Pictures

Here are the promised pictures!

We are Oregonians!

I am bummed to be posting without pictures - which we do have! - but I can't go any longer without a post:o).

We spent a beautiful day on the beach in Cannon Beach on Saturday. It was sunny and warm enough, believe it or not you fellow NWerners, that we could run around in swimsuits! (Okay, the kids and Bryce ran around in swimsuits - I wore my cloths...) And the ocean water was "warm" enough to stick our feet in. Bryce even went nearly waist deep!

So true to Oregon nature... this weather was not to last.

Sunday morning we had an 8 mile run to accomplish and thought it would be great to run on the beach (which is a total of 5.4 miles long - thanks Dad:o). Well, it was a wet day. By that I mean, it wasn't truly raining... it was misting - a very usual Oregon Coast day. (Late August and it's grey, wet and in the 60's)

In Michigan - we wouldn't have gone out. However, we are in Oregon!

The kids got bundled in rain coats and ponchos, two very neatly wrapped plastic bundles in the stroller, and off we went! We ran what we gussed to be 4 miles one way and 4 miles back... the whole time fighting coast breezes (more like gusty winds with sand pelting our exposed legs, because of course, we are wearing shorts!!). We were drenched in about 2 seconds, but it wasn't "cold" so we persevered.

There were others as brave as we were... so we weren't totally crazy. However, some where along the way it started truly raining, and when we got back we could wring water out of our socks and had puddles in our shoes... not to mention what the rest of us looked like. The kids were completely covered and came out totally dry - with the exception of Jadon, who didn't like his feet covered, go figure, and was slightly damp on his legs.

We got our 8 miles in, and proved we are still Oregonians to the core! Yay us! Also true to being Oregonian, we had hot showers and snuggled in sweats and had hot drinks while napping in front of the Discovery channel's showing of a baby tigers documentary, much to both kids' delight. Later we went out for coffee. Yup, it's good to be back:o)!

Pictures will follow soon.

Father and Son

This conversation took place as Bryce and Jadon were walking around the yard outside. Camdon is our 10 year-old neighbor a couple of houses down.

"Dad, you look like Camdon when you do that."

"I look like Camdon?"

"Yeah, but Camdon has a round head, not a carrot face like you."

"You think my face looks like a carrot?"

"Yep."

Bryce cracked up laughing - as did I! (and Camdon's parents when they heard the story!!)

Women of Faith Weekend in Indianapolis

For the second year I was able to spend the weekend with my neighbor, Sheila, and women from her church in Indianapolis for Women of Faith conference.

It was incredible! So totally what I needed to hear and be encouraged in for this time in my life.
Plus we stayed in a 5 star hotel for two nights at $40 a night!! Can't beat that:o) Everything was within walking distance, and we were able to peruse the mall and eat at some amazing restaurants. (PH Changs & Buca di Beppo)

This, unfortunately, is the only picture I got for the whole weekend! We weren't aloud to take cameras into the arena, so I left mine in the room... the whole time. Sheila got a couple, which I'm hoping to get from her and post one of these days:o).

I'm so thankful for the break this weekend provided - I've got such a great guy, who let's me leave him alone with a house full of work to be done and two kiddos!!! This was truly refreshing & so much fun!