Camping, Cape D, and a Visit to see Linda!

Ahhhh, relief of responsibility. I just finished giving a lecture at TACA Washington Chapter (http://meetup.tacanow.org/washington/index.html). I lectured on Pediatric Vision and Austism. It was a great experience for me. Similar to giving a talk in church, we always seem to learn the most by preparing for those talks. This was the case for yesterday's experience. What a great group of individuals and families, supporting each other in learning and getting help for their youngsters with Autism. I think there is a link on their page to donate to the cause if you're interested...

Anyway, that being done, I am now free to post about last weekend! What a great time we had!!

Dan and I packed up and left Friday after work for the coast. We got there just at sundown. We left 90 degree weather in Lacey to head west... hoping for sun. Washington Coast... never can predict... 30 min from the coast the clouds were dense enough that Dan exclaimed, "Crap, I forgot my jeans". Crazy what packing in 90 heat will do for us. He'd packed only shorts. Worked out great cuz it gave us an excuse to go visit Astoria on Saturday.

Friday Dan set up camp with our VERY cool (yet warm and dry) Springbar tent, and we headed off to bed. Saturday morning we woke, had some yummy breakfast, and went out to the beach. We were at Cape Disappointment State Park (previouisly Fort Canby), only a sand dune away from the ocean. Sleeping was so cool, hearing the waves crash all night!!

After the beach, we headed "towards town" to get jeans. Can't go to Costco in Warrenton... no dressing room. So we headed for Astoria. ~45 min away by the time we got there. We had a great day window shopping, buying jeans, and finding comfy foot supports for me! After realizing we wouldn't make it back to meet Linda, we decided to get lunch in town, at a green restaurant recommended to us by a local shop. They actually use their left-over oil for biofuel! Good stewards. After lunch we decided to go see the Astoria Column... Dan had never been. Too bad the weather was so typical... visibility wasn't fabulous. But the hike was fun, and it was cool learning that somebody desired to build this thing as one of 12 markers across the US. It chronicals historical events of the early settlers from 1792-1893. Great artwork. And we got a little work out with 162 stairs.

View from the top of the column.

http://www.astoriacolumn.org/pages/history3.htm

Dan at the bottom of the column facing north, I think.

Back to the State Park, where we took a walk down the North Jetty. About the only thing to comment there was the amazing number of Pelicans. So close!! We had fun watching them soar above us and seeing if we could catch them in flight with our amateur photography skills. Some luck. I'm not sure what they were feeding on, but there were thousands of them.

Camp that night was great fun. We sat around with our friends, eating s'mores (yummy ginger cookies were a hit with those that tried them), playing songs on the guitar (Dan), and exchanging iphone apps. Ahh today's times. ;) I love the calm of a good campfire. What great friends we have.

(Mary and Darryl had new iphones within the month, so we were all exchanging great apps-- I added 14 that weekend.)

Dan honored us with his fun guitar songs, as well as an acapella Desperado and a new version of I knew an Old Lady that Swollowed a Fly, sung to little Erin at bedtime. How sweet! Darryl and Brian tried to keep up with Dan... best luck next year, guys! No, I'm just kidding, they did great.

If you don't mind not seeing the video, click on this and hear a snipit of the song. Should have recorded longer.

Sunday morning was pack up day for everyone to hit the road. We were headed just up the coast a few minutes to stay with Linda for the next 2 days. But, as luck would have it, rain and thunder and lightening awoke our camp. We had to pack everything in very wet conditions after cooking breakfast for ~30 people.

LONG BEACH with Linda!!!

I do have to admit that as much as I was looking forward to camping, I was really looking forward to getting to spend time with my step-mom Linda. It had been way too long since we had been out to the coast, and I couldn't wait to experience Solaz Del Mar as Dad and Linda named their home when they built it a few years ago. No agenda, no time constraints, just quiet, peaceful time at the ocean. I'll put in a few pics, but we had a great time with Linda. We had dinner at Chico's Pizza (yum!) and got to go to the arcade just Dan and I to battle it out on the rafting game, (complete with oars) as well as the shooting gallery (I held my own!!). Gameworks, here we come!

We got to go visit Dad's grave Sunday. It was good to be there. I miss him so much. Just this morning I was thinking I'd give ANYTHING (except maybe Dan) to just hold my dad again. Good thing for the resurrection!! :) Just a little patience while we finish out our turn on earth. We love and miss him. Linda has put a kite windmill beside his grave headstone, which I thought was so cool. The last few years of Dad's life he loved to work his two handed kites on the beach for hours at a time.

When Linda was at Mass, we went over and saw Bev and Jess Champers! These are friends of my parents. My dad and Jess were high school friends, and it's turned into a long friendship for both of our families. Jess told me this weekend that Dad encouraged Jess to get a job with him as a bellhop at the Meany Hotel in Seattle. (I think that was the name). This step started Jess' career of 45 years in the hotel business. I never knew before that my dad was a bellman! It made me feel strangely more close to him thinking about his early days right out of high school. After that he went into car sales.

The Champers are the most amazing people. You've never met two nicer individuals. They are both so kind, loving, and full of peace. It's been many years since spending any time with them besides at the funeral, and yet I felt like they were family instantly. Many great memories of visiting them in their log home "in the woods". (Was it Carnation? Snohomish?)

Dan gave us one last concert at Linda's in her living room. He's playing his grandmother's 80 year old guitar. Tried to upload it, but I've now found Blogger's weakspot. Can only be a certain size video. :(

Thanks for letting us visit, Linda!!

Well, it seems that's about it for my really happy weeekend last week. I feel so happy right now. We are so incredibly blessed and I feel so much love and peace from my husband and family and friends. I am amazed daily at the peace being married brings. It feels so much like I've settled in. Nothing I'd ever experienced being single. I thank my amazing husband and my loving Heavenly Father for all I am blessed with.