Beach, Bocce, Boys (and a Girl), and Bedlum

Adam, Kasey, and their boys came to Oregon this last week for a whale of a time. They rolled into Portland Saturday night and we moved temporally to a beach house in Lincoln City for the rest of the week (A&K left on Thursday morning). The above photo was one of our adventures, taken at Drift Creek Bridge near Lincoln City. This suspension bridge hangs 100 feet above a gorge with a cascading waterfall just to the west of the bridge. Beautiful! The only downer of the event was that Natalee was absent due to food poisioning contracted the night before from Albacore Tuna at Mo's (a local Oregon Coast restaurant).

With 9 kids in the beach house, including one child (Matthew) yelling "Moooooom" half the time, things were crazy. Full on lazer tag fights ensued between Oregon and Idaho families spontaneously throughout the week and pillow fights occurred frequently in the older boys man cave in the basement.

Despite the rainy weather, we packed in several activities.

The beach (as seen from the huge deck at our beach house on the day we left - sunny!):

Despite the 100+ steps, including a 6 foot ladder at the bottom, we frequented the beach to play Bocce Ball, fly kits, and eat sand (ok, only Abram did that!):

Trip to the Newport Aquarium (Hudson & Blake):

Playing in the waves:

Searching for sealife in Tide Pools:

Visiting the Yaquina Head Light House:

The kids/cousins clearly enjoyed each other. I love this candid shot:

Our kids enjoyed each other too!

Since Adam and Kasey had to leave a day before us, we snuk down our friends the Blattners for the last night. We enjoyed Bonepile BBQ in Depoe Bay, Bocce ball and kite flying at Gleneden beach, and dodged a few very large waves. Thanks for coming Blattners!

Overall, the trip was well worth the money and time spent planning. It was great to create memories as a family and enjoy having my brother and his awesome family with us too!

This photo is blurry because it was raining hard...lense was a little wet.

Calvin and Hobbes

Hudson has a new best friend. This has saved me. He now has something that he can do on his own that doesn't involve a screen. He just finished his first in two days. 127 pages. Thank you Calvin.

Sadie and Everett

I have to document that these two are the best of friends. I just love the conversations they have and how they can play together all day with pretty much no argument. They make up games, they sit and have funny little conversations together, and they just love eachother. I hope it lasts. It is so nice to see siblings get along (because I know how it is when they don't :) ).

This is Hudson writing now. I am taking over Moms blog.
We did a tournament at my house.
I had my friends over for a Wii tm Party

We played tennis on Wii sports. We had fun.

Then it was time to eat cake and ice cream.

And me and Alex got the candy because we won.

Then I blew out the candles and made a wish.

And then I opened presents. And I got twenty Q. and then I got a gun pack. and it had little guns. and then I got a 3 -D solar system. And then I got Wii sports resort. And I got 2 tennis rackets. And I got a new basketball. Then we played Wii sports resort. And then all of my friends went home with treat bags with their candy.

2nd Annual Tree Cutting Experience

Oh fun. Cutting the Christmas tree. Headed up to Furrow Farms to cut down the Christmas tree. This year Steve wanted to get a really small tree because we were going to be in AZ for Christmas and we were leaving on the 16th. I was shocked when he said this because he loves huge trees. I was excited to have a small tree. He said just a little waist high guy would be fine. Very easy.

He couldn't do it. He tried. I think he felt he would be less of a man to get just a tiny tree. He would walk right by the tiny trees and I would say, "Hon, this one is about the size you were talking about...waist high." He said, no that is just too small. He kept looking bigger and bigger. He forgot all about his small tree desires. I talked him down to this one. I was glad we didn't get any bigger since I ended up taking down the decorations and carrying it out to our curb because Steve had left with the kids and told me it was a fire hazard. Got to love him. Our protector.

The kids were exhausted by the end because of our indecisiveness

Sadie's Over the Top 5th Birthday Party

I admit. This party was a bit over the top. But it wasn't my fault. When my friend Kendra heard I was throwing a fairy party for Sadie she couldn't help but get involved...well...and I'm glad she did. We had a blast putting this together. Happy Birthday Sade!

Sign on the door. Just a little photoshop for some wings and a pink shirt (instead of orange halloween) and blow it up at Costco. $2. fun.

Front room decor. The tree is holding their fairy necklaces (which Kendra made) and flower clips (which Kendra showed me how to make). Oh and she made the tree too. I kid you not. She is crazy.

So the fairy's had to earn their wings, wands, and skirts by doing different fairy tasks...

They had to clear the "snow" from the fairy village...find all the fairy treasure (which was little jewels)...

and they played another fairy game not pictured which was carrying fairy dust on a spoon across the room and filling a cup.


Happy Fairies (from front left around the table) Edith Monson, Audrey, Sadie, Ishita, Kiera, (Lily my 9 year old neighbor who helped me is standing, wish I had a better pic of her), Laura Jenson in green shirt, Jenna McMurdie, and Eliza Behunin.

All the fairy's kept their fairy outfits and treasures and the birthday fairy was very happy.
Next year. Pizza with the family :)

ONE

Seriously. Dear Time, just stop for a day so I can freeze these moments in my heart. My baby is already one! Those cheeks just cannot be kissed enough!

Need I say more?