For the second year, we joined our friends (Isaac and Leo and their parents Jennifer and Tom) at Paulina Lake in the Newberry Caldera near Bend, Oregon for five days of kayaking, swimming, exploring and just plain fun. Our cabin was a few steps from Paulina Lake and the mosquitoes were not quite as bad this year.
Steve was able to join us in most of the activities, but he opted out of the hike to the hot springs (a stinky adventure thanks to the smell of sulfur) on the far side of the lake.
The boys were pretty amazing in their kayaks - zipping this way and that. One afternoon we flipped a kayak to jump off of and the next day Joe and Isaac unintentionally swamped another as Joe tried to make sure Isaac joined him in the lake (and kept laughing as they paddled to shore).
We also took in some of the volcanic sites, checked out Sun River (is that a real town?) and found the most amazing home made donut place at a truck stop in La Pine (Wickiup Junction) where Joe said they make the best maple bars ever and Steve was quite impressed with the donut hole skewers.
-Holly
Thanks to Grandpa Denniston we have a new deck in the back yard. No more tri-sectioned weirdness that looked nice but wasn't practical. Steve wasn't much help (still booted and not really mobile at the time) but luckily our friend Tom came to help take it apart and Steve's nephew Brad pitched in for a day. A big thanks to both of them and especially Grandpa Denniston!!
