It's Almost September?!?!

Well, the travelers have returned! We got back late Sunday night after a long 2-day drive home. We had fun visiting and catching up with everyone in the Portland area, but it is nice to be back in our own beds! Three weeks went by fast. We got to the coast, so it was Beckett's first time in the ocean, which was great. Kyle and I got to eat at our favorite sushi place, and we celebrated Auntie Hannah's birthday. Kyle went on a great golf tournament with my dad, and he shot his personal best ever! It was exciting. I got in some great visits with old friends was amazed (again) how much things have changed wince I left 10 years ago. Auntie Sumner was so awesome and took a weekend to come up and visit (not long enough!), and I got to buy some great beads/stones. It was a fun time for us all. We're now getting ready for preschool to start again and are preparing for Beckett's first birthday! I can hardly believe it's September already and that 2009 in flying by so fast. I had another epidural steroid injection today and am patiently waiting for the effects. My back went out horribly Friday night before we left, so I scrambled to find a chiropractor Saturday morning before our long drive back. I found a good guy (oddly one who hunts out here every year!) who helped me out, but needless to say the drive was miserable. I haven't had anything this bad in years where my right leg just gives out. It made me nervous to even carry Beckett, so I'm glad Hannah was here to help! Anyway, here are some pictures from our trip (now, if I could just get them scrapped) so enjoy!

Grammie and the kiddos at the aquarium in Newport Beach...

Miss Natalie having a "casual" drink of water at the beach hotel...

Aquarium...
These are Japanese crabs and they get HUGE!!! They can have 9-feet leg spans and live for 100 years...

One of the underwater tunnels...

Natalie
Momma with the babes...

It got a little cold and rainy at the beach, but we still had fun outside.

Beckett discovers how fun sand can be...and that it doesn't go in your mouth...
Nattie in the waves
and Nattie in her "pool" up on shore...
Happy boy!
Bird "chasing"
And Auntie Hannah helps her investigate a dead jelly fish. She insisted on bringing it back to the hotel in her bucket so she could "save" it.

And we thought this was just a tourist attraction the first day, then read in the paper a guy had fallen asleep at the wheel and drifted his fishing boat to shore! They were using cranes adn backhoes to get it back out to sea the next day...
Here we are at Grammie's in Portland digging potatoes. She had a blast. Mom has a great garden this year!

Leyah, Justin and Beckett

I finally got together with two of my oldest girlfriends this trip and we got pictures of our kids together. Erin (who now lives in California with her husband and four little ones) and Mariah (who still lives in Portland with her husband and little girl) and I are all only 3 months apart and we all had babies last year within 5 weeks of each other! Beckett was the beginning of September, Justin (Erin's) was the end of September, and Leyah (Mariah's) was October. It was so much fun to get everyone together for the long-awaited photo. Beckett didn't think it was such a good idea this time, but with so many kids it's hard to get them all happy at the same time!
The Mommas with our seven kiddos...

Beckett and Justin. Justin taught Beckett how to efficiently scoot on his bum, and now he's decided that's much better than crawling!

Auntie Sumner and Beckett

Grammie and the grandkids

Ipa and Beckett...we went swimming in the Columbia River near his Washington home. It was great fun. It was 107 degrees the first 3 days we were there while it rained at home!

Ipa, Natalie and Beckett

Ipa and Daddy made Natalie a log horse to ride...

Grammie, Anne and their grandbabes...

and here we are with Mariahm, Yshai and Leyah. We had them over to Grammie's for dinner and I made Abie's fabulous spinach encheladas! Thanks for the great recipe!!!


We spent one day at the fair with Ipa and Jimmilea in Washington. Natalie's favorite part was the cows, and we got to watch a sheep show and ride carnival rides...a little bit bigger than our county fair!

Petting a chicken...

Pygmy goats! They were so adorable and Hannah now has be half convinced that we need one here...Daddy's not so convinced.

Auntie Hannah and Beckett...

Ipa "drove" the teacup ride!

The gang at Jimmilea's house...

And Ipa bought Nattie a clown nose at the fair. She really enjoyed a clown performance they had.

And that's our trip in a nutshell! The summer went by WAY too fast this year, and Kyle is getting ready for his first bow hunt at the beginning of September! Hope you all had a great July and beginning of August. Suzi and Lauren...I can't wait to visit with you guys, whenever it happens!!! Hugs to all.