Oregon Coast

Before I forget to do this...

Last weekend was kind of crazy. Crazy FUN!!!

In anticipation of going to Portland I preemptively made some plans with Max and family, to go have some fun at the beach. I was surprised they wanted to make such a trek. When I asked if they were doing anything fun I thought it would be like...going to a park. Haha.

Well...Mitch got invited to a birthday party for that Saturday.

 Since the only reason we were going to Portland was to take Mitch to Pat I thought I would have to cancel my plans...however, after a few minutes of me stressing about everyone I would have to call and cancel on, Carleen called. 

She had rented a hotel room in Newport, to celebrate Abram (my nephew) turning 14. 

Apparently Eric couldn't make it out and they were meeting up with Abrams school peeps. 

She asked if I wanted to come out and stay at the hotel with them. 

Uh...yes!!! 

Mitch stayed home with Grandma and Brayden, August and I left.

We re-loaded up the car with our stuff and hit the road. 

It was late.

 By the time we got there it was around 10 o'clock.

The next morning we woke up lazy. 

We just jumped on some hotel beds, talked, and tried to decide what we wanted to do.

We found a cute little cafe in Newport and ate breakfast there.

 

 We ordered the kids hot cocoa. Which as you can see below was more whip cream than cocoa...

 Abram and Brayden were having some pretty intense conversation at their own little table...

After we ate we headed to a park that we had passed. 

It had a pirate ship with a giant tube slide coming out of it...

This seems way more dangerous than the traditional merry-go-round from parks I grew up with. I mean the kids kept twisting their legs back and smacking their hands on those bars...

August was a little unsure of the slide. He kept going up there and then not wanting to do it.

But, in true Aug fashion once he did it he loved it!

And then went down it again, and again...

It was at this point I let Max and Rebecca know that I would not be coming over to help out with yard work ( I still feel bad about it), because I was already at the beach...

It was after this park that Ely and Carleen decided they wanted to go to Lincoln City for the "Outlets". Anyone who knows me, should know I do not like shopping. At all.

But, I love my sister and niece, so I was happy to oblige them by making an exception.

After shopping we went to eat lunch at Mo's. Brayden wanted some clam chowder.

We were going to try and find a good hole-in-the-wall type place, but just decided to stick with the classics.

The line was pretty long and it wind through the little gift shop.
 When you have hungry kids it can make for a not fun wait...
or it can be wildly entertaining, you choose.

 After getting our family style cauldron of clam chowder we headed to yet another park.

This park looks just like the one in Prineville ( I blogged about last fall when we moved here).

I swear the same guy/company must have made these.

(This is a little video of August at the park in Prineville)

The kids had a lot of fun. It was set right there boarding Devil's Lake.

 This park is where Max and Rebecca finally met up with us. Carleen was taking off. She was not at all interested in going to to beach. It was pretty cold.

She took Brayden with her and I got Elysia.

We didn't stay long after Max and Rebecca got there. They wanted to get some beach time in!

So I followed them to a spot of beach they had been to previously.

Let me just say I have the worst beach luck ever. Everyone else seem to have some random lucky good weather days at the Oregon Coast...not me.

Every time I go it is freezing. Windy and miserable. 

This day was no exception.

It is worth it though, to see your children so elated.

 It is worth it to get the sand slamming against your skin. Numb toes and a runny nose, just to see the wonderment in their eyes looking out at the ocean. Playing tag with the wave and burying feet in sand.

I tried to take some photos, without getting the camera embedded with sand.

 This is just a little example of how windy it was.

Max was just holding the towel up and it was flying like a flag!

We had to try and anchor everything down so it wouldn't fly away.

 And the poor seagull was spotted by the excited 4 year old...

The sun created some pretty dynamic lighting.

It would come out as the clouds blew past.

It got a little foggy as the sun peeked through for a moment. I tried to capture it on the cliff side in the distance.

 Max and Charles the wave runners...

 Rebecca with Miles all bundled up on her lap...

This is probably my favorite of Max and Charles by the water.

After getting a little sand in our hair and salt in our lungs we decided it was time to eat dinner.

Max and Becca led the way and we ended up back at Mo's. 

Which was fine by us!

I really wanted to get lobster or crab, but just couldn't justify spending soo much on a "just because" dinner. So I ordered clam strips!

Bray and August took some photos to document this occasion.

August slept until we got sat at the table...the wait in line was a lot shorter and smoother.

(Rebecca just posted this blog and had a pic of us at the table)

 Then, August wanted me to take some pictures of him and baby Miles...

 Miles had some conversation with Daddy...

The water outside Mo's had come in a lot from when we were there for lunch...

And that was it. We called it a day after that. Apparently...somehow it was already after 8 o'clock by the time we got done at Mo's.
So we will definitely have to do that again...when it warms up a bit.