Summer 2016 Family Vacation! (day one)

The 5 of us just got back from our best eVery summer 2016 fam vacay!
Brace yourself for an overload of vacation pictures.


The first day we spent traveling from Aunt Ruth's house down to 
Fort Stevens and made a little stop at
Cape Disappointment.
It was the perfect spot for exploring and stretching restless legs!

Marshall told the kids that the first one to spy a "slug" wins.

They where all pretty excited when Rolli found this snail, 

even though it wasn't a slug.

And how cool is it that it wasn't shy?!

Rolli and his curious snail.

Our first look at the ocean!

And the lighthouse that we where hiking too.

Of course we took a break from hiking as soon as the kids saw the 

army batteries open for exploring!

Yes, Vivian is hiking and exploring in a lovely red dress.

I barely got them to freeze for a second before they where off and running again!

Adventuring with 3 kids truly makes me slow down 

(even though everything is at a run)

and really see what we're looking at.

The most spoiledest of all.

These two are the perfect pair and yet completely opposite.

"a cute little deer."

The Lighthouse, ocean breeze and our wild birdies.

After a mile hike up they are still too full of energy to site and pose for just one nice picture.

And that's why we love them :)

Marshall talked them in to walking (as opposed to running again) 

back down by having another creature search.

First find was this bright caterpillar.

Followed by a grasshopper who accidentally lost his leg but fortunately still survived.

And that was it for Cape Disappointment.

With noses plugged 

(just in case the bridge failed and we fell into the water, nobody wants water up their nose) 

we headed over the Columbia to Astoria and then on to Fort Stevens.

After getting camp all set up the kids went looking for firewood.

Then it's wasn't long before Colter started yelling and dancing and making all sorts of noise.

Turns out he was trying to tell us he was the "winner".

Just look at the big banana slug he found!

I guess all of us but Colter had forgotten about Daddy's contest from earlier in the day.

We ended our first day with shrimp, lobster and corn cooked over the fire!

Seriously, the best meal ever!

...still 2 more days of pictures to follow!