Cape Disapointment

(https://www.parks.wa.gov/486/Cape-Disappointment)

This time I was NOT disappointed! Dane went last time with the boys. 

Start of my new bird necklace pendant

Fun day with the boys! Exhausting, but fun! We shared memories and made lots of new ones to laugh at later. The cape is a two-hour drive, but it was worth it. You see, the car is the one place they can't run away from me, so it's a great place to talk and find out what's happening in their world. 

Typical over-achiever Christian finished college classes early and was itching to get out. His plan...to fill 9 buckets of beach sand rich with gold flakes before my 3pm cut-off. Typical ME, after trying to sit and relax I failed and hauled buckets back to the car too. Those buckets weighed about 70 lbs! Sam seeing me hauling and also wanting to leave at a decent hour helped out too. Shacky and week, we earned that 4pm breakfast/lunch/dinner! But honestly, I wished we had chosen a better place to eat...HEARTBURN all-night-long!

Gold Rush - Spring break 2022

 

Oaks Bottom Wildlife Nature Reserve - Wenzel Adventure's

We had planned to visit Washington Park again but decided to take a break from driving to Portland for a while. While we were at Dutch Bros getting our usual drinks, a barista told us about Oaks Bottom Park, so we decided to check it out. M enjoyed her chia, Emma had her strawberry lemonade, and I sipped on ice water.

On this adventure, we brought both Chloe and my mom's dog Carly. While walking past the pavilion, we noticed that the flag was at half-staff. M asked why, but I suggested she ask her dad since I was on a media break. Despite the world's problems, it's good to get out and enjoy God's beautiful world for a change.

It was a beautiful sunny day with lots of dogs playing and birds chirping. Emma was excited about the playground, and we had fun playing on the slide. M had a good laugh when Emma couldn't figure out how to turn off the water after she had to pee.

Speaking of "going," M wanted to leave because it was getting too hot. While Chloe has been enjoying lots of walks lately, Carly doesn't get out much. She enjoyed soaking up the sun, and many parkgoers stopped us to tell us how beautiful she was.

I'm thankful that the barista took the time to tell us about Oaks Bottom Park. It's a Sellwood gem with stunning views of Oaks Park and the Willamette River.

Portland Japanese Gardens

Sam was happy and excited that M* had chosen the Japanese gardens, as they both love their culture. During our adventure, they were surprised to learn that Grandma H* lived in Japan as a child.