Tales from the " coast": Day 8

Though we aren't at the coast anymore, our adventure continued today as we started the trek home. We stopped in the Oregon countryside to see our friends Jason and Elizabeth and their sweet little ones. Elizabeth and I met in Hawaii at a women's Bible study and pretty much immediately recognized each other as kindred spirits. Our friendship is one that time and distance really can't touch, and I'm so thankful for that. After both leaving Hawaii, we have spent time together in Texas multiple times, Utah, and now twice in Oregon! Amazing to think that we now have 8 children between us! They had such fun together today, as did all of the grown ups! Though the visit flew by too quickly, I'll treasure it, as I always do our time together. Love you, Lewis family!

Tales from the coast: Day 7

Our last day at the coast. Boo. I have really, really enjoyed this trip. It really has felt like a dream to experience such a different and magical part of the country, to watch our children explore and enjoy the tidepools and the forest and their family, to have that time of solitude yesterday, to have another family adventure and to see dear friends along the way ( more tomorrow!), it has just been good and I'm so very thankful. Oh how I hope we come back here year after year, but if we don't I hope that documenting this time will help me remember. The green, green goodness all around. The bizarre and amazing tidepools. Both the calm and the wild of the ocean. The cousins playing and playing in the yard and in their upstairs room with the secret closet. Family soccer games and walks in the evenings. All of it. Except for the teething issues. We can forget those!:)
Anyway, I'll end by showing some pictures that Joel took this morning when he and his dad took the kids outdoors. He described their time as "magical". Yeah, we've been throwing that word around a lot here. It can't be helped:)
Thanks for reading along! Jen

Tales from the coast: Day 6

Once upon a time there was mama and a baby. The sweetest baby in all the land, in fact. Unfortunately, there was a nasty teething monster that pursued her relentlessly, stealing her sleep and her generally content disposition. This all made her mama very sleepy and, truth be told, a little grumpy as well.
So, one morning after a long night with the nasty teething monster visiting every couple of hours, the mama had a choice to make. She could choose to stay home and be sleepy and grumpy and try to get the tired baby to take a nap, or she could take baby and flee to the enchanted forest.
She chose wisely. She knew that choosing fresh air was usually always the right choice when it came to fussy babies, and fussy mamas for that matter. And so they walked into the mossy, ferny forest with trees towering over them and the ocean and rocky coast beside them, the ocean proving to be the best lullaby of all. The baby slept. The mama walked. She walked and and hummed and prayed and thought and was very happy indeed. They walked and walked with the baby snuggled close to the mamas heart and saw only one other person until they came out of the
forest's canopy and into the light, where a woman commented on how darling the sweetest baby in all the land was, which promptly woke her up. That was okay though, because by then, at least for that moment, all was right in the world again.
The end. :)

Tales from the coast: Day 5

Today was a chill out day...which was a good thing after another hard night with Jubilee. We had a nice week long break from teething woes, but they are back in full force with fever, fussiness, sleeplessness, etc. I know it's just a short season in the big picture, but man it has really been a defining factor of her 8th, 9th, and 10th months of life:/ Poor babe. Poor mama. Ok, whine fest over!
I got up and started the prep work for chicken enchiladas I was making the crew for lunch. Everyone went down to the beach and while Jubilee napped, I had a nice time alone in the kitchen, listening to Fernando Ortega, feeling the breeze whip through the open windows while I worked, cutting some hydrangea for the table...it was lovely. The crew came home, lunch was eaten, the girls went to the little town for some window shopping and the guys and kids went back to the beach.
Now the day is winding down, the baby is finally asleep and Joel and I are settling into the living room to eat brownies and read...ahhhh. Tomorrow most everyone is going on a whale watching trip, but gpa Jim, myself and Jubilee will be having another chill out day at home. I get super sea sick and the thought of trying to care for a teething babe while simultaneously trying not to throw up for 2 hours, just doesn't sound appealing:)
I can't believe our time here is dwindling...boo. Although, life is full at home and the Hunts will be with us through mid September, so there is a lot to look forward to! Still, this has been such a rich time and I'd love to just stay here in this cool, fresh ( but not cold!) air and keep exploring. Ah well, so thankful for this time we have had- my goodness!
Jen

Tales from the coast: Day 4

Today we went for a hike in the green, green goodness of the forest that surrounds us here. Well, we started the day with Joel's delicious French toast...mmmm. Then it was off to the Great Spruce trail to see a 450 year old Spruce tree. The whole fam went, which includes our five, Joel's parents, and Joel's sister Shanyn, her husband Tim and Isaac. It was a gorgeous walk, and perfect weather. There were mosquito along the way, and especially at the end, so we didn't hang around long to admire the old spruce tree, but it was amazing! We mostly took pictures with the real camera and so I'll have to wait until we get home to upload them.
Anyway, after the trail we went and ate (more) fish and chips and then Jubilee and I came home and fell into a deep sleep while the others went to some sea lion caves and saw sea lions and whales ( though both were off in the distance)!
Joel and Shari walked on the beach with the kids to see the sunset and then it was a quick dinner, bath and bed for all.
What fun, full days. I still can't believe it's all really happening. I better head to bed as I was pretty blurry today from being up with Jubilee a lot in the night.
Lots of love, Jen

Tales from the coast: Day 3

Ahhh, today was another good one. After a bit of a sluggish morning ( Jubilee broke her great sleeping spell last night) and yummy homemade waffles from gpa Jim, we headed out to meet my dear friend Abbe Jo and her family! We met at an aquarium about 45 minutes away and then went to a nearby beach park for a picnic lunch. Jubilee LOVED the beach, running her hands through the wet, squishy sand and splashing in little puddles. Amelia was her wild (wonderful) self- just off on her own running into the surf, throwing mud, dragging seaweed all over the beach. Sam was searching the shore for treasures, though sadly, these beaches don't have many shells!
Best of all, though, was getting to stand there and chat with Abbe dear, friends since we were babes, now standing there watching our babies play. What a gift!
Then it was a trip to the grocery store and home. I was super duper sleepy by this time, but Jubilee was refusing a nap so we ate a snack and headed outside. Oh my gosh, this air is so fresh and cool and in a matter of minutes my sleepiness had vanished and the kids and I finished the afternoon in the yard playing, reading, kicking the soccer ball with gpa Jim, watching the neighbor's chickens, etc.
After a yummy vegetable soup and cornbread dinner made by Tim, the girls headed out on an evening walk. After a little Olympics watching, I am heading to bed. Hiking and seal watching is on the agenda tomorrow! A few favorite phone pics and I'll "see" ya tomorrow,
Jen

Tales from the coast: day 2

This morning was spent at more tide pools, where we saw many, many starfish, barnacles, some sea cucumbers, and a sea lion! Amazing! I mean, just pure joy to see the kids explore this beautiful shore. Jubilee was a little trooper and napped in the Beco carrier as I walked along the rocks and sand. So thankful for baby carriers!!
We ate lunch at a little seafood place in town- so good- then came back for rest. Well, half the crew rested and Shari and the big kids and I had such a fun time lounging in the sunshine in the back yard. We read books about the sea, kicked the soccer ball around, and (inspired by a Sparkle story we listened to on the way up), we made an obstacle course and had our own little Olympics. Fun times:)
Now, I am super duper sleepy and heading to bed. Excited for a trip to the aquarium tomorrow and, best of all, to catch up with some dear friends who will meet us there!:) Here are some of my favorite phone pics from the day.
Jen

Tales from the coast: day one

We got to the coast late this afternoon after winding through the beautiful, lush, green Oregon forests on the drive from Portland. Man, I just wanted to hunker down in a little cabin and read and write and drink chai tea somewhere deep in that forest- but the coast was waiting for us!
Sammy said it best after he saw the ocean for the first time. He said, "Mama? I feel like I'm dreaming." It really does feel like a dream. All of us piled into a little cottage ( a bit
outdated but cute and oh, so cheap, and it couldn't be a dream for me if it wasn't a great deal- ha!) right by the shore, the house lined with brilliant blue hydrangea. Behind the house is that green, green forest.
We walked down to see the tide pools tonight and Sam spotted a starfish right away. Oh my, he was SO excited. Amelia was bounding over the rocks, barefoot of course, being the wild adventurer that she is.
We are so very thankful. To have made it here safely, to be here with family, to see and experience this amazing part of the country.
Going to bed feeling very tired and very happy, Jen

A modern day, middle class miracle!

Yesterday, I was scurrying around cleaning my heart out while Jubilee was asleep. The kids were just out of the bath and watching a movie while I rushed around trying to get the house in order so that I could pack for our trip to the coast today. I wanted to get it clean before the Hunts arrived that afternoon so that I could relax with them for a bit before packing.
I was resigning myself to the fact that the house wasn't going to be done, and we'd come home to a bit of a mess. Boo. I actually thought I had bought a groupon for a cleaning service and I was going to have them come before we left, but alas, I guess it had just been a thought- because when I went to get my code before calling I realized I hadn't ever bought it! Aaaaanyway, I was thinking about this all when Jubilee woke up and I went upstairs to get her. While up there, the doorbell rang. I went down with baby to answer it.
There stood a cleaning angel!:) It was a lady my mom knew from work that helped us clean a couple of times months ago! I couldn't imagine why she was at our house but I happily asked her in. Sadly, she had lost her job and was wondering if I might need any help!! I was, like " UM, YES!!" She stayed and helped me get the house ready and we both just kept thanking each other:)
I wish I was disciplined or organized or energetic enough to say I have figured out the key to " doing it all"- keeping a clean, tidy house and living life with the kids and baby and cooking, etc. etc. Tools like FlyLady help me lots, but boy, sometimes a girl just "needs" a modern day, middle class miracle. Yesterday, I got one, and it was pretty fabulous:) I looked around as we walked out the door today and let out a sigh of happiness that we'd be coming home to clean toilets, floors, rooms, etc. I'm not alone in this, right?!
So, we are now on the road! I think we are most excited to see Sam experience the ocean for the first time. That boy has loved the sea and its creatures since he was born I think, but has never seen it in person! Oh, the thought of him collecting shell after shell almost makes me teary- he has dreamed of it for so long. I'm going to try and blog from my phone so I don't have to play catch up when we get home. We'll see how it goes! All for now, Jen