October Beach Adventure

Ok. Another great thing about living in Portland. (I'm keeping a list for when I feel really homesick.) We live close to the beach. Not that we didn't in Seattle but it's different at the Oregon Coast, namely Cannon Beach. More open, actual waves. We decided last minute to take off Saturday and drive down for some surf.   Brant and two of his kids came with us. Allison decided to stay home and we missed her spunk and fun. Next time, Allison. :)
The morning started out cloudy, foggy, rainy and cold. But by the time we arrived at the coast, it couldn't have been more perfect.

Sean apparently didn't like the little jellyfish we found in the sand. (This kid has eyelashes to die for!)

Jonah was crazy with excitement and could not wait to play!  Make note of what we had dressed him to start out.  It really wasn't that cold but coming from rainy Portland, we planned for all weather. I am a good mother, I promise.

Sean, the sensible one, sat down to create a sand castle with his sweet daddy, Aaron's brother.

But The Disaster HAD to take off his boots so we could feel the wet sand between his toes just like Lukey.

Of course, it was a matter of minutes before he fell and was soaked from head to toe.

 Did that slow him down?

Not a bit.

Life could not be more fun and adventurous for this crazy boy!

Especially with an amazing older brother who loves to play along.

Samantha just shook her head at her hypothermic cousin.

But then....Jonah wasn't quite quick enough for this coming wave...

Just seconds before he face planted a second time...

Mom, there to keep the kid from drowning and getting soaked up to my knees in the process..

I couldn't move because the current was pulling me backward.

 Finding sand where there shouldn't be any.

Jonah, dry and warm, decided he didn't want anything to do with the water any more and sat on the warm rocks until everyone else was done.  How did I know to bring an extra set of clothing and dry towels?   Experience.

But the kid was still happy and couldn't help but give his "cheese face."

Sean and Jonah played on the rocks until we all strolled down the beach toward Haystack Rock.

Jonah milked it all he could until Lukey stepped in and helped.

Two great fathers and their boys.

Sweet cousins.

We ate at Mo's for lunch. Yummy clam chowder, fish tacos and fish & chips. (Jonah took this picture.)

This one too. :)

Portland was good to me on Saturday.  What a beautiful, lovely day. 

Comedy of Errors

Projects have not been going smoothly over here.  It's always one thing or another.  Or another and another.  I have been doing about 4 projects at a time and one thing was always going wrong with each one.  I'll figure out 3 out of the 4 issues but then 2 more rear their ugly heads so the cycle never ends. 

Here is the Painting of the Dining Room.  The pictures are awful.  Again, I never seem to get the lighting figured out.  (I have a recommendation on a great beginner's book for manual photography and hopefully that will at least get me started while I try to find a class.)

The dining room came in a dark, brick red.  Which, if I was going to go red, I would choose this red.  But right now I need light, so the red had to go.

The chandelier is great but again, dark...


and didn't fit the new light "wool skein" color of the new room.  Basically the walls are just a light, neutral beige with a grey undertone to go with the living room.

I decided to give the light fixture a makeover.  When Aaron was out of town, I cover e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. with plastic, opened all the windows, turned on a fan, wore a mask and spray painted it while still hanging in the dining room.  Oh, yes I did.  And yes, a little crazy.  But I must say this wasn't out of laziness, mind you.  It wasn't.  Just clueless on how to undo all the electrical wiring to be able to take it down.  Now I know even my sister is able to do it, so I'll know for next time.

Well, after all that mess, I didn't even like the finish of it.  I gave it a good 5 or 6 coats but once I took everything down I noticed places it wasn't a bright white and could see the dark underneath.  It really just looked grey, but not a good grey.  Not the finish I wanted.  So I decided to paint it by hand with the paint I used for the trim.  SO MUCH BETTER.   But my ideas, like paint it by hand, takes lots-o-time and patience and I must admit I am not completely done with it.  My decorating ADD at work.

Plus I had these to deal with.  The white paint brought out the "antique" cracks of the chandelier which you hardly noticed when it was dark, but with the white stuck out like the wrinkles on my face. Not to my liking.  So being the creative, innovative person I decided to give it a little Botox, or in other words, spackle.

The wrinkles look better but I need to sand parts of it down one more time, namely the bottom part, and paint again.  And that takes more time, more mess and I haven't been back yet because I've been tackling the front entryway and another out-of-control building project.   I think the whiteness of the chandelier will look good once I put all the accoutrements into the room and it won't stand out so blankly.  That's the hope anyway.

I still haven't put anything on the walls or decorated at all.  I want someone to come over and help me place all the things that fit so well in our other house and tell me how to fit them in our new space. 

So it's slow going over here.   But a few things are happening and it will come together.  Sooner or later, right?

A brother's influence

This is what you find when Lucas is in charge of the bedtime routine.

Taste of Seattle

Last weekend we had the best visit!  Our dear friends and neighbors came down to play!   Jeff, the husband, was running in the Portland Marathon and they gave us Saturday to have fun.

Kyle has been one of Lucas' best friends since 2nd grade.   They lived down the street from us in the Westminster Triangle so we they had playdates galore, plus had soccer and basketball together every year.  Dylan, the younger brother, rounded them out to a trio who played together super well.

Through their friendship we got to know the parents, Natalie and Jeff.  Talk about amazing people and we became great friends.  Aaron and Jeff coached the boys basketball team for a few years and Natalie and I were going to be co-presidents in PTA this year.  The two Natalie's.  And she didn't even get mad when I left her in the lurch and moved away.  They were the ones we called when I went into labor 5 weeks early and needed someone to watch Lucas over night.  It made is super easy since Lucas was already playing over there like most days. 

 

Saturday we decided to run on over to a pumpkin patch that is nicely located 5 minutes from our house.  The day could not have been more gorgeous.  I actually got warm and took off my coat!  That is saying something.  I kept saying saying this was the driest and hottest visit to a pumpkin patch I have had in all my years of taking kids.   Genet and Mark came with their kids so it was one big party.

I can't believe I didn't get a good picture of Jeff and Natalie together.  Here's the side of her face as she lifted Jonah to pet the pony.

Jonah could not have been more proud of himself riding that pony.

They had a huge jumping-pillow-thingy that of course the boys loved.

Sweet face.

Even when he kept wanting me to take a picture of his granola bar.  Post chew.

JB and I rode a plastic barrel train around the whole farm.  It's amazing what they come up with to entertain kids.  And me I must admit.  I loved going around with the little man.

We almost had a "Mice & Men" moment as Jonah loved the chicken a little too much.  But Natalie saved the day and the little chick's life.

We finished the day with swimming at their hotel, dinner at the mall food court since all the places around us were an hour wait and a ride on a super speedy carousel that Jonah absolutely loved this time. :)

Thanks for coming!