The Summer of Six States, Stranger Things & Sprague Reunions

Summer 2016 was by far the busiest summer so far. We traveled in and through six states (all driving) in our good old Volkswagen, Wolfie.

-We hiked and camped our way through the middle of the Wyoming plains.
-Ten year high school reunion in Oregon (go Sprague Olympians!)
-Austin's mom's side of the family (the Sprague's) reunion in Sacramento, California.
-Day trip to San Francisco and Muir beach
-My mom came to visit for a couple weeks, which included Yellowstone, Gold Bug hot springs,
 Rexburg Rapids, Finding Dory etc.
-My Grandpa's birthday bash in Oregon (thankfully this worked out be be during the week of our  high school reunion so we killed two birds with one stone and saved our car a ton of miles haha).
-While in Oregon we blew through the entire season of "Stranger Things".
-Since my parents were in Oregon the same time for my Grandpa's birthday we had a day trip to  Enchanted Forest.
-Beach day at Neskowin
-East Idaho State Fair
-Tautphaus Zoo

I will make separate posts about some of the items listed above because I have TONS of photos!

Random iPhone photos from our various trips:

Roadtrip diva

Sacramento Reunion

Private bowling room with 75+ people

Maisie feeding her baby in Oregon haha!

Ellie passed out after Enchanted Forest

Cousin snuggles

Lunch in San Francisco at Rainforest Cafe

Entertaining the babe at my Grandpa's birthday

Not an iPhone photo but a professional photo from the family reunion in Sacramento. It was 105+ and beyond muggy in this photo, we were all miserable, but somehow the photo turned out:

Oregon Part 6 - iPhone Photos

Gas station fill up and bathroom break. This is Ellie after a good nursing session and exploring the front seat of the car.

Rest stop castle!

Sleeping in the car- Ellie's much appreciated talent.

Cousin bath! Ellie looks so tan haha!

I love how big Idaho's sky is, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss trees towering above me.


Pictures Aunt Lori took of the cousin's of cousins playing together.

They started out dry, but it was only a matter of time before...

They were soaked. P.s Maisie and Maggie could be twins- the Lloyd blood runs strong in them.

If I fits... I sits.

Cousin sleepover. Maisie's first ever sleepover... Emerson's too.

Emerson pestering Maisie.


Austin bought that salsa and when we tried it, it was crazy spicy. When we looked on the packaging it wasn't labeled as hot or anything so we were confused. Until we spotted that tiny circle on the top right of the packaging that reads: "could be considered HOT". Yeah... "could be" is putting it lightly. It was HOT though.

I know she's not in a carseat, but we were only going down the street. She wanted to try out her new headphones. She was listening to the lullabye setting on my sound machine app, so it was hilarious when I looked behind me to see her like that. She's not asleep... just "very very relaxed" haha

Arnie the greatest cat who lived and the only one I am not allergic to.

Shortcake

Maisie's parting gifts to Grams and Gramps.

Another masterpiece

Pit stop going home. Beep beep!

Oregon Part 4 - Carousel

We had to sneak in a carousel ride right?! 

I remember when the City of Salem was in the process of building, hand carving and hand painting the carousel. I was a kid and I remember it being years and years (like 10??) before it came together. I think as a kid I took it for granted, but now with my adult and more appreciative eyes, all I see is the work and beauty that went into it. It sure is pretty and I am glad that Maisie always requests "one more ride". I know she's too young to appreciate it fully, but she must know it's pretty special.

Oregon Part 3 - Drift Creek Falls

We wanted to sneak a hike into our trip somewhere, but with the heat in town, it didn't seem likely until Austin's Uncle and Aunt from Arizona came into town and we decided to squeeze a nice hike in. I used to hike this trail fairly often when my family still lived in Oregon. It's beautiful and has always been a favorite of mine. A swinging suspension bridge? Sign me up! At first Maisie was a little leery of the bridge, but eventually she saw the fun in it. Ellie was a trooper in the Babyhawk, it did get a bit warm and sweaty- she's quite the little space heater, so hiking with her strapped to your frontside is.... toasty.

I'm so thankful we got to enjoy such a nice hike with so many of our loved ones. It was quite the hiking party. :)

p.s I have pictures of other members of the family, but I didn't want to post their pictures in case they felt uncomfortable about it.

Oregon Part 2 - Lincoln City

After a few days in Salem, we were desperate to cool off and in the Northwest that means only one of a few things, but mostly it means heading west to the coast. Oh, and it was much needed. The cozy fog, the wind with trace amounts of sea salt, the shops with unpredictable hours and of course the fresh seafood... hello halibut and clam chowder!

We finished the day off with s'mores roasted over a bon fire and with all the cousins playing in the sand- complete with copious amounts of sand in their every crevice.

S'mores and sandy crevices... all you could ever want. haha