Sunriver Spring Break Getaway

We surprised the kids with a 3 night stay in our favorite Sunriver cabin rental this past week! The kids were on their Spring break, and Sammy and I had just celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary, so it was perfect timing for a little getaway. 

We arrived Wednesday afternoon and wasted no time settling in and taking a dunk in the hot tub! That night we relaxed on the couch watching movies and enjoyed a fire. 

Thursday's weather was gorgeous. I know it looks cold in the photos, but it wound up being 70* and sunny out. After packing a picnic lunch, we set out to hike Tumalo Falls. This is the same hike Sammy and I did on our 10 year wedding anniversary and then again a few summers back with the kids. The park technically doesn't open until May, so we were unable to drive right up to the parking lot and hike from there. Instead, we had to park 2 1/2 miles back at the closed gate and trek that far just to the beginning of the falls hike. I don't think anyone was thrilled about that, but seeing the falls is always worth it. We wanted to continue up past the falls like we did a few summers back, but the way was heavily covered in snow still, and I wasn't feelin up for hiking miles in the snow, haha. We wanted to go off trail and hike down to the bottom of the falls, but the path that way is steep....which normally wouldn't be a problem, except it was really muddy and slippery and looked unsafe. So we settled for the main trail up to the falls and back down again and everyone was content with that. Especially since we had to trek 2 1/2 miles back to the car! We all got our steps in, that's for sure! If we ever head back to the Bend area again, it'll be in the summer time to ensure we can hike the part of the trails we really want to. 

 

 

After the hike we were all feeling pretty pooped out, so we headed back to the cabin to take a short rest and grab a snack. When our legs no longer felt like jello, we headed to The Village in Sunriver to walk the shops, get the kids ice cream at Goody's, and hit up the new arcade they have there called Riverscape Arcade. It was only $5 per person to play for 30 minutes! The kids had a great time playing a bunch of old arcade games. 

Friday was definitely a lot chillier. It only got up to about 45*! A huge difference from the day before! But we weren't going to let that stop us from enjoying the day. It was the perfect morning to go out to breakfast and then spend a bit of time shopping the outlet stores. 

Despite the cold, we wanted to hike The Lava Cast Forest. I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to make it there. Sometimes the road out can still be impassable because of snow, but we got lucky and the way was clear! I definitely froze my toes off, but we enjoyed the mile long loop, taking in the sights. 

I was so thankful when the sun eventually came out because I really wanted us to hike the Deschutes River Trail and I didn't want to freeze in the process! I put on my new Columbia insulated coat and new hat and that also helped me a ton, lol. I love the Deschutes River Trail because it has a little bit of everything.....cliffsides, cool huge rocks to climb, bridges, wooden walkways, easy straightaways, a few hills to get your heart pumping, tons of different areas to go check out the river, and lots of benches to sit and take breaks. It's one of my favorite hikes to do in the Bend area. Afterwards, we headed to the Old Mill District for a bit more shopping and some ice cream at Ben and Jerry's. 

Saturday morning came too soon. I always wish we could have more time. It's never fun to leave the cabin, but I am so glad we were able to make this trip with the kiddos over their Spring Break. We only have a few more years with Anthony, and I truly cherish whenever we can spend family time together doing something fun. 

See ya later, Sunriver! 

With love,

Mama Hauck

16th Wedding Anniversary

Today, Sammy and I have been married for 16 years. That seems like an impossibly long time, yet its gone by in the blink of an eye. As it always seems to. 

I am so very proud of the life we have created thus far together. It's not like it's been easy. As with anything in life, there's ups and downs. And people change. I am not the same person I was back then. More than anything over the past few years, I have come to realize this. And neither is Sam. I am no expert, but I think, a lot of the time, that becomes a problem. THE problem. People change. And we're so caught up in the perception of how and who we want our partner to be. We forever want them to be the very person they were when we first met and fell in love. 

That's not how life works. We forget it's quite normal to change and mature....physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, throughout the years. No one ever stays the same. No one. And it's so easy to give up, to say you no longer fit together, and to move on. And sometimes, unfortunately, that's the truth, and it is for the best. But you can absolutely grow in self within your relationship. You can support your partner while life changes them. Your partner can support you while life changes you. It just takes understanding, empathy, team work, and a whole lot of love, on both parts. You have to allow your partner to grow and evolve throughout the years, and love them all the while. You have to choose them everyday. 

I actually don't know very many people my age who got married young (I was 19) and are still with the person they chose. 

So here we are, 3 children and 16 years later. My heart feels so full. 

Married April 5, 2006

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Happy anniversary, Sammy. I choose you every day. Thank you for continuously choosing me, too. 

With love,                                                                                                      Mama Hauck

Molly's Volleyball Season

Molly has been loving her time playing volleyball this year! Not only did she play on her school's team this past fall, but she got to play club volleyball all throughout Spring. 

I suppose I didn't realize that as the girls get older, they go from playing every position and rotating around the whole court to only playing the positions that they excel at. For example, Molly doesn't enjoy being in the front. Because of her size, it's hard for her to spike the ball over the net or to jump up and stop a ball from coming over the net from the opposing team. So she likes to play the back, and she really excels at that! So she was given the very specific roll of libero. The libero serves as a defensive specialist. She wears a different color jersey and doesn't rotate to the front line. 

I managed to get one photo of the team in their normal jerseys before Molly was given her special pink libero jersey. 

The girls had a great season! They had practice every Tuesday and Sunday, and a tournament every other weekend. I wasn't able to make it to every single one, but I made it to most. The tournaments literally went all day. All day in the bleachers surrounded by screaming kids, coaches, and parents definitely isn't my jam....and in the past I wouldn't have been able to manage because of the risk of a migraine. I stopped attending Anthony's wrestling tournaments when he was doing wrestling years ago because I would get a terrible migraine every single time. It was awful. But my health has greatly improved the past year and so I survived each tournament with no headaches or migraines. 

I'm so glad too, because despite the distaste I have for overbearing, screaming sideline parents, I love watching my Molly play. So I just focused on watching her and ignored all the other sideline nonsense, lol. 

Molly's incredibly sad the season is over, but she received a yard net for her birthday last year, so she can at least play in the yard whenever she wants! 

We look forward to watching her grow in skill and self confidence in the years to come! 

With love,

Mama Hauck