Beach Weekend

February is not the most cheerful month in Oregon. What better way to break the February doldrums than with a Book Club Beach Weekend? Nothing like some sand, surf and sun to get in a better mood. Okay, this is February in Oregon-- make that just sand and surf. My friend Ranell was awesome enough to host our book club at her beach condo for a kid-free weekend.(That's all it really takes to get in a better mood, right? :) )

The majestic Oregon coast

Several nights spent talking with friends until the wee hours of the morning-- check. Viewed chick flicks with all due diligence-- check. Large quantities of hummus consumed-- check. General admiration of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy observed-- check. Drank herbal tea and hot chocolate in pajamas and slippers-- check. Shared treats and gripes and at least a couple of birth/pregnancy/child horror stories-- check. Nothing like some time away with friends to get a fresh, more cheerful perspective on life, even if the weather is stubbornly gray. (I only snapped a few pictures before I left so most of my friends don't appear-- although maybe it's better to not be documented on camera in pj's and slippers. :)

The beautiful gloom.

A solitary walk on the beach in the rain warrants a self-portrait with the cell phone, right?

Another self-portrait with the cell phone camera.

Ranell and I

Ranell and Sarah

Summer-y Summary Part II: Trip to the Coast

During August we went to the coast for a few days with some good friends.

We managed to hit the beach during one of the few times it wasn't overcast

Jackson liked hanging out in the sand.

We also went to the aquarium.

 

The kids love playing on the fish sculptures at the end.

Thanks for a great break and lots of fun, Ranell!

California Catch-Up Part II

After the aforementioned beach excursion, we ventured to Gayle's Bakery in Capitola, the home of fabulous baked everything. I had the very dumb idea of taking the kids to eat dinner there. The older kids loved the mac and cheese (which is some of the best around, after the stuff at Beecher's Handmade Cheese at Pike's Place Market in Seattle) and their kids meal. Jackson, on the other hand, screamed at Grandma and threw a huge fit while I ordered our food. Not one of the most enjoyable dinner conversations ever, although the food was yummy.

Then we were off to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for their 1907 nights, where you can get on any ride for 1 ticket and they have hot dogs, soda and cotton candy for the price of 1 ticket. I remember going as a kid it was only 25 cents a ticket or something like that. Now it is 75 cents per ticket, but it's still lots of fun.

Jared and Camryn went on their first grown-up roller coaster, The Hurricane (a.k.a. "The Jet Star" back in the olden days), with Grandma. I couldn't go because I was pregnant... only kiddie rides for me. Hooray. :p Camryn actually surprised me with how brave she was. She went on some pretty scary rides, including a drop zone-like ride that Jared wouldn't go on. (Actually, he said he just didn't feel like going on it. It wasn't because he was too scared.) =]

California Summary Part I

I am falling into the "must catch up on old stuff before I can post new stuff" trap lately on my blog. As a result, I have been avoiding my blog entirely because it makes me feel overwhelmed. I'm going to try to give a quick catch-up on some of the stuff that I've been putting off forever so I can move on with my life... and my blog.

Our Trip to California: Yes, this trip was in June. Yes it is now August. But could you really live without seeing pictures of:

The kids and I at our favorite beach with Grandma. We love this beach because the parking is free and it has a little "river" that the smaller kids can play in without waves. Jared and Camryn laid down in the shallow water and waited for waves to go over them, never-mind the chilly water temperature (they get their tolerance of cold from their Dad, not me).