Mini vacation to Seaside & Cannon Beach

This year for a mini vacation during Spring Break week we chose Cannon Beach and Seaside, Oregon. Our boys had never been to the area before. We made our plans at the last minute since we had been waiting to hear what days my father in law would be visiting us and if J could take some time off from work. For last minute trips, Priceline and BiddingforTravel (which helps you know what to bid) are the best. We used Priceline and stayed at The Holiday Inn in Seaside for two nights. The customer service was poor but we liked the indoor pool and the hot breakfast which was included in the room rate.

On Monday morning, our first destination (after the requisite stop for strong coffee for J at Sleepy Monk Coffee) was Cannon Beach, the beach. Yes, it was windy and not too balmy but my boys had a great time, running away from waves,jumping into a sand pit, and drawing faces in the sand.

I went on a little detour to explore some of the little shops. For lunch we went to Pig n Pancake which had reasonable prices - a rare commodity in a tourist town like Cannon Beach.

In the afternoon, we hit the ice cream and candy store (The Picnic Basket) where we discovered the owner was a Christian and had Answers in Genesis magazines on the counter.

Next on the agenda was go karts and mini golf at Seaside Family Fun Center (along Highway 101) followed by bumper cars in downtown Seaside. The bumper cars actually went pretty fast.Since I have a bad back, I just watched. I did ride the carousel in Seaside.

I bought J a new hat from the hat store nearby.

We spent some time in the hotel pool and hot tub and then went for supper at Mo's in Cannon Beach. We couldn't believe the location - right on the beach with a view of Haystack Rock. Their prices were very reasonable, too. J and I shared some clams as an appetizer. C fell in love with their clam chowder.

Tuesday started off rainy so we went searching for antique stores. I found a fun little pink side table and J found an interesting book. The next place we explored was the Seaside Aquarium. It is small but has enough to keep kids interested and the entry fee was reasonable.

We liked the giant Pacific octopus. You can pay a dollar for some small fish and feed the cute seals. I wished it was easier to take photos of the seals but they are well protected by a high fence.

For lunch we had hotdogs, soup and sandwiches at the Tsunami Sandwich Company in Seaside. We checked out the Lewis and Clark statue,

took some photos on the beach, (note J's new hat) and said goodbye to Seaside. A took this photo!

Our next stop was Astoria which is only 20 miles northeast of Seaside. The sun came out so we had a fantastic view of the Columbia River from the famous Astoria column. It has 164 steps and yes, we all climbed to the top.

The rest of the afternoon was spent driving back home and listening to Alice in Wonderland audiobook on CD. On our way we saw rainbow after rainbow!

We stopped for supper in Tukwila and checked out the Rain Forest Cafe. The food prices were NOT reasonable but you are paying for the experience here. It would be a fun place for a birthday dinner.

A very successful mini-vacation. We had hardly any rain! Now if only we could've stayed one more day. :)

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{this moment}

C at Cannon Beach.

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Resurrection Rolls

My son's first grade class made these during their Easter party.

Yes, there is still time to make these! Easter should be the most important Christian holiday but the resurrection message gets buried under all the chocolate, bunnies, and plastic eggs. If you would like to do a fun activity to teach kids the Biblical account of Christ's resurrection, look no further.

Materials needed:

- aluminum foil

- refrigerated crescent rolls - one tube

- melted butter in a bowl

- cinnamon

- large marshmallows

- cookie sheet

Directions:

1. Oven should be preheated to 375 degrees.

2. Cut/tear aluminium foil into pieces - one per child

3. Place the crescent roll on the foil and place the marshmallow on top - the marshmallow represents Jesus' body (go with it!)

You can read Matthew 27:57-60 (or have an older child read it) while you do this next part.

4. Dip the marshmallow into the butter - this represents anointing his body with oil

5. Shake the cinnamon on top of each marshmallow - this represent the spices put on Jesus' body.

6. Wrap each marshmallow with the crescent roll - this represents the burial cloths Jesus' body was wrapped in. Pinch the seams together very tightly to seal in the marshmallow as it melts.

7. Place all the foil pieces on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 375. This represents waiting three days.

The cool thing is that the marshmallow disappears (melts) to leave an empty tomb. He is alive, He is risen!

These resurrection rolls taste delicious, too.

Here's a great closeup photo from the blog Beauty and Bedlam.

My son's classmates checking out their resurrection rolls.

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A Visit from Grandma

(a bit overexposed - I'm not used to this much sunshine!)

Our school puts on a special event every other year - Grandparents Day - where grandparents are honoured all day long. My dad came to it in 2010 and I was really hoping that my mom could come this year since she had never been to see the school. Also, it is my birthday this coming week so I talked her into it!

She came by float plane (Horizon Air) which is the best way to travel to and from the Seattle area and Victoria. It only takes an hour and there is very little customs hassle or waiting time. Since ferry prices have risen so much it isn't even that expensive.

On Thursday night A & C had a great time donning various identities and combinations from the dress up box and coming out to show Grandma, giggling all the way.

On Friday morning there was an assembly filled with music for grandparents of children in K through 2nd grade followed by special events in the classroom. C did a reader's theatre of The Little Red Hen and he played the Hen. Due to space constraints, I wasn't allowed to be in the classroom so I don't have video or photo of that. :( I took Mom out to lunch in Mukilteo and we had a fantastic view of the mountains, the water, and the nearby islands.

In the afternoon, another assembly for 3rd through 5th grade grandparents and classroom events.

My sons really enjoyed showing Grandma around their school. My mom enjoyed getting to know the boys' teachers.

She was also here to witness A riding a bike sans training wheels for the first time. This has been quite a hurdle for him but with Daddy's encouragement along with some warm sunny weather he mastered it and now wants to teach his little brother!

Today Mom and I went clothes shopping and she found a dress and a blouse. We have so much better selection here in America compared to Victoria. We had lunch and tea at Bothell Country Village and then saw her off on the shores of Lake Washington.

I'm so thankful for the fantastic weather we had for my Mom's visit. Come back again, Mom!

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One Thousand Gifts #184 to #193

184. the beautiful contrast of crocuses and snow (and sunshine!)

185. enjoying a shamrock shake

186. my mom is coming to visit this weekend

187. a new grocery store opened nearby

188. uninterrupted time to organize the kid craft area

189. my birthday is coming soon, even if I don't like the number :)

190. cheap (but great) entertainment - the middle school's production of

Alice in Wonderland, Jr. was last Friday

191. Barbara Pym novels

192. the weekend

193. finally planning out a wall full of family photos

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St. Patrick's Day book page garland

This banner was embarassingly easy to make. Is embarassingly a word? Maybe not, but I like it. I basically did the exact same banner as Rebecca Cooper made here.

Materials needed:

- book pages

- 5 buttons (white or pearl)

- green cardstock

- glue

- glue dots

- shamrock pattern - I found one by searching Google images and then I enlarged it on my printer. I had to play with it for a while to get it the right size.

- jute

Instructions:

1. Cut out book pages. Mine are 3 1/2 inches wide and 6 inches long.

Cut out a triangle in the middle.

2. Cut jute to the length you want for your banner.

3. Cut out the shamrock pattern (I print onto cardstock to make a sturdier template) and then trace shamrock shape onto green cardstock, cut out shapes.

4. Glue buttons in the center of the shamrocks - I like to use glue dots for heavy items.

5. space out the book pages along the jute, fold over the top of the jute (about 1/4 inch) and staple on each side.

6. Glue the shamrocks onto the book pages.

7. Hang up your banner in a prominent spot.

I'll be joining the following link parties:

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One Thousand Gifts #170 to #183

a phone call from a good friend who lives far away

our fireplace is finally retiled!

a new talk radio station for me to listen to during the day

learning a new skill and using it (pruning roses)

excellent dental care

no cavities for me

eight and nine year olds getting excited about new books at the school library

BBQ'd salmon for supper

reading a short book (Crampton Hodnet) as a break from Les Miserables

my parents' cross town move was successful

making a new friend

the resolution of a difficult coworker situation at J's work

a playground fall *didn't* result in a broken bone

my bulbs are growing and will be blooming soon!

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One Thousand Gifts #159 to #169

I'm so glad I made myself do this today.

I have a cold that has been around since last Thursday and I was feeling a bit sorry for myself.

Listing my gifts is so good for the soul!

159. 50% day at the thrift store - yea for "new" jeans!

160. anticipating gardening

161. listening to funny and crazy Ciscoe (the gardening expert)on the radio

162. my youngest son calls his tea "Englishman's Breakfast Tea"

163. reading The Princess and the Goblin to my son

164. singing Heaven is My Home at church (if you click on the link you can hear the song)

165. reading Family Devotions at the table

166. my husband doing chores while I rest

167. Pandora (Internet radio stations you can customize to your taste)

168. my children's artwork around the house

I was thinking that some day they'll no longer bring home art creations from school.

169. I'm thankful that I can stay home today and rest. I have a cold.

So many people can't slow down when they are sick.

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Kids say the funniest things...

This morning at church, our pastor was telling the congregation about a pamphlet available at the back table entitled "Dealing with Difficult People." My youngest son whispered to me, "I think I need that for dealing with Brother."

:)

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One Thousand Gifts - #143 - 158

I'm a few weeks behind so these gifts are from awhile back.

.........................................................................................................................

finding a previously lost Amtrak coupon just in time for a mini-vacation

singing worship songs (from the above CD) in the car with my kids

65 degrees and sunshine in February!

5 consecutive days of sunshine

being invited to a grown up birthday party dinner

my loving husband

attended the Northwest Flower & Garden show with 2 friends

keeping up with my 365 project

safety on the roads

sweet Valentine's Day cards from my sons

my bulbs are peeking up through the ground!

a restful Sabbath

turning the lights off in my boys' bedrooms and seeing their contented faces

the $3 movie theatre

my oldest son has a cold but we have escaped sickness for a long time

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{this moment}

I went to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle earlier this week. I need to write more about it and post more photos. For now, here is a photo of my friends who accompanied me - which made the show much more fun to attend.I'm sorry it is such a bad photo. It was the only one that turned out. Check out that huge tree!

I had a great time. I might even go to the show 2 days next year. There is that much to see!

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{this moment}

taken last Friday

A beautiful morning view of Puget Sound, from the train,

as we travelled north to Vancouver, BC, for a very short getaway.

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