When I asked my twins what they wanted to do for this week’s adventure, they said hang with their cousins. But, I wanted to go to a new place, to adventure out. So we did what we often do–combine ideas. I told my sister that I wanted to get together and go someplace outdoors to  let the cousins run. So, we went to a new (to me) park called Commonwealth Lake Park, which is near my nephew’s new house in Beaverton. It is such a delight to watch the cousins walk together and chatter and share and run and throw rocks into the lake and climb fences and climb the play structure and just enjoy a summer day together at a park. It is more of a city park but adventure happens in many locations.

When we returned to my sister’s house, the older cousins wanted to play Axis and Allies board game while the younger cousins played the game Trouble. I love board games. Anything to get away from electronics!

But those values fly in the face of the recent news story about a JetBlue flight attendant who quit on the job, literally, by sliding down the chute of the airplane after spouting profanity at a passenger he was fed up with.

Now, pop culture America is calling him a hero? For representing the working class? That is not a hero in my books.

It goes back to our general trend in society where people have to always be right and their pride gets in the way. This flight attendant has to realize that he is in a customer service field, and dealing with passengers who are grumpy is part of the job. Sure, it cannot be easy, but neither are hundreds of other jobs out there.

 Other people are not sliding down an escape chute to get away from their work situations. Instead, they work day in and day out to support their families. They are the real heros.  

In ouI am not sure what is worse. His actions, or that he is being called a hero for what he did.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100810/bs_yblog_upshot/rogue-jetblue-flight-attendant-being-hailed-as-a-modern-american-working-class-hero

Finally, we made it happen — to hike up to the top of Saddle Mountain. My 18-year-0ld son Ryan and his friend Jon and his mom and I have talked about going on a mom-son hike for a quite some time. Jon and Ryan have been friends since they were in my 3-year-old Sunday School class together at Rolling Hills, and they were in the same Boy Scout troop (West  Linn Troop 149) and they are  both are Eagle Scouts!

I so want to continue connecting with my boys, and as they get older you have to be more deliberate about finding things to do. The outdoors is my favorite activity to share with my children.

We met Jon and Joanne at the Oregon City Shopping Center and carpooled together in our jeep. Great conversation and fellowship and camaraderie. When we arrived at the entry to Saddle Mountain, it was drizzling a bit. Joanne had told me this was a possibility, though I did not bring a wind breaker. It is a 7 mile drive in to the trail head along a bumpy road. There were so many different groups getting ready to hike to the top of Saddle Mountain, which, on a nice day, I am told, has breathtaking views. It was nice that none of us had been there before, which makes for more of an adventure.

We snapped a photo at the sign before beginning the trek up 2 1/2 miles. It was a bit more drizzly and very foggy as we made our way up the rocky hill. We saw wildflowers and neat plants and dense fog and large bolders lots of groups of people hiking to the top of this landmark along the Oregon Coast. It is a difficult hike and will get any one’s heart rate up. The boys went ahead of us moms for much of it but would wait at various points for their moms! 

At the top, we ate lunch and the fog parted for us a couple of times to give us a view. It began raining a bit more but that was okay. I kept telling the boys how much I am loving this adventure with them. These college boys of ours. Joanne and I are already talking about our next hike.

Info on Saddle Mountain:

http://oregonstateparks.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/saddle-mountain-a-north-coast-landmark-hiking-challenge/

For our Week 6 adventure, my three youngest boys and I drove  to Beacon Rock, which Micki had hiked up with his class in fourth grade when Mr. Munoz was his teacher. On the way, I saw a sign for the Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge, so I said to the kids that I would like to see what this was like. Two of my three boys said “No, Mom,” but my youngest said yes and I really wanted to stop. That is part of what adventure is to me — discovering new places along the way and not being so schedule-bound.

At the  Wildlife Refuge we walked along the trail looking for any animals or birds we could find. The plants were beautiful and the kids were just ready to get to Beacon Rock.  http://www.fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges/steigerwaldlake/

Off then to Beacon Rock. It was a 25 minute hike up the steep slope to arrive at the top of the Rock that overlooks the Columbia Gorge. The boys practically ran up that hill as they always like to see who can be first and who gets to lead.  I love that their enthusiasm.

At the top of Beacon Rock the view was spectacular of the Columbia Gorge and River. We met another  mom of five kids who felt so good about hiking to the top of Beacon Rock with two of her kids and her husband. She had done the hike years ago while in school. She said she has been losing weight and could not have done this hike a few weeks ago. We snapped pictures and exchanged contact info. I told her I would send her a photograph if she emails me. Their name is Otto. We found out they are also believers.

On our way home, we stopped at a market where the twins wanted to look for Zippo lighters, which their big brother has. They are excited to now have their own. I also bought hydrogen peroxide to clean up the wound from my fall. No, I did not fall at Beacon Rock but by the bathrooms!

Here is info about our adventure:

http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=Beacon%20Rock

My 7-year-old over the phone, his darling pitched voiced, “Hi Mommy,” melts my heart. I can picture him there in our home, with his part-toothless and part grown-up-teeth smile and his piercing deep brown eyes and his brown somewhat sun-bleached hair,  uttering those most beautiful words in the world, ”Mommy.“ I  think about returning home  tomorrow and opening the front door and my brown-eyed almost second grader melting into my arms saying, “Mommy’s home. Mommy’s home!”

I think about that little voice, that voice that changes at some point in the growing up process of our children. There is a certain moment, and you cannot pinpoint when that will happen, but one day you just realize that the voice is not so little any more. It has altered. It is more grown up. It is not a little 7-year-old anymore. Maybe it is at the same time that they do not dash as quickly to the door when you return home as they used to.

My kids leave me messages on my voicemail on my cell phone, and I just do not have the heart to erase their sweet little voices. So, I keep their little messages on my voicemail, and when my cell phone asks me if I want to save the messages in the archives or erase them, I always press the number 9, which means to save it. I do not have the heart to erase their sweet voices. And I will hear again, over and over, the most beautiful word, “Mommy.”

It is a reminder that indeed, right now, I am their world.

And they are mine.

And it is a record of the gift of motherhood and parenting.

And I am blessed.

and her son to join me and my three (younger) boys. We ended up at Eagle Fern Park and the boys just loved it. Our original destination was to head back to Salmon  Creek but it was too far for Christine as she had to get back by a certain time. We started heading instead toward McIver Park, but then saw a sign in Estacada for Eagle Fern Park and I said, “Do you want to see what this is like?” and my friend said sure. McIver is nice but I wanted to find a new location. 

The park is located on the Eagle Creek, which the boys wanted to play in right away. But Christine and I suggested first hiking, then playing in the water. We found a trail after crossing this rickety bridge and the boys bounced on it and laughed and giggled. The trail offered a place to go uphill — the sign said Uneven Trail which I always like to opt for. Getting out of the box, coloring outside the lines, taking the backroads. I talk to my kids about this in life and in their walks with God. It may be harder and it may be uphill and there may be more spider webs, but there are sticks to combat those. . . It is about the adventure. . .

And part of the adventure for me is listening to the conversation of the boys as we thrashed through bushes and pushed away spider webs and I saw the boys holding sticks and running and chasing one another.  . . .Getting kids outside is so necessary. I need it too.

We got to the creek next and the boys just wanted to get into the water.  They were trying to catch fish and other creatures in the water and they got excited after each creepy crawly thing they saw. “This is such a good day, Mom,” we heard. I agree.

http://www.co.clackamas.or.us/parks/eaglefern.htm

National Forest Campground to catch the trailhead.   We first ate lunch near the river, and then made our way to the upper side of the trail, looking for the path that goes along the river. I was so happy that Ryan  joined us for this adventure. He had had his wisdom teeth out the Friday before, so I was surprised by his eagerness to tag along with us!

For the first part of the hike, we climbed up hill for over 30 minutes, getting quite the workout, before we realized we were not on the trail that would go along Salmon River. After sweating and climbing for some time, we turned around. It was a very hot day and the kids just wanted to get to the river to cool off.

We returned to the campground and found the river. The kids loved splashing in the cold water. It was so delightful listening to the conversation of the kids as they looked for animals in the water. First, Augustin thought he saw a leech, which brought back memories of Yellowstone Park from last summer and Stefan having leeches on his leg while swimming in the water.

Later, Chris discovered the trail that worked its way along the river and we decided to wait for that adventure until next time.

Link to the Old Salmon River Trailhead: http://web.oregon.com/hiking/salmon_river.cfm

Links to the campground: http://www.publiclands.org/explore/site.php?plicstate=OR&id=3781 

http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/pacficnw/mthcmp.htm

How about Huckleberry Milkshakes to start off the Week 3 Adventure at Trout Lake, Washington. By the rushing creek. With the breathtaking view of Mt. Adams in the background.Before going off to Missions Camp at Jonah Ministries, where the focus is on the ultimate adventure of life.http://www.campjonah.com/ 

I had heard about Jonah Ministries from the Reavely family. Lauren and Leslie attended the Missions Camp a few years ago and were inspired to form a non-profit organization, H20, http://www.h2obags.com/ after attending the camp. I had written about them in an Oregonian story.

Something about Jonah Ministries seems so simple, so back to basics.  Worship, for example, features no large performing band. Just an acoustic guitar and a singer.

A family run ministry, Jonah Ministries started from the seed of an idea by a Grandmother. Her entire family gave up the lives they formerly lived to help run the year round Christian ministry center, which features theme camps each week, one of which is the Missions camp my twins and their friend Jonas attended. During the 4-day camp, the kids experienced what it is like to be a missionary in a simulated situation. Going through customs and security checks. And getting their bibles taken away from them.

My twins really enjoyed the camp, and already want to return next year. And possibly attend the High Adventure camp held there in two weeks. The drive up there along the Columbia Gorge is amazing and the little town of Trout Lake is quaint. I missed my sunshine boys and I am not sure about the next camp. I want to do adventures with them separate from these camps, and only  getting to drive them to camp, and perhaps put our feet in rushing creeks while sipping hand-dipped milkshakes.

My seven-year old and I drove my twins and my husband to Boy Scout Camp this week at Camp

My husband is an assistant scout master and the twins are First Class rank. They spent a week there on an adventure of hiking, shooting bows and arrows, earning merit badges, swimming, walking along the beach, and camping. The merit badges they earned were environmental science, life saving, and first aid.

Yesterday, Augustin and I drove back to Camp Meriwether http://www.cpcbsa.org/camping/summer-program/boy-scout-camps/meriwether  to attend the family evening of dinner in the lodge with the Scouts as well as the Camp Fire Program on the water. The boys were a little more tired and a little more dirty than when I dropped them off a week ago, but still filled with energy while singing and chanting and clapping and enjoying the camp fire program.

For us, adventure meant getting out into nature, traipsing through woods, walking in a new park, hiking a fresh trail. 

As a parent, I’ve always believed in adventure with children, and I began realizing the importance of specifically calling outings “adventures.” I began saying to my children, “Let’s go on an adventure.” And we’d take off, sometimes with a destination in mind and sometimes just to see what we could find along the way. We’d find new hiking trails on the Columbia Gorge. Or we’d explore parks near parks just outside city limits. My daughter, who is 20, now talks about going on adventures with her friends. She treasures what we did growing up.

And I think as I see my daughter remembering our adventures and talking about how she valued what we did as a family, it made me realize that much more how adventure is something that we need. Kids need it. Families need it. I need it.

I began making a big deal of the word adventure, saying it is a tradition that we do as a family. And especially when school is out. I feel it is important to call our adventures one of our summer traditions. Naming it as such. I wanted to begin a tradition of doing an adventure a week last summer. So, last summer we did just that. We went to a wildlife refuge in Tualatin and we tried a new hike in the Columbia Gorge. Sometimes, if it was a busier week, I would call going to an all-comer’s track meet our adventure of the week. We’d invite others to join us in our adventure tradition.

Kids need tradition. Tradition grounds them and gives them a place of belonging in a family. It gives them direction and a reason to be home. Tradition makes them remember home and makes them want to come back.  

And I love the tradition of weekly adventure as a mom home with my children during the summer months. It gives me a feeling of purpose, of being intentional as a mom with my children. As I work from home and have varied hours, I like to feel like I am doing something with my children that is outdoors and fresh and relational and away from the home and non-electronic. The conversation and laughter and sweetness that takes place as we are doing something new and in nature is music to my ears. I believe God smiles on adventure.

So, I told my three youngest children who are home this summer that we were beginning our weekly adventure this week, the first full week of summer, after swim lessons today. I got on the internet and typed in hikes with kids and got a bunch of links. I needed something closer in time wise and Powell Butte looked intriguing.

So, for the destination of my first adventure with my kids the summer of 2010 we drove to Powell Butte. http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?action=ViewPark&PropertyID=528&searchtext=powell%20butte

It was very easy to get to. We took Interstate 205 and got off at the Powell Bv. Exit, driving to 162^nd then making a right. Up the hill we went to the parking lot of Powell Butte Nature Park. An old barn was converted into a restroom and visitor center that had maps, which my boys love. I saw a wildlife area on the map that intrigued me. We began on a trail and made the wildlife area as our destination. The birds singing along the way were wonderful. It was fun to see the kids hold their maps and navigating our way along trails, searching for the wildlife area, seeing what we could find or see or hear or “puff” along the way.My three boys looked forward to each bench dotting the trails. We brought cheese and crackers and Mountain Dew, snacking along the way when we arrived at benches. We stopped to photograph birds and I’d snap pictures of my children and they’d want to take photographs as well. At the top of the  Butte, we could see two mountains- Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood. It was a great view.

My three children did get a bit warm on the hike, and my 7 year old noticed that “There are not many trees on the trails on this hike and it’s in the open, and that is why it is so warm.”

But it did not matter. It was some place new. It was outdoors. It was being together. It was an adventure. It was the first adventure of the summer of 2010.