Way back in April...
I started to do a huge catch-up post and then realized I never touched upon this. I had full intentions of going back to Oregon for probably the last 10 years. But my how life has happened in all its glory and gory, until, finally, nothing sabotaged us and Lucas gave the go ahead. I ogled Vacasa houses. We spent what was probably for the kids a very boring few hours one Saturday looking online and trying to pick our favorite with everyone's preferences being taken into account. This trip was extra special as it was just us, our 7 people, going on a vacation, not visiting family or due to business or anything else. We just went on a vacation for the heck of it. (BTW, I was a total packing and planning guru. Made a complete but flexible agenda for each day and even diagrammed packing the car. Lucas was proud.)
Because no one's schedule but our own mattered we didn't leave at 4 a.m. like originally planned, so we had our lateish lunch break at Multnomah Falls. I was a little bummed we couldn't hike up due to the devastating fire 2 summers ago, but it was still pretty neat. We even saw some sort of crane hanging out in the creek below the falls.
Below. Oh, below. It was windy and cold and the thrill of introducing my kids to the ocean for the first time left me not 100% prepared for when a wave pulled all the sand out from under Shawn's feet, causing him to fall and get soaked. This is him smiling between whimpers. Thankfully, as it was our first time on the beach together, Lucas took him on a secret mission so that the rest of us could enjoy the beach and we didn't have to go right back to our rental house (that was a first too) after only 10-15 minutes of play. What was the secret you may ask? They got a delicious burger and a soda from a food stand and ate it in the warm car. One-on-one dad time can heal many hurts.
I want to remember Daphne on the beach chanting, "Shell, shell, shell," and being very silly about the incoming waves even though she was 30 feet up the beach. She had seen what happened to Shawn after all. The children were prolific shell hunters, and they cared not how whole the shell was. We couldn't help but let them enjoy. We even brought them all ALL home. Shards of shells, crab parts and all. Very uncharacteristic.
We don't take our kids out to eat much, but we did a couple of times while at the coast. They did pretty well, although Lucas didn't really appreciated it when I said to the waitress, "We don't get out much." It made it sound like we were quite back-woodsy, in retrospect, though I didn't mean that at all. Haha.
We went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The kids liked it but I don't think they quite knew what to do with all that information and all those exhibits.
After the aquarium, ever so ambitious, we decided to try to get to Heceta Head before driving back north. On a map, north to Rockaway Beach didn't look that far, but the coast is not an interstate which is a straight shoot at 80 mph. We may have had a low fuel gauge on the way to Heceta and someone may have freaked out, making the other someone a little disappointed. So though the kids played at the beach, there was no lighthouse hike. We tensely drove even farther south to Florence to gas up...and get ice cream. We figured we'd drive home for dinner. Haha. And I drove, and I drove and I drove....I also drove some more. And the them from Gilligan's Island played over and over in my ahead, and Lucas and I may have sung it every time we saw we still had miles to go before we got 'home' on the dark curvy slow highways. A 3-hour tour, a 3-hour tour. We got home late, and yet, for 2 people who can be a bit type A with each other, it was really quite the lark. We laughed and when a kid complained or asked how much longer from the back seat, we laughed some more. We didn't have dinner that night. We fell into bed, but it was a good day.
Anyone who knows Matt will not be surprised that his favorite thing at the Oregon Coast was being at the house. He and Lucas puzzling warmed my heart pretty well. There were plenty of games and puzzles, and, bless them, a record player. THAT WAS SERIOUSLY FUN. Luckily, Matt's dreams came true the next day when Ben was sick. The kids stayed home and watched way too much cable (VACATION) while Lucas and I drove into Tillamook to get supplies. We head to go to the cheese factory temporary visitors' center all by our lonesome. Burgers and ice cream. Yum. Yum. Who knew we'd get a few mini-dates in on the trip. It was incredibly wonderful. We even snuck in a sunset by ourselves. Don't feel sorry for the kids. They did alright. Trust me.
Did I mention we watched a movie every night. It was a fun little tradition all cuddled up together. A luxury we don't have too much at home, especially on week nights when I work or on-call weeks when Lucas is often not available.
Then there was Lucas's birthday!!! We decided to head north which, thankfully, involved much less driving than south. Lucas learned he's not a fan of Seaside. I learned I may never get to see Hug Point at low tide again. Talking about the gods conspiring against me. This time it was the Portland weekender gods, despite all my best laid plans. Below you will see Shawn who decided he did not like the carousel, refused to ride a horse or other animal, sat on the bench and looked grumpy the whole time. It was hilarious, I tell you.
Lily mustache you a question.
Why did the chicken cross the road? Or better yet, too bad, Lucas has the picture and I can't access it right now. Why did Ben wear his newly-acquired chicken hat, stand on a 4-foot tall column, squat, flap his wings, and bock, bock, bock before jumping, all while other tourists gave side glances like we maybe had lost it?
Because he's Ben, of course!!!
Sneaky sunset. Teeheehee.
Above is DG at the Astoria column. She was throwing a tantrum, but it was so adorable, I just took pictures. Not the effect she was going for. She looked like a mini sasquatch the way the wind blew her hair around and she stalked back and forth. Lucas and Matt opted out of the column. Heights! But the rest of us went up and threw our balsam wood fliers down. We ate at Mo's. Matt had a lot of chowder on this trip. Then we celebrated Lucas with strawberry shortcake once we got home. Great fantastic day for a very lovable, hard working guy.
Our last day was neat because we went to sacrament meeting in the little meetinghouse (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) just a couple of blocks down the road from our rental house. I'd never been to a church building like it before, not even a chapel, but the people were friendly, and I heard one of the best talks I've ever heard. Even the kids were amazed by the life-story of the speaker. He was from Switzerland, I believe, and I journaled it so don't think I'll share it here.
After sacrament meeting, we met my college friend Melissa at the beach. How wonderful she and her husband were to take time out of their full lives to come spend the afternoon with us. The beach got a bit too windy and uncomfortable so back to our rental we went. We just chatted and chatted. The kids played really well all together, and it was really a perfect afternoon. Including Melissa's cookies. Her engineering approach to improving the recipe clearly had paid off.
That night I made my first bread (bowls) away from home. I was worried about sea level but it all went fine, and, what else? CLAM CHOWDER.
So fabulous being gathered around that table with our family. That home was just perfect for our vacation, I tell you.
It also had an air hockey table and ping-pong and toys and....
And since it was a fully sunny sunset, we had to let the kids enjoy playing at the beach on our last night. This is how memories are made.
Lily could have spent forever on the beach.
The next day, we had to, sob, sob, go home, but on the way, we drove way out of our way to go to the Silver Falls State Park and I'm so glad. Consider walking under a waterfall officially checked off Lily's bucket list. And more family hiking practice checked off mine. The kids did great, but I will say it was a bit warmer than we expected and the last part of our hike was uphill, a lot of uphill. Luckily, Lucas helped me not be too ambitious and we kept to the shorter trail.
I love my little (big) family more than anything. Every decision I make has them at the heart of it. And it was an honor to be able to be with my family on this trip, introduce them to lots of new things, and see their faces as they took it all in. They are mine. They have crazy hair. They are beautiful, and I want to be with them forever. I will go through anything to be with them forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment