I believe Josiah was just 8 years old when we first ventured to vacation on the Oregon Coast. Then we stayed in a little house blocks from the beach in a crowded, ugly town. It rained that trip ..... every day. But it didn't matter. We were hooked.
The location has changed and the house is definitely nicer but, since then, we have come nearly every September to the Oregon Coast to do just this. We sit. We talk. We contemplate and walk and listen and forget and just BE.
There is something magical about the endless waves, the colors of sky and sea melding together, and the silence amidst the roar of God's immense creation.
It calms me like nothing else can. I love it here.
My girl and I go searching for treasures. We rarely find anything noteworthy here in Oregon but we have, over the years, thrown back sea stars, come across beached seals, and found tiny keepsake shells that now adorn our homeschool shelves back at home.
This is the third year that my precious Dad and his wife have joined us. It is the only time of the year that I get to see him and I cherish it. We exchange Christmas gifts early so I don't have to send them over the border (my Dad is Canadian. I was born in Canada). This year, aside from the usual Eddie Bauer outlet sweater purchases, we brought homegrown and homemade jams as well as 2 large quarts of our own dark honey to share with them. They were tickled. It is lovely to spoil them!
My children are growing up and this year we truly felt the difference as the draw and lure of the beach is no longer as strong with my older boys as it once was. Josiah was a good sport and endured numb feet for Isabelle's sake. She is immune to the cold.
There were many efforts to both catch and escape the waves. Our weather, albeit chilly (it never reached even 70 degrees the entire time we were there), was absolutely beautiful with blue clear skies all weekend.
Isaac, like his Mama, prefers warmth and had to spend some time in solitude to work up his muster to join the other two down at the waves.
I love this photo. These boys couldn't be more different .... and yet, they still each make regular efforts to like eachother :-)
Football is more Isaac's style and the beach, nearly deserted now that the government schools have begun, is the perfect place for lots of running.
I think I took 20 or so photos trying to catch Isaac in the perfect pose :-)
EVERYTHING is funner when Dad joins in!
My sweet girl, having just endured a week of serious illness after contracting a parasite from our local pool, was just SO happy to even be here. She and I had waved goodbye to our boys on our first "official" day of the vacation .... she was just too sick to make the 9 hour voyage. We prayed that morning and through the day for a miracle so that we could join them later in the week.
God answered our prayer.
Fully self-entertained, Isabelle never tires of the beach and all its diversions.
My crazy kids -- in frigid Pacific Ocean water -- splashed and frolicked as if they were on the Eastern seaboard! Joe and I sat and watched while wearing coats!
So much fun. They are growing so fast.
I am cherishing each moment. Life is fragile. I consider myself incredibly blessed. God is good.
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