i didn’t do any sewing last weekend – we were with my side of the family (mom, dad, sisters, brother-in-law, a boyfriend, a friend, and nieces) at our go-to family summer vacation spot: sunriver. it’s located in central oregon, east of bend, where the mornings are cool but the days are hot and sunny, the air smells like pine, and the days are spent bike riding, swimming, and barbecuing. early morning trips to get doughnuts are the norm, as are end-of-the-day hot tub soaks.
sunriver trips are a family tradition. i looked through my baby book, and i think a good third of the photos in it were taken there. here’s me, my mom, her parents, and her sister in 1983:
and me with my sisters and grandparents in 1985 and 1987 (that’s baby laura about to go through the railing – grandma protected her!):
and my dad, rockin’ a moustache in 1990, keepin’ me safe from the sun while my baby sister lilly chilled out on a beach blanket (dad was a proponent of under-swimsuit t-shirts even before rashguards became the norm – so ahead of his time!). i’m also sporting a swimsuit sewed by my mom:
i learned to ride a bike there (with my dad in 1988):
this year, we played soccer on that same field:
baby hair lightened in the sun, bellies were filled with Goody’s ice cream:
deer paid a visit before breakfast (i’m pretty sure there were four in that photo, but i can only spot three now):
Em’s two-and-a-half year old cousin C took a pony ride, but Em was scared, so she observed:
we played games, and had a birthday party:
on the morning we were set to go home, Em said “i want to live in a house like this,” and though the house itself was great, i think she really meant she wants to live with her grandparents, aunts, uncle, and cousins, spend her days skipping naps in favor of visits to the pool, get hauled around in a bike trailer while munching on fruit snacks, and stay up late to talk and eat pie. i wish we could’ve stayed a few more days, myself…
skirt as top 
ahhh, i can almost smell the pine! love that t-shirt under your suit (black is the best protection), as well as the lace ruffle – NICE!! glad you had a fun trip 🙂
i hated those t-shirts at the time, but i thank him now. 🙂 oh yeah, it was good stuff. love that place.
Such gorgeous pics…and how special that this place holds so many wonderful memories for you and your family!
Sunriver is the BEST! Looks like you guys had a great time. 🙂
we’re going to try sunriver next year. it looks like such a happy place and i’ve heard such great things about it. your pics are lovely.
ahhh. your post brought back wonderful memories of past family trips. you captured the heart of the place. thanks!
yay, thanks mom! 😀
My husband went to Sunriver during the Summer when he was growing up. He has such amazing memories of his visits. He took me there while we were dating on our way to a ski trip. It’s a charming place. I hope to take our kids there one day.
Hi!
My name is Jane and I’m with Dwellable.
I was looking for blogs about Sunriver to share on our site and I came across your post…If you’re open to it, shoot me an email at jane(at)dwellable(dot)com.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Jane