leg 4

cape lookout, our first night there.

we had set up camp and then spent the rest of the evening on the beach.

the sun was setting and the sand was warm under our feet.

tuesday may 10

with nothing else to do but spend time together, we finished our breakfast, gathered up our buckets and snacks, magazines and sunscreen, wet suits and cameras and headed to the beach. we found a little spot and there we stayed...literally for the rest of the day. at one point we figured it was time for lunch so i went back to the van to make sandwiches and bring them to the beach. i grabbed a piece of technology to see the time...just after four...guess i should have been starting to think of dinner, but lunch had not been eaten yet, so lunch it still was.

[she called them, "the team"]

[the new suit for penny]

[i have known for some time now,

but it is always good share with others

that really her feet never hit the ground]

[our little surfer girls]

[jumping waves with dad]

[we had many a race]

and at the end of the day, we [penny] was ready to come home...sophie had found a friend on the beach and was helping him build a sandcastle. it was amazing to watch the interactions between the girls. so much to do and so much beach to cover, as long as they were by each other they would do it all...and all they did do.

[to show our camp]

[the sweetness of scott. knowing i don't love the idea of drinking,

but also knowing he really enjoys a beer every once in a while,

he chose one with a label that would make me smile]

[a blessing from last year...we bought fire wood and had the best/warmest fires yet!]

after a hot dog dinner, a warm shower and clean pjs, the girls fell asleep rather fast. the rest of the night was spent chatting with other campers around our fire and then sitting together in quietness as we listen to both the waves on the beach and the crackle of the fire.

leg 3

sunday may 8 2011

with thunder and lightening storms a coming we packed up our little van and set out on the road. the weather kept us on our toes this trip and we were so unsure what to do. for example, beverly beach. a beach that we briefly stayed at last year and this year planned to spend the day at as a friend had said she stayed there with her family growing up, and it was a favorite for her. as we drove we experienced massive down pours and then beautiful brilliant skies, we put layers on, we peeled them off, we wore sunnies and then we didn't. we were all over the place. but beverly beach was approaching and i was determined to make the most of it. we had our jackets on, our buckets in hand and few snacks...key = snacks in any and all situations. it felt like we were walking against a wall of wind but the sun was out so we found our spot on the beverly beach and we sat, we ate one bite of a snack and the biggest most blackest clouds came tumbling across the beach, looming and almost laughing at us. with a crack they opened and rains came out...and we ran...which is hard to do with two kids, one dog, buckets and shovels, water cups and snacks. back in the van we giggled...see you next year beverly.

from here we found shelter and warmth in the outlet malls at lincoln city. we got a hotel and escaped the storm while we swam in the pool and had a real shower.

monday may 9, 2011

woke to a drizzle, but nothing that we couldn't handle. back in the van and started the journey to my favorite spot, cape lookout. the sky looked promising on the horizon so our spirits were good. we traveled north to pacific city. this is the reason we had yet to make it any further south. this place is amazing. great surf, amazing opportunities to explore, a massive sand dune, an amazing pub and most years there are whales in the cove. i would live here...even in the van.

we each had a chance at the beginning of the trip to voice one thing we would really love to see happen, to do. mine, have lunch at the pelican brew pub in pacific city.

we pulled into the sand parking lot and layered up, nice but windy. we explored sand dunes, went dinosaur hunting, found t-rex tracks, discovered a somewhat underwater cave full of amazing shell creatures, touched starfish, had our hands eaten by sea anemones, walked in the waves and watched the stand up paddle boarders share waves with the surfers.

the sun had come through the clouds and really, i kinda fell in love with my family in a different way. the girls were asking questions, scott led them around from tide pool to tide pool, our feet embracing the rocks and waves, the sounds and smells of the ocean...my heart was full. now my stomach. we had lunch at the brew pub...are you serious could this day get any better. of course it would as we headed to cape lookout and set up camp.

leg 2

a meandering journey north.

friday may 6 2011

we started our long and slow journey north. we would take our time, play at the beach, climb sand dunes, take photographs, and just enjoy one another. to be honest i had come into this trip with a heavy heart, but day by day, each moment together it grew lighter and more aware of the beauty that was around me.

we stopped in north bend for fish and chips at the captain's choice. so good. would do that again. the rain had started to fall ever so softly so we just puttered our way along and stopped at sand dunes to go dinosaur hunting. this may have been sophies favorite part of the whole trip.

[photographs along the way, trying to gain a little more skill in landscape photography]

we made our way to beachside state park and set up camp. we would stay here for two nights and listen to the waves break on the beach while we slept.

saturday may 7 2011

had hot cereal for breakfast to warm up. at this point scott and i had decided not to do this trip in may again. last year we had only one night of rain, but this year was proving to be a different story.

[enjoying breakfast under our 'new to us' awning]

however, no amount of rain would hamper the spirits of the two little ones...they found mud puddles and questioned what happened to the ocean when the rain was added to it...we went to find out. rain or shine it would seem, that water called us by name.

[oh the series of events that i was able to capture...

i never did find out why she was crying, she was the one who started it all,

maybe it was because her sister paid no attention to her]

we headed back to the van for a quick lunch, dry leggings and then back out to the beach. as the day wore on, the sun fought its way through the clouds and the layers peeled off.

[kinda love the way they hold onto one another]

[i would see them again at the end of the day,

only to carry them home and tuck them into bed]

[oh how they would rejoice in the goodness of creation]

[one of my favorite pictures, neither girl has their feet on the ground]

[a magnificent ending to a pretty wonderful day]

with two tired little girls tucked into bed, scott and i enjoyed a fire and the company of one another. quite, and peaceful, i think i could live this way forever.