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Home with Chris.
The seed hypothesis is so far right on point.
Tap water pot has 2 flourishing baby sunflowers.
Half tap and half pacific ocean has one weak one.
Pacific ocean has no growth.

Mei Mei is slap happy now

Gregor the Overlander -! What a great audiobook ... A quick 7 hrs on the road with that. Now some dinner and a new book. This is the first day we are not just eating pb and j sandwiches on the road. I will be a- ok not eating them for a long while. We figured the last big day on the road - lets stop and eat .

Slap stick road weary

Finn and I are hanging in the lobby, playing poker and blogging silly. I am honestly shocked this silly business took this long to take effect.

Finn blogs

Winter is the most famous dolphin because he lost his fin. I was Winter and Connor was Flipper. Well, our grandma threw her flip flops and we just went to get them. While we were swimming just regularly I got my Grandmas flip flop and started throwing it. I got it to skip once and once it just slid. We just played dolphins for a while, then we went into a sauna- it was really hot. You could change up the temperature - you can go after you swim and it will dry you.

Since this is our last day I would like to say my favorite part of the trip was Mt Rushmore. This is because I was wanting to see this famous Mt- Lincoln Thomas Jefferson, George, and Roosevelt. They used dynamite to make the faces and that is cool.

Finn

Shortly Finn will be dried off and will share the tales of Winter and Flipper (who I know as Finny and Connor)...

Poe

Oh, ok I downloaded some Poe too- in case they drive me crazy

Books on phone!

Gregor the overlander purchased!
Alice in wonderland purchased!
A wind in the willows purchased!

Happy mom!
(only Gregor was pricey- but I am hoping to hook the boys...)

Some stuff is publishing out of order- as I am doing the bulk of the blogging on the phone I can't seem to get them to correct- basically if you think it might be out of order you might be right.

I think I am sitting in a "hot spot" so the posts that were failing to post- now posted.
I have to buy another book on tape now, it wouldn't work at last hotel and wrinkle in time was the last one ... Wish me luck- we have a 12 hr day tomorrow and I fear without a book there may be a sobbing Nan at the end of the day.

I kid - and seriously what does it say about this trip that I am ready to plan another road trip one we get some funds. A plus to my kids!

Nebraska

Is less flat than I remember- or maybe
Just more trees. I just remember fields- now there are more trees. It's pretty darn windy here on the plains. Driving is going well - due to books on tape. Today we listened to Scat ( suggestion from Darlene) and A wrinkle in time. This group is a rapt audience.

Day in Wyoming

Wyoming is wild. Beautiful, stark and empty in many places, I imagine the people settling here fell in love with it and made it work.

I went to Jackson Hole the summer I turned 16 with Randi. It opened my eyes to how vast and different America could be. I haven't been in Wyoming in a long time...
We only spent time in RockSprings : so friendly and easy going, nestled in the hills... And Laramie for an afternoon to buy hats and have lunch. Lots of pick- ups and the colors are almost muted here- maybe because we are so high: less oxygen? At one pt we were at 7000 feet. Finn said it was " quite cowboyish". Nebraska next... Oh Nebraska, I apologize for dreading you.

Connor posts

      Yesterday there was a harry potter marathon and it continued today. We just finished watching deathly hallows part 2. Yesterday we watched the Order of the Phoenix and the Half Blood Prince. We think that the marathon might start again, that would be so cool.

        The scenery on the drive was great, Mom made me stop a couple of times to take pictures. There were beautiful hills and valleys and the drive wasn't that long this time, it was only 8 1/2 hours. whoever is reading this must think I'm crazy but comparing to 10 or 13 hours 8 1/2 is pretty short. This trip is so cool.   

Utah and Wyoming... Applause

Holy landscape! The most beautiful 9 hour drive of my life, perhaps.

On the road : pool!

7 hrs today and it felt like such a mellow short day on the road. We have been broken in on those 12-13 hr days driving out here. We got a late start, so it worked out well. We are keeping all of our drives (except the last day) much shorter so we don't get crabby! Still we were pretty weary and a nice swim and some dinner and everyone is asleep. I am just having trouble sleeping - which is unhelpful ... Sigh

First day home

Every hour and a half

Lemon drops

Memories...

Science

Connor preps the science excitement.

Last day in Portland

BBQ at Tracy and Rick's place. A lot fun and a little sad. I am so thankful for this chunk of time to chill in Portland. To see a lot of Heather, and meet Alex, Aggie, Alaina and Mimi. To see Tracy, Kim, Cora, Jason and meet new people. To share a place I think is pretty special with my loves. This
Is a treasure I will relish, this time. I look forward to building on it. Bring on the adventures.

Sizzle Pie

And some knitted graffiti

A few gardens

Mei Mei

Yesterday was a beautiful day at the coast. We visited The cheese factory and two beaches. I'm whipped. This vacationing stuff is hard work. You have to keep in mind that you earn your trip to the beach here. It involves a hike before arrival to a stunningly beautiful location. The baby stunned us all by running toward the ocean at every chance and you need to know that the water is about the temperature of Lake Huron right now - Very Cold! It didn't bother him at all. In fact, his chin was chattering as he cried to go back in the water again. Finn also got totally wet and had a great time jumping in the waves. He told us the water is fine once you get used to it. Although he did ask for the heat to be put on in the car on the way home from the beach. Conn got wet too, but his focus was more on the fact that there were tons of mussels attached to the rocks. In fact, we have two accompanying us for the ride home. Heather and Nan had fun walking around taking photographs and chatting. I sleep well at night.

 Oh, by the way, we have broken some record for nice days in a row without rain. It has not rained since we got here and it is predicted to rain the day we leave. I think this trip was supposed to happen for us. Tomorrow, we depart early in the morning and head for a comfort inn in Boise, Idaho.

Smart, creative, brave... So incredibly lucky she is my friend

Best day!

Went to the beach with Heath, man, what a great day! The kids ran up and down the edge of the ocean. Finn and Sage loved getting in the icy waves. Sage's poor lips were chattering and he would be reaching to the ocean "more".

New camera toys

Heathy taught me how to play with the pics on my phone- yay... I am pretty excited. So you will be getting hipster photos for a spell, apologies.

Today we got some Sizzle Pie pizza and hung out with Kim and Alaina What a cutie! So many bebes here in Portland!

A Finn post

Yesterday we went to a hill called mount hood at the top of it there was so much snow that's where we went and went to this old hotel\museum it show what other old rooms were like back then it would show old toboggans were like .today we are going to get the Goonies and we are going to watch it  tonight .

My Hood

Drove to Timberline Lodge on Mt Hood today. Very tired, more later