Hiking, Football, Primary Program

We have been doing a bit of hiking the last few weekends just around here. Two weeks ago we went to Alder Springs between Redmond and Sisters. It was so fun. Started out pretty hot, 90 degrees which is how hot it's been here until today. We hiked along a ridge line for a while which was really hot but then we dropped down into a canyon where Wychuss Creek and Alder Springs meet up. It cooled off quite a bit down by the water and we had to cross a stream up to our knees it was pretty awesome. The boys loved it. Even little Jacer spacer man. My sister Paige gave me a baby Bjorn which I know some people hate but I love it. He loves to face out and it works for him and me. I thought it might hurt my back but it doesn't. Our boys rocked this hike, it was longer than we thought it would be (it usually is) and they did great. Minimal complaining...mostly. I think it must have been 5 miles or so. We came to the springs right after the creek which was just a little puddle at the beginning of a stream where you could see the water bubbling up from the sand. It was really cool.
The next weekend (last weekend) we had to get a special permit from the forest station people in the mail for Pamelia Lake. This was up past Sisters toward Detroit Lake. It was a little overcast when we got there so we couldn't see Mt. Jefferson like we wanted to but it was still a great hike. There is a lake over by Mt. Bachelor that is similar that we have done before called Todd Lake. Well, that one only takes 15 mintues to walk there instead of and hour or two so we might just stick with that one next time! Another one we love to do is Tumalo Falls over by Bachelor as well. We really do love living here!!
Tyler has started Football and I don't know if I have gotten any pictures of him playing yet but I will do that. He is really liking it, learning a lot. It is pretty cute to watch these 3rd and 4th graders tackle and block. We are trying to instill in him some "agressive" nature...Brandon has been blessed with it, Tyler is going to have to explore his inner self a bit more : ) Ethan is somewhere in between and Jace we don't know yet. Tyler is laid back, easy going while Brandon and Ethan are not so much. So, in sports, it's interesting to watch. Brandon is amazing to watch in Basketball for that reason. We tried to get him to play soccer this year but he wants to play football so he will have to wait until 3rd grade for that, two more years. Ethan apparently wants to play too and is always demonstrating his knowledge of tackling to us as he learns from Brian's demonstrations along with Tyler and Brandon. He is pretty good! He can show you how to "get low" and "wrap em up!"
Jace, Jacerman is doing great. He has many nick names and he loves all the attention he gets. He was quite flirtatious today at church as a matter of fact. He has his way with the ladies that is for sure. He is a great little hiker, of course he would love it, he just gets to be held the whole time and we don't really stop moving! Perfect for his style. 
One more funny thing about Jace.  The other day I was rounding the boys up into the car for something and doing my usual....speaking firmly....or yelling, whatever you want to call it.  At the same time I was "speaking firmly" I was strapping Jace into his car seat.  Well, he didn't seem to mind my tone one bit because I looked down at him and the poor kid thought I was talking to him and was just grinning from ear to ear and cooing and talking to me.  So sad that he will take any kind of attention he THINKS he is getting!  It was really funny and so cute.  The boys were laughing too.  Let's just get into it while we are here.  Why DOES it take 15 minutes just to load into the car???  Seriously.  I wouldn't have to yell if they just listened the FIRST time to the FIRST simple phrase "time to get into the car".  For some reason no one starts listening until I do start yelling and threatening to take away priveledges...all for just trying to get some where.  Doesn't matter where it is, could be somewhere really fun or really boring, it takes the same amount of effort and patience to load into the car.  Even writing this whole thing out is getting me a little frustrated!!   Anyway...
School is going great for each boy, Ethan loves preshcool and Tyler and Brandon like their 3rd and 1st grades as well. It has been pretty hot here like I said until today. I am ok with it cooling off a bit. 90 is a little warm. 70s are great!
We also celebrated Ethan's 4th Birthday and Tyler's 9th.  We went to Kline Falls Park for Ethan's birthday and bolwing for Tyler's.

Alder Springs Canyon Walls

Looking down into Alder Springs/Wychuss Creek Canyon

Found a cave like thing

Brandon Crossing the Creek

The rest of us

Ethan's 4th Birthday Party

He was really cute and excited

Grandma Carla made cute cupcakes

No pictures of Tyler in his uniform yet but here is Ethan wearing it!

Tyler's 9th Birthday Party

Bowling again!

Nike Basketball

Ethan's frist day of school

Pamelia Lake

ok, so he faces in sometimes too I guess...

Tyler and Brandon

Ethan

Brandon got in the water of course which was very cold I am sure

And Jace Cute as can be

Brian took these of the scenery

Today at church the boys had their primary program.  They did a pretty good job!  Tyler as always did great, sang, said his part in the microphone.  Ethan did as well which was his first time as a sunbeam this year!  He even spoke into the microphone which was really cute.  THEN there is Brandon.  He at least went up to the stands.  No singing, No standing (while everyone else was) No saying his part but we felt good about the fact that he at least went up there.  We count our small miracles as great ones. No fits from any of them so that is good.  Our kids can have serious public anxiety at times it seems.  I guess that is pretty normal of kids in geneal depending on the factors of sleep, having eaten or not, etc.  I like to tell myself it's normal anyway so that I feel like I have somewhat normal children...?  Who knows.  Probably not.  Oh well!  They are who they are I guess and that is what I have to remind myslef a lot.  They are definitely their own little person, each of them.