Winter Beach

January was quite the month in Oregon. I don't know about the rest of the country, but the flu has certainly hit here, and hit hard. Along with a stomach bug. And ear infections. And a very nasty head cold. There's a lot of germs circulating this town and all the disinfection and hand washing in the world hasn't kept us from joining in the plague party. Melissa's house has had just as much January "fun" as ours, and so yesterday we decided to hop in the cars and get OUT. We stocked up on firewood, hot dogs, cookies, s'mores fixin's and hit the beach (with the kites, too!)! It was a beautiful day with sunshine and *warmth*! Everybody got a great shot of nature and space....and we wore ourselves out to exhaustion in just four hours. If I was still on speaking terms with the doctor, it would have been "just what the doctor ordered."   :D

Caiden made a sand angel. It *is* winter, after all!

They climbed these rocks at LEAST a couple dozen times!

There's Jack WAY at the top celebrating his victory...nobody was quite sure they could make it up the very first time. Melissa and I were *terrified* the victory dance was going to culminate in somebody coming face first back down the rocks. But they didn't. :)

It was actually warm enough to stick feet in the water! At least if you're a kid and you're lacking some brain. :P

I made this gorgeous firepit and JUST as we were getting ready to toss some logs in and light it up we noticed the tide coming in. Very Very Close to where we were set up. We left it to get buried by the impending waves, which just got more and more impressive as the day went on. After a couple of hours, waves were coming around Proposal Rock, meeting in the middle, and coming up the river like a tsunami. It was *AWESOME*! It also came and washed out our SECOND campsite, but by that time the kids were pretty much ready to pack it in, so no harm done. :)

There was so much running going on! 

Trying to capture the coolness that was going on by the edge of the river. The "tsunami" waves are cutting out more and more sand by the edge and starting to make little wee dune cliffs. Very cool. 

I am so impressed by the scenery we have around us. The kids are so used to their regular places we have amazing views like this going on around us and they're like, "Mom, what are you staring at?" It makes me so happy on so many levels to know they're growing up in this startlingly gorgeous landscape as if it's just their own backyard. Because it is. At least to them.  :D

The kids found the remains of the nasty dead seal from last summer. Washed up in the rocks and dried like jerky. Ga-ROSS!!!!!!

Can you BELIEVE the views??????

  

Tending the fire. I've told her she's old enough to poke a beach fire, because she can clearly explain ALL points of fire safety. Getting her to put them into action is going to take some practice! Melissa almost lost an eyeball, and my arm was in serious danger from her fire poker at one point! But she'll get it down soon.  :)

 Can everybody join me in a hearty cheer for the arrival of SPRING?????? We're ready!