THE ONE WITH THE CHEESE + THE COAST

Monday, August 29, 2016

 On Friday, I loaded up the kids and headed toward the coast. All I really had in mind for us to do was to visit the  Tillamook Cheese Factory. Sampling cheeses. Eating ice cream. It's a dairy lovers dream, right?


Yes. Yes, it is.

So we went. It was busy but the kids and I enjoyed seeing the cheese move along the conveyor belt and get sliced and packaged.

EXPLORING OREGON || CRATER LAKE

Monday, August 15, 2016

EXPLORING OREGON || CRATER LAKE
This past weekend we took a family road trip south + visited Crater Lake, a location that's been on my bucket list since the first time we lived in Oregon. We timed it just right as the one and only hiking trail that leads to the shore of the lake was scheduled to be closed for repairs the following day (today) and won't be accessible until next summer.

We didn't partake in any tours but rather took it upon ourselves to drive around the rim and make the trek down Cleetwood Cove Trail to the shoreline. The hike was classified as "strenuous" due to the steep grade (there's a 700-foot elevation change in 1.1 miles) but the Little Brumfields powered through. Wyatt was a brave soul and was the only one of us that took a swim in the chilly lake waters that have an average temp of 59°F in August. I only stood in the water for a bit. Brad stuck with Delta Mae - it was just too rocky to get her close to the water.

Here are a few quick tidbits about Crater Lake:
  • At 1,943 feet, it's the deepest lake in the US; visibility is 140 feet.
  • It's clarity + intense blue color are a result of it only being fed by rain and snow. No rivers or streams lead to the lake. 
  • Some 7,700 years ago, a caldera formed when Mount Mazama, a volcano, erupted and later collapsed. Crater Lake rests inside the caldera.
  • Wizard Island formed during a later eruption.
  • Crater Lake is 4.5-6 miles wide.
Hands down, this was my favorite place to see in the State of Oregon to date. It was just So Stunning. Marvelous. Grand. #AllTheFancyWords This wonder of God was too amazing to capture in photographs, but I gave it my best shot. Here are my photos.














If you're planning a trip, you might be interested to know that they DO NOT SELL BOTTLED WATER at the Rim Cafe. You can purchase a water bottle at the gift shop but it's going to cost you a pretty penny. We'll file that one under lesson learned.

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY, WYATT!

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Wyatt,

Today you are seven years old! I still call you Mr. Big Stuff but the nickname fits you for different reasons. I started calling you that when you were a baby because you were so chunky. So very chunky. These days, you're not chunky. Not at all. You are long + lean. So long, in fact, that I have already begun stretching your blue jeans after I pull them from the washer and letting them hang dry. If I didn't, you'd be in high-waters. (You're welcome.) Big. Stuff.

Also, you still love to laugh and to make people laugh. Many of the times when you would get in trouble at school it was because you did something or said something that you thought was funny. You've recently made up a few jokes of your own lately. I'm pretty impressed, too!

  • What kind of flower will you find in the sky? A hot-air bloom.
  • What kind of fight do shoes get into? San-duals.

Keep it up, Buddy! I love to hear the things you come up with. And if your aspirations of becoming a Ninja Master don't work out, maybe you'll become a Stand-up Comedian.

I still worry for you. I guess as a parent that never goes away, just the things we worry about change. There are times when I feel like you are being mistreated by other kids your age, but it seems to go over your head. Kind of like you have no idea that you're being bullied. Maybe that's for the best.

When you are hurt, you cry, whether it's emotional or physical. You're a Gentle Giant, Buddy. A lover, not a fighter, unless your sister's involved. You have no problem reciprocating a whack at her.

I remember bringing you home from the hospital, placing your carrier on the table, and thinking to myself what now? Seven years later and sometimes I still have the same thought. Like what to say when you ask a tough question. Many times, more than I can count, I say, "let's ask Dad," because I don't have a clue! He usually does.

I heard a Christian comedian, Tim Hawkins, talk about people praying for a "hedge of protection" to be placed around their loved ones. He followed it up with,

"A hedge, huh? I don't mean to complain, but is that the best you can do? How about a thick, cement wall?"

Ha! So that's what I will pray God protects you with. A thick, cement wall. I love you, My Dear. I pray that you feel it and see it every day.

Hugs,
Mama

WYATT'S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

Monday, August 1, 2016

Hi! We're back again, after a weekend of fun with the almost birthday boy. We started off the Birthday Weekend Celebrations at The Cheesecake Factory. It was National Cheesecake Day and they were offering half-off cheesecake slices. We had to go in for a treat. Then I pretty much went MIA on social media for the next 48 hours (which quite possibly will become our new norm) but here's what we were up too!

|| Saturday, July 30 ||
First up, donuts for breakfast. #BecauseWeekend #BecauseBirthday #JustBecause