5 - Lessons Learned from Grampa

Now "Ry" is just about the cutest redheaded, 3-year old I have ever met, and quite the charmer too. He had a summer cold while we were visiting and found himself in need of a tissue.

Ry receives instructions on how to fold his tissue and wipe his nose from Grampa Mike. Very seriously - while standing in the wading pool - he imitates everything his Grampa does, while Gramma looks on. The lesson was so cute, I wished I had used the video instead of stills!






Rylan Carter Adams - Photo by his mom, Sarah Carter Adams

4 - In Search of Ramona...

For our trip I thought it would be fun to listen to some of the Ramona audio books by Beverly Cleary. We thoroughly enjoyed "Ramona the Brave" and "Ramona the Pest" on our way to Portland. So on Sunday we set out to find the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden for Children. My memory is a little sketchy at times, so I spent about 20 minutes circling Laurelhurst Park before I remembered the fountain was in Grant Park (luckily they are very close to each other.) We also forgot to bring a change of clothes with us, so running through this fountain wasn't an option if we wanted to continue exploring Portland that afternoon.
First photo taken by Carly



Once we checked Ramona off our destination list, we drove further East to find the the neighborhood where Carly's mom lived when she and Meme went to elementary school. We found the house we lived in and what used to be the Montessori school they went to... which is now a Head Start Center.

Next stop would be Lloyd Center to hop on the MAX, Portland's Light Rail, to take a trip to downtown Portland. We explored Pioneer Square and the Saturday Market.








Cooling off in Skidmore Fountain...



As the dinner hour was closing in, we headed back to Sarah & Travis' for a backyard BBQ with second (or is it third?) cousins Ben & Ry. The kids beat the heat with a run through the sprinkler.




Last 2 photos taken by Sarah Carter Adams

3 - Adventures with Carly: Enchanted Forest

On our way to Portland, Carly and I stopped in at Enchanted Forest just outside of Salem. She was thrilled to finally get there and immediately got busy photographing the sites.







As you can see, I was often having a hard time keeping up with her. She skips everywhere she goes!





First a ride on the bumber boats, followed by a ride on the Ice Mountain Bobsleds (aka rollercoaster) where she got to hear her grandma scream!





We a made a quick trip through the gift shop where Carly spent most of the $5 she had brought with her. Her treasures included a beautiful purple crystal and a real harmonica! (In the car she practiced playing for the last hour of our journey to Portland, which to my surprise was not all that unpleasant.)

2 - Headwaters of the Sacramento River

Carly and I have traveled past the City of Mt. Shasta many times on our trips together. Howerver, we had never stopped at the Headwaters of the Sacramento River located in the Mt. Shasta City Park. She was quite impressed to see that the huge river that flows through her town starts out as a couple of little springs flowing from a hillside. We watched as a line of people waited to get up to the spring to fill their water bottles - personal-sized bottles, gallon jugs, even 5-gallon jugs! So we made plans to stop on our way back to fill up ours too.

1 - The Journey Begins

Carly and I are off to Portland to visit family and see the big city! The first leg of our journey is the trip from Redding to Grants Pass. Carly was soooo excited that her mom and dad let her take their digital camera. Here are a few shots of the "photographer" and the images she caught on camera.

Photographer...


... and her subject.


Mt. Shasta from Vista Point on I-5

Castle Crags


The Forest in Mt Shasta City Park


Black Butte through the windshield...





We stopped for lunch in Yreka at Grandma's House Restaurant... another photo opportunity for the budding artist.




"Self portrait in the mirror of the bathroom"


"That would make a great shot... got it!" - Table Rock


Picking Charley up from the "kitty hotel" in Grants Pass.


And more self portraits...











She ran out of juice halfway through the Zoo on Monday. With the recent move, Amanda wasn't able to find the battery charger to send along with us. So it was up to Sarah and I to capture the rest of trip in digital images.

A Home of Their Own

Wes and Amanda moved into their new home shortly before I came down to pick up Carly for our trip to Portland. When I arrived, the kids took me on "the grand tour" of their new bedrooms - posing in each room for picutes. The house is a perfect fit for their family with 4+ bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a huge fenced backyard - all in a nice, quiet neighborhood in South Redding. Amanda and Wes have a "master suite" complete with a large walk-in closet and adjacent office space. (All at the opposite end of the house from the kids!) Amanda is not so wild about the wall-to-wall carpet throughout - but I love it - reduces the noise! Wes would have liked a larger kitchen and already has ideas on home improvement in mind. Overall it is a great space for a growing family.



Beautiful landscaped front yard and lots of space for parking too...


Everyone can get up close to the computer now...


No more baby gates... and Aubrey is taking advantage of her new found freedom!

Ryan's Portraits

What a handsome boy!