Glacier, 2010...4 Lasting Memories

Jeff and I have always loved Glacier National Park--since we were newly married, we've tried to visit each year, finding different hikes to take and sights to see... The last visit didn't last as long as planned with Grace as a two-month-old...see July of 2008 for further details...so we were thrilled when our friend Julie said she would LOVE to go Glacier with us! She made this trip possible and memorable by providing her family's camp trailer and all of her help with the kids! We loved getting this undivided time with her!

#1--The Avalanche Boardwalk Trail

We camped at Avalanche Campground, right next to this 1-mile boardwalk trail that circled through a cedar forest. The trail went right behind our campsite and crossed a bridge at the base of a deep, narrow gorge that Avalanche Creek continues to form. Jeff and I had never taken this trail together in the past, instead trying out the more technical hikes. But this year it was a perfect fit for our small-legged entourage!

Jeff was the camera man on this trip--always asking Julz, the photographer, "What setting would you have for this shot?"

Our hiking setup--when we were FINALLY ready to start out.

We took a different pace, camping with a toddler and an infant...instead of the normal hiking Clif bars and Gatorade we sported diet Pepsi and Chex mix. No sweat was broken, except of course BACK SWEAT from carrying a babe in the Bjorn.

Hollowed out tree...Jeff didn't stay in long enough for me to take a focused picture. He said it was slightly eerie in there. I couldn't blame him--I was quick in volunteering to take HIS picture.

We love that Julz is always thinking about using her photographing skills to capture family pictures for us. They are few and far between! (this is one out of 20 shots--ha!)

Grace loved this boardwalk path through the cedar forest. She doesn't hike in one direction...she's back and forth, in front and behind, sitting, standing, and running...sometimes walking. Here she's running to daddy...

...who tosses her in the air! Jeff loves that his kids love the outdoors. As do I..

Sweet little benches for adults waiting for two-year olds...

Joshy finally had it. All hiked out.

#2--Rock Throwing at McDonald Creek

After our boardwalk, we headed down to where Avalanche Creek joined McDonald Creek and spent time "just hangin' out" as Grace would say.

These rocky deltas provided Grace with MILLIONS of rocks to throw. This is one of her highlights that she tells people about camping.

Rock #328 thrown into the creek...or was it #329?

...and of course anything Auntie Julie does has to be done by Grace, too. See which two have their shoes off?

This is perhaps the bravest picture of the bunch. That water is glacial-cold!

He wakes!

All weekend long Julie would say, "Guess what. I love you!" Gracie got to where she finished the phrase whenever Julie asked her to guess. Lucky, loved girl.

#3--Campsite Shenanigans

We had to camp outside of Glacier the first night because the campgrounds filled up by 2 pm. The next two nights, however, we camped at Avalanche campground. Deer came through our campground on two different occasions.

Grace was a big help in making the fire.

Gracie loved the camper--in and out, in and out...

Her first s'mores--she seemed to like the process of making them more than eating them. :)

#4--Logan Pass

Going-To-The-Sun Road proved to be gorgeous as usual. Our Mountain Goat friends greeted us at the top. Once at Logan Pass, we walked the Hidden Lakes Trail...not getting too far, but seeing some breathtaking sites.

Josh Mat, 360

Josh is a wiggler. He hasn't rolled over yet, but he's pretty determined to move around. Today on his floor mat he completed a 180, with his head as his pivot point.

Placed on the mat...

...a few moments later... (Can anyone else see my sister Katie in his face? I think one of her baby pictures looks like this!)

...a little bit of maneuvering with the hands...

...a little more with the feet... (he found his feet this week and is quite fascinated!)

...and wa-lah! Upside down. (I also witnessed a little turtle-like neck-stretching that aids him in this rotation...)

You're pretty talented, Joshua! Next thing we know he'll be sprinting down the sidewalk to catch the school bus. We're trying hard not to blink. :)

THUMB-SUCKER!!!

This is one of Josh's new tricks. He doesn't seem to care that Gracie steals his bink all the time--he just slips the ol' thumb in and smiles back at her. He adapts!

New Tenants

When we moved in last year I asked G'pa Harvey to make us a bird house and a bird feeder for our backyard. It took a year, but this week we noticed our first tenants moving in...

Here I was playing around with my telephoto lens...I don't think this is the same type of bird in our tree apartment...

G'pa gave us some new food that attracts small birds. Gracie is excited that our feeder now feeds more than just Herbie, our pet squirrel.

I'm going to have to ask my aunt Diane what type of bird this is...anyone?

Sunriver, OR...2010

For the second year in a row, the Lochheads and Swansons took a week to relax together in Sunriver, Oregon. What a great time we had! We rented a 4-bedroom house and spent the week outdoors on bikes, in the water, and under the sun.


Our evenings looked a little like this... The house had a great open layout--kitchen, dining, living room--to just hang out in.


"G'ma Linda" and "G'pa Tom" (aka Slick and Twinkles...or Annie's parents) were the second set of grandparents who spoiled Grace and Joshy. Linda brought Grace a dolly and a quilt for her birthday. Gracie named her dolly John-Jacob, after her favorite song. The doll even came with binkies and Grace entertained us during the week trying them out herself.


We all planned one dinner to make for everyone and Colleen was nice enough to kick off the week of amazing food with her grilled salmon--lemon, onion, dill...yum!


...our kids LOVE Aunt Annie...


This was probably some binky-talk deciphering on Linda's part. We're trying to keep the binky for nap times and car rides, but on vacation we didn't fight it too much...


Probably our favorite day was spent up near Mt. Bachelor at Elk Lake. Annie and Drew had camped here before we met them in Sunriver and led us to this great day-use spot right on the water. We just lounged around this little campsite and played in the lake for the better part of the day.


My handsome husband and Brodie the Wonder-Pug in the background...Jeff loves the water, Brodie does not. :)

Joshy, quite content with Papa Scott

Grace, picking some "flowers" at the campsite. She loved exploring around the site.

Here is the whole group. Wait, I think we're missing a Retriever...Lilly or Swede? My guess is Swede. He was LOVING all the new scents.

Mt. Bachelor in the distance. Drew and Annie climbed to the top a few days earlier. We kid-locked parents were jealous. :)

Who's having more fun here?

Gracie loves the water! She was so excited to splash Daddy and pick up every rock under the water and throw it to a new place in the lake.

Scott rented a kayak while we were playing here for the day. He let us all take a turn.

Drew and Annie rented paddle boats that you stand on and row. They also let us play around on them.

Gracie, taking her turn with the paddle.

I love this picture. These two are the water-lovers of our family. I have a "healthy respect" for the water :) and Josh was quite upset when we put his feet in. Something tells me he'll come around...we're not sure about me. :)

Gracie trying out the "boat." As soon as she got in she started singing, "Row, row, row your boat..." She was so tired, missing her nap, that there were a few moments in the kayak when I think she was sleeping with her eyes open.

Colleen wasn't sure at first, but now she thinks she could have a bit of fun in one of these...

And I even got to try my hand at it. I could definitely float around the lake in one of these--with a life-jacket!

We played a couple of games...this is Quiddler. I forget who won...nope, I remember. It was me.

Josh was giving Annie some great card advice.

Mavericks had an indoor pool that Gracie tried out.

As soon as she saw this slide she ran to get in line...

...and went down once before she realized that she was being brave.

There was a great park that we biked to. I realize I didn't get any pictures of our bikes! This year Gracie had her own bike trailer--and again loved it!--and we rented another bike trailer for Josh b/c we had to put his car seat in it. He liked riding MOST of the time...there were a couple outings where people got out of the way when they heard us coming. :) Next year he'll be sitting up so they'll be able to share--won't that be fun!

Dinner out at a Mexican restaurant in Bend after we checked out the Farmers' Market. Gracie got to sit with Drew and Annie--lucky them? Lucky her!

Love this picture. Joshy has googly eyes for the good stuff already.

G'ma Colleen with her grandkids.

And Papa Scott getting in for a picture, too. How fun to have vacation time with them.

On another day we went to the outdoor pool with Annie and Drew.

Look at that beard... Grizzly Adams.

...they say that it's soft, but I just want to throw out my brillo pad and scrub a sink with it...

Our Statue of Liberty...Grace was so excited to have ice cream this week--but by the time we went to get her some, it was later during the week when she was so tired. Can you see it in her eyes?

SWEDEN! Gracie got along really well with the doggies. Our favorite quotes from the week were, "No Swede, that's mine." "No Brodie, that's not your toy." "Where's Silly Lilly?"

Even when she took a bath, she found two tupperware bowls to use for bath toys and she pretended that one was for Lilly to drink out of and one was Swede's. She also is very interested in the poop bags that were used to pick up after the dogs...

The other game we played was Carcassonne, and we're pointing at Colleen, the winner of the game on her first attempt. She said it was beginner's luck, but I don't know...

It was so hard to pack up to go home, but one of the things that helped was knowing that we were going to stop in the Tri Cities to see Auntie Julie and swim in her pool.

Gracie was amazing! Julie had her jumping off the side of the pool and the ladder into the water--a first!

She even let Julie put her head under water in one of her jumps.

Blowing bubbles...I'm pretty sure she's asking Auntie to sing her a song.

We were so excited to meet Auntie Julie's new PUPPY, Oliver. He's a Yorkshire Terrier--Jeff's first words were, "He's PUNTABLE!"

Look how little he is! The dog, that is. Ollie will get to be the size of a size 7 boot. Right now he's just a fist-full. Oh, is he cute!!!

As we were getting ready to leave I spotted Oliver getting a hold of Joshy's car seat toy. Too funny! Thanks for letting us stop, McInturffs! It was such a treat for us.

We had such a great week! Now we're at home, resting before our next adventure...camping! Gotta love being teachers in the month of July! :)