Oregon Coast Trip - Part 1

The first night of our trip we spent in Cannon Beach, Oregon. The weather forecast was calling for "hurricane-like conditions" including high winds and tons of rain. We had several windows of time where we could get out and not get soaked, though, and even saw the sunshine a few times! Because of the high winds, the waves were amazing the entire time. These pictures were taken on our way from Cannon Beach to Tillamook on Friday.








This was the view from the hotel room on Thursday night and Friday morning...I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E!! It was dark when we arrived on Thursday, so we couldn't see the ocean, but we heard the crashing waves all night long. Imagine our delight when we looked out the window Friday morning and could actually SEE what we were hearing! It wasn't raining for about 10 minutes, so we both went out and walked along the beach, snapping some pictures along the way.

Okay, I'll Admit It...I Turned 30!

My incredible husband surprised me with a birthday getaway to the Oregon Coast this past weekend. I think he was just trying to make me forget about the fact that I was turning the big 3-0, but whatever the reason, it was amazing. My favorite part was just the time I had my husband all to myself! We left Thursday around noon and got home Saturday evening. I will be putting up pictures and blog entries about our trip this week. If you are looking for an amazing vacation spot, we highly recommend the Oregon coast. The beauty and solitude are well worth the drive.


Instead of a birthday cake this year, I wanted hot and fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts! Mmmm....

The kids loved them, too. We had a little birthday party when we got home Saturday evening. 8 seconds in the microwave made the doughnuts nice and hot again!

On Thursday Garth took me to Black Angus Steakhouse for my birthday dinner. By the way, they have the best steak we have ever tasted. I enjoyed filet mignon, fried zucchini, salad, and mashed potatoes. Then we took some cheesecake with us to eat when we got to the coast that night ('cause we sure couldn't eat another bite at the restaurant!).

Recent Pics

Mostly for those who live outside of our state, I wanted to share some recent pictures Garth took of our two youngest. Benjamin decided to be Boba Fett (from Star Wars) and made himself a jet pack and was out protecting the land...



Rachel's just a sweetie with a big personality. You cannot always tell what is going on inside that head, but trust me...there is ALWAYS something happening in there!

Canadian Thanksgiving

On October 12th we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving. The kids think it is so fun that we have TWO Thanksgivings! I just try to convince Garth that I can now play Christmas music since it is now after Thanksgiving (for me!), but so far he is not buying it.

Here are some pictures from our feast! Carissa and her daddy ate with our family, too.

Blackberry Picking

Our 2nd annual blackberry picking/jam making excursion occurred last month up in Sequim. We took full advantage of these thornless blackberry bushes with HUGE berries! In just a couple of hours, we had our buckets full and ready to make jam the next day.


Rachel's full time job was occupying her cousin Jaden. And Jaden's full time job was occupying her cousin Rachel. No telling what they were talking about!


These berries were so big and juicy...so delicious!


If you look carefully, you can see some berry residue around Rachel's mouth and on her jacket. We all enjoyed munching on these delicious berries while we picked. Good thing they didn't weigh US on the way in and way out!



And then we started the jam making process the next day! We cooked the berries and then put them through a Squeezo machine (like a big sieve) to get the seeds out. Seedless blackberry jam is much tastier than that with seeds! Now we have many, many jars of jam to enjoy throughout the year. Mmmmmmm....

Recent Pictures of GWI

For those of you who don't know, my parents own a bed and breakfast (George Washington Inn) up near Sequim. Last month we got to spend the night there and as always, really enjoyed the scenery and nature around us. Here are some pictures that Garth took on our visit.

Field Trip to the Naval Undersea Museum

Recently our family took a field trip to the Naval Undersea museum. This has been on our list of things to do for quite some time, so we were all excited to see what this place had to offer! When we drove up, the kids were instantly enthralled with the "big machines" outside.



We enjoyed exploring the inside of the museum as well. I thought it was great how many hands-on things there were for the kids to try out. Not just a bunch of history things to read, but actually things to touch and really feel like what life might be like if they had to live under the sea!

The Fall Season Isn't Complete...

...until you visit the pumpkin patch. This time only Sarah was able to go since I was babysitting for a friend that same day. Sarah was very excited that we trusted her to go "by herself" (with several other church families). I packed her a lunch, gave her some spending money, and sent her on her way. I suggested that she buy something "fallish" such as apple cider, but she came home with a bottle of Sprite and a Butterfinger for me, her pregnant mama! ;-)

She had to tell me all about her trip when she got home and then again when I was looking through the pictures. Her adventures consisted of the corn maze, the tractor ride to the pumpkin patch, choosing her own pumpkin, and touring the farm.

A New Blanket

Benjamin's baby blanket finally bit the dust and it was time to make him a new one. For some strange reason, he is harder on his things than Sarah is on hers (she's still using her baby blanket!). I took Benjamin to the fabric store and let him pick out the fabric he wanted. He was stuck on some Hot Wheels fabric until he saw this army print. Then all he could talk about was the army trucks! So here is his completed blanket. It is very heavy and warm which is great for the winter time.

Great Friends

From college days...


To now-a-days...


A great friend from Music Camp and college days came through the area recently and it was so nice to see her and catch up on life for a bit! She is now married and they had just finished a very exciting journey through Alaska (just for the fun of it). I enjoyed meeting her husband (and our husbands enjoyed talking to each other!) and hearing what they are doing in life and where they are headed. Out on the west coast we don't normally see many people from school anymore, so this was such a special treat for us both.