Tuesday, July 5, 2011

4th of July Fun

We had the best 4th of July this year. We decided to stay home and have a few friends over and that turned out to be a great plan. We took the kids to breakfast in the morning and then we spent the rest of the morning getting ready for the party. Everyone came over in the afternoon and the kids spent most of the time in the pool. It was really just a totally relaxing enjoyable day and night.


For the first time EVER we decked the house out for the 4th.

Alan has been wanting to try out a recipe he saw 8 years ago. He finally got the chance! One pot clam bake was a huge hit. It's a stock pot layered with red potatoes, kielbasa sausage, shrimp, scallops, clams and topped off with some lobster tails.




 We bought a 20 foot pool this year and it has been the best thing we've bought for the kids in a long time. Forget the XBox, TV or laptops...the pool rules!!!


 This was the first year that we adults didn't light off a single firework! It was all the kids...supervised of course. They did a great job being safe and following the rules. We just sat back and watched the show.



 DESSERT!

Of course there was PLENTY of this consumed. We all have a problem...












Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Oregon Coast Weekend

 We had a fantastic Memorial Weekend on the Oregon Coast with our good friends Dan and Emmy. We stayed in Seaside but visited Cannon Beach and Tillamook. It was an amazingly relaxing and fun weekend. I guess the goal to a great vacation is to have nothing planned, because it seemed to work perfect for us! The only thing we had planned was this...

Emmy was totally shocked and surprised! It was such a fantastic moment. So grateful to have been able to be there to photograph it!


Alan got sick of the Emmy and Dan love fest and carved these for me.


 Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach





 We stayed in Seaside right on the beach. Great view to go to bed and wake up to!
 Enjoying the view

 I'm not sure what view is being enjoyed here?!

 Alan's dreams came true and we visited the Tillamook factory in Tillamook, OR. He's been dying to go there for years.




 Dan got really thirsty at the factory.

 YUMMY!!!!