We took a drive up to Mt. St. Helens last Sunday, and before we got there, Daddy spotted this beaver lodge. We pulled over and hiked down to this pond. The beavers had dammed up a small creek with several tiers and built this big lodge. It was a neat side trip to our outing, even though we didn't get to see any of the beavers.
We are trying to rake up all the rocks in our yard so we can lay down topsoil and sod soon. It is beginning to seem like an unending task. However, the kids love being out in the dirt and hauling rocks in the dumptrucks. Ryan isn't quite as helpful as Abby in actually helping us move the rocks to the big pile, but he loves making roads and piles of his own in the dirt. This is our first of what's likely to be many large piles of rocks in our yard! They love to climb on it, but of course I couldn't get them to look at me while I took a picture.
We went to visit some friends of ours yesterday, and it was warm enough finally to let them play in the water. Gramie sent new swimsuits for the kids, so they suited up and ran through the sprinklers. All four of the kids took a while to really get into the water because it was so cold. Oregon ground water is freezing, even in the dead of summer! I think it took Ryan the longest, but he finally got into the game and ended up having a blast.
My family took me to tea for Mother's Day at The Windsor House of Tea in Astoria. We stayed all dressed up from church and drove to the coast. Ryan looked like such a little gentleman, and for the most part he behaved like one too during our luncheon. The tea house has a special children's tea, and Ryan thought it was the neatest thing that they cut the crust off of his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (and cheese sandwiches too)! Now he wants to go to tea all the time...no crusts! He also enjoyed his hot chocolate, though it was about 80 plus degrees outside.
After tea we walked along the boardwalk and browsed the local outdoor Sunday Market. We watched the ships come and go from the ocean to the Columbia River, and saw the trolley taking people up and down the boardwalk. It was a beautiful day, with just the right amount of breeze to cool us off.
We made some money by having a yard sale, so we hired someone to come level out our yard and haul away piles of rocks in preparation for laying top soil and grass. Ryan was in heaven watching this guy move his pretty orange trackho all over our yard! The driver, Lars, has a three-year-old son and knew how cool it was for Ryan, and at one point he let Ryan get up in the seat to see what it would be like to drive it!
