Condon Trip-- June 2013

Family Vacation #2 was supposed to be much grander than it actually was-- we were supposed to make a Tour de Oregon trip, stopping in La Grande, Boardman, Condon, Vancouver, Lincoln City, and Bend before coming back to Vale.

That didn't happen. That's way too much of a trip for the kids-- and for us-- right now.

Instead, we made the first leg of the trip-- stopping in LG, Boardman, and Condon before coming back home. It might have been a much shorter trip than we initially anticipated, but it was a great little getaway and we got to visit with some people we adore.

On our way to Boardman, we stopped at Riverside Park (have I mentioned how much I absolutely LOVE this park?!?!) to meet up with Katie, Madi, and Braiden. The kids played, the adults chased them and talked occasionally, and we all feasted on some gourmet McD's. I was happily surprised to run into an old college classmate and dance team member and her kids. We then hit the road to get to Boardman to visit the Lantis family.

The visit with Zack, Emerald, Makaila, Riley, and Chase was great! The kids played, the adults caught up, and ate some yummy Traeger BBQ'd chicken and steak. Zack took the boys to the fire department-- Rocco was so excited to put on real firefighter gear! Emerald later took me for a quick tour of the town. We stayed one night in Boardman before heading to Condon.

Our visit to Condon was very nice. It is always good to see Steve and Rhonda (Todd's parents). We also saw some other good friends, whom we miss a lot-- The Barnett Family, The Farrars, Uncle Stan and Aunt Terri, and Grandma Dorothy. We also had a visit from K'Lynn and her little beautiful girl, Kennedy, as well as Aunt Betty Lou and cousin Zoey. We mostly stuck around the house-- Rocco played naked outside the majority of the weekend-- but we did make a trip into town for the Elk's breakfast and to take Rocco to the elementary school to play. The kids were super well-behaved and traveled excellently. We couldn't have asked for much more than that!

Our next trip is supposed to be a visit to San Diego to see Todd's sister, brother-in-law, and their new baby. But there are some scheduling conflicts that might delay the trip until a later date. If that's the case, we might take our own family vacation elsewhere (lesson learned: always buy the refundable plane tickets!) like San Francisco, Vancouver to see the Dearborn clan, or Seattle to visit Uncle Gil. Heck, we might get a wild hair and go somewhere totally unexpected! Who knows?!

All I know is that so far this has been a great summer-- and will continue to be a great summer. Whenever I am with my family, I am happy! It's icing on the cake when I get to visit people who love us in return and are grateful for our company!

Here are some of the best photos from our trip:

Toxic People-- How to Deal

What is a toxic person? This excerpt very simply and perfectly describes a toxic person:

"These are angry, abusive and unhappy people who feel compelled to take out their anger and unhappiness on those around them.They will never humble themselves and admit wrong because, in their own minds, they have no problems. The problem is always, always with everyone around them who fails to meet their expectations and insatiable desires. Toxic people are known by the turmoil they create around them. Whether it is a family member, spouse, co-worker, fellow church member, neighbor or someone else, these people are able to inflict considerable pain in the people they hurt. They are not happy unless there is drama and intrigue and strife in progress. They seem to take pleasure in creating chaos where there is peace, and in hurting those who are otherwise happy by finding their weakest, most vulnerable area. Toxic people drain the life out of those around them." (source: http://ingridschlueter.wordpress.com/2009/03/05/dealing-with-toxic-people/)

Unfortunately, too many of us are dealing with toxic people in our lives. Is there someone who sticks out in your mind while reading that? If so, I am sorry. I know how much havoc a toxic person can cause to someone else. These strategies helped me deal with the toxic people in my life, and I hope it helps you, too.

Here are some useful websites:

1. http://www.peopleskillsdecoded.com/how-to-deal-with-toxic-people/

2. http://www.dovechristiancounseling.com/How-To-Deal-With-Toxic-People-In-Your-Life.html

Life is so very precious and too short to be anything but happy. I know that I am making a pledge to myself, my husband, and to my children to not allow toxic people to affect the life we have worked so hard to attain and maintain.

 

Vale 4th of July!

Every "Small Town, America" claims to host the best 4th of July celebration. But, let's be honest-- there can only be one winner, so I'm here to tell you why there's no where else you should be over Independence Day than my hometown of Vale, Oregon!!!

Rather than celebrating on one day, Vale jam-packs four full days of fun, giving locals and visitors more than just the typical small town celebration elsewhere. Read on!

First, there's the atmosphere. Everyone in town is simply buzzing with pride. Locals proudly show off the town's cute, historic down town, which is filled with shops and restaurants, a museum a block away, and friendly people. You can grab a burger, gravy fries, and a shake at the Starlite Cafe on one end of town for some local grub before peeking into Malheur Drug and Luzetta's Flower Shop for trinkets. And you definitely can't miss the bakery for fresh baked goods. That's just to name a few! Vale also boasts a Dairy Queen for speedy treats, Big "R" Burger, and Chavelita's restaurant with the best Mexican food north of the border (I suggest the shrimp cerviche!) The hot spot for adult only fun after the sun goes down is the Sagebrush Saloon where the owner has a great fenced in "party yard" with fun events like karaoke, pool, beach parties, mechanical bull riding, and more. New to the celebration is a Battle of the Bands competition at the Sagebrush, open to all ages. If you think America's got talent, you should see what Vale has to offer! If it's history you want, look no further. Vale is located on the Oregon Trail so visitors can see actual wagon ruts, visit the historic Stone House Museum, take a walking tour of the nationally recognized Oregon Trail-inspired murals (check out my favorite-- "Beginner's Luck" at Wadleigh Park-- I am in it!), or just grab an older community member for handed down tales of what it was like "way back when." You won't meet an unwelcoming face and everyone is more than willing to show you around their little piece of heaven.

If you're looking for fun and adventure for all ages, Vale has it! There is the more laid back events like the Oregon Trail Days and art in the park where vendors set up shop to sell food and items. Sometimes there is live music, karaoke, quilt shows, an obstacle course, and pie baking contests. If you're a local or an out of towner you won't be disappointed in the community Lions Club breakfast either. It's not just Texas that believes in big portions! For sports fans, there's a fun run and a beautiful 9-hole golf course not too far away (Country View Golf Course.) Bully Creek is a little oasis in the middle of sagebrush and dirt. It's a great place to take a dip and go for a swim, boat, fish, and/or jet ski. Plus, you can camp there, too, for a relatively cheap fee. If swimming in a lake isn't your thing, Vale has a community pool with a water slide and two diving boards. Kids hang out there all summer long-- it's the place to be! There are lots of activities for kids, too, in a town small enough to remain safe for kids to roam freely: stick horse races, sidewalk chalk art competition, a petting zoo, face painting, games in the park, and the parade. The parade is fun for all ages, but really a blast for kids. It's made up of rodeo royalty, old time cars with fancy horns (speaking of old cars, there is an old car show in the park-- usually featuring over 50 cars!), local families and groups, boisterous high schoolers threatening the crowd with water balloons, clowns, Shriners, veterans and military personnel, Smokey the Bear, firemen and engines with sirens blaring, and so much more. Candy galore, too! Make sure you take part in the Duck Race-- you can purchase a plastic duck at any of the local businesses and hope that your duckie is the first to reach the finish line on the Malheur River right outside of town. It's a sight to see hundreds of multi-colored ducks floating down the river!

And for the cowboys, and cowboys at heart, you can't miss the famous Vale Fourth of July rodeo in the Shamrock Arena! In addition to the standard rodeo events, like calf-roping, bull riding, steer wrestling, and barrel racing, Vale boasts one of the nation's handful of Suicide Races where the toughest and craziest horsemen and women run their horses full speed off a hillside, off of cliffs, over slippery pavement, and through a river. This is something you have to see for yourself to truly experience the thrill and excitement of it all. I highly suggest the river bank close to the fence so you can see the best part of the race and feel the wind whip across your face as the  horse thunders past you. Vale also hosts a Wild Cow Milking contest, which is my personal favorite event. My dad won the contest in 1988 and gave me his giant buckle adorned with rubies, gold, and silver. The gist of the event is to rope and milk a cranky mama cow the fastest. Cowboys get tossed around the arena and it's pretty comical.

Some might wonder what my favorite aspect of the celebration is-- and that's easy to answer. It's seeing people who come back year after year to my tiny home town to partake in the activities because they, too, know that Vale hosts the BEST Fourth of July celebration. It's a great time of year to see old friends and family or meet new friends. Now that I am a mother, it is fun to see my friends bring their kids to the events I once loved as a kid, and I know that my kids will also grow up loving their small-town celebration, too. It really is a great place to live and visit any time of the year, but particularly over the Fourth of July.

(This year, I will be celebrating all of the events, as well as my 10 year high school reunion! Yikes! I'm old!)

So, if you don't have plans this July, make a trip to Vale, Oregon to celebrate with us. Or mark your calendars for next summer. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Wallowa Lake/La Grande Adventure!

Day 1: Vale to Wallowa Lake

After packing what seemed like the entire house (hey, my motto is that I'd rather be over-prepared than under-prepared) we loaded the car (I am slightly embarrassed at how much stuff we packed for a few nights) and prepared for our journey. Vale to Wallowa Lake is roughly 4 hours away with lots of places to stop along the way (important with a recently potty trained toddler and feed-me-every-two-hours infant.)

(Rocco on the trip-- fueling up before taking off)

We left in the morning after Ruby received her bottle and hoped she would fall asleep in her car seat. Rocco had slept well the night before, so we were hopeful for a positive attitude and easy travels from him. Oh, and having a portable car DVD player with lots of kid movies also helps! After filling up with gas and grabbing some brunch, we were on our way. Ruby fell asleep rather quickly and Rocco peacefully watched movies. All was well until we got to North Powder...

(Ruby-- the calm before the storm!)

At North Powder, Ruby decided she had enough of her seat. She was hungry and had a wet diaper. We stopped. The boys peed. I changed Ruby and started feeding her a bottle before I went in to potty. I was hopeful that she would have a full belly and contently drift back to sleep. WRONG! She threw her first and only major fit for the trip-- from North Powder to Imbler. That's roughly 40 minutes of crying and fussing. Not super fun! Anywhoo... we kept going and tried to appease her, pulling over once to swaddle her, which seemed to help-- or she was just so exhausted from the 40 minutes of crying that she wore herself out-- and we continued onto our destination: Wallowa Lake!

As we got closer and closer to the lake, we could see the weather change from slightly sunny to grey and rainy. We spent the entire trip at the lake in the pouring rain. Regardless, it was still beautiful. I wish I could have gotten better shots of the mountain peaks-- they are really breathtaking. I forget just how beautiful it is up there. After settling into our cozy and cute little cabin at the lake, we went and bought some groceries and settled in for a bit. The boys braved the weather and went for a walk while Ruby and I stayed inside.We grabbed some lunch at Embers Pub-- and I ran into one of my former students by surprise. We then met our friends, Sadie and Hanley, and their little girl, Edie, at one of our favorite places-- Terminal Gravity Brewery and Ale House. We sampled some of our favorite beer while the kiddos played and caught up with our friends. It was a great way to end our first day of vacation.

(Ruby and her daddy relaxing in our cabin at the lake)

Day 2: Wallowa Lake & Joseph & Enterprise

Bright and early the following day, we went into Enterprise to see whoever we could catch at the school. I was able to see many of my old friends and colleagues, which was great. I missed a few, though, so I will have to make sure I see them first thing the next time I go. It was uplifting to hear some of my students say, "Come back, Miss R!" and remember me. I truly had such a wonderful experience when I lived and taught there and made life-long friends within the short 9 months I was there. I have already decided that we're taking a family vacation every summer to visit.

(Wallowa Lake and gloomy weather)

We then took Rocco into the playground in Joseph so he could blow off some steam. It was rainy, rainy, rainy, but he and Todd managed not to melt. Ruby and I strolled around the down town area and shopped. We hit up Bee Crow Bee for some yummy smelling salt scrubs and some balm for Aunt Stephanie. We popped over to Mad Mary's to find some cool toys for Braiden and Madi for their birthdays. We ordered lunch at La Laguna and picked up chocolate truffles at Arrowhead Chocolates while we waited. Ruby was quiet and took everything in while everyone commented on what a cute, sweet baby she was.

(Jumping in the puddle-- so much fun!) 

We headed back to the cabin, ate some lunch, and the kiddos napped. After a little rest, we loaded up and braved the lakeside in the rain. Rocco and I explored the creek, threw rocks and sticks, and jumped in puddles before getting to water-logged that we had to leave. After getting all cleaned up, we jumped back in the car and headed to my friend and former colleague's house for dinner. She had an amazing spread for us-- smoked chicken, salad, chocolate cake, mashed potatoes, bread, and wine. A couple of other friends from my teaching days joined us and Rocco played with Colby's boys. It was a great way to end the second evening of our trip.

(I love this boy!)

Day 3: Wallowa Lake to La Grande

Back on the road bright and early! And oddly enough-- the rain stopped and the sun came out. Darn! Another rough travelling experience-- both Rocco and Ruby were cranky and sick of the car. I lost it. Todd lost it. It was no bueno. BUT... things settled down after we got to Josh and Katie's house-- Rocco could play with the toys and Ruby could be held, so they were happy. We picked up gyros from Yia Yia Nikki's-- and, after hanging out with the Burrights for awhile, we went back to our hotel room for a little rest before dinner.

Dinner at the Burrights was the best part of our trip-- yummy food and great company. Our friends, the Wolcotts, came over with their kiddos. Kenny came over, too. The kids ran and played and went crazy in the backyard while the adults talked, ate, and drank a little. We talked about funny kid stories--toddlers pooping in front yards, teething trials and tribulations, and more. Kenny swears he will never have kids-- ever-- after this night. (I think he will change his mind... eventually!)

It was a great way to end our vacation-- and the kids slept awesome that night :)

Day 4: La Grande to Vale

We unfortunately cut our trip short by a day due to funerals being held back home.

After breakfast at the Burright's house-- home made biscuits and sausage gravy-- we did a little swimming at the hotel pool, then off to the world's best park. The park is HUGE and looks like a castle. There are swings, slides, fireman poles, rock climbing walls, ladders, merry go rounds, a motorcycle, and much, much more. The kids ran their hearts out and had a blast. I ran into an old art professor whom I adore and talked for a bit. It was sunny, warm, and perfect.

The morning ended with a lunch at NY Richie's-- pizza, Viper Sauce, and salad.

Back on the road to get home sweet home. Both kids crashed. When they woke up in Farewell Bend, I jumped in the back seat and kept them calm for the rest of the trip-- I was uncomfortable, but it kept our sanity! 

Home never felt so good-- for everyone.

Over-All Thoughts on the Trip:

Todd gives the kids a solid grade of a B or B-. He says "Ups and downs. It was fun. It was good to see everyone. I would give it a B- to a B. The kids struggled with being off of their routine. There were fun things for them to do, but it was good to be home at the end."

I give the trip a C. It was awesome to see friends and revisit our favorite places. It sucked to travel with kids-- cranky toddler who was off his schedule and a cranky infant who hates her car seat. I was very happy to get home.

I will leave it at that for now :) Are there family vacations in our future this summer? We will see...

(Todd is thinking FML)