Still the same shipwreck!

Look at this picture that I found tucked away in my photo box!

Caryl Family summer vacation (year?).

It's the exact same shipwreck that Marshall and I took the kids to this summer!

And isn't this just the best picture?!

My Mom must have been the one snapping the photo.  

It makes me happy to pass on some of my favorite memories to a new generation :)

And it was an extra bonus that my parents where able to join us

 for a quick re-visit to the Peter Iredale Shipwreck this year.

*FYI:  our matching shirts say "Life without bears is un-bear-able."

Summer Family Vacation 2016 (last day)!

...And then our vacation was over...

We spent our last morning of the BEST ever summer fam vacay 

exploring the Peter Iredale Shipwreck and beach.

How cool is it to be a kid and be able to climb on a real life actual shipwreck?!!

The popular Peter Iredale shipwreck.

Rolli, Viv, Colter and Marshall.

Viv, Marshall, Colter and Rolli discovering more of the shipwreck.

Fun times!

One last energy burst before sitting in the car for the looooong drive home.

Even Marshall got his yayas out!

Good Bye Fort Stevens!

Thanks for the memories!

Summer Family Vacation 2016 (day three)

Each day of our vacation was better than the day before!  

We spent our third morning exploring the beach at low tide.

It's seriously a whole new world!

Every thing is a treasure!

Marshall and his young marine biologists :)

ColT loves his FREEdom!

Vivian, Rolli and Colter.

The tide pools seemed to offer endless exploring.

Sink sand!

These 3 had a lot of fun and made a lot of noise just letting their feet sink into the wet sand.

The Wallace family.

Rolli could not believe how lucky he was to find so many crab parts.

In fact he looked right at these complete strangers and practically yelled,

"This is the most crab parts in the UNIVERSE!"

They just smiled and replied, "it's a matter of perspective."

All three kids where overwhelmed by how "rich in crab parts" they where.

Marshall and I couldn't have been happier watching our lil' flock as they explored the beach 

and honestly found wonder and value in every little thing.

They always remind us to slow down and be thankful...

for even the stinkiest piece of broken crab parts!

Summer 2016 Family Vacation! (day two)

Day 2 of our BEST ever summer 2016 fam vacay was packed full of adventure!

Auntie Ruth, cousins, Grandpa and Grandma  and even Uncle Dean 

meet us at Fort Clatsop to start the day!

*most of my pictures from this day are blurry due to 

the fact that the kids hardly stopped moving*

Colter, Rolli and Viv trying out the explorer bunk beds.

After sitting through a short story of Lewis and Clark we watched a flint gun demo.

And then the kids even got to (kinda) hold the gun to feel how heavy it was.

Vivian and Madison participated in a demonstration on how elk skin clothes where made.

These boys checked out all of the exhibits at a furious speed.  

They are so full of energy and excitement!

Our next stop was a quick picnic lunch at Fort Stevens before the kids where off and running again!

Look out!  Crazy Driver!

With a load full of wild kids!

Vivian posed for a picture to share with her gymnastics school :)

All the cousins really liked exploring at Fort Stevens!  

It was lots of fun to watch them running around, playing and yelling...

just like we had done at their ages :)

Our last stop for the day was the Peter Irerdale Shipwreck beach.

She is always running wild!

And I love her for it (even though she causes me a lot of worry already).

Vivian and Madison love playing with each other.

I think what they really like is the break from their brothers ;)

Oh' the joys of sand!

The kids dug huge "shelter" holes, rolled down the hill, 

threw sand in the air, put sand in their pockets, ect....

Sand was EVERYWHERE!

Vivian just couldn't stop herself from thoroughly enjoying the feel of SAND!

Everyone know the Oregon Coast is perfect for kite flying :)

Vivian.

Rolli.

Colter and Daddy.

Mr. Man and his idle :)

Then it was off to our campsite to cook hobo meals over the fire!

First Graders!

I have to take a small break from posting vacation pictures to share this...

Rolli and Viv's first day of First Grade!!

Ready for school with their new clothes

(Vivian is all pink and Rolli is all FAST)

shiny shoes and bright smiles!

Vivian is showing us that she is excited to wear her new

 BFF necklace and look for her friend at recess :)

Rolli just wants to get to school so he can see his buddies again!

And Colter is right their getting in on all the action that he can get in on!

Colter, Rollin and Vivian.

This is the last picture they let me snap before we rushed to school just to be early :)

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!