Thomas running around in his undies...
Me: "Thomas go put your pants on so we can go to Great Harvest."
Thomas: (very convincingly) "Mom, did you know some kids don't wear pants when they go to Great Harvest?"
Me: "No, no I did not know that."
Sophie holding her bucket of Halloween candy...
"Mom, if you just give us the whole bucket then we'll get totally sick of it and won't ask for anymore for like, ten years."
As I'm writing this, Thomas runs in with his pants on, but missing his shirt. Arrgggg. Sometimes getting out the door is ridiculous.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Cannon Beach, OR
We returned a few weeks ago from our first vacation ever as a family. Not just the little drive up to the mountains on the weekend sort of vacation, but a REAL vacation. Like fly somewhere vacation. I will go ahead and skip the part about flying with a 14 month old who is often mistaken for a screeching baby pterodactyl and instead move directly to our blissful week at the beach.
Words cannot describe, nor pictures do any justice to, the beauty of Cannon Beach. The first two times we walked down to the ocean I literally cried. And I am not a crier. It was truly breathtaking. I think Sophie was particularly overwhelmed with the magnitude and different feel of the landscape because she did her "snugly thing" about 100 times over the course of the week. The kids had a ball and Patrick and I totally enjoyed watching them play and explore all day. Surprisingly, Sophie liked playing in the little cottage where we stayed almost as much as on the beach. She is such a nester girl! One of Thomas' favorite things was kite flying and digging pits in the sand. Henry's favorite thing was eating the sand! The weather was apparently wonderful for Oregon. It rained and was chilly at times everyday but I think we had more sunshine that one week than they usually do in a month. We were happy about that for sure!
We went hiking two of the days. One day in Ecola State Park just north of CB and another day we drove across the Columbia River into Washington to hike to the Lewis and Clark center at Cape Disappointment. So cool. We ate our weight in seafood, had bonfires on the beach and on our last day hit low tide just in time around Haystack Rock to see hundreds of starfish, sea anemones, mussels, crabs and every kind of sea bird imaginable.
My mom and Aunt happened to be visiting some friends in Olympia, WA and were able to come down the coast and join us for 3 nights. It was fun having them with us and a treat for Patrick and I to have the ability to go out by ourselves occasionally. One of my favorite things was going on an early morning run together along the water and finding a crab that Patrick bravely picked up and carried home for breakfast. I am still in awe really of how well everyone did for the week away from home. We all slept soundly, stayed healthy, relaxed, and had so much fun together. So grateful for the time together and for God's protection.
It was a fantastic first family vacation.
All future ones will have A LOT to live up to...
The sand was super soft
The cottage surrounded with blackberry bushes
Hangin with George
Loved this oar handrail
I want this
Kite flying
Funny Thomas taking a rest in the background
Cove beach on our hike
Crazy big mossy trees
Indian Beach in Ecola State Park
Tide pool with LuLu
Love the reflection in his glasses
Haystack Rock
Sticky anemones
Psalm 33:5-9
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
Words cannot describe, nor pictures do any justice to, the beauty of Cannon Beach. The first two times we walked down to the ocean I literally cried. And I am not a crier. It was truly breathtaking. I think Sophie was particularly overwhelmed with the magnitude and different feel of the landscape because she did her "snugly thing" about 100 times over the course of the week. The kids had a ball and Patrick and I totally enjoyed watching them play and explore all day. Surprisingly, Sophie liked playing in the little cottage where we stayed almost as much as on the beach. She is such a nester girl! One of Thomas' favorite things was kite flying and digging pits in the sand. Henry's favorite thing was eating the sand! The weather was apparently wonderful for Oregon. It rained and was chilly at times everyday but I think we had more sunshine that one week than they usually do in a month. We were happy about that for sure!
We went hiking two of the days. One day in Ecola State Park just north of CB and another day we drove across the Columbia River into Washington to hike to the Lewis and Clark center at Cape Disappointment. So cool. We ate our weight in seafood, had bonfires on the beach and on our last day hit low tide just in time around Haystack Rock to see hundreds of starfish, sea anemones, mussels, crabs and every kind of sea bird imaginable.
My mom and Aunt happened to be visiting some friends in Olympia, WA and were able to come down the coast and join us for 3 nights. It was fun having them with us and a treat for Patrick and I to have the ability to go out by ourselves occasionally. One of my favorite things was going on an early morning run together along the water and finding a crab that Patrick bravely picked up and carried home for breakfast. I am still in awe really of how well everyone did for the week away from home. We all slept soundly, stayed healthy, relaxed, and had so much fun together. So grateful for the time together and for God's protection.
It was a fantastic first family vacation.
All future ones will have A LOT to live up to...
The sand was super soft
The cottage surrounded with blackberry bushes
Hangin with George
Loved this oar handrail
I want this
Kite flying
Funny Thomas taking a rest in the background
Cove beach on our hike
Crazy big mossy trees
Indian Beach in Ecola State Park
Tide pool with LuLu
Love the reflection in his glasses
Haystack Rock
Sticky anemones
Psalm 33:5-9
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Pecos Cabin
We spent Labor Day weekend at my brother's family cabin in the pecos mountains just north of Santa Fe. Had a GREAT time minus Hank screaming for 90% of the 6 hour drive down. Our last trip was when Mr. T was a baby, so this time marked his first real cabin experience as a boy -- and he loved every minute of it. Especially the freedom to get a root beer or other sugary beverage whenever he pleased. All bets are off when it comes to healthy habits down there. Dirt, rain, mud, rivers, fish, wood, fire, smoke, melted marshmallows and no baths made the kids very very happy. I tried not to look at their little fingernails too much.
We had some great food, fellowship, games and good laughs. Almost everyone napped in the afternoons and I got to read for a whopping HOUR (without getting up!) while listening to the sweet sound of the river. This made me very very happy. It was nice to have down time without feeling like I was procrastinating something at home. I really wish I could learn the fine art of just "being", even when we aren't some place far away. Top on our list is a cabin of our own someday closer to home. However, it will be very difficult to top the charm of the Pecos. My sister-in-law Juliette's grandparents built it in the fifties starting with the riverrock fireplace. Most everything in it is just as it was back then. Metal dishes, burnt orange linolium, retro cowboy curtains and all. The coolest part though has to be the walls and ceiling in the kitchen (and now bathroom) that guests have been signing forever. A thousand or more names, quotes, and dates to mark the coming and going of its lucky friends. Sophie did not take the task lightly and signed her own name amongst some hearts enough times to count for all of us. It was fun to mark the kiddos current heights on the door jam and to see the dozens of marks for my nephews who will soon be taller than me! I still remember Nathanael's first trip to the cabin as a baby 13 years ago. Those boys are a riot and never cease to amaze me. I love thinking of Hank's first trip to the cabin, and what he will be like 13 years from now...
We had some great food, fellowship, games and good laughs. Almost everyone napped in the afternoons and I got to read for a whopping HOUR (without getting up!) while listening to the sweet sound of the river. This made me very very happy. It was nice to have down time without feeling like I was procrastinating something at home. I really wish I could learn the fine art of just "being", even when we aren't some place far away. Top on our list is a cabin of our own someday closer to home. However, it will be very difficult to top the charm of the Pecos. My sister-in-law Juliette's grandparents built it in the fifties starting with the riverrock fireplace. Most everything in it is just as it was back then. Metal dishes, burnt orange linolium, retro cowboy curtains and all. The coolest part though has to be the walls and ceiling in the kitchen (and now bathroom) that guests have been signing forever. A thousand or more names, quotes, and dates to mark the coming and going of its lucky friends. Sophie did not take the task lightly and signed her own name amongst some hearts enough times to count for all of us. It was fun to mark the kiddos current heights on the door jam and to see the dozens of marks for my nephews who will soon be taller than me! I still remember Nathanael's first trip to the cabin as a baby 13 years ago. Those boys are a riot and never cease to amaze me. I love thinking of Hank's first trip to the cabin, and what he will be like 13 years from now...
His favorite ride
A few tantalizing flies
This was probably his tenth or so
Charlotte, Lucas, T, Sophie, & Sammy
Auntie JJ brought along her nail polish of course!
My mama having a great time playing spoons
Beautiful Juliette
A very tired boy - FINALLY!
A very tired boy - FINALLY!
Nathanael playing Apples to Apples.
Want S'more..
Happily eating the leftover scone dough
The best place to wake up in the morning
Me and my friends back in 1996.
Totally high school.
Sophie prefers to "draw" her name
A shower could be useful
Most photogenic family EVER.
The Bryant ladies
LuLu and Aunt Linda
Cousins
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