Oregon - Great-Grandpa!!!!

Day 31 - We pulled out of the Chatcolet Campground at 7:00 am and said goodbye to the float house until next summer.  This summer our two goals were make it to the float house and make it to Grandpa's....everything else was cake.  We had a short 450 mile drive ahead of us to Great Grandpas house in Albany, Oregon.  We stopped at the County Mercantile outside of Pasco for homemade salsa and sweet treats for Grandpa and pulled into Albany 10 hours later.  Grandpa was so happy to see us, and the boys went immediately to the back yard to start picking black berries.

We parked the Casita on the front lawn and went inside to relax.  The boys were pretty hungry, so we loaded all 6 of us into the Buick and headed to Izzy's for buffet dinner.  Lucky Cole squished in the middle of the front seat between Uncle Dave and Grandpa.  He loved every second.

After dinner, we crashed...this day I was thankful for our comfortable bed in the Casita with AC.  It was over 100 degrees when we pulled up to Albany.  

Day 32 - We woke up, relaxed around the house, and picked blackberries.  Grandpa Les showed up around 3:00 pm after his 500 mile drive from whitewater rafting down the Salmon River in Idaho, then our Eugene Family arrived!  Aunt Julie, Uncle Paul, Cousin Cal, and Cousin Annie arrived for a visit!!!

Cole was not feeling well, but Carson, Cal, and Annie played and played!

It was so great to see all our family in Oregon.  We love them so much.  

Day 33 - Today was errand day before hitting the campgrounds.  We picked more blackberries, hit Costco, and fixed a taillight on the Casita.  We even talked Cousin Amy and Faith into driving up from Eugene for a short visit.

Isn't family the best?!?!

Day 34 - We talked Great-Grandpa into driving to the coast with us.  After breakfast we loaded up the Casita and the Buick with Grandpa Les, Great-Grandpa, and Uncle Dave and headed for the beach.  I was so lucky to be able to ride with Dad and Grandpa in the Buick.  I brought my uke in the car and we sang campfire songs and church songs the whole ride.  I was thankful that I remembered to grab my "The Faith We Sing" hymnal before leaving Texas.  Grandpa and Dad also reminisced about past memories on the drive.  I think we all loved every second.  We pulled up to the most beautiful campsite at Beverly Beach site H18.

Great-Grandpa hadn't been to the coast in years.  He loved every second.  He even took a short nap on Grandpa Les's cot with Carson.

After naps, we had a short happy hour and headed to the beach.  Boy, was it WINDY!

We bundled up Great-Grandpa with lots of blankets so he could enjoy the ocean with us.  Grandpa Les loved playing in the ocean again.

After beach play, we loaded up the cars and headed to Newport for the world famous Chowder Bowl.  They served the biggest bread bowls I've ever seen.  Curtis and I both ordered the the Slumdog Cannonball which was clam chowed Ina bread owl topped with pacific gulf shrimp, and then we topped it off with famous bread pudding.  Yum!!!!

After dinner, we took Uncle Dave and Great-Grandpa to their hotel room and we headed back to the campsite for smores.  Yes, that cot is where Grandpa Les slept....

Day 35 - Uncle Dave and Great-Grandpa arrived to the campsite just in time for Curtis's yummy breakfast tacos.

We already had a warm fire going and we  relaxed all morning by the fire singing Grandpa's campfire songs like "Crawdad Hole", "Keimbo Kiembo", "Sipping Cider", and some of the boys favorites, too.

We sang and sang, and went around the campfire choosing our favorite songs.

Daddy, Cole, Carson, and I rode our bikes down to the coast for one more hour on the beach.  I was happy to go for a 4 mile run on the trails of Beverly Beach while the boys played.  Uncle Dave decided to join us as well.

We returned to the campsite, and the fire was still roaring so we thought what better than a morning snore with Great-Grandpa?!  Yum!  Grandpa was in heaven.  It had probably been 20 years since he had a s'more on the campfire.

Note to self:  next year, plan 3-4 nights at Beverly Beach site H18!

Alas, we only had one night there, so we packed the Casita and headed south to Honeyman State Park and the Oregon Sand Dunes, but first, we made a pitstop at Cape Perpitua.  Nice picture, Cole!

20 minutes later, we were pulling up to the dunes.  I couldn't tell who was more excited, Grandpa Les or the boys!

We raced up and down the dunes, ran to the top, played frisbee, and did our best to wear the boys out.

In no time at all, the boys were exhausted and so were the Grandpas.  They loaded up the Buick and drove the two hour drive back to Albany.  I am so thankful for our amazing time with Dad and Grandpa.  These are memories we will treasure forever.  Love you, Dad.