Faire Du Camping!!

If I haven't already said this... WE LOVE CAMPING! Lucky for us we found a cool place not too far from our house. Best part is that it is a free campground! It is on the Nestucca river. We are looking forward to spending some more time there! We got to go on a hike and see a pretty neat waterfall, fall asleep to the pitter pattter of rain, and enjoy the great outdoors! We were going to go swimming after our hike, but we took the long way home. By the time we got back it was too cold and we were hungry!

Here are some fun camping shots!

 Yeah, I think we eat better when we are camping!

 We hiked to Niagara falls!

 

View from one of the many mountain roads we traveled on. That blur on the photo is rain. If you couldn't tell it rained a lot!

I don't know if you can tell, but this is the river that flowed under our gazebo and through our camp!

Copper liked camping a lot!

He was really excited because he go to wear a glow necklace when it got dark out.

These are our we love camping faces!

And, these are our we are ready to go home faces!

...and our we need to brush our teeth faces!

Yellow hills and blue skies

A week or two ago Aunt Sheree and I were driving around south Salem looking for a certain house. We had thought we found it and got out to take a look around. It wasn't in the best shape but it had a nice chunk of land with it. We decided that since no one was around and was completely empty, we would get out and take a look around. We had a nice little adventure and picked some blackberries. Later that day we realized the house we were actually supposed to be looking at was across the street. Now that I have a camera I try to keep it with me. I got to take some cool shots and I think this place would be really neat for a photo shoot. Maybe we will find out who owns it and have Kristen come take our family pictures up there. I am definitely not a professional, but I think I have a pretty good eye as to what might make a good scene for a picture. For the most part is was an over cast day, but the sun did peak out a lot. The sky looked amazing in every direction.

 The yellow field behind the house was amazing. I couldn't believe it. I really don't think the pictures do it justice, but oh well. 

 

Sooner or later we will have a nice chunk of land. I think I would like a few more trees though. In the mean time we will enjoy other peoples and dream about where we will put our garden someday.

Dog Park

In Salem there is a really awesome dog park. It is really big and it has no fences. When I first heard of it, I thought it was a little crazy they didn't have any fences. How did they keep the dogs off the road? I was pretty sure if we ever went it would be super stressful, because I would be worried about Copper getting hit by a car. Well, we have gone many times and it is great. It's like the dogs know where the boundary is. We have been several times and I have never seen any dogs in the street. Even Copper stayed away. I can't say the same about the bike trail at the west end though. He will wander a little to far every once and while, but always comes back. Anyway, the park has a trail you can walk around and a huge field for play fetch, chasing, or any other social activity dogs like. This last time I went with my Aunt Sheree and her new dog. His name is Barley. Him and Copper have become pretty good friends.

Copper hurt his foot this last time we were at the park, but we are pretty sure it is healing. He should be back to normal in no time.

Barley

Sorry about the Dog butts, but it is the only shot I got of them together.

MMmmmmmmmmmMonkey Bread & a gross Spider!

While we were making our shopping list and menu this month, Josh got really excited about something he wanted to make... Monkey Bread! So while we were shopping he called his dad and got the recipe. We had the Elders for dinner last week, so Josh made them Monkey Bread. He was really excited and it turned out to be really yummy! Thank goodness for secret family recipes that get passed on from generation to generation! One Elder had never had it before and the other was really excited. We had to give it to them to go because it wasn't done in time, but it was worth the wait in my book! Oh and Josh is a pretty good little chef!

Finished product! Not bad!

Half gone in about a tenth of the time it took to make it!

We did share with the Elders...I promise! 

Josh was really excited! I told you!

 

P.S. we know the recipe comes on the cans of biscuits...and so does Josh now too!



And, on a really gross side note...Josh found this spider crawling across the great room floor!

YUCK & YIKES!

I strongly dislike spiders, but couldn't resist taking a picture of this nasty guy!