I apologize in advance for the heavy picture post! I just couldn’t resist posting them all!

Our days living in the Gorge are rapidly coming to an end and I suddenly feel this frantic urge to revisit some of the beautiful places to see here. I truly feel so lucky that I have been able to call this undeniably gorgeous part of the Pacific Northwest home for the past 5 years now.

Yesterday found my husband home for half the day so we took advantage of the morning and went on a little mini field trip with our younger two children, Ariella and Gabriel. We ended up at Multnomah Falls first and then stopped at Horsetail Falls on our way back home. We went at a very casual pace for the little ones and it was so much fun to see the waterfalls through their eyes.

The last time I stopped to visit Multnomah Falls I was 7 months pregnant with Ariella. (And can you believe we actually hiked to the top of that waterfall that day! That is quite a hike for a pregnant lady!) Multnomah Falls was a little overwhelming for Ariella. It is so massive and high up. I believe it intimidated her some. Gabriel would have had us hike to the top if we would have let him! He had so much fun on the trail. (Multnomah Falls has some wonderful native legends to it and I recommend reading about them here if you are interested.)

We had the most fun at Horsetail Falls because it is not as well-known as Multnomah Falls which translates into: not as many tourists there. You can also get right down to the bottom of the fall which we did and let the little ones run around.

They enjoyed climbing on the rocks and tossing pebbles into the water. It was wonderfully cool by the waterfall and I could have stayed there all day.

The Gorge is full of amazing waterfalls, some much more accessible than others. One day my husband and I would love to go and try to see them all. Hiking in the Gorge is a beautiful treat to explore.

I hope to squeeze in a few more local field trips in the weeks before we move. I’m beginning to miss this wonderful area already.

What a summer it has been! Yesterday my husband and I put in an offer on a 5(!) bedroom home in Washington. I have never been so anxious in my life! We are waiting to hear back from the seller so I am nervously keeping myself busy this weekend.

:: I have been attempting to photograph this Swallowtail Butterfly for over a week now as it flitter flutters about the flowers in the garden. This is probably the best pose it has given me. I’m afraid she is rather camera shy. ::

I am not one to handle change very well and I am starting to realize just how settled I have gotten here in our little house in the Gorge. I am walking around saying to myself “oh, I’ll miss this” and “oh, I’ll really miss that” but most of all I will miss the beauty of this mystical area I have called home for close to 6 years now.

:: Breathtakingly beautiful isn’t it. I promised myself upon moving here that I would never take the beauty of this place for granted. ::

Of course, we have not yet gotten the house so perhaps I am jumping the gun a little (or maybe a lot) but I am still feeling a little nostalgic today. And why I sit here typing away on this blog instead of getting busy with some sort of packing is beyond me!

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