1st time at the MN State Fair

We took the Express Shuttle bus out of Bloomington. It cost $5 each RT and worked pretty well. 30 minute bus ride and we didn't have to fuss with traffic or parking. This is us on the transit bus.

We made it!!! First time for the this girl at the MN State Fair. She liked it a lot. There is so much to take in and we only did a very small fraction of it. 

She even allowed us to dress alike. Made this mommy happy.

I don't think she has ever seen the voice. The kids don't watch much Prime Time TV, mostly Netflix for them. But it was a photo opt, so why not!

We went to the Kare 11 News barn so we could try to be on the 4 o'clock news, which we were. It was a really cool experience to watch how they did a live broadcast. 

Some of the food we ate....a Candies Bacon BLT and a spicy (not really spicy at all) pork and rice bowl. They were 2 of the new foods this year at the fair.

We had the flavor of the year at the Dairy Barn , which was "Call Me Breakfast" which was a shake with donut chunks and sprinkles in it.

Isabel in front of the Princess Kay of the Milky Way carving out of butter for this year.

She certainly is a turkey. :)

 She thought this egg chair was neat. It was in the barn.

 More fair treats! Sno-Cone, cotton candy & candy sticks. Most of this came to the concert with us to have during that time and share with our friends.

Her first concert

Last year I had intended to take her to her first concert, also at the MN State Fair and we had tickets o Meghan Trainor. But then she needed vocal cord surgery and cancelled her tour and hasn't gone back on tour yet. So, we tried again this year. This time we saw Demi Lavato and Nick Jonas, with opening act Mike Posner. Like last year we went to see this with her friend Amelia her her mom Caitlin.

With her friend Amelia at the start of the concert. She wore her glasses so she could see better.

Another picture of her with Amelia during the concert.

Mike Posner was the opening act. We didn't think we would know anything other than his newest song, but we know 2 songs that were older. 

When Nick Jonas went on stage the crowd went wild. We had seats at the plaza level, which is the ground level and were pretty decent seats. Plaza LC, Row 26, Seats 5-8.

Isabel was just in awe of all the cell phone lights, she has no idea they used to be lighters. This one was taking during Nick Jonas.

Lots of flying sparks when Demi Lovato came out on stage. She sure knows how to make an entrance.

Isabel (was pretty dark and getting late by this point) and Amelia during Demi's performance.

Several pictures in a collage from Demi Lovato's performance, She played all the favorites and popular songs plus a few we had never heard.

The state fair does fireworks right after their grandstand concerts and it pretty much started 2 minutes after she finished. The fireworks were pretty nice, a nice bonus to see those and we didn't have to wait long.

Next time we will get seats further away in the stands so we have stadium seats instead. It was a little hard for the girls to see. Isabel had a great time and I was happy the weather was perfect for an outdoor concert, that could have ruined it if it was raining or we had sever weather. We were prepared with ear plugs and that made it so much better. I can't wait to take her to another concert.

VBS trip to Camp Omega

Isabel went to VBS Tu-Th this week. She had farm camp on Monday with her friend Bennett. She went to VBS with her neighbor friend Kaitlyn. This top picture they are playing Gaga Ball. 

They got to use the pool at Camp Omega while they were there. It was very hot and humid so it's good they had a chance to get wet. This is the first time they have done a field trip to Camp Omega with VBS. She didn't go to the program last night because she was at a hotel bday sleepover for Kaitlyn, if which she slept 1-7am, which might mean a cranky girl on the drive to WI.

Isabel is wearing a purple tie-dye shirt and a pink swimsuit in the pictures. Henry has on an orange tank top and bright blue swim shirt in the pictures. It is hard to get pictures of the group when kids are constantly moving.

Oregon Trip - 4th Day

 Two years ago we went to Art ala carte and the kids loved it. You never know what will be here for you to work with. Two years ago they had some Barbies that had no clothes and Isabel made clothes for a Barbie that cheap was able to keep and play with on the trip. She still has that Barbie. This time there was no dolls but she created all of her own fairies and mermaids by using a variety of materials and hot glue.

 Here is a picture of the collection that she made while we were there. The plan is to make a fairy house at home or at the cabin but now it looks like we will have to make some kind of Little Pond next to it for the Mermaid too.

 It was hot and sunny at Fort Vancouver but the kids still indulge me with taking some pictures but I had to be quick as they were getting grumpy standing in the Sun and with how hot it was. Last time when we came here two years ago it was hot and sunny just like this. I think we came a similar week in July last time to.

 Pure Isabel is in the center of Salmon Street Springs. She really wanted to go back to the Keller Fountain but her brother wanted to come here so she was grumpy about it and refused to go in for the first 10 minutes but it was pretty warm outside even in the Shaded bench we were sitting at and she eventually gave in and went in. The kids just went in and played in their clothing since we were only a couple blocks away.

The kids didn't really have a choice in this activity. There has to be some stuff that are geared towards adults. I wanted daddy to feel like he had part of this trip as well even though he has to work during the day while we are out and about. And after having to try to get out of the city during rush hour the night before I didn't want to do that either and this was in very easy walking distance. However tonight we might try to get out of the city to do something. We will see.

Not sure if I will get to posting anything tonight or tomorrow about day 5 or what I will post during the rest of the trip. We will be driving around Oregon and Northern California to do other national parks and monuments and Rec areas and I am guessing I may not have cell service everywhere.

Today is our last full day in Portland and as of right now the only thing for sure on the docket is the kids and I are going to a chocolate factory for a tour. They start making their chocolate from the beans they get from Ecuador. I'm very curious to see how that beginning process is. You often see images of chocolate factories of them melting chocolate bars and putting them into molds and other things but I have never seen how they turned the beans into chocolate which I think would be

Oregon Trip Pictures (1st 3 days)

At the airport. I am just impressed that in the last couple years the kids are very good at navigating airports and train stations with a backpack and a suitcase pulling behind them. It's a good skill to have but also shows that they get to travel quite a bit.

We arrived in before Hotel check-in so we first went and had lunch at a place called shut up and eat. It was very tasty. We went to the hotel after buying groceries and they weren't ready, as we were still early. So we went and had ice cream at a place called 50 Licks.

After resting for a bit at the hotel, we went over to the Science Museum. Daddy had not been able to join us there since our very first trip and this time we were also going to tour the submarine there. So that was something new on our visit there. We have been to this science museum three times.

For dinner on our first night we went to Old Town Pizzeria, which is the haunted Pizzeria we went to last time we were here. It was one of the things the kids really wanted to do as a repeat thing. The next morning I took the kids to the Oregon Zoo. Isabel is larger than a sun bear.

The other thing the kids wanted to repeat was going to the IRA Keller fountain which is a multi-level series of waterfalls and pools that everyone plays in. When we were here last time, 2 years ago, we went there twice. I think we will probably end up back here a second time this visit as well. It's free, it's close, and they love it.

Monday evening we join dad's boss and her husband and two kids that are the same age as Isabel at a pool hand water park that is near their house. Their kids do swim team in the summer and Isabel was having a good time racing with them. We ate at the food carts that we're just down the road from this place. Food carts are a big thing in Portland.

Tuesday was what I called nature day. We first went to the Vista house which kicks off a h

Tour through the Columbia River Gorge. There is a whole bunch of waterfalls and valleys and Dells that you can go check out. We only went to Vista house which has amazing views from the top. Then we went to two waterfalls

This is LaTourell waterfall. It is a waterfall we visited two years ago and wanted to take the kids back again. You can get right down into the waterfall. Last time we were right by it but there is a lot more water this time and so I wouldn't let them get too close because it was blowing really hard and fast. But they did get down into the creek a little further down to play. Just can't keep these kids out of water.

This is the kids at the top of multonomah Falls. Molton Oma Falls is a huge tourist attraction. It is considered the second tallest year-long running waterfall in the United States. It is a two and a half mile hike round trip to go to the top and back. We did this hike three years ago and by we I mean Henry and I made it to the top Isabel and Andy only got half way. She was a bit scared at that point to go any higher so she didn't but this time she was bound and determined to make it to the top. I didn't tell them though that the top isn't very exciting and all of the amazing views are actually from the bottom. But at the top there is a stream that they played in for quite a bit and got their shorts all muddy.

 And here is a picture of the 3 of us from the bottom. Trying to get a picture of the entire waterfall and the bridge in it.

 This was Isabel treat at the end of The Falls. This cookie is as big as her face.

 On Tuesday night we went to the international test Rose Garden. I let her use a camera and she probably took over a hundred pictures of roses until I finally took it away. She was also having her brother pose and take pictures of him. I have yet to look at them.

Isabel with her daddy at the international test Rose Garden. He wasn't so sure about my pic for an evening activity but once we got there and he saw how many roses there are and the Beautiful grounds I think he changed his mind. It was a bit frustrating trying to get there during rush hour time butt once we got there we had a very nice and relaxing time. Then we took the kids to the playground in that Park area to play at and finally took them to the Oregon Holocaust Memorial. We gave them a bit of a history lesson and read everything there and after we were all thoroughly depressed from all of it we decided we had to go have ice cream at Salt and Straw.

It took awhile for these photos to upload so not sure if I will have time 22 Henry's blog post this morning before we leave. I do not have my laptop along with me so it is just easier to voice all of the words but sometimes it has a hard time understanding me so hopefully everything makes sense.

Community Pool

Isabel with a couple of friends, that are sisters, to come to the community pool with us yesterday. The one with the purple goggles is her friend Hannah who came 2 Eagle Bluff camp with her and also the swim team with her. But Hannah doesn't do swim team during the summer like his abilities. Isabel does swim team year round.

Minnesota Achievement Championship

Isabel had a fantastic swim meet on Sunday. She got 2 B times, actually one was a B+ time and a C+ time, missing a B time by .98 seconds on her 50 Fly. Her B+ time was in the 50 Back and she got 1st place overall. Her 100 Free was the other B time and she got 5th or 6th overall for it. She got 3 ribbons, 1st, 5th and 6th overall. She did get 1st place in all her heats, but there was 3 heats for each race with 20 kids in each race.

This meet was for those with a C time or slower, which is what she had. This is the first time she had achieved B times. No A or B times could enter the meet. Her B times qualify her to be in the next Championship meet that is this weekend, but of course those events are all on the day we leave for Portland so she can't. It still qualifies her for that same Championship meet in March, so we will get that on our calendar.

More Camp Pics

They didn't have everything uploaded before I was going to bed so here are some more pictures from yesterday when she did the ropes course and zip line as well as the pioneer living class.

First 2 Days of Camp

Isabel is currently at camp for 4 days, this is day 2. She went to this same camp last year and loved it. They use the Yapp App to give us a few pictures every day so we know they are alive and busy. So, these are the ones Isabel was in the first 2 days.

Cabin time