Happy 49 1/2 Birthday Kevin Ray! Oh what a fun day.

I totally surprised Kevin with skydiving today!

It started out with me just asking him, "Your all mine on Saturday o.k.?" Well that got the typical look of you know I have to work look!

I have been planning this event for two years. I really wanted to do something special for Kevin's 50Th birthday. And knowing that his birthday is in February and it would be cold for a jump, I decided it would be a surprise 49 1/2 birthday present.

It was a long day of class, lasting about 5 hours. Then waiting for the weather to break to go up and make the jump.

I think his was a little nervous but way excited. As the time approached, I have to admit I was getting nervous. Watching him climb into the airplane I new he was in good hands but my stomach was doing flips and a lot of praying that it was going to go as planned!

His comment at the end was that he was going to have to starting thinking about what he has said that he would like to do because I would have him doing it!

Mt. St. Helen's Hike.....

Dad and Steph looking for elk

A great day for a hike. The weather was just perfect with some sun and cloud cover. We headed up the boundry trail literally. We hiked up the hill for about three and half miles with quite a few rest stops and water breaks. At our turning point, we had a nice picnic lunch of chicken, steak, crackers and cookies. Then back down the hill we hiked. Two hours up hill and one hour down hill, the down hill was a lot better than the up hill!

Fun hike and was super glad we got to spend the day hiking with Steph!

Field Trip....

Mountain Top Quarry

I am pretty sure this column rock would make a really cool fountain in our yard!

Once a week or so, Kev picks me up and we go on a field trip to the rock pits. I love watching the changes that transpire at the rock pits.

Living life....

Bradley State Park View Point
Kevin Bradley State Park

Looking back on the plans that Kevin and I set in place way back 29 years ago. The great plan seems to be working out! Spending time with each other is such a treat that we are both enjoying so much. We loved raising the kids and still love spending quality time with them, but boy is it fun to just up and make a quick plan and go for it the two of us!

This morning we headed out on the Harley for the day. We rode down the Oregon side to Astoria. The early morning air was awesome! What a beautiful ride. The traffic was light and the weather just perfect. Over the Astoria bridge and on into Long Beach. We decided to stop for some lunch and a drink. After parking and walking a few laps around town, we stopped in at the Castaway Grill and had some clam strips and fries and a drink. Kev was trying to remember which place we use to eat at that sold the taffy. My brain finally got it out of the brain filing cabinet (as Kev says it's up there you just have to find the file and sort it out!) and remembered it was the deli inside the York Candy Co., which is no longer there, so we just found a new spot.

My family spend many vacations in Long Beach, so naturally as we roll into town the wonderful memories of family fun times come back rolling into my head. We had such good times, thanks Dad and Mom for such wonderful childhood memories!

We headed out after lunch back home on the Washington side.

What a beautiful ride, the flowers, the many, many animals, the smells (some good some really bad!) but I have found that I must be a tree gal. I love looking for unusual trees, big old oaks, down dead trees with little trees coming back to life growing out of them, flowering trees, trees on each side of the road making a big arch stretching out their branches across the road over to each other. Maybe I have a love for trees passed on from my Dad, although he spend most of his life logging trees or building the biggest camp fires that the family loved except for Mom and the forest ranger!

What great memories today and what a great ride! Just so lucky to have the time to spend with Kevin. Loving it! :)

Back to Nature Once Again....

The beauty of the great outdoors is just to beautiful to believe. Kevin and I once again headed out for an amazing hike. We drove up the Lewis River to the Lower Falls Campground and parked at the Middle Falls to start our hike. Our family has camped at the Lower Falls Campground for years and hiked the trails, but this was a first to drive up to the campground and not camp! Hopefully they will fix the darn road so we can again take the motor home up and camp.

Our hike started at the Middle Falls parking lot. We have hiked to the Middle Falls several times from the Lower Falls. What beautiful, beautiful falls! We left the Middle Falls and headed up to the Upper Falls. The mist hitting our face staring up at the Falls just amazing! I had never hiked to the Upper Falls. I am pretty sure Kev got real tired of me saying, " did you see that tree!" or "look at this!" Just pure pure nature at it's best. We hiked pass the Upper Falls along the trail to the Taitnapum Falls and to Quartz Creek. In all, we hike for four miles among old growth trees, the smell of the great outdoors and the wonders of nature.

Cape Horn Hiking....

Many thanks to my Aunt Bobbie for the suggestion to hike Cape Horn Trail. What a beautiful hike. The start of the trail is up, up, up hill for a long mile and a half, but well worth the sweat effort to make it to the top. Along the way there are the prettiest wildflowers in all colors, slimy slugs crossing the trail, a babbling brook with a little wooden bridge, and the most amazing trees that spiral to the the heavens. At the top, what a view! Just standing in awe at an amazing, breath taking view of the Colombia River and the Gorge. Across the river, we can see Multnomah Falls. After a much needed water and apple break, we headed back down the trail. We will definitely be back to hike this trail again, but after July (a portion of the trial is closed) so we can make the full loop around.

Kelly and Sarah