This year we chose to go to Sun River a week later (on July 15th) than last year in hopes of even warmer and hotter weather. We re-booked the house we stayed at last year because we really liked it and it was a reasonable price and had great layout and amenities. We enjoyed the hot tub and the quieter pace over on the North Side of Sun River. The culd-a-sac that the house was on was really nice for the kids to practice riding their bikes too. We could watch them on one of the many decks the house had. We chose to go for a week again because it was the perfect amount of time and did Saturday to Saturday so we would have time to pack up after we got off work on Friday and then have time to unpack and settle back in before we had another work week.
Two evenings before we left, I went with my mom to the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. We had a blast shopping and I found some really cute things. Sean texted me in the middle of our shopping saying that Brandon's stomach hurt and he had a fever of 101.5. I came home to find Brandon sleeping. I took his temperature it was high still so I gave him some more medicine before I went to bed and made him a nest on the floor near us. He ended up waking up an hour later and throwing up his ibuprofen medicine. Sean and I cleaned everything up and got him back to bed. Since he was not feeling well we had to keep him home from camp the next day. Luckily I did not have any appointments and was just wrapping stuff up at work trying to get ready for my vacation. He managed to keep Gatorade down and was able to eat and said his stomach was feeling better. He still had a low fever but was able to keep it down with pain medicine. He felt well enough to go in the cart with me to Winco so I could do a big shopping trip before we left so we could bring everything we needed in the car and didn't have to go into Bend to go grocery shopping.
By the next day, Saturday, when we were leaving, Brandon felt completely better so that was good. We loaded up the car and left a bit later than we wanted to. We ended up getting into Sun River by 7:00 PM. Of course the kids wanted to go swimming at the SHARC right away. We quickly put our stuff away and headed for the SHARC where the kids had 30 minutes to swim and then we were able to go into the indoor pool area for 30 minutes. Then we came back home and the kids had some dinner and we went out in the hot tub. Then Sean made me and him a yummy Blue Apron dinner which we enjoyed after the kids went to bed with our yummy Sokol Blosser Rose.
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| Our car was packed to the brim-Olivia's bike did not fit on our rack because it was too small so we had to put in the car |
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| Brandon so happy to get to Sun River finally |
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| Jumping up and down with mommy's help! |
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| Olivia and I amongst the inner tubes |
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| Brandon crossing the logs |
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| Shot of me and the kids in the water |
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| First night hot tubing! |
The next day we got up and Olivia and I went in the hot tub. Olivia enjoyed a couple Otter Pops in the hot tub and I enjoyed my coffee. It was a beautiful sunny day. The kids were super excited to spend most of the day swimming. They had been practicing their swimming at swim lessons this summer. We swam most of the day and then got back home and Sean made a yummy steak Blue Apron dinner for us and we made the kids dinner. Then we went on a fun bike ride to Fort Rock Park after dinner. It was amazing to see the progress Brandon made with riding his bike without training wheels. He has gotten so good! The kids had a blast and Sean and I had to run to keep after them. We then rode our bikes back and got in the hot tub at our house and then went to bed.
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| Otter pops in the hot tub |
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| Sun bathing and taking a break |
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| Swimming with Daddy |
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| Trying the log! |
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| Having a blast in the big pool swimming |
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| Visiting the baby pool |
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| Eating dinner on our deck |
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| High fives all around for our dinner |
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| Enjoying one of our nice bottles of Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir |
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| Evening bike ride |
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| Brandon doing awesome navigating the bike paths |
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| Fort Rock park fun! |
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| So much to be able to choose from 3 slides! |
The next day we decided to do the Lava cave hike where we went underground into lava tube caves that were formed millions of years ago and went hiking through the dark cave. We rented a high powered lantern from the park and brought several flash lights. It got quite cold in the cave, it is a consistent 42 degrees but we layered up. Olivia did a good job keeping up with us. It was a 2.75 mile hike and she only had to go on Sean's shoulders a few times. She did get really cold. Both kids had a blast hiding from us in the dark and then jumping out and scaring us! Brandon and Sean were especially good at doing this. Both kids loved using the lantern (and sometimes fought over it). However we were very happy once we got back to the top of the cave and saw daylight again and could warm up (by then we were getting pretty cold).
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| All geared up to go in the cave |
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| Outside the cave |
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| Entrance into the cave |
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| Shining the lantern |
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| Cave hiking |
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| Sean and the kids in the cave |
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| Brandon climbing up some rocks |
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| At that point Livie was getting cold |
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| Selfie in the cave |
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| Such a dark cave |
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| Finally seeing light at the end of a long tunnel! |
After the cave, we headed over to the Sun River village as we were hungry and got yummy ice cream cones at Goody's and then headed back to the house and got in our swim suits and headed to the SHARC pool where we spent the entire afternoon happily swimming around. Brandon loved going on the water slides and both kids enjoyed playing with Sean in the big main pool. Olivia discovered that she loved going down the smaller kids' water slide that she was too scared to go on last year. She also discovered that she loved using her arm floats. Brandon has turned into such a good independent swimmer that he could go off by himself (with us watching him of course). We finished swimming and then headed home and had dinner and then went in the hot tub after dinner with Sean and I enjoying a beer and the kids their Otter Pops.
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| Swimming with Daddy at the main pool |
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| Brandon being silly and finding some of my clothes |
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| This is the life! |
On Tuesday we went to the SHARC pool a little earlier in the late morning and spent a few hours there and then headed back home. We had fun coloring and making the Shrink Fairies in the oven that Olivia got for her birthday. Then we headed to the Pirate Park as the kids call it in Bend where we played on the pirate play structure for an hour. After that we went shopping briefly to a few shops and then went to Worthy Brewery for dinner (one of our favorite breweries) in Bend.
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| Baking the Shrink Fairies |
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| Coloring the fairies |
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| Going down the large tube slide at Pirate Park |
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| All dressed up for the park and dinner |
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| Brandon and Sean at Columbia Park |
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| Climbing the stairs back to the park from the bottom of the slide |
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| Worthy Brewery! |
Olivia is obsessed with horses and riding horses and wanted to ride horses while we were in Sun River. I tried calling a stable/farm near Bend on Tuesday to set that up (found the lady on Yelp) but she never called back. So Sean and I thought it would just be easier to do the pony rides in Sun River since it is right on site. On Wednesday, we drove out to the Sun River stables and the kids got to see the horses. It was really pretty out there up against the mountains. Olivia got to ride the smaller Pony, Candy (quite fitting since she loves Candy!) and Brandon got to ride a bigger horse. Both kids had a lot of fun riding but were disappointed they couldn't ride longer (they only got to ride two loops around). Apparently you have to be 7 to be able to go on the trail rides so maybe Brandon and I can go on them next year. After the horseback riding we got dressed and headed out to the SHARC. We swam quite a while there and the kids got a yummy snow cone treat there. Then we came home and made dinner, Sean made these awesome carne tacos.
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| Hanging out at the Sun River Stables |
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| Brandon is ready to ride |
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| Watch out Olivia is lassoing things! |
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| Lassoing the bull with Daddy |
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| Olivia and Candy |
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| Look at that big grin! |
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| Beautiful scenery out near the stables |
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| Olivia loved riding Candy |
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| My little rider |
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| Time to get off! |
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| Brandon on his horse |
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| Doing great on his horse |
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| Brandon got to go by the other horses |
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| More swimming fun-Brandon is swimming under water here |
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| Swimming on his own |
On Thursday we did a fun bike ride to Fort Rock park in the late morning. We were the only ones at the park and the kids had fun going down all the slides. Then we went to the SHARC pool and spent all afternoon there. Olivia discovered that she loves jumping into the deep water with her arm floats. She kept doing it over and over again. After that we went into the Sun River village to have dinner at the Sun River Brewery. We had to wait an hour even though we got there at 5:30 PM but we let the kids pick out a toy at the Toy Village. They both have been obsessed with Beanie Boo stuffed animals and Brandon picked out a Wolf and a Penguin and Olivia picked out a Leopard and a Kitty. We had a very good dinner at Sun River Brewery.
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| Bike ride to Fort Rock Park on the street that our house is on |
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| Brandon riding away like an expert |
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| Teeter toter fun! |
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| Spinning around! |
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| In the park tunnel |
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| Brandon and his new beanie boos |
On Friday, we headed to Fort Rock Park in the morning on a bike ride and then we spent all afternoon at the SHARC pool. Olivia kept jumping from the side and loved it. Brandon and I went on the water slide together several times. We had a fun snack there and then swam several hours more. I started laundry and getting the house packed up and Sean helped me clean up. We went to Goody's for ice cream before dinner and then I made the kids Tuna Melts and I ate my left over food from Sun River Brewery from the night before. Sean met up with his friends who were in town for his good friend Jesse's bachelor party that evening and I got the kids to bed and then got most of the house packed up and scrapbooked. It was such a fun trip and I was able to finish both kids' scrapbooks (got through Olivia's first year) and Brandon to 3.5 years. We packed up on Saturday and I took the kids back with me to Portland as Sean was staying behind in Bend for the weekend for the Bachelor party. It was quite an ordeal packing up and then unpacking by myself when we got home but we had such a fun trip. We love Sun River so much and can't wait to go back next year.
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| Getting ready to jump! |
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| So excited! |
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| There she goes! |
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| Love this one of Liv-captures her adventurous spirit right now |
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| Last morning in the hot tub with her last otter pops |
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