Highlights from Our Holidays (part 1)

Goodness, it feels like life has been on fast forward for the past couple of months.  As you can see, blogging just didn't happen.   But, I'm back....

We started celebrating way back at the beginning of November.  Andy's parents drove out, yes I said they DROVE from Ohio. 

We went on some new adventures and revisited some old faithful favorites.  One or our old favorites is the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  That's a required stop for any of our visitors.

Over the top with silliness!

Amazing truffles from The Blue Heron.

Happy in the sunshine.

Roseanna's in Oceanside.  Neat, little place right on the beach.

 Chasing some waves....or maybe they were chasing us.

We crept slowly through the dark, rocky tunnel from Oceanside beach to Tunnel beach (super creative name for the beach).  It's a portal to another world;  Oceanside beach was sandy and smooth
Tunnel beach was rough and rocky.

Getting out of the tunnel is just a bit treacherous.  Beware of falling rock!

This is a really good place to look for agates.

Kenzie was briefly marooned on this rock, when a wave caught her off guard.

We did a bit of rock climbing.  This is not for the faint of heart....or the faint hearted mother.  Wet, slippery, slimy and dotted with sea gull poo.

Then we had the fabulous privilege to rescue this stranded, beached log and put it back to sea.

We wandered around in the rain and the wind and the cold...

We ate at Doryland Pizza....seriously some of  the very best pizza every!

And then, on the 12 day of November, it was time for Christmas!  Complete with a hacked off evergreen branch.

Such excitement!

This is a cool contraption that fires off a giant puff of air.  I'm sure this was masterminded by some ornery optometrist somewhere.  It is almost as bad as the glaucoma puff test.

Good times were had by all.

 

 

 

Trunk ~R~Treat

 

This post is dreadfully late.... but better late than never I suppose.  

So this Trunk r Treat idea started growing in my mind early in the summer.  I was talking with a friend over lunch one day about various outreach ideas.  We brainstormed about locations for a trunk r treat.  Out church is not located inside a town, but is beside a busy highway- not a great place to host a group of trick r treaters.   Well as I learned more about my own little neighborhood... I found that this is the place where everyone brings their kids.  So the perfect place for a trunk r treat was my driveway.    Several of the church people joined in the fun.  We had three "trunks" and two tents and you could really add to your candy stash as you made the rounds in our driveway.   

 

We started the evening off with a pizza supper at our house.  Then we set up our tents, mixed up the hot chocolate, and decorated our trunks.  We had goody bags to pass out to the first 100 children and hot chocolate for the parents.    We had at least 156 children make the round in our driveway... our next door neighbor who also attends our church, estimates it was closer to 175 kids. 

 

 

 

Our trunk was "The Candy Kitchen"

 

 

We borrowed Kenzie's kitchen and put it in the back of the Yukon.  



 

 

For our costumes, Andy and I both wore aprons.  Andy borrowed Kenzie's apron as well.

 

 

My interesting crew.

 

 

My handsome cowboy.

 

My sweet little princess.

 

   The cutest Bugs Bunny ever.

                                

 

 

 

My thoughts on Halloween:  I have never been a big fan of celebrating this day.  I don't remember doing any trick r treating as a child.  I don't like gross or crude costumes.  I don't enjoy seeing crass lawn decorations.  I think blood, guts and gore are just disgusting... unless its a true emergency.  I don't like to be scared- I have been to two haunted houses in my life and that was two to many.  And when you see witches, demons, devils etc. you should run like the wind!  With that being said... one night a year, people will walk up my drive, and knock on my door looking for something.  I have a choice to turn off my lights, and pretend not to be home; or I can open my door, turn on my lights and let the Light of Jesus shine out into my neighborhood.  



And now more pictures of our evening... in no particular order.

This little flyer was in each of our 100 goody bags.

The hot chocolate and goody bags all ready to go.

Mrs. Eunice... our sweet little piano player.

Mr. J... sporting his pizza delivery truck.

Our very own Duck Dynasty stars. 

 

 

Our next door neighbors.

 

 

 

Kids these days

 

Have you ever wondered what happens to the footy pajamas that get to small? 

 

 

...well wonder know more.  She was so excited to have matching slippers.

It's a fireplace morning!

 

Strolling together...

The boys...

My littlest man....

Clayton and his very own homemade canoe.  He's very good at wielding his paddle too.