Much needed VACATION

Last week we were so lucky to take a much much much needed vacation!!!! (Oh my gosh, you really have NO idea how much I needed it). First we drove up to Vancouver, Washington to stay with Jess's brother Casey's family. They were so great (especially Linsdsi) for driving us everywhere and feeding us a ton! We also got to see our friends Cam and Josie while we were up there. Cam owns a bunch of Little Caeser's Pizzas and he was SO NICE to let us come into one of his stores and actually make our OWN pizzas. We also got a chance to drive over to the coast and visit the beach which was not a warm beach by any means, but still fun nonetheless.

After Vancouver we left to go to Coeur d' Alene to visit my family. We were there for a few days pretty much celebrating the existence of my brother (not the I minded...I LOVE that kid). We got to see Tommy graduate high school and get his Eagle Scout award. I am so proud of him! To seal the deal, the family took the 4-wheelers and motorcycles up the mountain for an all-day riding extravaganza. I was really nervous for Jess to ride anything, but he really did well!

The vacation was a lot of fun, but the driving WAS NOT. Thankfully, Jess doesn't mind driving long distances...I just had to put up with listening to ESPN podcasts on the radio...which I probably would have taken the option to drive and listen to country music instead if it was given to me:-)


Swimming at Lindsi's parent's house. Casey, Jess, Cam, and baby Baylee.

We took a walk in downtown Portland. With shopping and dinner included. Out cute nieces Brooklyn and Olivia.

Oh...our nephew Cody...he liked the sand at the beach a little too much :-)
See...told you it was cold.


Our nephew Nathan...he kept his Uncle Jess busy ;)

Story behind the video: While playing in the waves I noticed a little circular sea creature that was breathing out of the sand when the tide was in. I thought that it was a sea anemone, but boy was I wrong. Jess took the shovel and started digging deep in the sand to find out what it was. The deeper the hole got, the bigger the creature got and I was terrified that it was an octupus or something, but the shovel kept making a "cracking" noise when it hit the object, so I figured it was some shelled-humongous-gross sea creature. It....... was a clam with a really big tongue. HA HA. And it died from a shovel slashing to the neck. Poor clam. Jess is a killer.

Making the pizzas at Cam Gentry's Little Caeser's Pizza

The Graduate :-)

The Eagle Scout :-)

4-Wheeling in Horse Haven. I think it was in Coeur d' Alene.

He got major dirty....

At the top of the mountain: Dad. Jess. Tommy

Whitney had to stay in the car most of the time because Payton was napping and it was freezing!

The CUTEST baby!!!!! And my most favoritist MOM.