Graffiti Night

Saturday night we went to Graffiti Night in downtown Roseburg.  It is an annual event where hobbyists cruise the streets in their vintage cars.  Cars built after the early 60's were not allowed.  We saw everything from 1900's Model T Ford to 1960's Mustangs.  People come from all over the western US to participate.  There were over 500 cars registered.  It was a really fun community event. 

 

The kids went nuts over the cars and got to collect candy that the drivers would throw out.  

Watson Falls

On our way home from our Diamond Lake camping trip we stopped to hike and picnic at Watson Falls.  Another breathtakingly beautiful hike to magnificent falls.  I have daily reminders here of why people call Oregon God's country.  

The hike was a short 1/2 mile uphill to the falls.  Our youngest ran most of the way.  She outpaced two of her siblings she was so excited to get there.  

Diamond Lake

We just got back from one of the most memorable campouts of all time.  We drove up to Diamond Lake (1 1/2 hours) and pitched our tents for a two night stay.  Mr. M was very proud of himself this year as he was able to pitch his tent by himself and build a successful fire.  

We had a lot of fun playing games in our tents at night.  Our current family favorites are Apples to Apples for kids, Catch Phrase and Uno.  We took lots of walks, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for smores and got unbelievably dirty.    

Thanks to our newly finished trailer we were able take our bikes up camping for the first time.  Diamond Lake was a great place for biking.  There is an eleven mile bike path that goes around the lake.   Richard took the kids on multiple bike rides throughout the day.  The three oldest made it all the way around the lake -- 11 miles!!  Lady K had the record milage for the day.  She biked over 23 miles and she kept wanting more. Mr. M also had close to 20 miles for the day.  These are some pictures Richard took on the trip around the lake.

Fourth of July

For the Fourth of July we drove down to Eagle Point with Annette's family to visit Grandpa Baughman.  He and Jean had spent hours planning and shopping for the event.  They had every meal planned and the items purchased before we got there.  They had also arranged for our two families to stay in a nice hotel nearby with a pool for the kids to get some of the excess energy out.  Some of the activities included a flag raising ceremony on the fourth, chalk drawing for the kids, various games, fireworks and a lot of visiting and playing.   It was pretty chaotic having so many kids under one roof, but our hosts handled it like pros., although they may think twice before inviting a group that large again.  

We had a lot of fun getting to know Irma (Jean's mother) a little better.  She is from a family of 10 like I am.  She is a sweetheart and shared a lot of stories and even made us her famous beans.

My aunt Kim came for a day and it was fun to see her too.  She pestered me the whole time about the Christmas present I forgot to send to her last year.  I am a slacker niece, I know.  Let that be a lesson to all of you not to forget Kim's present at Christmas time because she will not forget.

All in all it was a packed two days with a lot of love from Grandpa and Jean mixed in.  We are so lucky to have such a great Grandpa.  

Party With the Betteridge Family

Early in July my sister Annette brought her crew down to see us.  We played at the river all day and had a ton of fun.  Here are a few picts from the occasion.

Art Festival

Yesterday we went to the art festival in town.  It was such a fun experience for the whole family.  Richard and I had a great time visiting all the booths, Mr. M got to fly a model airplane, Lady K danced with her ballet class, Little L got to do some crafts with the other kids and J Man and Baby R got to pose as farmers (we told them not to smile but they just couldn't resist.)  

Fathers' Day

This year for Fathers' Day we headed up to Seattle again and spent the weekend with my family.  My brother David had a reception to celebrate his wedding.  It was a lot of fun to see so many friends and family that I haven't seen in a while.  I was taking pictures all night, but alas, not with my own camera so I will have to wait until my brother posts those picts to have a look at them.  

We stayed with my sister Annette this time and the kids had a blast.  We were "awesome parents" on Saturday and let the kids have their fill of video games and wii.  They will remember that day forever.  

We went to my father's grave again on Sunday morning and shared some thoughts and testimonies there.  That was a great experience.  It helped me to feel close to him again.  Later that morning my mom and nephew spoke in church.  Both great talks, both made me really ponder important things in my life, family, temple sealing, etc.  

After church we went to have dinner with family and got to visit with Laurie and Jay, Kevin and Janet, Grandpa Baughman and Jean and my mom, siblings and their kids.  It was great food (steak cooked by the master, Uncle Kevin) and great fun.  

After dinner we packed up my mom's dining set in our new little trailer and headed for home.  (This will be our last visit to my mom at her Seattle house.  She has moved to Utah to live with her mom.)  The drive home included only one unintended detour through downtown Portland and one stop at a rest stop...  

And what do Vances do at rest stops?  We race of course!!