Just as the post-vacation sheen from our time in Minnesota was beginning to wear off, we packed our bags and headed out again, this time for a week in Central Oregon with my parents – I love August!
To break up the seven-hour haul to La Pine, we spent last Friday night in Portland.  Bonus: a quick catch-up with Morgan and Elise!
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My dad was in town and joined us for a brew-pub dinner with the kids.
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These girls may have had one too many beers…
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We enjoyed a leisurely Saturday morning at the house, soaking up the cousin time.
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And then Shane strapped on his bike helmet, packed (and repacked, and repacked) his bags, and tossed me the car keys – my stud of a husband set out on a four-day 200-mile bike-packing trek from Portland to Bend!
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See you on the flip side, hon!
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Meanwhile, my dad, Jules, and I made the relatively short (but still sooooo long) four-hour drive to La Pine.  We were greeted by my mom and Bernie and quickly settled into life among the trees – evening strolls in the woods and subsequent bucket baths to wash away the dust that sneaks between your toes.
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Sunday was warm and sunny, so my dad and I took Juliette to the Sun River Aquatic Center for a dip in their pools.
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She dug it.
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So did I.
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We dined that night at La Pine’s finest Mexican joint and then hit the local playground for a sunset romp.
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That wink!
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As we turned onto my mom and dad’s street that evening, we spotted a deer and hopped out to say hello.
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It’s so nice to let this little spitfire run free on the traffic-less open roads…
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We came back from our deer hunt to find a campfire roaring in my parents’ backyard. Â This is the face of a kid that knows without a doubt, fire=marshmallows.
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Jules and I woke on Monday morning to the smell of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon (thanks, Mom!). Â I think this guy wanted in on the breakfast action:
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Fueled by caffeine and home cooking, Juliette and I headed out for a morning run/deer hunt. Â No bucks spotted this time around, but we did encounter a very sweet bunny and several bushy-tailed squirrels.
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We spent the afternoon out at Cultus Lake, paddling and floating and splashing. Â This may be my favorite of the several Cascade lakes we’ve visited -Â a large, shallow bay with ultra-clear water and then the prettiest rich turquoises as you paddle further out.
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She’s a great first mate.
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We’re still making use of the cheap little floaty boat we bought for Juliette two years ago – she cruised around the shallow waters for nearly an hour.
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We missed having Shane around, but…mama-Jules time was pretty special. Â We’d start out each naptime laying side-by-side, and then Juliette would snuggle a little closer, and then put her head on my chest, and eventually just stretch out her whole body on top of mine, whispering, “I want to be close, Mommy!”. Â Homegirl is gettin’ heavy, so I eventually had to roll her off of me in order to catch my breath, but those few minutes brought back such sweet memories of her baby days.
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Post-nap, Juliette “helped” Grandpa man the grill for dinner…
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And post-chicken, savored one more gooey s’more.
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This is the point at which I realized I was in for one heck of a bedtime battle…
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Juliette got her final wiggles out with a bike ride to the neighbor’s house to deliver some leftover chicken and then we called it a day.
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A fun-filled, dirt-packed, joyous kind of day… Â Someone fill a bath for this kid, stat!
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Tuesday morning we had one main objective: Â head to Bend and FIND DADDY! Â We met up with a tired, slightly scruffy Shane at Drake Park around 11:30. Â Jules shouted “Daddy! Â Daddy! Â My daddy’s here!” as he rounded the corner and then bounded into his arms – it was quite the reunion.
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We sat on a park bench for a few minutes to have a drink and hear the major highlights.
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Shane had rocked his ride, covering 200 miles and some serious elevation gain with his tent, sleeping bag, and food strapped on the back of his bike. Â I’m so proud of him. Â And so glad he got his adventure-fix – it’s good to have him back with us!
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We laid low in the afternoon, tossing the ball around with Jules and letting her roam a little on her bike.
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The weather was perfect for a river-side stroll, so after dinner we drove over to Wyeth Campground to watch the sun go down on the Deschutes.
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Juliette did some bird-watching while her dad skipped rocks.
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I love the pine trees and the water and the frequent deer sightings, but man, that Central Oregon dust makes for some seriously grimy feet!
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Jules spent a little quality time with Bernie on the back deck when we got home, and then there were baths/books/bed and a morning good-bye to La Pine as we set out for part 2 of our vacation, at a rental house in Sisters, Oregon.  Thanks, Mom and Dad, for a perfect few days at Grandma-Grandpa camp!
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