Beach, May 2014

Beach, May 2014

Thursday, January 27, 2011

62... in January??

 We went and shot Aiden's rocket off last Sunday
 When did my kids get so big?
 look at him... he looks like a school aged kid!
 this is the last picture of the rocket.  It was wet and we were having issues with ignition... so the wind changed and... it ended up 100 feet up in a tree!
 Aiden was super sad to loose his birthday rocket... so we made chocolate chip cookies.
 here's my little worker today.  Safety first!
 I love this man.
 geese flying north... already!
 cable car... why, we don't know!
 so here we are in a wildlife preserve.. and do you see those three crazy birds... a heron, a crane and an osprey (the osprey is at the top)... I know it's not a great pic but I thought it was quite silly to cram into one tree.
 Aiden had to hold her hand, and no one else could!
reflections....

I'm reflecting that I have been away from here because I have a few projects I should have started a while ago to get done and now my deadlines are creeping up and I'm no where near finished.  On the bright side I fixed that annoying issue I was having with the pictures on here. I just might post more! (when I get that project done)

Friday, January 14, 2011

This Moment

{this moment} - 
A Friday ritual, inspired by Amanda Blake Soule. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

the beach!

 On Monday we headed down to the beach at Florence for a night of fun in a dive hotel (oh and it helped that it fell on the same day as the National Championship, and that the hotel had ESPN, and we don't)
 Before the pre-game shows started we headed to the beach and dunes.  This is Aiden's I just did a face-plant in the sand don't take my picture look.
 Aiden just LOVED the dunes all the hills to go up and down and humps and bumps to hide behind.
 Here he is going down a steep part on his belly, you know, just for fun!
 Natalie also had a great time, these kids love the beach as much as we do!
 It was a cold day but we stayed out of the wind for the most part down in the dunes, at least it was sunny unlike on Tuesday when we left.
 We even found some little lakes for the dog to play in.
 Loren and Natalie looking at the ocean.  Loren was running up and down the dunes with her and she thought it was great fun
 the puppy of this old dog comes out when she gets to the beach.  She was running up and down the dunes like it was nothing!
 Loren trying to show the kids a boat out at the horizon.
 My boy on a hill.  How did he get so big?  where did the time go?
 Nat (as Aiden calls her) and I... notice silly Aiden in the back ground.
 Loren jumping down into a huge deep pit we found.
 It's hard to believe this girl is going to be 10...
 Loren thanking god for the beautiful day , no, you don't believe me?  okay, he was blocking the sun so Natalie could see a plane.
 Natalie with her "eye's" on
 We took the kids to A&W for lunch (I know, I know, but we were doing this trip on the cheap) and they got little mugs.
 these kids took 3(!) baths while we were at the hotel, what the heck, we weren't paying for the water or electricity!
Here buddy want some?  


So we watched the game, a good game to watch but it could have been better if the Ducks had won, but oh-well.  It was a fun trip, I don't think we'll stay at the Silver Sands again as it was almost a little too nasty for us... but the kids loved looking into the managers room at the monkey they had in the window (yes a real one, in a cage (sad) with a diaper on) and the 55 dollar price couldn't be beat. We drove home after a rainy cold trip to the beach (37 degrees!) and it snowed on us over the pass and on and off all day when we got home. So we left just in time.  I hope you all had a good weekend!!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Winter Walks

With both of us laid off right now we have been taking walks around the lake.  It's nice to get out and watch the seasons change and show the kids how  amazing nature is, and maybe just maybe teach them a thing or two.  As passive bird watchers we keep our eyes out for something we can't identify to look up when we get home, we show the kids mushrooms, trees, leaves and bugs. Sometimes we are rewarded with amazingly beautiful images, or recently it has been so cold and windy that we just walk to keep warm or duck into the trees to keep out of the wind.  No mater what each walk shows us something to remember, and a picture or two worth keeping.  Here are a few of the keepers over the last week.  Happy Thursday and I really do plan to try and be better about this blog.  Oh and to get back to the daily themes I had once, for Thankful Thursday I am thankful for my wonderful, funny, amazing kids and my thrifty, hansom, handy, clever hubby (like person).

 Funny we had just watched a nature program on Bald Eagles... and Loren spotted this pair at Perkins Peninsula yesterday
 I had my fixed lens on so I couldn't get very close and they are really pixelated because I had to crop the pictures so much but you get the idea
 I tried to get too close and we had the dog with us and scared them away... oops!
 love!!  my boys!
 This was new years day and it was COLD...
 Geese in flight... from the dog
 Aiden in the swimming area
 Who cares if it's 36 degrees with a 15 degree wind chill (or worse)  let's make a sand castle!
 what... who is that!!
 I love this girl!  Watching a plane
" I got you!!"
 Winter light, and green moss

 The dock... no water but still fun!
 a log of fungus
 this girl cracks me up... when she sees the camera she smiles and runs towards me saying "see, see.."

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Solstice and Chirstmas

Okay so I have started this post about 5 times.. but never got that far.  This time I WILL finish it.  So solstice as great again this year.  The night before we had a nice dinner with a yule log cake for desert.
The kids both got to open one gift (the one from each other)  Aiden looked at the Woody doll that Natalie picked out for him and got the most disappointed look on his face and said "why did you get me this? I didn't want this... I wanted a Buzz with wings that came out"  And thus began the season of getting and the first of many talks about being thankful for what you get and that if you don't want it I'm sure someone else does.
When it got dark we lit off fire works in the street then watched a movie
 We stayed up late waiting for the eclipse... the kids actually made it until it was fully covered... then they both fell asleep outside wrapped up in blankets.
  
Watching the moon..Natalie kept saying "bye moon, bye bye... PEEK"

Opening presents... Natalie's something to wear
Her something she wants... BONGOS from Daddy!
On our walk on Solstice afternoon..., Natalie is such a HAM
Aiden's something to wear, a bit big but I got a good deal!



And then on the 22nd we headed up to Portland for Christmas... with tree decorating...

Cookie making with Nonnie..

  The Grotto Festival of Lights... Interesting but not worth the money.  Jesus wouldn't want us to spend that much money to see that little... but now we've done it.
And we got to go with Auntie Jessica (who we haven't seen since before Natalie was born) We had a great time together making fun of the whole racket!
And then it was Christmas Eve.... and Uncle Ryan and Shanda came up... The kids got matching PJ's as always
Aiden was so happy to have Uncle Ryan and Shanda there, and he really seemed to get into the Santa thing this year...
This is Natalie's version of Aiden's squint look.
The kid stockings were OVER FLOWING... what lucky kids!
Just before bed... almost time to open a present...
they both got a magnetic story board, Aiden got Pirates and Natalie got a fairy tree house
then we put out cookies for Santa and apples for the reindeer, next to the tree so he wouldn't miss it and off to bed with the kids.  We had to all promise Aiden that if we heard something in the living we would come and wake him up so he could talk to Santa.  He just wanted to talk to him.
 Santa came!! and brought the cash register that Aiden had asked for in his letter to Santa (just by the hair on Santa's chinny chin chin... it showed up at 4 on Christmas Eve)
 He brought something else too, because we had to have a plan B
Amazingly with the tree surrounded by gifts they were happy with these two things and their stockings!




then we made the mistake of letting Aiden open Uncle Ryan's gift of Lego's... then nothing else mattered.

so we actually opened gifts in a few shifts allowing them to play with what they had, and they were fine with it.

Natalie all dressed up for the day

Uncle Ryan as a doctor (or priest)

Uncle Ryan won the prize of the best gifts... a baby for Natalie.
Mee-meeing Lollie

Lego's with Uncle Ryan

Blanket houses just for fun!

Cousins!
Like Aiden's look?  Family dinner!  All in all we had a great time with everyone, we LOVED the time we had with everyone but it's nice to be home. There... I got it done and I only wanted to quit Blogger about 5 times.  (and then there was the time Loren closed the tab when I was up-loading the pictures) yeah...
Want to see more pictures?  Here is a LINK to the whole album!  Enjoy!