Day two...

Here we go...day two. Oscar was up at the crack of dawn and pulled the all-to-willing-and-ready dad along with him. Poppy and I on the other hand were happy to sleep a bit longer, make us some oatmeal and then venture to the ocean. Poppy, a bit apprehensive after the previous nights tumble, kept a very conservative distance from the shore and was happy to build me various cakes.

(Ricky feeding the birds what was left of our squirrel-eaten pitas)

The boys took a very long walk before coming back to humanity. They found a cool wooden shelter, that even later when we thought we would walk to find it again, ended up cutting back because Poppy couldn't make the distance (remember, she doesn't want to get strong legs).
We then ventured to Cannon beach which was 18 miles north of our campground. The camp ranger gave us a nice tide pool map and boy were we glad to have day trips where we could escape to the underworld of the ocean.
Although cannon beach was pretty and has haystack rock, the tide pools were mediocre compared to the others we would find.
Poppy found a lone crawling sea-star that they could touch an feel. (always making sure to put it back safely)
(It was a bit foggy here in the morning, and a little chilly, but the boy loved to explore.)
On our way back to the campground we decided to stop by another tide pool stop. Oswald park. There was a .5 mile trip down tot he shore. It was the beautiful green and lush trail with a bunch of hideout trees.
Oswald beach had a TON of surfers. In fact we have now decided that if you want to find the BEST beaches, all you need to do id follow the surfers!
Look at this place. It was such a beautiful cove with fresh water streams flowing into the Ocean.
The moss and tide pools were amazing! The kids and dog couldn't get enough. We hadn't packed a lunch this time around and we were certain we were coming back to this beach the very next day with food to hold us until we were all fully content.

(Typical edge family photo!)

(Smiley dog checking out the awesome moss!)

After leaving the beach and heading back to the camp ground and re-grouping, we ventured over to the Manzanita town farmer's market. It was fun to see a friendly farmer's market. We had some delicious blueberries and crapes for dinner. After hanging around we found our way back to the beach. Oscar and i walked the beach back to the campground and daddy and Pop's went in the car.
As he and I were walking down the beach he would randomly say, "mom I want to go back to camp." The very next moment he would want to go explore another batch of driftwood. I kept reminding him that we had a couple of miles to walk back... he then was off running down the beach again.
Once back in camp we all showered, had some hot cocoa and finshed watching Star-Wars before snugguling down to sleep.
Another fun-filled day on the beach.

To all of you who actually read this entire email, I salute you! This is really my way of clearly documenting what we did and where we went. Not to mention, I hope to make all of you a little jealous to the point of making your own trek to the coast...you won't regret it...that is unless you need fancy things and parties to keep you happy.

Day one...

After a 7 1/2 hour drive we arrived at the Nehalem State park campground, set up camp and headed to the beach. Here is the view right before you come over the top of the dune ...
And this my friends is what our Ocean vacation is ALL about.
Oscar can hardly hold back long enough for us to set up camp before he is leaping to the shore. Poppy, the more cautious of the bunch tried to follow suite but was quickly swept off her feet into the frigid water. She lasted about ten more minutes before it was imperative that I take her back to camp to change. It was at that moment I decided that I in fact DID not over pack. She was going to use up what I brought for sure!

This particular beach seemed to get pretty windy int he evening hours so we would venture back to camp and go find some place yummy for dinner.

This night we found a little restaurant who served a bowl of chowder the size of my head. It was delicious and yes, I ate the entire bowl full, a roll, salad and some of the tikes fish and chips. We all had our fill of dinner and headed back to camp to cozy down to watch Star Wars #6 while we snuggled in our sleeping bags.

This was just the beginning of the late night dvd movies and snuggle time under the star speckled sky. Lucky for us, our tent is equipped with a huge star gazing cealing.

3rd annual Edge Family Ocean trip...

Every year I think that it can't possibly get better...and yet, that is exactly what happened. I am up to my neck in laundry and house stuff, so no pics will be posted YET. However here is a breakdown of central themes of the trip that I will elaborate on later...

Poppy: "I don't want to get strong legs!!!" (this was the protest to having to walk, we heard it about a thousand times each day)

Oscar: "Is today day 4? I really don't want to go home tomorrow. Can't we just live at the Ocean?" (This is the same boy who was up and the crack of dawn on the first morning, getting his dad out of bed to walk 3 miles down the beach to find a log shelter...he never got sick of being on the beach)

Mom: "ummm...more fried fish and chowder? Do you serve that with salad, bread and pizza?" Seems my appetite has returned to normal (if not a little more aggressive) just in time for our trip.

Ricky: "No thanks, we're vegetarian" Said to our Neighbor on the playground After our neighbor offered him some of their sweet smelling terriyaki dinner. I think after sleeping for three nights next to this very LARGE group of neighbors, who insisted on playing Latino/elevator music the entire day and night. . .he wasn't up for the offer.
Luckily we spent most of the day at the beach and only had to be subjected to it in the evening and morning hours. My head was full of the constant background noise. Finally they turned it off and immediately I felt a weight lifted off my brain!

More is coming I promise!

Way behind in the blog world...

Ummm...lentil chili. This is actually a post that should have been finished a week ago...alas my friends (my few readers) you get things a bit behind schedule these days.
The one thing that is VERY notable about the Lentil festival, is that it seemed to be the beginning of some better energy/not-so-nauseated days! I'm thinking it was the lentil chili. More scientific evidence will have to be conducted but really, after that lentil chili I have felt SIGNIFICANTLY better!
So much better, that I have actually gotten my Lazy rear off the couch, and have pick up my beloved past time of running.
I did have to recruit the newest locals to come support the cause of the lentil fest 5k. They were great sports and so fun to hang out with! I figured since I wasn't up for the 100k Tour de Lentil, I might as well run the 5k.
And as withl many of these small-town races, when you have a crappy race time and stick around for the awards, you discover that you actually placed 3rd your my age group! Not so bad for a prego-post morning sickness mom. Truly it was a pretty small pool...but it made me feel better. Maybe placing in my age group is the cure???
We then ventured down to the lentil festival parade and festivities. It was the first year we have actually experienced the ENTIRE lentil festival (short of the lentil pancake breakfast). Wyllie Gustafson was there, and if you have been a reader for a while you will already know that i am a lover of yodeling!!! And especially our local Yodeler. He was great and I loved watching Ricky and Poppy enjoy the music.
After Poppy's day of Lentil festivities you can see that snowcones, cotton candy, and parade candy to not make for a very nutricious diet. Thus the sugar low melt down.
This picture actually was her response to the lentil chili...do you think she liked it?

All good times at the lentil Festival. If you are ever in town in late August you'll have to stop by.

First day of first grade!!!!

Here's the first grader...Do you think he has grown a bit since last year?

(Oscar last year)

Kindergarten was just the beginning. I had no idea that first grade would bring all of the important choices like: Will he eat cold lunch or warm lunch? Will he like warm lunch? Will I let him ride his bike? Will I let him ride his bike by himself with his buddy Austin?

There seems to be a whole different feel to me about first grade. I feel comfortable with Oscar at school all day, and I don't worry about him being a good obedient boy at school. I know that he will absorb a ton of information and that I will have to filter it and pry it out of his little head.

On the other hand I find myself this paranoid mother int he realm of the biking to school world.After practicing over and over again the route, that he should ride ont he sidewalk (not the road) that he needs to watch for cars and PEOPLE (especially other students) it was all thwarted by the fact that it was garbage day and everyone had they stinkin garbage cans on the sidewalk!
We ended up ridign the road and due to the inherited race instincts of my child, he insisted on tring to pass Austin or I if we ever ended up in front of him.
I found myself shouting "move to the side of the road", "Don't pass out into the middle of the road", "OSCAR STOP!!!" Why did you go to cross infont of that car???? I don't care if they are stopped!! They have the right of way!"
Unleashed was this over-protective mommy that couldn't just let the boys ride...
My justification is the fact that it only takes ONE wrong move between you and a car and that is it!!! There is no replay or learning curve!
ahhhhhhh just typing this I feel myself tensing up. I know that if Rick were riding with them he woudl be a bit more laid back. Truly the majority of the time when they were making a riding infraction they were not in any serious danger, but still...before I can let them ride solo I NEED to know that they are going to follow the rules!

On a good note, Oscar came home alive and LOVED his first day. he loves his teacher ( who on more than one occcasion has been described to me as the very best teacher). He is excited to learn and was exstatic taht they got to climb on the climbing wall in P.E. today. He ifnormed me that the younger kids aren't allowed to go to the top until they get bigger...he was a little diapointed but loved it anyway.

Poppy adjusted well to the one on one time, that is after she threw a few tantrums just to make sure she had my undivided attention.
tonight she used her sweety voice and was a nice bird. It will be interesting to see how things unfold.

Dog days of summer...

(Poppy girl happy as a clam in the mud!)

I'm currently wrapped up in a warm blanket posting a blog about the toasty days of summer...Why you ask am I bundled in a hoodie and blanket? Let's just say that this summer mama is not accustomed to the 60 degree weather we have had for the past few days...therefore i will indulge in a little bit of some warm day recap!

(And here is clam #2 Ivy bug basking in the muddy goodness)

If there is one thing that can be said about summer, it would be the copious amounts of food snacks that get devoured at all hours of the day. In fact, as you can see all of these kiddies are loving the treats that us three mommies had to share. In fact I think there is an unspoken rule that if you are meeting for a picnic with friends be sure to include extras so that it can become a snacking feast.
Oscar ate nearly nothing (aside from the brownie Betina brought)...he was much more content swimming or laying in the sunshine.
And what summer on the Palouse could be complete without seeing a bit of the food chain. Here we see a barge full of the Palouse gold...wheat! So cool to see the wheat go from the green stubble in the spring, to the golden flowing fields in July, to the combine, grain truck, barge, bag, and then...to my wheat grinder where I always love to open the flour catcher to a dust of freshly ground flour.
There is something special about living amongst such active agriculture. I love it!

Now if this Pregnant mother could learn how to cook again, we might be in business. Seriously I think my family may throw me out and never let me come back! i wouldn't call myself a Fabulous cook, but I have been known to cook some tasty food, that is when my taste buds are in normal order. Let's just say last nights dinner was not so great. It may have something to do with the fact that I CANNOT taste test the food during preparation without it becoming a black listed food.
Sad dinner days at the Edge house...fair warning to all who dare to share a meal at this house!! That is, unless Ricky is on duty and then all is well.

Eight years plus...

Eight Years ago today Ricky and I were on our honeymoon in Jackson Hole/Yellowstone National Park. I had forgotten to pack any sort of hiking shoes, and only had my Wedding dress wedge flip flops and my generic flip flops...not the best choices when you are planning an outdoors honeymoon. To make things worse my regular flip flops broke the first day and I managed to pick up some sort of illness that left me puking (no I was not pregnant).

My poor sweet husband I'm sure was wishing he could step back a day to find his more collected and level headed Fiance'. If he was in fact thinking this, he didn't show it one bit. He was supportive and bought me some Pepto-Bismal at the wee hours of the morning to calm my wrenching stomach.

After I believe three days of very low-scale hiking (yes we found a replacement pair of flip flops) we decided that it was time to head home...who cares if it was a couple of days early??? It seemed that the cure laid back in our humble little apartment.

This certainly wasn't the Honeymoon that story books are made of, but it was nice. It was nice because every day, trip and experience from that moment forward has just kept getting better. I can think of a hundred vacations that were more fitting of the typical honeymoon mold. Yet, I still hold on to that honeymoon as the beginning of something great.

I really can't think of anyone that could be a better fit than my Ricky (here is where he gags on my sentimentality) but really...I'm a happy girl, with a happy family, in a happy place. What more could I ask for. Life is good!!!