Donaldson Crew Adventures

Abbie really wanted to do a canoe camping trip this year so this weekend I took her to Waldo lake. We have camped there a few years back but there are some dispersed wilderness sites on the other side of the lake that you have to search to find. 

The weather was spectacular this weekend, especially given it was the last weekend in September 

We launched from Islet boat ramp. The water was like glass most of trip across the lake  

We found a great spot on a point on the far western side of the lake with the tent spot hidden up in the trees but still with a view of the lake and lots of rocky beach to explore.  Waldo does not allow any gas engines and with no people anywhere near us to was amazingly quiet.  It actually sounds strange to hear no humam-made noises.

We had a great time sitting around the fire and making dinner together.  We made pizza and salad for dinner with campfire cones for desert!

We rose when the sun got up- had coffee and hot chocolate followed by a breakfast of egg burritos using eggs from Abbie’s chickens!  

Our trip back across was not quite as calm once we got out on the open water so it was good practice for abbie. 

This year the kids are all studying US history. We’ve had fun learning about Columbus and mapping out his voyage routes. We have also been learning about many different explorers. The year is off to a great start!

Hunter got promoted to Lead Lifeguard. That means more hours and more pay. We are proud of him!

1st weekend after school back. Weather has been horrible with smoke all week and this morning we woke up with some blue sky!  Rains yesterday also calmed the dry soil. 

Boys went in a bike ride and Abbie let the chickens out to roam. All the chickens are laying eggs now — of all different sizes!  We got one last week that was the size of a goose egg and it was a triple yolker!

This week started the first week of school for the Donaldson Crew. Hunter drove to school this year and stopped off along the way and got a special treat of a box of gold fish from Kirra. 💕

We have a 10th, 8th, 7th and 4th grader. It’s going to be a great year!

Abbie turned 12 and she celebrated her special day by waking up and going for donuts with her brother, Hunter. We spent the day getting her room together. Abbie asked for a “big girl” bed for her birthday. Nana gave us her bedroom set that Kevin and I have and also her headboard and footboard. The headboard and footboard fit a full sized bed so it worked perfectly for Abbie’s new bed. We ended the night with sushi and ice cream.

We love you Abbie and you make our family and the world a better place!

Noah with his new job just got a dirt bike as well. Today they went out together for the first time over to a friends house to ride. 

Here is a picture of Noah on the first day he got his bike a couple weeks ago. 

Here is a picture of them riding with some friends.  Noah at the back of the photo, Hunter is on the right side. 

This years campout was a little different with no fires allowed due to drought conditions. It makes you realize how much a part of camping the campfire is. How it becomes the gathering place for meals and talking with its light and heat.  

Nonetheless we made the best out of our 5 days away!  Our friends the Christoff's came up for a couple days/nights as well!

We met up in Beautiful Black Butte Ranch this summer. The MacDermotts ended up with Covid so they stayed at our house while we all stayed in BBR. While it wasn’t what we had planned and it was very disappointing it made us happy to know they enjoyed some quiet family time of R&R, days in the pool and some lake days. Charlotte and Anna especially loved looking after Holly. They thought they were her dog trainers.

We look forward to the next time we can all be together. Grateful for family! ❤️

Hail storm out of nowhere today  at our house.  Kelly was in town and she didn’t see any of it.  Hailstones the size of ping pong balls.  Abbie and I scrambled to save our potted plants by getting them under cover but trees and flowers are feeling the pain today.