The kids and I slept in a bit on Day Two of The Unplanned-Plan, while Josh Downs sat downstairs in the lobby of The Oregon Hotel, drinking coffee and reading the paper.
And much to the delight of my three, littlest rug-rats, Skeeter had left out a plate full of giant muffins for breakfast.
And then we got dressed and headed over to the Assembly of Christ Church to do a bit of yard work for the pastor who we had met the night before at Open Gym. (One of the goals of our trip was to help out where we could, but just in 2-3 hour increments so we didn't burn out the kids on the idea of volunteer work.)
And after the work was done, the kiddos spent some time playing in a nearby gravel pile.
And then we drove out to the Painted Hills.
Where Josh Downs lit up the BBQ for lunch.
And then we said a sad farewell to Mitchell, Oregon. (Cole and Courtney are both planning to reside in Mitchell when they're grown-up.)
And we were on the road once again.
With a quick, hill-climbing pit-stop.
You can barely see them in the above shot, but Cole is helping Annie up the hill towards the lower right corner of the viewfinder. (That little climb ended in tears, with Annie hollering, "I nearly died!")
That's Yans, pouting after her 'near-death' experience.
And that's me, reveling in 30-minutes of peace & quiet while my family went inside to check out the John Day Fossil Beds Interpretive Center. (My wrinkles look so much better in B&W.)
And we also took a quick, cow-chasing pit-stop.
That's my husband chasing cows for sheer entertainment value.
And we took a quick, oversized-covered-wagon pit-stop as well.
And then we made our way to Sumpter, Oregon where we found a hotel and ordered a bunch of deep-fried bar-food to eat (because nothing else was open in town and nothing else was on the menu) while we watched Old Yeller before calling it a night.
the painted hills are beautiful!! Looks like a fun family trip. your "laugh lines" look great in b&w...just shows how much you smile!
Posted by: Tracy | April 02, 2013 at 07:24 PM
LOVE it!
Posted by: Becky | April 02, 2013 at 07:51 PM
Love it! I grew up in Eastern Oregon....fun seeing pictures of places I know!
Posted by: Becky | April 02, 2013 at 11:37 PM
Lovely post - I just wondered when Annie got to be so tall? She's suddenly shot up! Love your blog. X
Posted by: sharon Peters | April 03, 2013 at 04:51 AM
My coworkers are wondering why I'm laughing so hard...poor Annie and her "I nearly dided" coment will have me smiling all day. Looks like a fabulous getaway!
Posted by: Katie Johnson | April 03, 2013 at 05:17 AM
Nothing better than Ole Yeller..as long as you have kleenex on hand. Another day of memories.....and it is so nice to see that you all are totally connected....without each being connected to their iphones. ENjOy!!!
Posted by: janel | April 03, 2013 at 06:02 AM
I love the vibrancy of the life you and Josh are creating for your family; what incredible memories they will have!
Posted by: Dolly | April 03, 2013 at 06:50 AM
Love this. What an awesome way to start my day. "Letting God drive"--need to remember that today! Everyday. :) And helping strangers--what amazing stuff you are building into your children's lives.
Posted by: amy emery | April 03, 2013 at 06:55 AM
I am loving the pictures of Oregon thank you! Someone asked me the other day if I could move anywhere in the world where would I go, and I said Oregon! But not so easy for this Kiwi living in the UK. I wish I could move to the US! And Mitchell does look awesome! Thank you for sharing the pictures, I am loving seeing the countryside and the mountains! I'd love to go on an unplanned trip with you guys, it looks fab! xXx
Posted by: Rachel Millington | April 03, 2013 at 07:30 AM
Love the life lessons you are teaching your children while making it fun in the process :)
Posted by: Deneen | April 03, 2013 at 07:58 AM
I am loving following along with your unplanned-plan! What a great trip so far! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Tara S. | April 03, 2013 at 09:11 AM
Lol! Poor Annie! It's all so DRAMATIC at that age. Very cute - having lots of fun following along.
Posted by: Stephanie @ La Dolce Vita | April 03, 2013 at 10:14 AM
Looks like another fun filled day and glad to see a great b&w photo of yourself
Posted by: Kathy | April 03, 2013 at 03:15 PM
Oregon is BEAUTIFUL!!! The Painted Hills, the snow-covered mountains. I want to live there when I grow up! (We used to live there in Portland when I was 2-4 yrs old.) Fun times.
Posted by: kat-in-texas | April 03, 2013 at 05:32 PM
You guys are seeing such neat things!
When I was about 3 or 4 I saw Old Yeller. Then my parents bought me a puppy, a white cocker spaniel poodle mix. I named him Old Yeller. I had him till I was 15 or 16. I liked him better than my brother, whom I got at 6.
Posted by: Kelli | April 04, 2013 at 08:13 AM
I would have laughed if those cows took off after Josh!! LOL
Posted by: Carrie T | April 04, 2013 at 01:56 PM