Summer Vacation

It seems like just yesterday that we got home from our trip west - then I looked on the calendar! It's been over a week! I guess it's time for an update.

Our last big trip of the year (we were planning on heading west for Thanksgiving, but that won't be happening this year - great timing on our part!) started off at the Cabbage, my mom & dad's wonderful place on Hood Canal in Washington. We thought Labor Day weekend would be a great time for a visit, weather-wise, but alas, we were greeted in true Pacific Northwest fashion with 3 days of rain. Ugh. Ethan and Jeff were able to get in a couple rounds of golf (with a few rain delays) and took turns beating each other. My mom and Nissa had a wonderful shower with family and friends, which ended up in my dad's wonderful new garage! This baby sure got spoiled! Thank you so much to everyone who was able to come and celebrate with us. The evening ended with the best dinner in the world, Dad's birthday dinner - the same birthday dinner he's been enjoying for the last 60+ years: razor clams (breaded and fried by Gramma, of course) and little wild blackberry pie. It doesn't get any better than that.

Cousins Amy, Jenny & my Auntie Julie

Aunt Bea, cousins Emily & Tammy and my Gramma Betty.

Great Auntie Bonnie, Mom, my Nanny, McKenna, cousins Emily & Tammy, Great Auntie Winnie and cousin Pat.

Friends Molly, Alice and Marilyn.

After our stay at the Cabbage, Ethan and I headed down Highway 101, the Pacific Coast Highway. When I lived in Olympia, Ethan and I spent a day on the Washington coast, but this was Ethan's first trip to the Oregon Coast. At this point, fortunately, the weather was much more cooperative and Ethan experienced the best that Oregon has to offer! Yay! He even admitted that living in Oregon might not be so bad afterall. :) We made a few stops along the way to Lincoln City, where we spent the night.

Self portrait at Long Beach, WA


A trip to the coast wouldn't be complete without a stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory!

Ecola State Park - the most beautiful view in Oregon (even with the Baby Bump at 24 1/2 weeks).

After a night in Lincoln City, OR and a trip to Mo's for some clam chowder (which I'd been craving for WEEKS), we headed south to Newport and the Oregon Coast Aquarium. My last trip to the aquarium was for my freshman biology class in 1996, even before Keiko (aka, Free Willy) moved in! It's quite a bit smaller than I remembered, but definitely worth the trip! The new (to me, at least) shark tank was awesome, although I kept thinking about what would happen if the underwater tunnels collapsed - I'll blame that on the hormones.

One of my favorite exhibits, the Jelly Fish tank.

Check out that wingspan!

The highlight of Ethan's trip happened on our last Friday in Oregon. My dad made arrangements with one of his colleagues to take Ethan salmon fishing near Ilwaco, WA, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific. It made for a long day, but the weather and conditions couldn't have been more perfect (just one more reason for Ethan to believe that Oregon ain't so bad!) There were 4 men fishing, and the limit was 3 salmon apiece, which they easily caught! We now have a freezer FULL of wild salmon... YUM!

The day's bounty.

The day's biggest catches - one of which was Ethan's!

The highlight of my trip came the following morning, when Nissa hosted yet another baby shower for me and all of my girlfriends. I got to see some of the girls that I hadn't seen for a while (it had been years for some!) and we all had a wonderful time catching up and celebrating. Once again, baby was absolutely spoiled, but it was so nice to be around so many people who are just as excited as we are. Thanks again to all you sexy bitches! ;)

Jessica (& Henry), Andrea, Katie, Sarah, me, Andrea and Ali (& Luke). Not pictured: Janell, Darcie (& Bennett), Nissa (& McKenna), Bama (my mom), Linda and Regina.

The week ended with a wonderful celebration in the woods outside of Camas, WA - my friend Melissa and Damian got married. It was definitely an interesting mix of people, but it made for a wonderful evening! The best part may have been the Korean taco truck that provided dinner. Yes, a Korean taco truck. We were able to see friends who weren't able to be at the shower earlier in the day, spouses, and Ethan was able to meet more friends from my Linfield days. A fantastic time was had by all (some more than others - you know who you are!) and it was a great way to end the week.

Katie, Andrea, me and Lindsey.

Gina, Andrea, Katie, Ali, me and Carrie.

Jay. Enough said.