Coast Vacation Finale

We wrapped up our summer visit to the Oregon Coast. We had a great visit and fit in almost everything we wanted to do. I did not want to come home. Now that we're here, though, I am enjoying the comforts of home, even if we did get back just in time to kick off another excessive heat warning.

As usual, I'll allow the photos to do the talking. Sit back and relax. I have a lot of material.

While Dylan was back at home to work, I took the boys to the property where Cody and his family are building their house. The cement mixer was there, so the boys watched the pouring of the cement and then had so much more fun. Gavin's cousins treat him like a celebrity, and he loves every second of it.

A perfect little perch for viewing the building activities.

Graham borrowed Zoey's swing.

Smoothing fresh laid cement with Grandpa.

Graham wasn't up for a tractor ride, but we posed for a photo anyway.

Gavin took a lap on Grandpa's tractor

Flower march

Watching Paw Patrol with a napping Grandpa.

Dylan's parents recently bought a house on the lake in town. It's so cute, and the view is perfect! They're still working on furnishing the house, but I foresee us having great fun here in the summers to come!

Hangin' with Miki.

Launching Guinea's rowboat.

The tiny ones taking in the view. 

Dylan and I even fit in a quick lunch date to Hearth and Table with my gift certificate from Mother's Day last year. Free babysitting included!

The view on an evening walk.

Always lots of lounging in Oregon.

Back at the lake house for a day of recreation on the water!

The maiden voyage from the lake house.

Peering into the water.

Jet ski ride with Grandpa.

Family row boat ride!

These guys shared so many adventures.

On Monday morning, I fit in a few hours of work while the boys took a soak in the hot tub and played with their cousins. I wrapped up just in time to join in on the nature walk across the street at Salishan.

Later in the afternoon we met up with our friend, Sydney, and her kids for some fun at the park.

Always a kid magnet.

Dylan set up a long jump challenge for the kids in the volleyball court. As you can see, we have a future track star on our hands.

After the park, we promised Gavin we would go to the beach. The problem was that it was SO windy and SO cold. But, we ended up at Fogarty Creek, where we were mostly sheltered from the wind. Since the boys had so much fun playing in the creek, we didn't even make it down to the ocean, making it the best and most stress-free trip to the beach ever.

His coat did not remain dry for very long.

The lizards

It was quite a clean-up afterward.

All five cousins having a blast.

At night, it was skateboarding back at the house and then sparklers and fireworks. I was tuckered out and went to bed early with the boys while everyone went to the lake for the city fireworks. I was bummed to miss the fireworks, but they started at 10:30pm so I had to take a pass this year. I don't regret it.

Ha, what is that look on my face??

Tess's photo of our 3rd of July festivities.

The next morning was the 4th of July! We headed out bright and early to get in line at the community center down the street for the pancake breakfast. Last year we showed up too late, and the line was too long, so we sent Cody and Dylan to get donuts instead. This year, we played our cards right and got a table right away.

Walking to the community center.

Graham enjoyed flirting with the lady volunteers.

Grandpa and all of his boys.

I was the only lady who chose to partake...because how could you pass up a small town pancake breakfast?

The parade started later in the afternoon. I'm not sure the kids cared about any of the fire engines or cool cars or dogs or floats or anything actually in the parade. They were laser-focused on collecting as much candy as possible, and they all made a haul.

Afterward, it was back home for our final night with the family.

He did not break any bones.

After finding Graham with a ping pong ball in his mouth I figured it was time to feed him.

Getting ready for another round of fireworks with cousins in the skate bowl.

We closed out the night in the hot tub on the top deck, watching the airborne (illegal) fireworks on the beach. Which are so, so cool. Until it's time for bed and it sounds like gunfire in your bedroom until after midnight. And then Gavin decided he wanted to be awake for four hours in the middle of the night starting at 1am. Tess gave us a ride to the airport at the crack of dawn, and though I was wedged between the car seats for the 2.5 hour drive, I still found enough space to take a nap.

Gavin was a mess after his late night party. He slept on the airplane, and we had to drag him everywhere we went during our day of travel. He was asleep for the night by 5:30pm. Today we were up and at 'em for school and work, and by the time we got to Gavin in the afternoon, he was really dragging again. He could barely stay sitting up, and the teachers at school had been concerned about him. Dylan was able to bring him in for a last minute doctor's appointment, where they told him the same thing any doctor would tell a parent who brings in a tired child: He has some congestion and might be fighting a virus. But it's really weird. I've never seen him sleep so much. He slept all the way to the doctor's office at 4pm, all the way home, and then went to bed when they got home. He got up to eat at 6pm and went right back to sleep on the couch. Gavin's random illnesses and sleep issues have a way of causing me deep stress. Let's hope it's just the compound effect of two weeks of late nights and over-the-top energy expenditure from vacation paired with a couple nights of random late-night waking and restlessness...and nothing more!

We've got a busy weekend on tap and before we know it, we'll be off on our next adventure. Yay for summertime fun!