Vacation Day 4

I think this may be my new favorite photo of Josh and Abbi. I don't know what it is about it, but it pulls at my heart strings!

Day 4

August 1st, 2009

Today was the day for the family reunion - the reason we traveled to Oregon! That morning, we got up and got ready. When Josh's parent's got back from breakfast at a little restaurant next to the hotel, we went over to get ourselves some breakfast while Marilyn watched Max & Abbi. Unfortunately, the the restaurant was quite small, and it was packed - being a Saturday morning. We decided we didn't want to sit and wait forever, (bummer - because they had a crab omelet that I really wanted to try!), and we walked back over to the hotel. I was starving, so we left Abbi with Marilyn still while we went to find something else to eat. We ended up just going through the drive-thru at McDonald's. Not exactly the crab omelet I was craving, but it got rid of my hunger. We went back to the hotel to wait with Marilyn. Mike, Bud & Karen had all driven over to the river where the reunion was being held to reserve some space. When Karen got back, we all headed over to Fred Meyer to pick up some food, drinks and snacks, and then headed up to the river.

Family Reunion

While it was cold and foggy on the coast, just a few miles up the mountain was the river, where the sun was shining and it was nice and warm. It didn't really feel like we went up in elevation that much, but it put us up above the fog where the weather was nice. I guess the people that live there spend a lot of time at the river in the summertime because the fog hangs around the coast so much.

Josh & Abbi by the river

There was a lot of family there to meet - most of which Josh had never met before - or at least didn't remember. We also walked down the path to the river, where lots of people were enjoying cooling off. We just walked along the rocky bank, and Max dipped his paws in a time or two.

Family Photos

Wild Oregon Blackberries. Too bad there weren't ripe ones - we were a bit too early!

After some time at the reunion, Josh & I headed back down to the hotel for some rest and to put Abbi down for a nap. A few hours later, Mike and Marilyn met us back at the hotel, and we all headed to the beach, to Harris Beach.

Beach Photos

It was a bit chilly and still foggy, but it was still beautiful. I've always loved the ocean, and it amazes me how different it looks in different locations. We walked around for quite awhile, letting the dogs enjoy the sand and letting Abbi get her first views of the ocean. She really loved it and couldn't stop looking out to sea.

Abbi getting her first views of the ocean

We thought Max would just love digging in the sand, but it took us a bit of prodding to get him to dig. I think there were just so many new smells and sights for him to take in. I'm sure that if he were to go one or two more times, he would really love it.

Max, digging and experiencing the beach

I think Mike and Marilyn really enjoyed being there with Abbi while she experienced the ocean for the first time. We all had such a good time, just taking in the sights.

More beach photos. I love how Josh's parents are always trying to get smiles out of Abbi. And 90% of the time, she gives them to them!

I was surprised at how many people were there, especially with the less than perfect weather. But I had a ball taking hundreds of photos. We really do live in a beautiful world, and there is just so much see.

Beauty of the beach

This won't be my last trip to the beaches of Oregon!!

My favorite beach shot. What a beautiful place!

Bud and Karen headed back to Klamath Falls after the family reunion, and when we got back from the beach, we got a call that they had been in an accident on the way home. Everyone was safe, but Bud ended up with some deep tissue bruising. Their truck had some extensive damage and they ended up having to rent a car to get the rest of the way home. We are just grateful that no one got seriously hurt!