Pumkin Carving!

We had a great time carving our pumpkins with our pals! Bijou did a really intricate design on her huge pumpkin. Timmy did a great free handed hulk on Jack's, I did the tree, Kath did the coolest yoda, and Bri won with R2D2 and C3P0!

Bagby

We went on a new adventure to visit Bagby hot springs! It was a tad late in the day so we had to hurry though the 3 mile hike but the 30 minute soak was worth it! It even rained a bit on us in the tubs! It was way far out there but the kids did great! My only complaint was that jerky people left their nasty trash and didn't hike it out! Otherwise it was a treat to see more gorgeous areas of Oregon! Especially during the fall! I found a garden snake and Jack spotted a newt in the dark! It was super cool!

Pumpkin time!

I LOVE this time of year! My fav season for sure! The gorgeous colors and crisp sunny days. Bijou and Jack have grown to adore the pumpkin day ritual complete with animal barn, moo cow ride, and hay tower fun. Bijou was a serious pumpkin picker while Jack enjoyed stomping around the soggy patch in his boots!

Beach Trip!

We had a great time visiting our friends in Waldport this weekend. Karen, Senate, and Thea were super hosts and let us stay at their amazing beach house! Hank, Brian, and baby Maude came too! It was a gorgeous couple of days and we all fell in love with the incredible tide pools right by their house. But the best part was cozying up with friends and watching the waves!

Ape Cave Lava Tubes

We took a trip up to Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Mount St Helen. So gorgeous this time of year with the leaves changing and mist hanging in the mountains. I had to collect soil for my OSU class and it turned out to be the perfect spot.
Bijou had gone to the lava tube this summer with her class and was a masterful tour guide showing us all the way down into a cave and 2 flights of slippery stairs to the main tube. Without a flashlight you can't see your own finger in front of your face. We took the easy route descending to the bottom of the tube, a mile and a half round trip. There's an extended version where you travel up the tube rock climbing over 10 feet tall boulders.
Bijou was our trailblazer walking comfortably through the rocky darkness while most of us stumbled! Jack was super brave carrying his huge flash light and yelling hi at other people coming through. It was a great experience.