the ones that got away

life on the beach

Our family recently spent a few days on the Oregon coast for our family reunion. As always, we had a great time.

Kyle could not get his fill of beach time. He spent hours building in the sand, digging, and finding treasures.

Jeff and the boys got their kites going!
At one point Benjamin's kite got away from him. I have no idea how, but before I knew it, he took off down the sand, running as hard as he could. I held Jeff's kite, and he took off running after Ben. They ran and ran...I'd guess maybe 50 or 75 yards. I watched them with my heart in my throat, unable to tear my eyes away.

When I saw Ben lurch forward and land on his stomach, my heart sank. There was no doubt that he had lost his kite. Certainly his heart would be broken. Jeff caught up with our fleet-footed son as he began to rise, and he helped Ben as he slowly stood up. I fully expected to see him come back down the beach in tears.

Suddenly, though, I noticed something. The kite was not drifting away! To my amazement, I felt my eyes fill with tears. I was so glad for him, when I had been completely certain that his beloved snake kite was gone forever. After Ben and his dad trudged back, they told me that Benjamin jumped and landed on the kite handle. It seems like quite the gamble to me, but the boy reclaimed his kite.

Still, it was a while before my eyes were dry again. All over a boy and his kite. Motherhood is turning me into a sap.


My kids are such beach bums.

Look at my buried treasure!

Elise and her daddy got in some good father-daughter bonding time. She caught many a nap while being worn by him during our time away.

But the real reason we made this trip was to celebrate family. Here are Jeff's paternal grandma and grandpa. They have been grandparents to me also, and we cherish them. They've been an amazing example of faith and commitment, and they will leave a powerful legacy. Here is a photo of Bob and Yvonne with just some of their great-grandchildren.

All in all, a wonderful trip. But even wonderful trips can tucker a fella out!

ah...memories.

It's been a few days now since we returned home on Sunday. There has been time to run errands, work on the laundry, and get back into the swing of cooking again. (I must get out of the habit of sitting down at the table and expecting someone to bring me food!) We've made a much-anticipated trip to the new house. My eyes have turned from the dazzling sights to which they'd grown accustomed, and I'm growing adjusted to autumn weather as opposed to intense heat. We are getting back to normal, no doubt about it.

I'm not finished posting about our trip, but for now I thought I'd share a list for you....


~Memorable Moments~

• Wishing I had had LASIK done before we went snorkeling.
• Watching an elegant man in a tuxedo staking out seats in the ship's theater, while toting around an empty Gatorade bottle. Incongruous!
• On the beach at Mazatlan (see the photo above), every 40 seconds, if I wanted to buy a bracelet, hat, dress, toy, Corona Beer towel, etc.
• Men in a Mexican band where we were having lunch, performing the song "Brown-Eyed Girl" in Spanish.
• The novelty of being exposed to many of the 56 nationalities represented by the staff on our ship.
• The apparently great flexibility of traffic laws in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.
• Sitting on a hammock on a sunny beach while listening to my 4-year-old describe (via cell phone) all the different animals he'd just seen during a visit to the Oregon Zoo with his grandparents. "And...[aside] hey guys...did we see giraffes? Guys, did we see giraffes? [to me] and we didn't see any giraffes today..."

more "postcards"

Greetings, worthy readers!

We're still cruising, but I thought I'd share a few more shots.

Here is a photo of Jeff and I on Cruise Elegant night. All dressed up, finished with dinner, and waiting for the show to start. Jeff was a gentleman enough to offer me his jacket.

This boat brought us to Las Caletas, an hour from Puerto Vallarta. Check out that gorgeous water!

As two Oregon residents, swimming in warm ocean water was such a novelty!
Sadly, we didn't get any photos of Jeff and I in our snorkeling gear. And you know what? I'm okay with that. It was super cool, though!

Back in the city of Puerto Vallarta, the view from our restaurant's balcony. We dined and watched the sun set over the water.

if they could see me now

Greetings from somewhere on the Pacific Ocean!

Jeff and I are having a wonderful time, and I thought I'd sent you a few select photos (in lieu of a postcard of something) from our trip so far.

No, I didn't get a pedicure, or even paint my toenails before setting out on this trip. Yes, I am regretting it.

In happier news, this is a photo of my steak dinner from last night. Grilled flat iron steak, macaroni and cheese, creamed peas and vichy carrots. Yum.

The service staff on this ship is amazing. I can't remember the last time a man pulled out my chair for me. And the waiter shook out the napkin and placed it on my lap, for crying out loud.

Towel animals every night! So fun....

Until next time,

the big V

No, it's not what you think.

Not even close.

Jeff and I have had many wonderful chances to explore the world together. We were married for 5 years before God blessed us with children, and in that time we visited New York City, Minneapolis, Orlando, San Francisco, and other places. And since our boys have been born, we've been blessed - many times over! - by the fact that their grandparents make wonderful substitute caregivers. So it's not as though we never get away, just the two of us.

But...something has shifted. There's a change in the wind, something big looming on the horizon which we're incredibly excited about.

Do you wanna know what it is?

In a matter of just a few days, we are going on a cruise! Yep, my husband and I are going to leave Oregon (and our boys) behind for a while, and go sailing the ocean blue. We'll be enjoying sun, sand, and all manner of attractions. We'll be sleeping, sightseeing, dining, and... dare I say dancing?

We've never taken a vacation like this before.

The majority of our getaways have consisted of the chilly, yet beautiful, Oregon coast. Our honeymoon was a bargain, we-stayed-at-a-friend's-place kind of deal. But this...this feels like luxury.

I'm not really accustomed to luxury. Neither is Jeff. We've been saving, budgeting, making careful choices with our money, for a long time. We make do with ripped fabric on our living room furniture, and an ancient vacuum which frustrates us both to high heaven. I wash and re-use gallon-sized plastic bags. I think it's safe to say that we were raised frugally, and that we live frugally.

But next week? Next week is about romance, fun, adventure, and getting away from the craziness that has become our home life in the last 9 months. Next week is going to be different. Next week? Will be a treat.

We will be escaping the daily grind for a while. Getting pampered. Enjoying a true getaway. I have no doubt that I'll miss my children, and that my hands may itch to bake something.

Still... for now, I'm anticipating a taste of the sweet life.

Bella Beach bums

I can't resist posting just a few more pictures from our beach family reunion. These are provided courtesy of Uncle Russell (and used in this blog with his permission).
Thanks, Uncle Russ!

My smiley Kyle, enjoying what turned out to be the only sunny, warm day of our vacation.

Benjamin anticipating his dinner...

Owen "making out" with the glass in the front door (a passing walker got a great deal of amusement out of this, apparently).

Me, Owen, and Jeff by the fire pit behind the house

One of our group photos. We have such a great family ~ each and every one is a blessing. And I hope no one minds that I include this shot! I just love it. Notice Owen trying to escape from Ben's grasp on the bottom step. And Kyle was a bit distracted....

hit the beach!

We have arrived! This year the family reunion is at a sweet little place called Bella Beach. Yesterday the weather was absolutely stunning. Even though the air was a little cool, we all enjoyed our time down on the sand ~ especially watching the kids frolic.

Jeff and Benjamin, scoping out the water. Beautiful Pacific!

Kyle flirting with the waves.

Owen loves, loves, loves to play in the sand! He could not get enough of it. He just sat and played quietly for ages.

prelude to a vacation

Tomorrow we'll be hitting the road!

It's time for the annual July 4th family reunion, which we all love so much. To my knowledge, it's always, always been in central Oregon. But this year? We're hitting the beach! Central Oregon is lovely, but I am so excited about feeling some sand between my toes again. It's been way too long!

But first things first. Packing.

I've got the boys almost completely packed - minus toothbrushes and sleeping bags. Likewise for my own things. Jeff will take care of his suitcase himself. It's the miscellaneous stuff that's still hanging over my head: food, beach toys, sunscreen.

Today has been filled with additional preparations: cooking the beans for the dish I'm contributing to dinner Thursday night, making cookies to take along, finalizing my list of food items, cutting carrot sticks, making another batch of homemade deodorant (not specifically for vacation, I was just nearly out), getting all washed baby wipes ready to roll with our supply of diapers.

The boys are super excited about this trip - they are true beach bums. Benjamin has his personal backpack jam-packed with toys, CDs, etc. We have pirate music to listen to en route, as well as beach and pirate books. I think we're nearly ready to roll.

The place where we'll be staying does have internet access, and we're planning to bring the laptop along. So I just may treat you with some pics of the fun while we're still there! I make no promises, though. The first order of business is fun, family, and fellowship.

We are so blessed in the extended family God has given us. Every year we're reminded anew just what a great group of people to whom he's linked us. I know this year will be memorable as always!

Just gotta finish packing first...