Camping at Silver Falls

Two weeks ago, most of my family met up at Silver Falls State Park. We rented three cabins and spent the weekend sitting around the campfire, eating good food, and goofing around. We missed the out-of-state members of our family, but we still managed to have a great time.
I started off taking a lot of pictures, but I didn't manage to get a single shot of the waterfalls before my camera batteries died. I guess you'll just have to imagine how beautiful and full they were this time of year.
Isaac and I arrived with the kids first, so right away we put them to work hauling wood.
After that, Isaac hauled the kids around for awhile. Can you see the expression on Barak's face? He loved the ride.The kids had a truly great time, for several reasons. Even though I thought she was too young to sleep up there, Lizzy had a chance to at least check out the view from the top bunk. (She has been asking us to get bunk beds for about a year now.)

Lizzy, Barak, and Aunt Amy

All of the aunties are greatly loved, but Barak has a special place in his heart for my sister Cheryl. He followed her around all weekend, and when she managed to get out of his sight for even a moment, he would demand, "Where Shayzo?"And let's face it, it's hard not to have a good time when you get to poke a stream with a stick. Anne, Barak, and Lizzy all got some good jabs in.Even Helen found a stick she could manage.Clearly, Isaac didn't think a stick would give him enough information about the stream's water quality, so he had to use one of his children. Lizzy didn't mind at all.Barak has not stopped asking for Grandpa since we got home. The two of them bonded over walking sticks.Here's the one my dad gave Barak.Somehow, we took a hike right during lunch / nap time. Bear was mesmerized by South Falls, but also falling asleep on his feet. Anyway, we enjoyed ourselves a lot, and I think this has become a family tradition. Maybe next year we can convince those on the East Coast to come join us. We'll even let you poke the stream.

Just hanging out

In the Washburn home, there are plenty of tantrums. Some of them are even thrown by the children. I find myself with mountains of laundry, dirty dishes constantly piled in the sink, and an inability to be on time for ANYTHING. On the other hand, there is so much good going on, that all of the above is rather insignificant (most days).

There is a lot of sibling love here. I hope my children are always this close. Sure, one of them tends to be a little bossy and the other one thinks it's funny to knock over block towers, but for the most part, they play together very well. Their affection for one another is obvious.

I also love how much they enjoy reading. One day I noticed how quiet they were being as I cleaned up the breakfast dishes and discovered this:And let's not forget the love we all feel for the daddy of the house. Poor guy can't even take a decent nap on the couch. We live in a great place, too. Sure, we're still living the apartment life, but I like it here. We were sitting outside on our patio one evening, and along came two ducks for a visit. They were pretty sure we had some food for them, so they were not at all shy about walking right up to us. I think that's awesome.I think some of the best moments in life come when we are just hanging out. The kids are always doing things to make Isaac and I laugh. Lately, Barak has developed a wicked little laugh that makes us think of mad scientists and mischief. I tried to get him to do it on camera, and was not successful. Next time, maybe.

And finally, I love the little songs this child continuously makes up. Is there any doubt she's a daddy's-girl?

Easter

I just uploaded the pictures from my camera, so let's pretend Easter wasn't a month ago. Unfortunately, the kids were in non-stop motion, so most of my pictures turned out blurry. (I'll blame the kids instead of my photography. :))

Aunt Amy helps Barak find some eggs.

Quite a lot of eggs.

Little stinker knew I was trying to get a decent picture.

I love this smile.

Lips

I think it's amazing how much cuteness comes through in just a nose and a pair of lips. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of this cute little boy in a few months.