it a bit easier to "swallow".

Kenny is an amazing little boy.

He loves legos, playing with Bionicles, Hero Factor or any other toy that he can take apart and put back together. He loves riding his bike in the front yard and around the neighborhood. He loves playing with his little brother, Kale (although I think they are going through a bickering phase right now, and I hope it ends soon).

Kenny loves school. He started on Wednesday and loves everything about it. He has two "girl" friends and his teacher's name is Ms. Marvin. He loves to read and is currently enjoying a couple of series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites.

Kenny is an inquisitive little boy, full of life and always wanting to learn. When he finds something he likes, he REALLY likes it and eats, sleeps and breaths it. He is kind and considerate. He is ALL BOY and I don't think that will ever change, (at least I hope not). He loves to be the center of attention, but also loves to have "me" time and be alone with his things and his thoughts.

Kenny really loves music and singing. Unfortunately for him, he was not born with intonation. He is really trying though. He sings the hymns at church and joins in with the radio and even sings in the shower. Sometimes we have to ask him to "keep it down" because he gets so wrapped up that he doesn't realize that he is "screaching". We love that he tries and we love that he loves music and hope that he always keeps that love with him.

As Kenny's parents, we are so proud of who he is and who he is becoming. I am pretty sure that his Heavenly Father is proud of him too. He has had a few challenges in his life so far, and they haven't been small ones. He is still working on some, some will stay challenges his whole life, but he hasn't let that get him down. He starts each new day fresh, with a smile (that is missing several teeth) and goes at the world full force.

We love him and feel very blessed to have him in our family.