Spokane, Pt. Orchard and home to Oregon

Arrived in Spokane Saturday afternoon, to blue skies and warmer temps than we had experienced in So. Dakota and Montana. The RV park we stay in when we come to Spokane is so handy to seeing Joe and family…..like right next door!

Austin, Alex and Grandpa

Grandma sharing a fist bite with
Austin

Spent the first evening getting reacquainted with the grandsons. Alex, who is 5, remembered us and was anxious give big hugs. Austin is only 2, and the last time we saw him was when he was about 9 months old. He was a bit apprehensive, but quickly overcame this shyness and cuddled right up to Deane. 






Grandpa and Austin




Pony rides Alex and Grandma

Pony ride Austin and Dad

Sunday, we all headed out for Green Bluff, a large agriculture area of apple, pear, and cherry orchards north of Spokane. Each year, the farmers celebrate Oktoberfest the month of October opening their farms for apple and pumpkin picking.  Many have carnival type rides, lots of crafts and apple cider samplings.

It was a beautiful day and I think everyone else in Spokane had the same idea we did, as lines of traffic backed up at 4-way stops and parking became a challenge. We had three places in mind to visit, but in the end only got to two of them and it proved to be enough.





Hay ride

Our first stop was Walters Farm, where they had live music, pony rides, face painting and a country store with small restaurant of homemade foods.

Both boys rode the ponies, ate pumpkin donuts and Alex got to shoot corn cobs into the field with a pressure gun and then found the pumpkin he wanted, a big one.

Buying pumpkin

playing in the Tee-Pee

Shooting corn cobs

Cleaning out the pumpkin

 Second farm was next door where we saw pigs, sheep, turkeys, rabbits and  took a hayride.   It turned out to be a wonderful day.  After all done, and tuckered out, we headed home to a wonderful ham dinner Deanna had prepared.

Spent two more days in Spokane, seeing the family in the evenings for

Carving the pumpkin

dinners.  Monday night we carved up the pumpkin Alex had picked out.  He had a book of designs and picked  the one he wanted his pumpkin to look like. 

Alex

Austin

The finished pumpkin

We had to leave on Wednesday, and it was hard, as we had gotten so re-attached to the boys. Hoping to see them again around Christmas.

Off to Port Orchard to see Stephanie and family. We know we are back in the NW, as we got closer to Seattle it is foggy, damp, and cold.    First night here, Suzanne and Jim invited us over for pumpkin pie with the boys and Mike as Steph was out of town on business.

Jonathan and Makenzie

Jayden and Sara

Friday night was dinner with the family,  including the boys girl friends.  Jonathan's friend, Makenzie and Jayden's friend Sara.  As usual, it was a ruckus night around the table.








Jayden, Jonathan, Steph, and far end Grandma

Saturday morning was spent at Miracle Ranch where Joshua takes riding lessons.  They were hosting an October festival with trail rides, pumpkin tossing, food, crafts, archery, paintball games and more.  We took a 45 minute trail ride, shot arrows, had lunch and enjoyed a beautiful fall day.  On the trail ride, I asked for a 'grandma friendly' horse.  Laughed when she put me on a gray one!







Jonathan playing keeper

Later that afternoon, we headed to Silverdale to watch Jonathan play a soccer game. Jonathan played Keeper the first half where he successfully defended the goal.   Sadly, they lost when points were scored against them in the second half, but it was a close and exciting game.









Sunday we headed to Portland, looking forward to seeing Matt, D'enne and Mike and getting our refrigerator fixed.

Starting the transformation

zombie face complete

Halloween night, after dinner D'enne started the transformation of Matt into his character of a Zombie Spider.

Deane, Mike and Matt went in search of candy , while D'enne and I manned the door at the house handing out goodies.

Well, we are now home and staying in an RV park between Tigard and Tualatin before we head to Champoeg December 1st.  It is Nov. 2nd and our refrigerator is still not fixed.  We are dealing with Camping World and they don't feel the same sense of urgency we do!  Hopefully, it along with our leveling jacks and the side mirror we lost somewhere in Montana will be fixed soon.