Home Away From Home

We have a place we like to visit at least once a year. It's become a family tradition that would be sorely missed if we didn't make the trek. It's the sort of place that once we roll into to town we instantly feel happy and right at home. We've been returning to Cannon Beach with our boys for 10 years now and it's what we like to call "our happy place".Here's her crowning glory, Haystack Rock.

I imagine it must look something similar to an East Coast town with lots of shingled cottages that I often daydream about owning. It is so quaint and peaceful.

Just me and "Goofus and Gallant".

We spent the majority of our time on the beach.

We plant ourselves in the warm soft sand and let the days slide away while we jump in the surf. (We are practically the only family up to our waists in the frigid water, but those people don't know what they're missing! There is fun to be had even with numb limbs.)

This year we kept having to move our "camp" because the waves just kept coming in further and further. It was craziness... I've never seen high tides that far up the dry sand. I have to admit it was entertaining watching the beach combers run in dismay at the sneaker waves.

Nick likes to purchase a kite almost every year. He splurged on this parachute kite that instantly lit up his face on it's maiden voyage into the sea air.

Despite the look of disgust, Nolan gleefully buried himself in the sand. He wasn't happy with our abuse and laughter after he was helpless in the sand. :)

Look at our little sea turtle.

We woke up early a couple of mornings to head out to explore the low tide. Haystack rock is teaming with starfish, muscles, barnacles, sea anemones, crabs, and fish. The boys could spend all day there if the tide would let them.

The smallest starfish I've ever seen and a hermit crab upon Nick's hand.

We spotted this hidden cave that went back about 15 feet into the hillside. It was a little spooky but really cool at the same time!
How did we never notice this in the past ten years?

Brothers unite!

I wish I had taken more shots of the town. It's adorable. Flowers EVERYWHERE flowing over boxes and hanging in baskets that flank the doorways to all of the cute shops. We know every square inch of this town. We can tell what has changed from year to year. Which shops have changed locations, which ones are brand spanking new, which cafes have delicious food, and which ones to avoid.

It's always hard to pack up and leave for home, but knowing we'll be back helps a little.
We'll be back next year, a little older than before.

Today I will...

Talk back to my cat, Maggie...who Never. Shuts. Her. Trap.

Enjoy the silence of a quiet house after all my boys have left for work and Grandma's house.

Think a lot about tomorrow and all the fun we will be having in one of our favorite places on Earth.

Rock out to my newly uploaded and synced ipod on my way to work this morning.

Wear my sunglasses and be thankful for this LOVELY sunny day.

Hope that the retail customers heading my way will only sport smiles and good attitudes today.

Just be happy because life is good.

Gratitude

Not only am I blessed to have two boys, I am blessed to be part of an amazing extended family that will help one another out whenever needed.

We had arranged for my parents to watch the boys while we were in Cabo. Unfortunately, my mother's back pain was getting worse and needed surgery the week before we were due to jet off to Mexico. (Thankfully, her procedure was a huge success and she is relatively pain free! Hooray!) I was a little worried that we would have a difficult time finding substitute child care with short notice especially when everyone has busy Summer plans in full swing.

Connor assured me that we would have to trouble, he had a few ideas up his sleeve. He made a few phone calls and voila- his family came through!

It's hard for me to believe, but I think Nick and Nolan might have had more fun hanging with the fam than we did in Cabo. I say this purely based on the excitement in their voices and the endless stories they keep sharing with us each day.

Their week started off with a four day stay with Aunt Kim and Uncle Ed at the ever popular Cousin's Camp. I believe this is their 7th annual Camp surrounded by all of their cousins on Connor's side. Campfires, paintball matches, swimming, fishing, you name it--they did it! Nolan even told me he got a "third nipple" bruise from one particular paintball adventure. He was beyond thrilled with his new injury. Boys are strange.
Then Aunt Lee and Uncle Terry agreed to take the boys for the next few days... Here they spent almost all of their time perusing the beach in front of their home. They live on the Puget Sound and there are never ending treasures hidden beneath each and every barnacle covered rock. Serious fun for kids in the 10-12 age range! Besides, their aunt Lee provided them with enough food to feed an army and is uber sweet! A short trip on uncle Terry's boat found them at Hope Island... This was Nick's "favorite" part of the whole week. They explored the island with their cousins Madison and Colten. I imagined them looking like Tom Saywer and Huck Finn when they were telling me about their fun day on Hope Island.
They even got to spend a day with Christina and Paul (Connor's cousins) where they played and played 'til the sun came down!
The next installment of fun for the week was spent with their Grandma Pat and Grandpa Joe aboard their lovely boat cruising around the Puget Sound. They were picked up from Lee and Terry's and began their new roles as shipmates. They helped when it was time to dock in the two ports they spent the nights in. The boys got to sleep on the upper deck of the boat out in the fresh air, they LOVED it. They caught some crabs and tried their hand at fishing. I have no doubt they have made memories they will always remember.

I feel blessed to be part of such a wonderful family. Not only did they go out of their way to help Connor and I with our last minute favor, they showed the boys how much they are loved, and made the week away from mom and dad a fun-filled adventure. We really appreciated everyone's help with juggling the boys and all of their STUFF. It was reassuring to know they were in capable and loving hands.

THANK YOU ALL!!!

Cabo San Lucas 2009... "It's All About The Fun"

Several months ago I was sitting across the table from my dear friend, Karen, at the Cheesecake Factory....

This is when she brought up the proposition of Connor and I accompanying her and her husband, Brad, on a fabulous trip to Cabo San Lucas.

A little persuasion, months of anxiously waiting, packing, and a couple airplane flights later and we finally made it!

This is what greeted us every morning out our window....

We were sad to have to leave the boys stateside, but we are firm believers that it is IMPORTANT to take time out to just be a couple. Happy parents make for a happy household. It was so nice to relax in the tropical sun with my sweetie for an entire week. Thank you Connor for making this happen, it was an amazing week. I love you!

Karen and Brad are some of the happiest, loving, funny, and inspiring people I know. Spending an entire week with them was refreshing and undeniably FUN!

We laughed more in seven days than we have in a long time.

I have to add that having Brad along in Mexico is BUENO! He is completely fluent in Spanish and it was amazing to see the looks on the local's faces when the giant Spanish speaking gringo started talking. I have no doubt Brad saved us muchos pesos as he was beyond helpful in bargaining some stellar deals with the local vendors.

Karen is like a sister to me. I guess thirty one years of friendship will do that. I love her more each year and spending time with her for days on end was like going back in time to our childhood... We were giddy, silly, and had so much fun together.

Obviously, we took a lot of pictures from this vantage point right outside our front door. Every time we walked out we were shocked by the beauty of the bay and Lands End stretching out into the distance. Lovely!

Most of our days were spent in the sea or our pool staying cool in the mid-day sun.

This, however, is NOT our pool. Brad conspired to "break in" to a neighboring hotel's pool just to check out how the other tourists were living it up.

We made it "in" and swam around for awhile. I have to admit it was a really nice pool and breaking the rules was a little fun!

This bad boy just appeared one morning smack dab in the middle of the bay. It totally looked out of place because of it's mammoth size. I'm not a fan of cruise ships parking in my view and dropping off masses of tourists to litter my pristine beaches.

In Cabo, the beaches are full of vendors trying to convince you to buy their goods. They all claim to be your "friend" and have special deals "jus fo you, today only". This is my friend Jose, and he did have a might pretty silver ring jus fo me.

My adventurous and nature loving hubby found all sorts of creatures while in Mexico. Luckily, this GIANT beetle/insect/monster was of the deceased variety. But Connor loved him just the same.

This is the beach right in front of our condo where we bobbed in the Sea of Cortez each day snorkeling. It is here that we spotted puffer fish, flounder, long tube fish, and two Sting Rays!

The beaches are alive with tourists, vendors, and locals trying to sell you a ride across the bay to Lover's Beach. Lover's beach is on Land's End and stretches out across the sea between the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific ocean. We ventured there twice and were in awe of the waves and snorkeling to be had there. Sadly, I don't have any photos because my camera couldn't handle the humidity those days. We saw amazing tropical fish and all four of us climbed a giant rock and jumped off of a 25 foot cliff into the Sea of Cortez! (I took a little more persuading than others, but I did it!)

Our resort had a nice roof-top restaurant that had amazing 360 degree views of Cabo and everything below. It also had cool and refreshing misters spraying us while we munched away...it was a popular hang out for all of us!

We ate at "The Office" a couple of times with our feet in the sand. It had a fun atmosphere, delicious food, and every now and then some guy would hose off the sand around your feet to keep you cool!

I love this man!

Another beach front dining experience sans sand between my toes.

In town, we walked around until the sweat was beading fast. Time to duck into the local Haagen Daaz for a cool treat. We were shocked by the ridiculously high prices for ice-cream... and even more shocked to see the scoops were minuscule!

This is the marina only a block from our resort.
It was surrounded by shops and restaurants.

Our pool was divine. It was a welcome treat after swimming in the salty sea. We'd jump in the pool to desalinize ourselves and cool off.

It was also the PERFECT place to catch some rays while reading

Three words. Swim. Up. Bar.

Nachos and a pina colada make Kelly a happy girl.

Thank you Karen and Brad for inviting us to come along on this fun filled trip of a lifetime.

Thank you Connor for making this dream trip a reality and for being the love of my life. I couldn't imagine three other people I'd rather spend that special week with in beautiful Cabo.

For a perfect summary of our trip and amazing pictures, check this out! She's got a gift and I love how she's portrayed our time together!

Old As Mold Part II

My sweet hubby is celebrating a birthday today.

I like to tease him about being so much older than I am... but truthfully, he would probably pass for the "younger" one. He inspires me each and every day. He's a terrific dad, witty as all get out, and my very best friend.

I know this photo is older than the hills, but as I was browsing for a picture to upload, I came across this one and it is one of my absolute favorites... so here it is.

Connor, you are wonderful and deserve to have the happiest of birthdays my friend.

I love you and thank my lucky stars for you every single day.

(Thanks for making the Cabo vacation become a reality sweetie... it was truly a once in a lifetime trip that I will never forget! I will post more about that in the near future!)

Old as Mold

This lovely lady is turning 40 today.

It's a good thing they say the 40's are now the new 30's...

Age is just a number anyway.

Shannon is vibrant, funny, interesting, witty, and you would never be able to guess her age by looking at her.

Have the best day ever, Shannon!!

Sunriver Vacation 2009

This year we headed to Sunriver, Oregon again to the exact same house we rented last year.

Only this time the occupants differed a little bit... We met my brother Scott, and his wonderful family for a whole week of relaxation and fun.

This is a foot bridge above the Deschutes river... only a block away from our house.

Here's Scott, Hanna, Shelly, Kenny, and Grace

My Aunt Linda and Uncle Al joined in on the fun for a couple of days. They always add an element of fun to any gathering and we are so glad they could make it. (My parents couldn't make it because my mom's back is giving her lots of trouble, we missed them terribly and hope to see them next year at another shindig!)

This handsome fellow is my nephew Kenny. Such a great kid!

Speaking of a great kid... here's another one! Nick just watching the river slowly roll by.

Scott is an avid fly fisherman. He found his way to the water's edge on many occasions trying his luck at catching "the big one". I guess it's pretty obvious to see that this was NOT the big one...good thing I had dinner planned that evening. :)

When we were not riding bikes, it was a good bet you could find us in one of Sunriver's two pools. The kids found themselves here a few times trying to escape the wrath of Con-nor. :) "Shark attack" is the game of choice in the pool where Connor sneaks up on them and pinches or tickles their feet. Good times!

Okay, this is a typical photo of Nolan and Hanna. These two are inseparable and almost identical in their crazy, goofy ways. I tried to include a video of a skit they created...but for some reason Blogger won't publish it. Basically, it was a rap/dance/comedy routine about big macs, crispy fries, beaches, and a little cabbage patch dancing to go along! Funny stuff.

We drove a few miles North to Bend to check out the shops one day. It's nestled along the same river and was really cute. Plus they had a great Ben and Jerry's shop where we found the BEST ice cream and milk shakes. :)

Just like last year we went river rafting down the Deschutes. They were able to fit all nine of us in one raft so we were thrilled! Here's Connor trying not to launch himself out of boat. He said he was trying to paddle but there wasn't any water underneath him! :) Glad he didn't fall out!

Here's a nice shot of all of us. Our guide was a lot of fun and made the trip memorable.

We especially liked it when he told the kids aboard that the first set of rapids was called the "child grinder". I saw some eye's get real wide!

Go Nolan Go! Nolan's the only one who didn't have anything to hold onto. Most of us had paddles that help you from falling out of the boat. Nick and Hanna had hand holds on their seats. He liked his wild ride!

We spent a lot of time along the river's edge. When it was hot we hop in the river to cool off.

Here's Shelly and Grace. I love this picture.

Kenny and Scott...love this one too!

Grace is such a sweetheart.

We brought our canoe along this year and we are glad we did.

By the end of the week we had figured out how to launch it way up stream and take a leisurely 2 hour float right back to the bridge where we'd disembark and roll it a block to our home. It was peaceful and fun at the same time.

When Al was visiting we went to explore the Lava Tube Cave only a mile or so from Sunriver. It's 5000 feet long and only 40 degrees inside. We carried lanterns that doubled nicely as small heaters. Spooky, chilly, and fun!

Our trip to Sunriver was perfect. We love spending time with these guys. Our kids instantly bond and have fun the minute we walk through the door. Kenny said it perfectly "we don't have time for awkwardness, we know we only have a week together!"

We were busy most of the days outdoors and in the evenings we played many many games. One night Connor had me in stitches while playing Apples to Apples. The category was "touchy feely" and he played the card that said "Helen Keller". I almost lost it. :)

We created many new memories on this trip. I love my brother and his family and wish we lived closer together. You know it was a good time when even as saying goodbye in the driveway, you are already talking about the next time we can see each other. Tahoe next year???

As Connor and I drove home we crossed over Mt. Hood. We noticed the ski area had an alpine slide in the summer time. We pulled over to surprise the boys with a little more fun before heading home.

Connor and the boys hopped on the chair lift and headed up the slope. They slid down the mountain on this cement slide while riding little wheeled sleds. I sat surrounded by hundred of butterflies waiting for them at the bottom.

It was a nice way to end a wonderful week.

Down by the fishin' hole

Today, Nolan is off to basketball camp until 3 pm. So since I didn't have to work today... (let me hear you say Hallelujah) I was trying to think of something fun to do with Nick to pass the time.

He thought it'd be fun to try our luck at fishing in the lake down the street. Sounded good to me, but with the sun shining high and the temperature climbing I really didn't expect the fish to be too interested in biting. Boy was I wrong! As soon as Nick casted off the dock he instantly had a bite. I barely had time to sit down in my chair before he was reeling in a trout. He brought it up to the shore but it fought it's way off the hook before he could land it. In my book, that is a catch. I told him if their fins touch the grass even while in the water... chalk it up as a catch!

Well, about 15 bites and SIX catches later he was practically walking on the clouds. This never happens down by our lake. Usually fishing consists of a lot of casting, an occasional snag on sunken logs, and a lot of disappointment. But today the fish were apparently starving, it was so much fun to watch Nick light up every time he had a bite. We were only there for one hour and caught 6 fish, most of which were at least 12 to 14 inches in length.

It was a memorable fishing experience and a lot of fun! He was worried no one would believe him, but I assured him I was his witness. He even called me his good luck charm!

Did I mention I LOVE summer? Seriously, the best time ever!

(Our trip to Sunriver was last week and was an absolute hoot. I promise to post a story and lots of pictures about it soon.)

Dad's Day 2009

The boys and I have had fun taking care of Connor today. It is HIS day after all.

First, a huge breakfast with all the fixins. This means extra bacon for Connor. Never have I met a man who loves him some bacon more than Connor.

Then we all went for a long walk around the neighborhood and through the forest.

Next, while he was happily playing a game on the computer we ambushed him! I told him he was being kidnapped and strapped a blind fold around his eyes. WHAT? Yes, that's right, we kidnapped him. We carefully showed him the way to the passenger seat in my car and then we were on our way. The only hint I gave him was there would be snakes where we were heading. WHAT? Snakes? "Are we going to the zoo?" "Will there be monkeys?" "What in tarnation is going on?"

He tried to keep track of the car's movements, but before long he was totally confused. Just like I had planned. A few extra twists and turns was all it took.

We finally made it to our destination. Sadly, my driving skills in the big city are lacking and I had to have Connor remove his blind fold before I parked in down town Seattle. But he sure seemed happy to see that Safeco field was within walking distance. Yup! We had a fun afternoon in the Safe watching the Mariner's BEAT the Arizona Diamondbacks (Hence, the snake hint...).

It was a great game. We all had so much fun. Of course, we ate way too much and whooped and hollered till our throats were sore...but that's just what you're supposed to do, right?

Hopefully this Father's Day surprise will live in his memory for many years to come. Happy Father's Day to the most wonderful dad on the planet! Your boys and I adore you more than you know Connor!

He didn't marry me for my feet.

I know I've said a few things in the past about my totally retarded looking feet. I inheireted my father's gnarly, high arched, freak-show sportin' feet. It's not something I'm proud of, but hey... There's nothing I can do about it. Well, besides being uber thankful for footwear to hide them.

So the other night, Connor and I were sitting together just chit chattin' the evening away. I don't even recall what the topic was. (I do know it wasn't about onamotopias though.) Connor ended the conversation by saying he loved me. Awwww, how sweet. I said "you do?" That's when he proceeded to tell me "yes, I love you from your head to your ankles."

Am I offended? Nope, not in the least. I make fun of my feet more than anyone else. In fact, I think I even laughed louder than Connor did at his little comment aimed at my expense. It's moments like these that make me glad I'm married to this guy. He is continuously cracking me up and catching me off guard with his witty comments. I love it.

Thanks for keeping me in stitches honey, I love you!!

2009 School Carnival

I have fond memories of my grade school carnivals. They were always a highlight of the entire kid year. I loved playing those silly games in the gymnasium that almost always won me another smelly eraser to add to my collection. Remember those?.... Root beer scent was my favorite! I also recall riding ponies and bouncing in the "moon walk" inflatable dungeon with my pals laughing til it hurt.

But one of my favorite memories was dunking my oldest brother, Scott, in the dunk tank.

He had agreed to sign up to be one of the unlucky soggy victims that sits anxiously awaiting their wet doom to someone else's delight. Our elementary school had to look high and low for volunteers to sit in that tank. Mostly high school kids and adults that didn't know better would agree to be dunked.

It was great seeing Scott sit helplessly as I whirled balls towards the target. Finally, revenge for all the years of never ending teasing. Seriously. Never. Ending. Teasing.

Well, Nick and Nolan's school do things a little differently... They ask the 6th graders for volunteers. It's almost a rite of passage for these kids to sit upon the dunk tank platform while their classmates laugh uproariously at their impending dunkage. Everyone loves it!

I have to admit it's a genius idea to have the kids in the tank. Friends and family members line up with their purchased tickets just waiting for their big chance to dunk. The school must have made a ton of cash on the dunk tank alone! (It didn't hurt that they had two fave teachers getting dunked as well.)

So... Nolan has fond memories similar to mine of his school carnival... Check it out!

Oh. Sweet. Revenge.

Aunt Shannon, Marianne, and Connor each tried to dunk him to no avail. Leave it to the kid brother to come through. He was dunked probably about 10 or so times by his classmates and loved every minute of it!

My Sluggers

What better way to spend a warm sunny evening in June than to watch my boys play some baseball?

We were lucky to get Nick and Nolan on the same baseball team this year. Because there were not enough kids in Nick's division, they moved the players down a notch into the younger division and now both Nick and Nolan are proud players of the Strikers team.

This not only means more brotherly bonding, it also means a less hectic schedule for moi! I'm not running two kids around in a million different directions to get them to different practices and games. Sweet.

At first, I didn't know how Nick would feel having to play on the 9-10 age team. He is almost a teenager after all (I hear that sentence quite frequently from his mouth). But he hasn't complained once. If fact, just take a look at this video and you'll see the brotherly bonding has been going strong!

NOLAN'S FIRST HOME RUN!!

Don't 'cha just love the celebratory "chesting high five" they gave each other at the end.

I have a feeling that this is the memory they will have of their time playing baseball together on the same team. I'm sure they wont recall losing the game by one measly run. In fact, they didn't even mention the loss while walking back to the car or even on the drive home. Nick congratulated Nolan on an awesome game played. And Nolan returned the compliment by telling Nick his pitching skills were awesome too.

It'll be fun to see what the next few remaining games have in store for us. I'm hoping for more sunshine and high-fives.

Older Does Mean Wiser

I've got nothin'.... nothin' earth shattering to share on this here blog. So today I have resorted to use someone else's words. I received an email today that was chock full of good advice written by a little old lady who has lived a lifetime and can share her wisdom with those of us who think we know it all...but don't.

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, Cleveland, Ohio. To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone..
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion, today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

I can learn a lot from this list.

I especially liked #37 and #38... so true.

Here's to 45 more!

Forty Five years and counting...
My parents are celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary today!

Just saying that sentence makes me happy.
In this day and age, it's quite an accomplishment.
I'm so proud of you and thankful you were always a strong unified front all my life.
Thanks for always showing me how important it is to stick together, be supportive, LAUGH at one another, make compromises, and love your spouse!

You are inspirational and I hope Connor and I are lucky enough to wake up one morning and say "Happy 45th dear!"

Have a wonderful day... I hope you spend it doing what makes you both happy.