Memorial Day Fun

Memorial Weekend Trip 2014

When our original plans fell through we decided to take an adventure back to the beach we honeymooned on a few years ago. We also had a great stroke of luck when we found out we could take our favorite 13 year old cousin. To start the trip off we picked him up Friday night and had him sleep over. As usually the boys enjoyed video games over sleep. The next morning we packed up and hit the road all the while taking sneak attack photos.

We finally made it to the Oregon Coast Aquarium where we got to see a bunch of very cool animals. I think my favorite part was my two models who gave in to my every request.

After exploring came my once in a lifetime idea. I had arranged that we all could snorkel in each of the three exhibits at the aquarium. Jay even had one of the aquarium staff take pictures for us. It truly was a memory I will never forget.

Next up on our adventure was the Undersea Garden and dinner in Mariner Square in Newport. Along with some good seafood we had excellent entertainment from the sea lions for dinner.

Once our bellies were full we headed to our last two museums for the day. Our first was the wax museum which was fun especially since we got Seth to pose with Sherlock Holmes.

No it was off to Ripley's Believe It or Not museum and my boys continued to have fun and be goofy.

After that we were a bit worn out so we checked into the hotel to shower and rejuvenate. We caught our second wind and went out to a movie. We went and saw Blended and I don't think we stopped laughing the whole time.

On Sunday morning Jay woke us up bright and early. We started the day with breakfast and locking Jay out of the car.

When we finally let Jay back in the car we did some sightseeing and then found a great beach to play the day away.

After the beach we visited a lighthouse and stopped at our favorite eating spot Bone Pile BBQ.

By this point we were completely wiped and spent the remainder of the day playing putt putt and arcade games.

Monday was Memorial day and time to drive home. We decided to take the scenic route and I am so glad we did. We found a cute little antique store to stop at and then discovered an air museum that was once the air base for Navy blimps.

I think this was one of the best trips I have ever had. I know this one will always hold a very special place in my hear.

The New Year

It seems like life has been a blur since November. So many celebrations happen during this time frame that even keeping up with sleep seems impossible. Now in a blink of an eye we are in the second month of this new year. I can't say all has been well in our lives. What I can say is that we have had the opportunity to learn about love, commitment, strength, grace, forgiveness and acceptance. After rereading that sentence I now realized how lucky we are to have a chance at knowing what learning looks like. Since I am a person that looks at life in black and white and is afraid of the gray area I will explain everything in the way I experience it.

Love: I have never known the type of love I have for my husband. He thinks the world is ending when I sneeze and insists on rest and fluids. He rubs my feet without hesitation after I work a 13 hour day (FYI all my fault I wore three inch heels lol). He tells me that no matter what we are going through I am the most important thing in his life.

Work: I have taken on my development with a passion. I have realized that if I don't make me a priority no one will and people really care about helping someone if you just ask. Recently I have been out loud about  my future desires and have had an overwhelming response. I really hope that I make people proud because their support means more to me than they even know.

Family: Such a complicated topic. So if you are not aware we are battling with infertility which is a struggle in and of its own. So as not to get too deep I here is where you can keep up with that.

Change: Life is all about change. To me if you don't have change in your life you stop growing. If you stop growing you start dying. So like it or not I embrace change. Last month we made a big decision and had a long time friend of Jay's move here and in with us. The best way to describe this change in our life is to make a comparison with learning how to drive. Anyone who knows about learning to drive a stick shift knows that it is a very bumpy road. You can't find the right gear, you stall as you try to move forward and most of the time you burn out a clutch. That has been us in a nutshell. What is great about it is that you quickly learn how to drive and you never forget because of the challenges that were presented to you. I love my new roommate and really I am now heartbroken that he will eventually move away but I will always feel honored that he is my friend and we have learned how to drive together.

Next: To tell you the truth I don't know what is next. We are in a blur with life, love, health and change. In the meantime I will appreciate the amazing man my husband is, work as hard as I can for the company I love, take a deep breath and strive for a family and last but not least embrace change because sometimes it gives way more than it takes.