The kids have always loved children’s museum. We were all very sad when the Portland Children’s Museum closed permanently during the pandemic because the kids looked forward to going back as older kids with their young cousins.
Thankfully, Salem has an elaborate children’s museum that we have always wanted to go to. While we had Hayden for a few days, we made a trek down to Salem to join the other cousins for a fun time exploring the Gilbert House.
Congratulations to my amazing mom and dad for 50 years together. Legend tells of their courage leaving their homeland to America for a new life, a better life, away from persecution and bless their community with their talents, generosity, and service.
So much of my identity I owe to their dedication as parents and examples of a life lived by loving others.
Thank you mom and dad for joining your lives daily for all these years and being a rich forest that shelters and provides for everyone around you.
For Jenni’s birthday, we visited the Bavarian-themed village of Leavenworth. She had a wish to attend a live production of The Sound of Music at an outdoor amphitheater and I’m glad we were able to make that wish come true.
On our last day in Lincoln City, the forecast was cloudy all day. I didn’t feel like I had gotten all of the photos and videos I wanted to capture yet, so I hiked when the skies cleared in the afternoon.
In the morning, I had seen a few peaks from the third floor of our beach house. I looked it up on Google Maps and found it amusing that one of them was named “God’s Thumb.” But upon looking at its shape, it made sense.
I misread the distance and thought that God’s Thumb was too far to reach for my afternoon hike. So I opted for The Knoll close by. Our rental house was on 58th and Logan Road, just across from the Road’s End State Recreation Site. But The Knoll’s view wasn’t enough and I surprised myself by hiking to God’s Thumb by accident.
During our stay at Lincoln City with Jenni’s siblings, Cory led us to this playground located by Devil’s Lake. The wooden play structure spread across the area and gave ample space for kids to climb, crawl, weave, balance, and jump.