My summer VAY-CAY

Well I had a fantastic last 10 days or so, up in the PNW.. Portland, OR, Yakima and Ellensburg, WA. 

Here's Carter on the plane, playing with his noisy puzzle. He did okay on the way there but on the way back, he was an angel baby, not even kidding. Love this kid!

 Grandma Cherie's house (my mom). Carter really liked the piano.. We need to get one asap.

 This is how Carter spent the mornings lol... lounging about on my mom's bed... And notice that it's under construction- we are redecorating it and it's gonna look so good!!

 Thought it would be fun to play in the tub.. with this clothes on. As you can see, he's very fascinated with the faucet =)

 Happy boy in the car

So this is Julie, my best friend from high school, and this shot obviously was from back in the day.. before my mission, before we got married, but after high school. Now she lives in Corvallis, OR, is married and has 2 kids so I got to see em all while I was there!

We met halfway in Salem to take our kiddos to this:

It was cute, not extraordinarily entertaining for the kids but it was fun anyways. Here's me, with Carter hiding behind me, and Julie's son Caden on the train =) Apparently I am enjoying more than anyone lol

Is Oregon gorgeous or what? Little trail through the theme park

Me and Mr Carter

Carter and Caden being silly, and being boys. All you need is water to have a party..

And here we are! Me and Carter and Julie with Caden and her newborn Hunter. So cute. I wish we lived closer to them =(

 Sooo after OR, we headed up to Washington to my hometown, Yakima to my parents house. And almost immediately headed up to Ellensburg for our PACKARD family reunion, yippee!

We stayed in a nice cabin (I hear the rest of the family got shafted in bug-infested pee-smelling cabins). Needless to say I was very grateful for where we stayed! Carter playing with his Auntie Alice, and Uncle Joseph =)

 4th of July- we went out to Zillah cuz it's on the Indian reservation and fireworks are legal. Perhaps they shouldn't be... this is what happened because of some idiots that night....

But the firemen came, put it out, and we had a fun night, Carter loved the fireworks =)

 Back in Yakima, here's cute lil Ali

 Me and the 2 youngest

 So we drove back to Portland, where Carter resumed his spot on my mom's bed once again...

 My mom works in downtown Portland in the city courthouse so we got to go see it. Plus my mom wanted to show Carter off to everyone. Carter was most interested in pounding her keyboard..

 Carter and grandma Cherie =)

 While downtown, we took advantage of the fun shops and cute restaurants. I told my mom that is my ideal vacation- I love being in big cities, eating at cute cafes, and shopping in cute shops. =) Stuff Aaron has no interest in any of that, go figure. That's why you go on vacay without em!

Love my family, love vacations

And back in St Louis for 2 more months...... Bleeeeeeeeeeeeh