The most Amazing Vacation in Oregon 2016

Mike and I flew to Portland Oregon on Aug. 26 -  Sept. 4.  Steph and Ivy picked us up at the Airport and we made our journey to Corvallis about an hour and half away.  It's hard to put in to words how beautiful this town is.  We drove up the start of the mountain they live on.  It is breathtaking with all of the trees and plant life.  The best way to describe their house is, it's like living in a luxury tree house.  We were greeted each day, several times by families of deer.  They would graze on the acres of blackberry bushes surrounding the yard.  Mike bought a bag of apples that they also enjoyed...and ears of corn.  We looked so forward to seeing the deer each day.  They brought peace and contentment.  Steph & Jeff are so blessed with the most unique, very roomy, comfy home.  It was made for their family and guests.  It felt like we were at a resort.  Mike was so deserving of this vacation, since he hadn't had a vacation in over 2 years.  It was nice to be able to relax and forget about work and the cares of this world.  We stayed on the go all week, but also had a lot of quality time with the whole family and hung out at the house quite a bit.  We got lots of Grand hugs each day.
The highlight of the trip for me was going to see The Lion King Musical in Portland with Steph and Ivy.  It was a special Birthday present for me.  We sat in the 4th row and had a magical time.  It was an amazing show and extra special spending it with Steph and Ivy.  We even were able to meet some of the cast after the show and get pictures.
It was nice that the kids didn't start back to school until after Labor Day.  We were able to go with them to check out their new schools.  I am happy that the schools are very close to home.  We were happy to have met the High School Principal. 
Ivy and I spent a lot of time playing old Maid cards, Barbie's, Wii bowling, coloring and whatever else we could find fun to do. 
Another highlight of our trip was Puzzle working....We worked a 500 piece puzzle and 2 , 1000 piece puzzles.  I have never had so much fun working a puzzle.  It was mostly myself, Steph and Ivy working them but every once in a while, someone would pass by and put a piece in here and there.
We ate the best meals, including Steph's famous minestrone soup and Jeff's mouth watering melt in your mouth Steaks on the grill with portabella mushrooms. 
One morning we got up and drove to Newport, at the Ocean.  It was only about an hour away and a very beautiful drive.  We walked along the Bay and really enjoyed the day.  The ocean was breathtaking.  We enjoyed lunch at a fun place.  I had fish and chips and it tasted so good.
We enjoyed some movie nights down stairs in the theater room, complete with a fully stocked candy drawer....I munched on my favorite, good n plenty.  The kids think the candy drawer is the best thing ever! 
Mike and I stayed home with the kids one night while Jeff & Steph had a date night.  All 6 of us sat around the dining room table talking (no cell phones in hand) and had the best, funny conversations.  We must have talked and laughed for over an hour.  I ended up in the game room with Carter, Gray & Ivy and we played bowling......arm was sore the next morning....
We really enjoyed going to the Farmer's market down town and seeing beautiful,  fresh produce.  We ended up buying 3 small berry pies.  I have to say that I have never seen so many dogs walking around and being welcome in stores and anywhere an adult is.  They even have dog bowls sitting outside at stores for water.  I loved their town. 
The night before we left we celebrated Ivy & Gray's early Birthday, since we would not be together to celebrate.  We had our grilled steaks along with fresh veggies and of course the Berry Pies with the best Cinnamon ice cream.  We talked and laughed and finally finished our last puzzle before going to bed.  Steph was determined to finish before we went home....It was a Broadway Musical Puzzle and we sang while we worked....Since we all have a love for Musicals, it had a special place in our hearts.
We hated saying good-bye early the next morning after being dropped off at the airport.  It was the best 9 nights (or as Ivy says, 9 sleeps)......We managed to get in lots of things and still relax.  We are looking forward to our next trip....until then, I have lots of wonderful pictures when I close my eyes....And I must say that we were entertained by the staff on board Southwest Airlines...they made the flight so enjoyable.  Thank you Jeff, Steph, Noah, Carter, Gray & Ivy for a Fantabulous time!