Unlike previous Parkways, Kate rode her own bike and was not towed in a trailer or on a tag-a-long. There were several stops and the obligatory sugary treat as an incentive (in this case, a sno-cone), but she made the whole trip under her own power.
Showing posts with label Grandparents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grandparents. Show all posts
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Sunday Parkways 2017; Kate bikes solo
Audrey and Kate participated of another round of Portland's Sunday Parkways bike rides today. The girls rode a little over 5 miles, starting from home and then traveling to Khunamowkst Park and Fernhill Park and then reversing course to head back home. GPa joined the girls for part of the route.
Unlike previous Parkways, Kate rode her own bike and was not towed in a trailer or on a tag-a-long. There were several stops and the obligatory sugary treat as an incentive (in this case, a sno-cone), but she made the whole trip under her own power.
Unlike previous Parkways, Kate rode her own bike and was not towed in a trailer or on a tag-a-long. There were several stops and the obligatory sugary treat as an incentive (in this case, a sno-cone), but she made the whole trip under her own power.
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Camp Sherman 2017
No sooner had Audrey and Kate unpacked their suitcases from their Alaskan adventure then it was time to repack them for a trip to Camp Sherman for the annual Gutzler family gathering. After soaking up plenty of screen time on the car ride down, they got settled into their Lake Creek Lodge cabin (#13 again this year), met up with the full complement of Gutzler/Taylor/Williamson cousins, then headed over to the "food house" for a delicious dinner prepared by Mark and Sharon (one of their last, as Mark and Sharon later announced they would be hanging up their Camp Sherman chef hats).
This year's camp theme was "Harry Potter." Sharon secured some Harry Potter robes, wands, necklaces, and glasses for the kids, and mixed up some butterbeer and provided a pinata in the form of a Golden Snitch. Audrey worked with Dad to prepare a series of Harry Potter-themed activities the kids participated in over several days: a Sorting Hat ceremony; a game of Quidditch utilizing pool-noodle "brooms;" a "torchlight" march to "Lake Hogwarts" (the fishing pond); a taste-testing of gillywater (mint water), butterbear, and pumkin juice; and a potions class in which they made Felix Felicis (glitter slime) and Tiger's Eye (a customized potion created with random ingredients harvested by the kids). Audrey served as "Head Girl," explaining Harry Potter to those who hadn't read the books. Aunt Marcia added to the fun with rock-coloring, shirt-making, and rootbeer-tasting activities.
Aquatics featured prominently this trip. The kids spent a good portion of each day in the swimming pool. They also hiked along the Metolius River to check out the old family cabin and the nearby swimming hole, stopping for ice cream at the Camp Sherman store on the way back. They made good use of Lake Creek, catching fish, crawdads, and insect nymphs; taking a short creek walk; and floating down the creek on pool floaties. Audrey and Mom went to Suttle Lake one morning so that Audrey could try stand-up paddle-boarding (she enjoyed it, despite the windy conditions).
On the last night, the kids enjoyed s'mores and sprinting. On Friday Audrey and Kate said their goodbyes and headed home, dropping Kate off at a friend's bounce-house birthday party in Beaverton on the way.
This year's camp theme was "Harry Potter." Sharon secured some Harry Potter robes, wands, necklaces, and glasses for the kids, and mixed up some butterbeer and provided a pinata in the form of a Golden Snitch. Audrey worked with Dad to prepare a series of Harry Potter-themed activities the kids participated in over several days: a Sorting Hat ceremony; a game of Quidditch utilizing pool-noodle "brooms;" a "torchlight" march to "Lake Hogwarts" (the fishing pond); a taste-testing of gillywater (mint water), butterbear, and pumkin juice; and a potions class in which they made Felix Felicis (glitter slime) and Tiger's Eye (a customized potion created with random ingredients harvested by the kids). Audrey served as "Head Girl," explaining Harry Potter to those who hadn't read the books. Aunt Marcia added to the fun with rock-coloring, shirt-making, and rootbeer-tasting activities.
Aquatics featured prominently this trip. The kids spent a good portion of each day in the swimming pool. They also hiked along the Metolius River to check out the old family cabin and the nearby swimming hole, stopping for ice cream at the Camp Sherman store on the way back. They made good use of Lake Creek, catching fish, crawdads, and insect nymphs; taking a short creek walk; and floating down the creek on pool floaties. Audrey and Mom went to Suttle Lake one morning so that Audrey could try stand-up paddle-boarding (she enjoyed it, despite the windy conditions).
On the last night, the kids enjoyed s'mores and sprinting. On Friday Audrey and Kate said their goodbyes and headed home, dropping Kate off at a friend's bounce-house birthday party in Beaverton on the way.
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Kate is eight!
Kate got to celebrate her eight years of life in Alaska on her actual birthday and back home in Portland the following weekend. Family and friends joined her at Grant Pool for swimming, aquatic games, and birthday doughnuts.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Camp Sherman Trip 2016
Audrey and Kate traveled to Camp Sherman this week for the annual Gutzler family gathering. A move to a different cabin this trip was a source of some concern for them at first, but was quickly forgotten once settling in and meeting up with cousins Lily, Cora, Liam, Elsa, and Wyatt. The group did not venture too far afield from Lake Creek Lodge (save for a shopping trip for Audrey into Sisters with Mama, GG, and Morgan). They were content to stuff themselves with lots of yummy food and sugary drinks supplied by great-uncle Mark and Sharon (margarita mix--sans tequila--proving a surprise hit), dress up in superhero garb supplied by Sharon, play in the pool, walk to the Camp Sherman store, and pose for lots of photos. New activities tried out this year were catching crawdads and baby fish in the creek to be "pets,"roasting marshmallows for s'mores in a new fire pit, a short creek walk, studying amphibian life along the fishing pond at dusk, and the kids getting some limited freedom to wander the resort on their own. (More Camp Sherman photos here.)
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