We got to our friends' beach house Wednesday evening, the 23rd of July, and got right to setting up our space and relaxing. We had a mellow night just hanging out and enjoying the fact that we were finally at the coast and our friends were gracious enough to let us crash at the beach house early.
Thursday, the 24th, Sammy and I woke up and got right to making breakfast while Timothy slept in and the older two kiddos played. It felt so good waking up in the beach house! Grandma and Grandpa from CA had been camping in the area and their plan was to spend the day with us and then take all three kiddos Friday morning for a few weeks away from home. Papa made the kiddos eggs and hash browns while I cut up some fruit and then we all sat down with coffee in hand and figured out the plan for the day. We wanted to make sure we did as much as we could with the kids that day because the rest of our time at the beach was to be kid free!
The Tillamook Cheese Factory was first on our must-do list! The kids had so much fun. They were cutting and packaging up my favorite cheese, extra sharp white cheddar, when we were there. We spent about 30 minutes walking through, reading all the information and watching the workers. At the end, we headed back downstairs and the kids gobbled up tons and tons of cheese samples. Then we walked around the shop area picking out a few goodies. Well Timothy, not wanting to be left out of the shopping process and always the one to want to do something all by himself, picked up a basket and did a little shopping himself. This sure got a few people chuckling, especially when he picked up a huge block of cheese and tried to take a bite out of it, lol. But as cute as all that was, it did not overshadow the fit that followed when we were ready to check out and we had to take his basket full of goodies away. I had to be the mean Mama and bear hug the fit out of him and walk outside so everyone else could continue to enjoy their cheese factory experience. Ahhh well, fits happen.
After the cheese factory, we made a stop at the beef stick outlet to stock up on all our favorite beef stick treats and then continued on our way to a little coastal town called Wheeler to do a bit of antique shopping. There are a few really awesome antique stores there and we like to go every time we go to the coast. The kids were really well behaved. Timothy was glued to our hips and when not in our arms to try to keep him from breaking something, he was seeking out all the cool old chairs and wanting to sit in them. What a great antique shopping buddy!
When we were done going through all the antique shops, we went to Grandma and Grandpa's camp spot for a bit of coffee and then headed on down to the beach that is right in front of the camp grounds. The beach was sooooo much fun!! I had been waiting all year to get my babies back to the beach! We were there for a good hour, the kids playing in the sand and the water and me taking a million photos. :) It made my heart swell watching them play, having a good time. Last year Timothy didn't enjoy the beach very much, but this year was much different and he had a blast digging in the sand. So fun!! I just love it!
When we got back to the beach house, our friend Tim had gotten in! He started a fire and after eating burgers for dinner, we all sat around the fire, relaxing and eating smores. :) The kids and I basically pigged out, haha. It was a mellow night of listening to music, sitting around outside, and chatting.
Friday, the 25th, bright and early, we enjoyed a quick breakfast and then we said goodbye to the kiddos. They cheerfully climbed into Grandma and Grandpa's car, all geared up and ready to hit the road. I was feeling anxious, but with no time for tears, they drove off, and Sam and I joined Tim and his parents (who had gotten to the beach house in the middle of the night) on their boat for some crabbing and fishing! Ohhh what fun that was! It definitely helped take my mind off the fact that I just watched my three babies drive off. The fishing wasn't as great as the guys had hoped for, they had to release a handful back into the water, but at least they caught five or six. It was so pretty being out on the boat! We even saw a whale, far off, so no details, but it was definitely a whale.
After fishing and pulling up the crab pots, we headed back in and the guys cleaned up their catch. Then Tim, Sam, and I headed down into town to walk around and check out all the vendors that were there in celebration of Garibaldi Days and stop in at some garage sales. After some time spent in town checking out the sights, getting a bite to eat, and stopping in at the local tavern The Ghost Hole, we headed to the beach to watch the sunset and the waves roll in. I was really excited to get some awesome photos! And Tim even took some great ones of Sam and I!
Later that night, as more of the Evan's family rolled into town, everyone enjoyed sitting around the fire and catching up with each other. Tomorrow would be crab boil day!
Saturday, the 26th, Sam and the boys woke up early to go fishing. I, on the other, slept in! When I did get up, I accompanied some of Tim's family down to the Garibaldi Days Parade. We watched the parade, walked around the craft booths, and just as we were finishing up, the boys got in from fishing and Sam showed up. After taking one more trip around the craft booths and once again stopping in at a few garage sales, we went out on the boat with Tim's dad, Aunt Amber and Uncle Ryan, and their kiddos to pull crab pots. It was a quick trip, taking no more than a little over an hour round trip, but it was super fun going out on the boat again and spending time with Tim's family.
After our boat trip, Sam and I took a short trip down to the beach. It was windy, but sitting in the warm sand with the sun out was great. Once we returned to the beach house, Sam helped prep for the crab boil! The rest of the night we all just sat around the fire, eating our delicious meal of crab, sausage, potatoes, and corn and chumming it up. Ohhhh the crab was delicious!! And it's always so fun hanging out with Tim and his family! They are great, great people. After eating, Sam and I went on a nice walk before ending the night by watching the fireworks they always do on Saturday night during Garibaldi Days!
On our way back to Garibaldi, we stopped at a handful of antique stores in a few other towns, picking up a couple awesome finds. When we got back to the beach house, we relaxed for a bit while we waiting for Tim and his friend to get back from their day out about the towns. Then we headed on down to the local tavern, The Ghost Hole, for dinner and a few drinks before heading to the beach for a VERY windy walk along the beach. The wind was blowing so hard, the sand felt like little needles pricking your legs, lol, but it was fun regardless.
Monday morning, the 28th, Sammy and I said goodbye to our most gracious friends, loaded up, and headed to our favorite spot, Cape Meares Beach. I was disappointed that it was overcast and foggy, but at least it wasn't windy. We ate breakfast under the watchful eye of our hungry feathered friend, took some photos (I got a few cool ones of a gal walking her bike along the beach), and did a little relaxation. Once a year just isn't enough in this beautiful area!! Leaving the coast, we got lucky and picked up a flat of strawberries for a decent price. We plan to make jam. I guess we better get going on that, we have raspberries and blackberries waiting to be made into jam too!
Thank you, Evans Family, for opening up your home to us and for yet another great beach trip! We truly appreciate it and look forward to it all year!
With love,
Mama Hauck
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