38

Guess who turned 38??? Old I tell you.

For his Birthday, B's parents watched the kids overnight and we headed to the Coast. Truly our favorite place to be.
We started out the trip with a new hike for both of us. Cascade Trail just South of Neskowin. Us almost at the Summit. I think it was almost 1300 feet in elevation.

I wanted to run the whole thing....but Bri declined. Just kidding. There were seriously some steep spots that had us stopping to catch our breath.

Lincoln City is to the South.

The Salmon River and Cascade Range.

After the hike we rolled into Oceanside to be greeted with this sunset! I feel so often like this place was created for us.

Waking up in the morning at 10.... Yes, I said 10 am. Reading my "People" magazine taking in this view.

Happy Birthday B!!!

Spring Break 2011

Spring Break in the NW...means rain and trying to find things to do that are not outside. Bri took a couple of days off and we headed into Portland to eat at Voodoo donuts ( a 25 minute wait) and then took the tram, which is seriously like ride at an amusement park, including the swinging from a cable right on top of I-5. I would love to see this view on a clear day too!

Then for the final days of the break we headed down to Oceanside. We really lucked out and caught some beautiful time at the beach.

I never tire of this below scene.... never

I leaned over to Bri while we were cooking our dinner and told him to take a mental picture of the kids playing so nicely together..... he told me I should get out my actual camera and get proof that they do indeed play together.... and they don't fight all the time :)

I

Didn't even make it over night...

On Christmas break Brian and Jake headed down to the beach to stay the night with "just the boys". They had Star Wars movies that needed to be watched, BB guns that needed to be shot, and a dog that was a long for the ride.

It was so beautiful the next day when they woke up, Brian convinced me to head down with the girls for one more night.

This was the view when we got there:
Beautiful blue skies, very little wind. I can't explain my love for this place.

The funny thing was this is what the kids did the minute we walked into the house...... seriously.

After pulling the kids away from their screens, we headed down for the sand:

The tide was out and there were so many rocks exposed this day:

Brian and Jake had found this really sturdy fort that looked like it had been there for a while.

Heading back the sun was setting:

Avery's action shot!

And that is where the fun ended.............................. I really should try to just focus on the positive, and it was positive for the first few hours. And then the fighting started, crying followed and I accidentally dumped half our dinner in the sink...... Brian and I looked at each other and decided to pack it up and drive two hours in the freezing cold, foggy weather to go home at 8pm. I really think that we were the one's that were punished, not the kids. The kids immediately fell asleep and Bri and I caravaned back in crummy weather! We really showed them!

A Week At The Beach

A week at this place:
With this view:

We even brought her:

Our first day there, we walked through the cave.

The kids at the North entrance:

Then back to the cabin to play on the ladder

The next day we stopped at Cape Mears Lighthouse. The coastal fog is something spectacular.

Running down the trail to the lighthouse.

I had to add the below picture. We went into the Pioneer Museum in Tillamook, and I gave Brian the camera while I took Grace to the restroom (she is now potty trained!!!!). I told him to take some pics of the kids...... This was the one of two pictures on my camera.... the other one was of guns.

So many stuffed animals.

Jake and Brian hiked Cape Lookout one day. Pretty impressive for a 8 year old. It's more than five miles! I think Cassy almost died....

Pretty muddy:

At the Lookout, Brian said that Cassy didn't move for 25 minutes.

Showing Dad the treasures:

The hillside:

The next day in Girabaldi with the pirates:

Found this little sunny spot in Barview just north. You can see the fog covering Oceanside...

The girls had make-shift bathing suits.

The last day we were there it was 85 degrees on the beach with no wind. Just heavenly. The kids and Cassy actually got in the ocean.

My favorite picture of the moment. They aren't like this very often.

A wonderful week at the Coast. I was really sad to leave.