You Don't See That Every Day

Looking out towards the coast We did not sleep well on the first night, so naps were a must. But afterwards, the sun was shining, and the bicycle path was calling. We biked out to an historic site - the military battery. This is the only area in the continental US that was fired upon in WWII. (I had no idea!) It was a lovely bike ride with the family. After a little snack time (we are a family big on snacking!) we explored the battery - plenty of history and learning. I was in the dark about Oregon history .. either I missed that day in school, or we never went over it. Fort Stevens was created back in the Civil War area to protect the north from a British invasion from Canada. Thankfully, it never needed to fire its guns in defense. So we saw some Army trucks - we didn't take the tour ride, but I suppose that would be interesting to do. We saw - and heard - cannons. (No, the one pictured did not go off, that would have been a bit loud.) And there were some re-e...

Our 4th of July holiday - not how many people spend the holiday. No parades, no big family bashes, no fireworks in the driveway this year. We had all of that earlier in the weekend ... well, except for the fireworks in the driveway; we skipped those completely this year. Instead, G and the kids spent the first part of the day in the garage, ripping off the sheetrock ceiling to expose the rafters; it's the first step in the remodeling process. What a hot, dusty process! We did have a BBQ with the 7 of us. Little K really got into the RED, white, and blue mode with the fruit salad, smeared all over herself. Later in the evening we drove out to a nearby town, piled into the back of the pickup, cozied up under the blankets, and watched the fireworks. It was another late night, and the kids slept in again - but isn't that what summer is all about?

5 for the Boy; 13 for the Swimmer Girl; 4 for Miss M. 3 for the Princess; and none for Little K. Big Daddy got a few, and I can count 3 of my own. My niece is up to 21 I think. S'mores? no; Mosquito Bites! Oh, yeah, the little buggers were thick at this camp-out. We arrived Friday evening in time for supper. (we got a later start from home than we had planned, but that's the way most of our plans go anyway.) As soon as I opened the door of the pickup I was attacked by a buzzing annoying little bug. So I rummaged through the luggage for the kids' coats and pants. When we left home in the valley, it was in the 80s and sunny. By the time we arrived at the coast, it was not so warm, nor sunny, nor pleasantly bug-less. It didn't stop us from eating of course. And the s'mores cooking was just as yummy. Of course there is always clean up after eating. And guess who was a much-appreciated helper? My dear husband. He helped me out in so many ways on this trip, which ...

We managed to squeeze in a new park this week. Amidst the packing and sorting and cleaning and shopping that is necessary to prepare for the first camp out of the season, we stopped and took an hour or so to visit a new park in town. Not only new to us, but basically brand new to the community also. We call it the Spinning Park. Not it's actual name, but it's how we identify it. Why? Because it is full of spinning toys! There is a skateboard like structure. A DNA-shaped like structure that spins. A large circular, tilted structure that spins. And a little cup that you sit in and get sick , er, spin around and around while calling, "help!get me out of this!" Thankfully there were some slides and baby swings for the younger set.   One drawback, no bathrooms. I sure hope they put something there ... I really like to have a place to take the kids (who always seem to need to go about 10 minutes after we arrive). ...

I couldn't get any of my early attempts at a post to be just right. So I mushed a bunch of thoughts all together here on one. I've got many things running through my head, and many events running through my life. Running being one of them - which is where I do some of my best thinking. I haven't been on a run in 3 days, so you can get the brunt of how my mind works if you're so inclined to read on: I'm reading the classic book, Little Women. We watched the 1994 movie this week, and I was struck by how odd it seemed in relation to my memory. Not that my memory is very good, but I do recall the book being different than the movie ... go figure. And as I read I have concluded that yes my memory is intact. On this issue anyway. The book is so so so much better than the movie. Which is often (but not always) the case when Hollywood tries to capture a book in a movie.  Summer around here seems busier that the school year! What? Why? I'm suppose to be relaxing in the...

Last week my kids had VBS each morning. Which left me and Little K. with time to run errands and do 'fun' stuff like that. So I have been a bit remiss in blogging. And then the cousins came to visit. Since these are the Wyoming cousins, the beach was a natural choice. They don't have much in the way of oceanfront views in Wyoming. the beach! The day turned out to be one of the nicest ones yet! Sunshine, a little breeze, and glorious sights. We ran on the sand, played in the water, climbed the driftwood - carefully. We ate lunch at Mo's; because any trip to the beach without clam chowder from Mo's would just not be a complete trip. look at those tiny footprints the driftwood was across the tidewater but not deep enough to deter the waders and climbers After lunch we decided to try a different beach; one with a river instead of a bay.  When we got there the first thing we saw was these beautiful kites. Actually since I was driving, the first thing I saw...

It was the second week of our 'summer experiment' to try different parks. Except we went to a park that we love and have been to a few times. It's in a neighboring town, near my in-laws. So we stopped at Grammy and Grandpa's house first for a short visit. And a turkey chase. You can just barely see the turkey feathers behind Grammy's right hand. And of course, the kids love to slide down the handrail at the steps from the house to the yard. They have a gorgeous view from their backyard. But then we were on to the park - for teeter totters, merry-go-rounds, slides, (but no swings - they were right above icky mud puddles), and rock throwing. There is a terrific bridge over a creek that the kids love to throw rocks off of. They hope to go wading there this summer ... we'll see. Even Little K had a great time this park day. Her brother and sisters love to take her on the slides. So each had to have a turn going down with her. Her facial expres...