Summertime 2012

In the spirit of trying to bring my blog up to present, I'm going to combine a few posts into one:)

I know I had already posted on Reagan's Birthday, but Reagan also requested purple cupcakes for her birthday. How could I say no to my baby princess? You only turn 4 once!

 

Another annual Summer activity we love: picking blueberries! This year we also picked raspberries in addition to the blueberries. Both were delicious! It never fails to be hot when we are out there, but we welcome the heat, since we get so little of it up here.

This year we headed to Remlinger Farms for our berries, because our usual spot was closed to allow more berries to ripen. It ended up being a great day! Not only did we find the raspberry patch, but we also found this awesome lunch spot where we picked up milkshakes and french fries to cool us down and tide our appetites:)

Me on my zumba high! This was the day I had also done the zumba flash mob, and participated in the National Dance Day zumba celebration, where we danced the morning away at lookout point. It left me full of energy...love zumba! 

 

 

Another tradition: the set-up of our pool each Summer. The kids demand this each year, and they use it nearly every day we have it up, so it is worth it!

 

 

 

This tree has grown so much since we planted it. What a great Japanese Maple:)

Mike took the kids and bought plants, then made this garden with them, and helped them plant everything. They had so much fun doing this, and were very proud of their hard work.

 

Even Matthew loves the pool.

Rick and Christine came for a visit, and spent the day with us. We really enjoyed our time with them:) We hung out in the backyard for a bit, then headed out for dinner and a little Ben and Jerry's. I wish they lived closer to us!

Someone had a Birthday, and turned 39!! I'm not going to name any names though:)

This homemade oreo ice cream cake was AMAZING!!

 

 

 

Depoe Bay Summer 2012

Ready for some food!

Fun at the park! There was a neat dog show/obstacle event going on right next to us, but the kids were more interested in the park.

This is a great picture of all the kids with Grandpa Jim.

 

We love smores! I remember eating so many smores as a child during campouts that I would be sick! They are so yummy:)

 

I like to call this photo, "Pondering the Marshmallow."  Ha!

Roasting marshmallows and hotdogs are one of their new favorite activities to do at Grandpa and Nana's beach house.

 

The boys liked to play chess in their down time.

 

Love the seagulls!

 

Happy. One word to describe Matthew in this picture!

Reagan had just had her tap recital a couple weeks prior to this, so she was really into posing for her pictures. Notice the pointed toe?  So cute! And let's not forget about Matthew and his pose:)

 

I love this picture of the kids! It made it on to our 2012 Christmas card:)

 

 Reagan thought she may need a bucket for shells. I knew she wouldn't find any up here, but who was I to tell her "no bucket!"

 

This walk we took along the cliffs was very nice...peaceful and beautiful, to say the least.

Dangerously high...but I had to sneak a peek. The wind decided to gustin a particularly strong manner just as I looked over. I later found out that a man committed suicide here....creepy and sad!

 

Check out this view from the cliffs we walked along. I kept the kids faaar back from the edge.

The entrance to the Newport Bay Aquarium. Alyssa loves places like this...just like Mom!

 

 

These two were halarious, and not at all afraid of people. I wasn't zoomed in on this photo, just standing right next to these puffins.

 

A touch pool for baby sharks and stingrays. Alyssa could have spent hours here. Matthew thought it was neat enough to snap photos.

These sea horses were fun to watch. The aquarium had constructed a contant feeder filled with brine shrimp that the sea horses could eat out of (shown here).

Dinner at Mo's with Nana and the girls!

The dock outside Mo's.

I could stare at this ALL day!

All comfy:)

 

Our first ever whale-watching trip! Ryan, Matthew and I went out on this small, fast little boat and got so close to a whale! It was amazing, and we definately want to do it again! We also got to go to this cove filled with baby seals in the water, and bald eagles flying high above. The water was so beautiful and serene, the land scarcely touched. High above you could faintly make out a bald eagle nest. It was such a neat thing to see, and a little "extra" detour in our trip out at sea! 

 

Here is the cove I was referring to.

The boys and I at the end of our expedition: windblown and happy!

 

Cannon Beach! We had a great time here as well. We took a shorter trip here this time around, but treasured every moment:) The weather was perfect, and we were able to get some beach time in!

Matthew and I.

Early morning sea shell walk. I am so late in posting all these photos this time around, but seeing them makes me look forward to our next trip to the Oregon Coast. We love it so much, and I am very happy that my kids memories will be from trips we took there as they grew up!

Haystack Rock. Never under-estimate the power of an early morning walk in the sand along the coast line.