Cascade Locks

Warning... there are a lot of pictures and photos! Maybe a bit of a long post but I need to put it up for myself so I can always remember this trip!!

Daniel and I have had just one night to ourselves since we started having children and that was over two years ago that we had that. We decided that it was time to have a childless night again and took a trip up the Columbia Gorge to do some sight seeing. It was an amazing trip!! Ben and Meaghan... thank you so much for babysitting the kids for us!

If you get the chance to drive the Historic Columbia Highway (highway 30) go for it!! It was an amazing drive. Slower than the freeway but way more beautiful!

When we go to the Vista House I got a little camera happy so enjoy a lot of pictures/videos of the view!

I kept having troubles with the camera and push the wrong button so here is another video of the view at Vista House.

Daniel and I on the balcony of Vista House.

Daniel... he didn't want me to take a picture of just him. After a guy took our picture I made him stay for a picture of himself.

Daniel wanted a picture of me lounging on this. I kept sliding off until he found somewhere to rest my foot. I am 32 weeks along in this picture. I haven't been too diligent in belly pictures this time around!

This is the Vista House. It used to be a hotel but they have restored it into a Historical Point now.

As we drove along I tried to get some pictures of the falls we passed. I think the only one I successfully got was Multnomah Falls. This one got more of the building at the bottom though.

Daniel slowed down enough for me to get a nice picture of the falls. This is my kind of sightseeing... drive by pictures! Okay, mainly right now it is being pregnant and not wanting to hike but if you know me well enough you know that my kind of hikes have no incline at all so really it's a walk around town!

A tunnel we passed on our way. I missed it on our way up to it so I caught the back end of it.

We stopped at the Bonneville Dam and took a look around. Daniel ran up to show just how big this turbine is. They used this turbine from 1941 until 2000.



It was neat to go in a see the visitor's center there. We watched the fish swim up the fish ladder that helps them get through the dam without getting caught in the turbines! We also went to the top floor of the visitor's center and looked at the view from there. The video is actually of the Spillway, not the dam.

Sorry if you get a little sick watching this one! This is the view as we drove over the dam. If you can't hear what Daniel says he was just saying that just one of the turbines creates enough energy to power 25, 000 houses. That is crazy!

After the Dam we checked into the Cascade Motel. This was our little cottage that we stayed in. It was a one bedroom with a kitchenette. It was really cute inside! After my nap, I really needed one, we went into Hood River for dinner. We ate at a really nice place called 6th Street Bistro and Loft (amazing food).

On our way back to the motel we stopped by the Columbia Gorge Hotel and took a look around. The grounds were so pretty!

Waterfall at the back of the property. This shows just a part of how far it goes down.

Bridge going over the creek that is on the grounds.

I had fun framing Daniel in the tree.

My turn for a picture on the bridge.

This video is a little long but it was such beautiful grounds! Daniel kept swiping his hand across my neck saying cut the video but I thought there was a bug on my neck or something. I finally got the point!

In case we forgot we were at the Columbia Gorge Hotel they made bushes to help us remember. It was really great landscaping!!

The next day on our way home we decided to drive across The Bridge of the Gods that goes from Cascade Locks over to Stevenson, WA. It is a toll bridge and we had enough change to get across the bridge but not back so we drove on the Washington side back to the 205. It was a pretty drive!

Portland Spirit

We are on break!!! It has been a great week so far. We decided that we were actually going to do some things during this break instead of staying in the house and realizing that our 2 weeks has gone by and we haven't done anything.

Our first adventure was a ride on the Portland Spirit. We did a lunch cruise down the Willamette River from downtown Portland. We went down by Milwaukee then turned around and returned to downtown.

Bens loved being on the boat and had a great time looking out the windows!

My little family enjoying the boat!


Kimber didn't enjoy it so much as she was ready for a nap but we got a happy picture of her!

I gave her a ponytail for the first time. She looked really cute!!

Benson asked for his picture to be taken as well... he didn't want to smile though.

Funny kid... I was saying we were turning round and round. Benson started during Round and Round the Garden to himself!

Proof that I was actually on the cruise! These are also my new glasses. I am loving them!

After we ate our amazing lunch we went up to the Star deck and took a look around. Benson went to say hi to the Captain and got to actually drive the boat. He enjoyed it a lot especially after he got to honk the horn.

Benson got a special certificate saying he was an Honorary Captain. He loved it!

Our newest family picture. We haven't had one done since Christmas so it was about time!

Me and the kids relaxing on the boat.

Here is some of the view we got to enjoy on the cruise. Benson really wanted to look out the telescope so I found a quarter and put it in for him to take a look around.

If anybody is looking for something fun and special to do here, this was great! Kids 3 and under are free so it was just the cost of our tickets. We had an amazing time!

Edmonton Fun

We had a great time visiting with family in Edmonton the past two weeks. I have finally downloaded all our videos and pictures so here we are with our third post of the day!

The first weekend we were up was the wedding and we stayed at my sister's house so everybody could have their own bed/room before the wedding. Thank you Brooke for hosting us... even though you never read my blog unless I am at your house and pull it up for you and force you to look at it.

The next week we moved over to Daniel's families house... only Daniel was back in Portland. The kids and I had a great time. Jordan quickly became the favorite in the house. We aren't sure if it was because he was the closest to Daniel's build (Kimber hugged him every time she saw him) or if it was because he had an iPod for the kids to play games on!

I introduced Kimber to one of my favorite Canadian treats... Ketchup chips. I didn't get her initial reaction which was funny but she is pretty cute in this clip!

Bens found Gramps' bike helmet one afternoon and wouldn't leave it alone. Have you seen Mermaids? This reminds me of Kate (Christina Ricci) walking around with the pumpkin on her head saying "Rachel Flax!"

We stopped by my sister's work on our last full day in town and visited while I got my new glasses... pictures to come (?). They had a great time playing in this cupboard and actually found a power bar for Brooke that her work was needing.

Kimber really loves her uncle! She had us laughing pretty hard! Kimber was doing this for about five minutes and this is just a minute of it. Poor Jordan... he is a good sport with the kids!

Brooke came and said good bye to us the night before we flew out so we had to do some belly pictures. Votes... who is due first?

Ok, we had some pretty good expressions on our face during this one but our photographer didn't tell us our heads were being cut off!


Sister's pregnant at the same time! I particularly enjoy that my chest nestles in nicely between hers and her belly. Oh the height difference. Now some of you may understand why I have a short complex when I am really an average height for a woman.

Other highlights of the trip? My parents came up for the long weekend to visit with us. It was great to see them again. We went swimming in Sherwood Park... Millennium Place is a great swimming pool! The kids had a great time in the waves, on the slide and in the lazy river.

Bens also had a bunch of change from Nana to spend at the dollar store and he sure did clean up! We have new cars, balls and puzzles to play with now... Thanks Mom!

Grandma, Daniel's mom, also took the kids shopping for some necessities while we were up there. Silly me, I thought with it being August still that it would be fairly nice weather up there. I was wrong. The kids now have new shoes, socks and sweaters! It was about time to get new ones but it was sad I looked like a slacker mom! I lived life up there with sandals and a pair of Sunday shoes. Daniel picked out a pack of socks for me while shopping with his mom that saved me while walking around the house!

We had a great time back home and now miss it more than before. We are looking forward to moving up there in a year but sure are enjoying being back in Portland for now!

That is all for now. My tailbone is hurting and our little baby boy is bouncing around in my tummy telling me it is time to get out of this chair! Have a good night!

More Wedding

Here are a few more pictures from the wedding. Unfortunately our first pictures taken of Jared and Jade coming out of the temple and our family pictures were really blurry due to being on the wrong setting. So we start here on the side of the temple with the two lovely lovebirds!

I really can't say how beautiful Jade looked. I guess you can just look for yourself!

Daniel kept trying to get a picture with Jade's veil blowing in the wind. He got a few pictures of it!



Here is a blurry video of the happy couple being mobbed by camera's on their way out of the Temple. Gotta love the look of a freshly wed couple!



Benson always finds a way to entertain himself!

I was a little cold during pictures (it started raining just as we finished) so Daniel lent me his suit coat. I could only do up one button... how sad!

All the Bateman girls!

Bateman boys... minus Benson. Why? I am not sure where Benson was.

This is where he ended up though.



He was a cold, tired little man!

We looked over as pictures were ending to see Kimber attached to this light pole. She wouldn't let go it was pretty funny!

The dinner and reception were great but we were busy chasing kids and didn't take anymore pictures!

Nana and Papa come to Town!

My Mom recently sent me these pictures from when they came to visit at the beginning of August. Some fun highlights from the trip was going shopping at the outlets in Troutdale and playing with bubbles. Benson still points out "Nana and Papa's house" when we drive by the hotel they stayed in. He loved swimming in the pool there!!

The kids were spoiled a little bit and got to ride in the bus at the outlets. Nana scraped up a quarter and these two had a blast on the bus!!

Kimber showing off her mad skills of climbing up into the little house... she is an old pro at it and loves to say hi to us from up there!

Looking pretty by the pool. I can't believe how much she has grown in just the past month! She is walking all over the place now and got her 7th tooth last week!

Benson loves bubbles! He really wanted to hold them himself but he isn't exactly clean with them.

Nana and her favorite Bateman grandkids!! I love this picture! She usually doesn't get pictures taken with the grandkids so we made sure to do one while they were here.

It was great having my parents down for a visit and look forward to their next visit. Only 2 1/2 more months... yeah, that is when the baby is due. Crazy, eh?