August in Bend

 

Earlier this month, a friend of Jenn's from the DCP came out to Bend to visit for a week. Jenn took her up to see the view from Pilot Butte, and they floated down the Deschutes.

Last weekend we took her to Crater Lake before she flew home. We checked out the view from the Rim and had lunch.

The kids completed the Junior Ranger program. 

This weekend we attended the wedding in Bend of our first Honored Queen of Bethel 11.

Summer Update

Summer has been going by relatively uneventfully. I've been working fairly long hours, often at night, watching highway construction projects in the Bend area.

In June, Susan went up to Seattle for a scrapbook event. When it was over, I flew up to meet her in Bellingham, and the next day we drove up to the border to apply for Global Entry passes. These will allow us to travel with less delay at Customs and airport security checks. On the way back we stopped at the new Cabela's in Lacey to walk around.

I've also been working on wiring and sheet rocking our pole barn. Sometimes I get visitors.

This week Jenn went down to Anaheim for a convention. She also spent some time at the Disneyland Resort. She visited with friends and enjoyed a birthday lunch at the new Lamplighter Lounge.

Flower and Garden Festival

 

On Thursday, Jenn met up with another friend at Magic Kingdom, then had dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian resort. She enjoyed meeting Cinderella and her stepsisters.

Friday morning she and Bryan went back to Epcot to check out the Flower and Garden Festival and meet up with friends.

In the afternoon they to the Magic Kingdom. In Tomorrowland, there was a promotion going on for the new Incredibles movie. Besides doing some rides, they watched the parade and the fireworks.

Yesterday was their last day and it was again spent enjoying the Flower and Garden Festival. They flew home last night.

Spring at WDW

 

Two weeks ago, Bryan went out to Florida to attend training for his new job. Jennifer flew out on last Friday to visit him and WDW. Some of their friends from University of Portland were also in the area, so on Saturday they all hung out at Magic Kingdom. On Sunday they went to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Monday they spent the morning at Animal Kingdom, then went back to the Studios in the evening, and visited with Starlord and Groot.

Tuesday they had breakfast at Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, then spent more time in Epcot.

They stayed at Old Key West the first two nights, then moved to the Riverside resort. Wednesday they spent the morning in Magic Kingdom, then spent the afternoon at the pool. In the evening they took the boat to Disney Springs, and had drinks at the Edison.

Spring Update

Soon after we bought our home in Bend, Susan got involved with the homeowner's association, and was elected President. We like our neighborhood because it has a nice park with a pool. For Easter, we helped put on an Easter egg hunt in the park.

 

Last month the kids attended the annual banquet for their business fraternity at University of Portland. Bryan has been serving as an advisor since he moved to Portland.

 

Susan and I have been spending a fair amount of time making sure the community pool would be ready to go this summer. We enjoyed using it last summer, but there were problems with non residents or former residents trying to use it, and with residents misusing it.

We don't have much of a backyard, but the dogs can hang out on our patio.

Hollywood

Thursday after work I flew down to Burbank to drive Susan and Jenn back to Oregon. Before we left though, we spent most of Friday looking around Hollywood.

We drove up to the Griffith Observatory and looked around, then headed down to Hollywood Boulevard to see the Walk of the Stars and the Chinese Theater.  

We had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. This was my 25th HRC. We then headed north, stopping in Monterey and Pacific Grove to visit family.

Disneyland

After the cruise, Susan and Jenn spent a few days at Disneyland, meeting characters and enjoying some rides.

Some of Jenn’s Southern Californian friends came to the park to hang out with her.

 

Since they were staying offsite, they parked in the parking garage, where they could see the construction on the new Star Wars Land.