The Great Northern Adventure of 2008

Warning: This post is super long.

We began our road trip by spending the night in Redding with the Lances. We had so much fun, and Steve and Zeke had plenty of wrestle time. It was so great to see how big Sofia has grown, how much weight Dan has lost, and how 9 month pregnant Alyssa was more beautiful than ever. We really love those Lance folks.

I told you she was pregnant and beautiful! (Spoiler alert: the baby in that tummy will make an appearance somewhere during this post!)

Next stop: Portland area to visit best friend Alison, hubby Brandon, and cross-dressing son Jackson. My other best friend, Beka (Alison's twin sis), came to join us for a sleep over just like old times. You know you're best buds with someone when you can spend an entire day in their company without really "doing" much...except for dressing up their son and buying school supplies. Man, I miss you guys.

Isn't it funny that all of these pictures involve friends and their children? I'm such a grown up. Here's a pic of my dear friend Christina and one of the most handsome guys I've ever met, Brody. Our time was short, but anytime we get to spend with Christina is well worth it. Plus, she made me a quesadilla. Bonus! I'm pretty sure that Brody told me that he wants to visit Disneyland soon...hint hint.

The next day we spent time up at my grandparents' farm, Rasmussen Farms. My cousins, Gunnar and Solveig, were up there working, so we had a bit a fun with them. The above picture was taken by Steve during an impromptu photo shoot with Gunnar.

After spending time at the farm, a bunch of family members gathered together at Lost Lake to have a BBQ and celebrate my Gramp's birthday. After the BBQ, Steve, my parents, and I stayed to camp out for the next two days. We had rented a cabin, and the nice way to describe the joint would be to use words such as "rustic" and "cozy." It was a tight fit, the four of us sleeping in such close quarters. Ahh, family vacations. We were able to go canoeing, hiking, and ate many smores. Yumm.

This is not a stock photo, my friends. This is a Stevie original. This was our view of Mt. Hood from the cabin. Not too shabby.

I realize that this is not a great picture, but after camping we returned to civilization and had some good times with dear friends Beka & Jake, T.K., Lubes & Rubes, and little brother Jeffy. We ate good grub, picked some blackberries, and spent some time listening to awesome tunes. These people are like family to me, and it's always refreshing to be with friends who have loved you for an entire lifetime.

If you think that all of our time in Oregon was spent loafing around, you've obviously never met my family. My dad was SO excited about working on his fence, and he thought Steve would share in the enthusiasm. What a good son-in-law. However, Steve really did have fun on top of that tractor...and he looks good doing it.

Steve wasn't the only one spending time on a tractor. This picture is of my brother Jimmy's tractor hard at work. Jimmy thought it prudent to take his twin sis on a spin around the field. My brother is a successful farmer, and he is known around the area as the Straw King...at least that's what he tells me. It was fun getting to see how my brother spends his time. 

And here it is, folks. A smashing picture of Steve, Zeke, and brand-new baby Moses. Alyssa was so kind as to have her baby during our vacation, making it very convenient for us to meet the boy. Moses was just perfect, even his high-pitched cry was adorable (I don't have to hear it every night, though). Three kids seem to suit Dan and Alyssa just fine. 

And, although we don't have any pictures to prove it, Steve's vacation was made very memorable by spending time with Josh, Shawn, and Armin at TomFest. Steve loves these guys, and I'm so glad Brundibar didn't spoil it for Steve. 

Now we're at home, vacuuming cat hair off the couches, giving Brundibar plenty of attention, and doing copious amounts of laundry. Ahh, it's good to be home.