Also check out her husband's band Fictionist. They just got signed to the Atlantic Record Label. I'm excited to see the great things the future holds for Hue & Hum!
I LOVE this music video!
Our Dancing Queen
2 months ago
I just wanted to give a little shout out to my friend Hue. She is an amazing artist and has a very witty blog. Oh and also, her husband is a rock star! You should check out her blog right now because she is giving away three of her beautiful limited edition prints.
Also check out her husband's band Fictionist. They just got signed to the Atlantic Record Label. I'm excited to see the great things the future holds for Hue & Hum!
Also check out her husband's band Fictionist. They just got signed to the Atlantic Record Label. I'm excited to see the great things the future holds for Hue & Hum!
...Or family vaycay, day 1:
7/19/2011
This year we decided to take a bigger vacation than last year but were hoping to take some time to explore the Northwest...because we're always a little nervous that we might be moving away someday (not that we have a move planned!). At first we were planning on heading to the North Cascade National Park in Washington, a little jaunt through Seattle, a ferry ride to the San Juan Islands, etc. But as the time grew near, the forecast up north was cold and rain. UGH! NO! There was NO WAY we were going to let cold rain interfere with our vacation again. So we quickly changed our plans to head south instead...to Crater Lake, Grants Pass, the highway that connects Oregon to the California Redwoods, and then up the south coast of Oregon (which has been neglected in all of our coast excursions). But this post is only going to be about Crater Lake. Because Crater Lake is very worthy of its own post!
Crater Lake Nation Park.
A place on our travel agenda for a few years. A place well worth the visit! Crater Lake is inside the caldera of an ancient volcano, Mt. Mazama. A looooong time ago this ginormous volcano blew the top half of the mountain off and the giant crater that was left slowly filled with snow melt and rain water. There are no other water sources for Crater Lake. I'm going to venture an educated guess and say that the lake is so blue because of the glacial melt depositing minerals in the lake. When we went to Alaska we learned that the water was so blue there because of this reason.
When we got to the booth where you pay to get into the park at the bottom of the mountain, the ranger told us there was no visibility. We would not be able to see the Lake because of the cloud cover. Our hearts sank. The ranger asked us if we still wanted to go it (as it costs $20 or so). We asked if the trail was open to hike from the top of the caldera to the shore of the lake. He said yes, but warned us of snow. I did NOT want to hike in the snow (we were not prepared), but we drove five hours to come and see this, so we gave decided to give it a shot! Oh how I wanted to go and EXPERIENCE Crater Lake, and NOT in the snow. We drove along the road and stopped at a lookout:
Then we each took a turn *touching* crater lake. It was COLD!
After the hike, we drove around to the other side of the lake where the lodge and visitors center are. We took a quick tour of the visitors center and saw the view from the other side of the lake.
And then on our drive out of the park, we stopped to show the boys that a Ponderosa Pine tree smells like butterscotch. They have never smelled one before because they don't grow up here near Portland.
7/19/2011
This year we decided to take a bigger vacation than last year but were hoping to take some time to explore the Northwest...because we're always a little nervous that we might be moving away someday (not that we have a move planned!). At first we were planning on heading to the North Cascade National Park in Washington, a little jaunt through Seattle, a ferry ride to the San Juan Islands, etc. But as the time grew near, the forecast up north was cold and rain. UGH! NO! There was NO WAY we were going to let cold rain interfere with our vacation again. So we quickly changed our plans to head south instead...to Crater Lake, Grants Pass, the highway that connects Oregon to the California Redwoods, and then up the south coast of Oregon (which has been neglected in all of our coast excursions). But this post is only going to be about Crater Lake. Because Crater Lake is very worthy of its own post!
Crater Lake Nation Park.
A place on our travel agenda for a few years. A place well worth the visit! Crater Lake is inside the caldera of an ancient volcano, Mt. Mazama. A looooong time ago this ginormous volcano blew the top half of the mountain off and the giant crater that was left slowly filled with snow melt and rain water. There are no other water sources for Crater Lake. I'm going to venture an educated guess and say that the lake is so blue because of the glacial melt depositing minerals in the lake. When we went to Alaska we learned that the water was so blue there because of this reason.
When we got to the booth where you pay to get into the park at the bottom of the mountain, the ranger told us there was no visibility. We would not be able to see the Lake because of the cloud cover. Our hearts sank. The ranger asked us if we still wanted to go it (as it costs $20 or so). We asked if the trail was open to hike from the top of the caldera to the shore of the lake. He said yes, but warned us of snow. I did NOT want to hike in the snow (we were not prepared), but we drove five hours to come and see this, so we gave decided to give it a shot! Oh how I wanted to go and EXPERIENCE Crater Lake, and NOT in the snow. We drove along the road and stopped at a lookout:
 |
| THANKFULLY the clouds were blowing off. |
 |
| RAIN on the lens! |
 |
| SO HAPPY that the clouds blew off!!! |
We get back in the car and drive to the the trail head for the hike...it's the only LEGAL way to get to the lake shore. It's a 1.5 mile hike straight down the caldera. WE checked it out...and found very little snow. We decided to give it a go!
I spy this plant and wonder what it is. I've seen it in the wild in Oregon for the past 4 years, and have often wondered if the berries are edible.
(I found out later that it is Salal, and yes the berries are edible and TASTY!...a bit like blueberries)
As we hike down the caldera and get closer to the lake, the sky continues to clear and the blue waters we were hoping to see showed themselves. I start to get excited!
Ollie can feel the excitement!
almost there!...(Toby's not appreciating that hug from Joshua)..
...and here we are! The mystical blue waters.
We took some time to sit and take it all in...and surprisingly so did the boys. It was truly stunning!
Then we each took a turn *touching* crater lake. It was COLD!
Brent chose to experience a face plant in the lake.
Refreshing!!
Everyone we saw would look our family with smallish kids over and say "ya know ya gotta climb back up, right??". We just laughed it off and told them our kids just climbed Saddle Mountain a month ago. Lol! THAT is a big hike for kids.
But still, somehow Brent ended up with this big kid on his back...
After the hike, we drove around to the other side of the lake where the lodge and visitors center are. We took a quick tour of the visitors center and saw the view from the other side of the lake.
Wizard Island there is a cinder cone growing in the crater!
Brent, Toby and Joshua had a snowball fight! That's quite a lot of snow for the middle of JULY!!
I'm really glad that it wasn't covering the trail!
And then on our drive out of the park, we stopped to show the boys that a Ponderosa Pine tree smells like butterscotch. They have never smelled one before because they don't grow up here near Portland.
I knew when I looked out my bedroom window this morning, and saw the fog swirling off of the river that it was going to be a soup kind of a day...even though the forecast says it's going to be 75 and sunny by 3:00. Fog on the river in the morning says it's autumn time in the Northwest, and that means it's time to pull out the soup recipes once again. So out came the crock pot and I started my soup. I'm going to share my delicious recipe for Cheesy Cauliflower-Collard Green Potato Soup. But first, I'm going to tell a couple of stories.
Last winter I worked hard on perfecting my soup-making skills. I LOVE a tasty soup, but I had never been good at making homemade soups before. That all changed when I started buying raw milk from a local farm. Raw milk is very good for you. It has probiotics to help you digest the proteins and good fats that don't actually make you fat when taken in moderate amounts. People who are lactose intolerant often find that they can drink raw milk with ease. But it is VERY rich, and our family found that we just could not drink the 1 gallon a week that we had committed to buy. So I begin looking for other things I could do with the milk. Homemade vanilla pudding was heavenly. But the soups...the soups...*drool*. Just yummy. We are no longer buying the raw milk anymore because it took too much time driving out to the farm every week. I'm sad, but I needed to simplify my life. So now we settle for Costco's organic milk. It's pretty good too. BUT I hope that the soups taste as good! Another secret to good soup is GOOD broth. Home simmered stock is best, I'm sure...but as I don't often buy meat with the bone in it, I can't say that I've tried that. However, I have discovered that the organic chicken stock from Costco makes the soup taste JUST FABULOUS! Bullion simply will not do! It's too processed, not healthful, and does not have the full, rich flavor of stock.
Also, last winter I also started adding more organic greens into our meals (the organics have more micronutrients). This happened because of the recommendation of a naturopathic doctor we took Joshua too. It was the first time any of us ever went to a naturopathic doctor...but we did it because a series of events led us there. First Joshua was getting in trouble at school just because he was often being too impulsive. A staff member at the school (who knows that Brent is a pharmacist) suggested that we look into a possible medication to control his impulsiveness at school. WHAT?!! As Brent has come to know medicines, he has come to learn of their incredible risks. In our opinion, when considering a drug, all other avenues must be exhausted first. And in our opinion, these medications only have their place as a short term solution...but never at any time do they ever address the root of the problem. Well, as it turns out naturopathic medicine delves deeply into a person's body and lifestyle and aims to find the root of the problem...so drugs are often not needed. This is the lifestyle we have agreed upon for our family. When the naturopath saw Joshua, every avenue he searched, he explained to us in great detail. The golden ticket was when he tested Joshua's elemental metal levels. And guess what? Joshua was VERY low on lithium. Guess what lithium does? It helps you control your impulsiveness. And guess where you can find lithium naturally? That's RIGHT! Organic greens.
Last winter I worked hard on perfecting my soup-making skills. I LOVE a tasty soup, but I had never been good at making homemade soups before. That all changed when I started buying raw milk from a local farm. Raw milk is very good for you. It has probiotics to help you digest the proteins and good fats that don't actually make you fat when taken in moderate amounts. People who are lactose intolerant often find that they can drink raw milk with ease. But it is VERY rich, and our family found that we just could not drink the 1 gallon a week that we had committed to buy. So I begin looking for other things I could do with the milk. Homemade vanilla pudding was heavenly. But the soups...the soups...*drool*. Just yummy. We are no longer buying the raw milk anymore because it took too much time driving out to the farm every week. I'm sad, but I needed to simplify my life. So now we settle for Costco's organic milk. It's pretty good too. BUT I hope that the soups taste as good! Another secret to good soup is GOOD broth. Home simmered stock is best, I'm sure...but as I don't often buy meat with the bone in it, I can't say that I've tried that. However, I have discovered that the organic chicken stock from Costco makes the soup taste JUST FABULOUS! Bullion simply will not do! It's too processed, not healthful, and does not have the full, rich flavor of stock.
Also, last winter I also started adding more organic greens into our meals (the organics have more micronutrients). This happened because of the recommendation of a naturopathic doctor we took Joshua too. It was the first time any of us ever went to a naturopathic doctor...but we did it because a series of events led us there. First Joshua was getting in trouble at school just because he was often being too impulsive. A staff member at the school (who knows that Brent is a pharmacist) suggested that we look into a possible medication to control his impulsiveness at school. WHAT?!! As Brent has come to know medicines, he has come to learn of their incredible risks. In our opinion, when considering a drug, all other avenues must be exhausted first. And in our opinion, these medications only have their place as a short term solution...but never at any time do they ever address the root of the problem. Well, as it turns out naturopathic medicine delves deeply into a person's body and lifestyle and aims to find the root of the problem...so drugs are often not needed. This is the lifestyle we have agreed upon for our family. When the naturopath saw Joshua, every avenue he searched, he explained to us in great detail. The golden ticket was when he tested Joshua's elemental metal levels. And guess what? Joshua was VERY low on lithium. Guess what lithium does? It helps you control your impulsiveness. And guess where you can find lithium naturally? That's RIGHT! Organic greens.
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."
-Hippocrates (the father of western medicine)
And let's face it...we all know we're better off when we eat more vegetables, more greens, more organic greens. So I experimented with all different kinds of greens. And when I made this soup by taking an old recipe and changing it all around, Joshua proclaimed: I like my organic greens in SOUP! I hope you like it too!
Cheesy Cauliflower-Collard Green Soup
Put in crock pot or stove top:
2 cups of finely chopped cauliflower
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2-3 cups chicken stock (enough to cover the vegetables)
1/2-1 teaspoon salt (I like kosher or sea salt)
Boil until tender. 10 minutes on stove top or 2 hours in crock pot. Add 2 cups of chopped collard green and simmer for another 15 minutes.
In a separate sauce pan:
melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat
stir in 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, and cook for 2 minutes (I have used freshly ground kamut or wheat flour and it worked great)
Remove from heat and
gradually stir in 5 cups of milk
Return to heat and cook until thickened
Stir in the cooked vegetables and season with salt and pepper to taste
Cook over low heat until vegetables are soft and combined with the milk mixture. If desired, vegetables may be mashed to a more creamy texture. (I use a hand blender--one of my favorite kitchen utensils)
Finally, Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese until melted.
Remove from heat and serve.
I throw all the vegetables in the crock pot in the morning. All I have to do at dinner time is combine the rest of the ingredients and blend it up a little and serve with some crusty bread or homemade wheat rolls. I'm excited for dinner tonight!
Mmmmmmkay...it looks like I need to give a little back story to those pictures of Oliver in my last post.
I was feeling crummy and just having a bad day in general. I finished writing the post about facebook, went into the kitchen to start dinner, and walked back into the office where I saw Oliver sitting on the floor with black marker all up and down the front of his outfit and his face, and he was digging through an extremely poopy diaper that I had accidentally left sitting on the floor. See---it was a cloth diaper, and I needed to take it upstairs to the bathroom where I have a diaper sprayer attached to the toilet, to clean it up. Not a huge deal when you have one or two poopy diapers a day. But for some reason on that day it was like his 4th or 5th. I was pooped out. Literally.
So when I walked back into the office thankfully I was at that point beyond sanity already and I just started laughing. I took him straight to the kitchen sink and dropped him in, clothes and all (seeing as they were so messy already). I HAD to get a picture. I thought it proved my anti facebook point perfectly.
So no, there was not poop ALL OVER him. It was just on his hands. And I think I caught it before he got it anywhere else...at least I haven't found it anywhere else. (A little disinfectant on the sink took care of things there).
And at first I was VERY perplexed as to where the marker came from...but after I thought about it for a minute I remembered that earlier in the day Toby had a white balloon and asked for a black marker so he could color it like a soccer ball. Hmm...obviously by the black smudges ALL OVER Oliver, he found the balloon and wasplaying with it trying to eat it.
 |
| POOP is only on his HANDS! Still GROSS! |
I was feeling crummy and just having a bad day in general. I finished writing the post about facebook, went into the kitchen to start dinner, and walked back into the office where I saw Oliver sitting on the floor with black marker all up and down the front of his outfit and his face, and he was digging through an extremely poopy diaper that I had accidentally left sitting on the floor. See---it was a cloth diaper, and I needed to take it upstairs to the bathroom where I have a diaper sprayer attached to the toilet, to clean it up. Not a huge deal when you have one or two poopy diapers a day. But for some reason on that day it was like his 4th or 5th. I was pooped out. Literally.
So when I walked back into the office thankfully I was at that point beyond sanity already and I just started laughing. I took him straight to the kitchen sink and dropped him in, clothes and all (seeing as they were so messy already). I HAD to get a picture. I thought it proved my anti facebook point perfectly.
So no, there was not poop ALL OVER him. It was just on his hands. And I think I caught it before he got it anywhere else...at least I haven't found it anywhere else. (A little disinfectant on the sink took care of things there).
And at first I was VERY perplexed as to where the marker came from...but after I thought about it for a minute I remembered that earlier in the day Toby had a white balloon and asked for a black marker so he could color it like a soccer ball. Hmm...obviously by the black smudges ALL OVER Oliver, he found the balloon and was
So...not QUITE as bad as it may have seemed! I'm still laughing about it. Hahaha.
THIS is what happened today while I was mulling over how much time I spend on Facebook, and to what end?:
sorry this is the wrong way...too much effort to fix it.
But here is a better view:
Oh the HORROR!
As you can see here, our baby has grown into a very curious and poop-smeared smurf...all within a very short amount of time. I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR FACEBOOK anymore.
So I feel the need to further clarify a little more...I will not leave Facebook all together. I am taking a break. When I feel thoroughly cleansed, I will be back. But I will have a different agenda and different expectations. See, I'm afraid I was going seeking more love and support there then people were able to give. And in the course of so doing, I was giving the very best of my time to people who just don't care that much. Or they just didn't know to care. Either way, my family cares...and they will get the best of my time from now on.
I'm also terribly afraid that I am often guilty of the very same crime I have accused others of...that of speeding by too quickly without taking the time to comment. So I am sorry.
And this blog is going to have to take the place of Facebook for a while as my outlet for status updates. So think of this as an elaborate status update. Only, the blog is for me. I write it for me, without the expectation that anyone else will read it. And if it is read by others, so be it.
And YOU, on the other hand can spend as much or little time on Facebook as you want. This is not about me passing judgement, but about me doing what I see is best for me now.
{love}
kate
And YOU, on the other hand can spend as much or little time on Facebook as you want. This is not about me passing judgement, but about me doing what I see is best for me now.
{love}
kate
1) there are some good aspects of facebook, but for the most part it is just a waste of my time.
2) I'm tired of feeling like people don't care about me because they can't even take the time to "like" my status, or respond to my message. It's just sad that we don't even email anymore. Forget a call on the telephone, that is just TOO interpersonal. I'm drowning in a flood of faces where it doesn't seem like anyone cares about me. The only care is about how cool the next status update will be. *Check me out! I'm so cool! I'm at blahblahblah with blahblahblah!* I feel like a genuinely try to respond to others posts. I care! Well, I'm sorry if I did anything to offend anyone...or if you just don't like me. I don't want my self worth to be based on nobody "liking" my status. That's just sad. So...I'm not the wittiest, the prettiest, the most social, the best cook, have the best and cutest kids, etc...and I DON'T CARE. I don't want to feel marginalized by family. I'd rather not want to know. So, I can see it's best just to get out of there.
3) anyone who really likes me and cares about what I'm up to will find a way to be a part of my life...and if you don't, GOOD RIDDANCE. I don't need your energy in my life.
My email is thewoodbetweentheworlds@gmail. com ... if you want to write me a real letter and not just show me how cool your life is. And I'll do the same for you. But if you don't reciprocate, I'll assume you don't have the time for my friendship.
I know this is rash...it's TOTALLY uncalled for. Nobody was rude to me. I'm just bored and feeling cooped up and like I need to get out of that proverbial building and live in the real world. I'll probably regret this tomorrow when I'm having social media withdrawals. But I'm going to try to stick with it.
2) I'm tired of feeling like people don't care about me because they can't even take the time to "like" my status, or respond to my message. It's just sad that we don't even email anymore. Forget a call on the telephone, that is just TOO interpersonal. I'm drowning in a flood of faces where it doesn't seem like anyone cares about me. The only care is about how cool the next status update will be. *Check me out! I'm so cool! I'm at blahblahblah with blahblahblah!* I feel like a genuinely try to respond to others posts. I care! Well, I'm sorry if I did anything to offend anyone...or if you just don't like me. I don't want my self worth to be based on nobody "liking" my status. That's just sad. So...I'm not the wittiest, the prettiest, the most social, the best cook, have the best and cutest kids, etc...and I DON'T CARE. I don't want to feel marginalized by family. I'd rather not want to know. So, I can see it's best just to get out of there.
3) anyone who really likes me and cares about what I'm up to will find a way to be a part of my life...and if you don't, GOOD RIDDANCE. I don't need your energy in my life.
My email is thewoodbetweentheworlds@gmail. com ... if you want to write me a real letter and not just show me how cool your life is. And I'll do the same for you. But if you don't reciprocate, I'll assume you don't have the time for my friendship.
I know this is rash...it's TOTALLY uncalled for. Nobody was rude to me. I'm just bored and feeling cooped up and like I need to get out of that proverbial building and live in the real world. I'll probably regret this tomorrow when I'm having social media withdrawals. But I'm going to try to stick with it.
Joshua had a great time at Cubscout Day Camp again this summer...being with his friends, having lots of fun adventures! I love being in scouts with him and going to camp with him because when I was little I was always SO ENVIOUS that the boys got to do this stuff. Well, now I feel fulfilled in seeing my boy enjoy these fun days.
bottle rockets, parachutes, BB gun shooting, falling over with laughter, working on boondoggle or pondering the universe(?)
☼ May you be blessed with all things good.
☼ May your joys, like the stars at night, be too numerous to count.
☼ May your victories be more abundant than all the grains of sand
on all the beaches, on all the oceans in all the world.
☼ May lack and struggle be absent from your life and may beauty order
and abundance be your constant companions.
☼ May every pathway you choose lead to that which is
pure true and good and lovely.
☼ May every doubt and fear be replaced by a deep abiding
trust as you behold evidence of a Higher Power all around you.
☼ And when there is only darkness and the storms of life are closing in,
may the light at the core of your being illuminate the world.
☼ May you always be aware you are loved beyond measure
and may you be willing to love unconditionally in return.
☼ May you always feel protected and cradled in the arms of God,
like the cherished child you are.
☼ And when you are tempted to judge, may you be reminded
that we are all ONE and that every thought you think reverberates
across the universe touching everyone and everything.
☼ And when you are tempted to hold back,
may you remember that love flows best when it flows freely
and it is in giving that we receive the greatest gift.
☼ May you always have music and laughter
☼ and may a rainbow follow every storm.
☼ May gladness wash away every disappointment.
☼ May joy dissolve every sorrow and may love ease every pain.
☼ May every wound bring wisdom and may every trial bring triumph
☼ and with each passing day,
☼ may you live more abundantly than the day before.
☼ May you be blessed and may others be blessed by you.
☼ May you be blessed with all things good.
~~~~~
None of us makes it through this life without problems and challenges—and sometimes tragedies and misfortunes. After all, in large part we are here to learn and grow from such events in our lives. We know that there are times when we will suffer, when we will grieve, and when we will be saddened. However, we are told, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”
I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us.
My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.
~Thomas S. Monson
~~~~~
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
~ Jeremiah 29:11
~~~~~
"At some of the darkest moments in my life, some people I thought of as friends deserted me-some because they cared about me and it hurt them to see me in pain; others because I reminded them of their own vulnerability, and that was more than they could handle. BUT real friends overcame their discomfort and came to sit with me. If they had not words to make me feel better, they sat in silence and I loved them for it." ~Harold Kushner~
~~~~~
Thank you for being my real friend.
{heart}
Have a blessed day, full of light.
Have a blessed day, full of light.
On July 9, we took a quick weekend camping trip out to the coast. It was our first trip of the summer, and very much anticipated! We bought a bigger and new&improved family tent for a valentines surprise, hoping to use it over spring break...but if you remember we got rained out. And then we were epic-ly busy in June, as noted in previous posts. And after two summers of being pregnant and me not really wanting to sleep on the ground...we were all jonesin' to get out there and CAMP!
We were too late to make any reservations online at a campground...so we trusted our luck and set out with a few places in mind, just hoping we could find a place to stay on a beautiful, non-rainy Friday night at the coast. We knew there would be no openings at any camp grounds at the actual coast this weekend, so we drove straight to a camp ground we have stayed at one other time before: Mt Hebo or Hebo Lake Camp Ground. It is inland a few miles, situated in the Coastal Range, but within 15 minutes of the coast.
We found a nice spot to camp, except for the CrAzY neighbors we had who were noisy all night! Seriously! Has anyone ever gone camping where someone wasn't loud ALL NIGHT?! I think we've only had a few trips where we didn't have noisy neighbors. Ah! That has to be one of the only downside of camping, in my book {along with not being comfy when pregnant}. Thankfully we're all very sound sleepers around here.
Then we headed to our FAVORITE beach: Oswald West State Park...*swoon*
We were too late to make any reservations online at a campground...so we trusted our luck and set out with a few places in mind, just hoping we could find a place to stay on a beautiful, non-rainy Friday night at the coast. We knew there would be no openings at any camp grounds at the actual coast this weekend, so we drove straight to a camp ground we have stayed at one other time before: Mt Hebo or Hebo Lake Camp Ground. It is inland a few miles, situated in the Coastal Range, but within 15 minutes of the coast.
I can't get over how big Ollie's looking!...which is now even bigger, since it's 2 months later.
We got one of the Coleman Weathermaster tents, and are VERY happy with it...if you're on the market for a new family tent, this one is AWESOME! We found a nice spot to camp, except for the CrAzY neighbors we had who were noisy all night! Seriously! Has anyone ever gone camping where someone wasn't loud ALL NIGHT?! I think we've only had a few trips where we didn't have noisy neighbors. Ah! That has to be one of the only downside of camping, in my book {along with not being comfy when pregnant}. Thankfully we're all very sound sleepers around here.
 |
| beautiful morning! |
 |
| quick jaunt to the top of Mt. Hebo |
 |
 |
We took a quick tour of the Tillamook Cheese Factory:
Our Tobes is a major cheesehead. He LOVES his "Tillamooky Cheese"
We tasted lots of yummy samples and had some lunch.
Then we headed to our FAVORITE beach: Oswald West State Park...*swoon*
It's about a mile hike from the road down to the beach...but SO worth it. WE were planning on staying for the rest of the day, so we had to pack in lots of supplies. I know *YOU* think we must be crazy to carry the baby's pack n' play all that way...but TRUST me when I tell you it was worth it!
Ollie sat in his pack n' play all day, playing with his toys and napping while we were building sandcastles, playing in the waves, boogie boarding, trying to attempt surfing, etc. All of this joy made possible by Brent's heroic willingness to carry the pack n' play one mile each way.
heaven
our first time trying our new wet suits that we got for Christmas!!
fill my eyes
Brent boogie boarding for his first time (he wouldn't try it before the wet suit)
perfect day
getting ready to go
and...the verdict is...the wet suit HELPS a TON! No more hypothermia for me!!
Mom's Beach Bum
{I found this perfect shirt at a resale store right before we went}
Oh! and proof that we weren't completely selfish the whole time at the beach...Ollie got some sensory time playing on the beach too!
hike back to the car...
favorite.
