Pets and Japanese Gardens

The kiddos were so excited to see Charlie and meet Daisy Mae. She was a spunky little Yaya!!

They did so well with the dogs and were very gentle. They were a bit obsessed!!

Corey and Bill have the most beautiful home. Truly a home in every respect. It's comfortable, classy, and so well decorated. I want them to come and do our home!!

It was a bit hard finding places to eat because of Covid. It took us a bit to order online but we managed!! After a great lunch at a table we weren't supposed to eat at we headed to the Japanese gardens... they were so green and lush. Truly peaceful.

The bonsai trees were awesome! I couldn't believe this one was 500 years old!

Ashland, Eugene, and finishing up the drive

Jody found us a great little place! It was clean and we had a super late check in where they upgraded us for free to their biggest suite! Everyone was super comfy!! 

The kiddos enjoyed some swimming and we continued our journey with lunch in Eugene. It was by far my favorite place we ate. There was a salad place with super fresh greens!! YUM!!!

We feasted on Voodoo doughnuts and by far these are the best doughnuts we've ever eaten. Expensive but worth it. We loved the BLM signs everywhere, street art, and GREENERY!!!!!!!!

Driving down to Portland!!!

Jody took off 2 weeks and the first week we got our 20+ year old carpet replaced in our home. We had a really wonderful CLEAN Costco 3rd party company come in and do some vinyl laminate wood flooring with new carpet in the bedrooms. We feel like we are in a new home! It was quite the process and my dad was so wonderful to let us stay with him for a week!! We had about 5 loads to the donation store and 3 for the dump. Our house is purged!!!! Every closet, drawer, and crevice is spic and span!! It feels wonderful. 

For week 2 of Jody's vacation we got a rental Full Size SUV on Covid clearance and headed up to see our wonderful Uncles!! We had plenty of room and it was nice because an SUV is NOT for our family!! We found it bulky and not a great use of space.... did I mention we love our Honda??

We stopped quite a bit taking our time to get to Ashland where we planned on spending the night before heading to Portland. We stopped in Sacramento for lunch for sandwiches. 

We headed down to Redding to Wild Waters on Methamphetamine.  AKA Water World.

Highlights:

1. 5 women complimented me on my swimsuit

2. 1 yellow slide into a swimming pool

3. A lazy river (sure there were leaves and it was milky and there was no current)

4. A bumpy slide that can cause scoliosis

5. 2nd hand weed anytime you are in the parking lot

6. DISNEY FAMILY NIGHT!!! Teens dressed up and ready to cheese it up with your small child!!

7. Clean bathrooms

8. Killer Wave pool... literally killers in there from Shasta County Corrections Facility

9. Ella making friends with kids with dads who you are obligated to chat with

10. ICE CREAM!!!

Seriously though, the little kids thought it was the greatest place on earth.

We continued on and stopped in Mt. Shasta for dinner at Black Bear.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!! MT.SHASTA!!!!!!!!!

She's next on my list to summit!!! So beautiful beyond words!!

Too much fun!

We have been busy!! We found ourselves with poor old Atlas dying of Covid. He wasn't going to survive and we didn't want to pour more money into a 20+ year old car. Yes. 1996.

We took the plunge and bought a new Honda Pilot. It's an 8 seater, comfortable, good on gas, and we are absolutely in love!! It's pretty basic but we like basic! On the ride home with the kids Maria was hooking up the bluetooth and she randomly hooked it up to someone else in a different car. She hooked it up to "steamboat minnie" and much to Jody's horror... the name has stuck for this car.

We are blessed. It's been so nice to have a car that we are safe in.