Fam & Friends! NW in August

Off for Oregon

On August 10, Don and I flew to Portland! 

Masks were optional, but we'd heard too many stories. On the day we flew, our son & DIL, were in Thailand, with Covid. :(  

Charlie Time

This was our main reason for avoiding Covid.

Don and I got in lots of grandparent-practice-time!

Hanging with the Parents

We loved spending time with Charlie's parents!

They've been wonderful parents for 18 months now! Pros!

​Fashion Tips

During our hang out time, I let Charlie teach me some fashion tips.

She worked on her hair... and she worked on her outfits. 

She made sure everyone was fashionable for Tiki Time!

Walking
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This was our first trip to Happy Valley, since Charlie became a walker.

Her feet barely stopped, unless she was in a highchair.

Idaho

After a few days in OR, it was time to see more family. 

When in Idaho... stop at the Potato Museum!
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Good Food

We ate well, while visiting my bro and Sis in Law in Boise.

Chris and Karen cooked a fabulous feast the first night.

We dined at Taj Majal, on the second night.

We were treated like family, by Sohail and Farrah.

Around Town

We explored some of Boise's parks.

Downtown was incredibly festive after dark!

Further Out

We traveled a little further out and enjoyed a  hike!  Hot, but beautiful views!

It was also hot when we wandered the old town of Idaho City! Karen and I had a toast with water... in front of an old saloon.

​Montana

After Idaho, Don and I were off for Bozeman.

We must have spotted 1,000 buffalo! Or is it bison? I need to learn.

Old Friends

We stayed with dear friends, Christy and Alan, in Bozeman. Lots of catching up!

One day was spent hiking and picnicking.

The scenery was spectacular! The next day we had lunch in the cute town of Livingston. Lots of cool signs in that town!

The best part was relaxing and catching up. Cheers to that!

Spokane, Washington

Don and I spent one night at the Historic Davenport Hotel, on our way back to Oregon.

We practically had the grand lobby to ourselves.

We explored 5 ballrooms! This fine pose was in the Marie Antoinette Ballroom!

We enjoyed a cocktail in the Peacock Lounge...

Then more wandering in the building. Don found this modest woman in the basement, near the swimming pool. A fun hotel for one night! 

Oregon Again

After returning to OR, I was able to have a day with Milissa. We lunched near her Portland apartment.

Then we shared dinner with the fam, in Happy Valley. Our kids weren't much older than Charlie, when we first met.
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The Coast
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Towards the end of our Northwest visit, we traveled further west to the coast. Our hotel in Gearhart had lovely grounds and views.

The weather was perfect for sitting out... and for walking to the nearby beach!

First Beach Trip!

The best part of our whole 2 week trip, was seeing Charlie experience a beach for the first time!

She loved the sand, even more when her shoes came off. And she was not a bit intimidated by cold water!

​Feeling Grateful!

As I end this month, I'm feeling grateful that our trip went well and we connected with so many... and that covid didn't interfere. This third pandemic summer, was much better than the first!

My ugly wave at the end of this post, is a reminder to also feel grateful for no sprains or broken bones! My first run after returning home, involved a flying fall on the sidewalk. I'm slower healing than when I was a little kid. So very glad I didn't have these ugly scrapes when I was on the trip. They would have interfered with baby holding!

So lucky!
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