Hiking at Cascade Pass

A couple days ago we went hiking up in the Cascade Mountains. It was a gorgeous sunny day-not a cloud in the sky. After the 30+ switchbacks up the mountains, we were more then ready to get to the pass! Wow-were we rewarded. Thank you Lord!

Esther & Sören posing in front of Johannesburg Mountain 

Hiker Sören

Happy Hikers

Pretty nice view, right?

Nice spot to stop and soak in the view



This funny marmot got really close to us

 At the top:

Esther

Wow.



Dad

We did it...7.4 miles round trip!

Happy Family





This fat squirrel was a little TOO friendly....don't feed wildlife!!!

I captured a photo of the little guy in front of the mountains. :)

  

Wild columbine

I had to snap this shot on the drive down after hiking

On the drive home we saw 3 herds of elk! It was awesome! Another one of God's gifts....

Lillian's 11th Birthday!!!

Last Wednesday we celebrated Lillian's 11th birthday! Her birthday morning was a little different then other past birthdays, because Mom and Dad took her out to breakfast in town. Then they came home and Dad had to go to work (he was offered last minute to work at a movie shoot in the park!) and Mom threw Lillian a birthday party...playing and swimming at the beach, and later eating cake and ice cream. It was a beautiful day for an outside party!

Lillian & Mom

Party Time!



Everyone having fun in the last few days of summer

Maria, Lillian, and Lydia

Livy & Lillian

Happy Birthday Lillian



4 Happy Siblings

Yummy cake

Friends

Livy spent the night and Lillian opened her gifts:

Horse book for a horse lover from Auntie Sharon!

Opening cards

                               Happy Birthday Lillian!!!

Backyard Campout with Friends

Last week we had a campout at our house with some friends of ours. We put up 5 tents and one of them was empty, so we had plenty of sleeping quarters! ;) We spent the evening setting up camp, playing around, eating a good dinner of hotdogs, roasting s'mores and telling stories around the campfire. The next morning we enjoyed pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream on our camp stove made by mom...mmm!


Smiles & s'mores

Busy preparing our s'mores

Sören and Cole

Maryn & Esther





Dad pouring pancake batter on our handy camp stove

 

 

Eating breakfast around the campfire

 

Headed out to go fishing

 

We went fishing after breakfast--no luck, except that Gina caught a nice sized ling cod, which we had to release because the season is currently closed.