A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

I've been wanting to get on here the last couple of days to write about our Spring Break Vacation. The kids and I spent 3 nights/2 days on the Oregon Coast. We had a wonderful time being together. It was really good for us to get out of our normal environment and do things together. We had such a good time together.....that I hope that we can go again sometime soon....this time...with Tim. We missed him.

So, to help tell the story....I thought that I would talk with pictures. I will add my narrative to it...but for the most part....the pictures are going to do the talkin'! I was a little anxious about taking pictures. They never seem to come out very good. Tim's become the master. BUT...for the most part....I was really pleased with the pictures that I took.

The big talk of the week was the SNOW!!! Snow on the beach is almost unheard of. I guess for me....Spring Break should be at least a smidge warm. It wasn't even a smidge warm. It was just plain cold. Needless to say....I kept the heat UP in our little cottage!! This first pictures is looking over the water in Astoria. Notice the snow falling. (you can click on any picture to get a better view) Crazy, I tell you!! By the time we left Astoria, there was about 2 inches or so on the ground!!

We spent a lot of time on the beach. Relatively anyway. When the rain/snow would stop, or the sun came out, we made a dash to the beach. It was interesting to watch the clouds and sky change even as we stood there. As the kids romped in the sand and waves, I snapped pictures and watched the storm roll in. As soon as the sprinkles hit us, we headed back. We didn't have far to go....but by the time we walked in the door, our backsides were wet from the rain.

The one picture that I did miss because I didn't have my camera was when Caden decided to go "swimming" in the ocean. On our first night there, the kids were having a grand time challenging the waves. The boys never could manage to keep their shoes dry. Anyway, Caden got a little cocky and was jumping the waves. (his shoes were already soaked.) He miscalculated the speed of the waves and it took him down and the wave rolled over him. I was a little concerned that he might get swept out to sea....but overall it was pretty funny. His shock was hilarious and I just couldn't help but laugh. He kind of smirked about it at first. But, by the time we got back to the cottage and started stripping his clothes off, the humor had vanished....for him. Oh well. Memories.

Thursday, the kids and I headed to the Barview Jetty. The day was actually pretty decent. Then we found this great little nook between the jetty and the trees. We were protected from the wind and the sun warmed us just enough. We spent quite a few hours traipsing among the rocks, digging in the sand, and playing in the water. Seemed kind of strange amidst all the storms, cold, and snow. It was warm enough that Luke ended up like this:


Crazy, I tell you. Here are some more pictures of Jetty Fun!


The only other thing of major interest was our stop at the Seaside Aquarium. The kids really enjoyed watching the seals get fed, checking out the huge octopi, and scoping out the gift shop. Caden was thrilled to be greeted by the seals when he took a peek at them!


Well, that is our trip in a nutshell. The kids are already begging to go back again. They really want to climb the Astoria Column next time. We went there....but it was closed!!! We were all a little disappointed. Daria is reading over my shoulder and the begging begins again!!