mini vacation?!

This past weekend, we've had the fun of enjoying time with Ken's sister, Holly, and her two girls, Kaitlyn & Courtney, who came to visit.  The cousins have all had a great time together & I love watching them play:  the girls are a few years older but they've been so sweet to find things to do together that the little ones can 'tag along' and do too.  Like coloring the rocks out front with crayons & letting them bake in the sun.  Lots of bike time, creating things with playdough, and playing chase a lot.  But perhaps what's been most fun of all, has been getting to experience two really cool destinations over the past few days with them that are close driving distance:  Crater Lake & Florence, Or.  We have been spoiled with some aaaaaahhhhhmazing weather -- and on a clear, sunny day at the coast, it really rivals beauty like you'd imagine for Kauai and the tropics!  The kids LOVED playing at the beach, discovering sea life in tide pools, checking out the caves on the beach, hiking, ....  at only an hour & 20 minutes away from here, let me just say, I can't wait to go back!!!!  And Sarah W. if you're reading this... I can totally see why your parents would love it there!!!  We didn't rent sandboards or dune bikes this time, but that would surely be something fun down the road as you can "surf" the sand in shorts & a t-shirt at the dunes, or rent 4-wheelers & dune buggies to hit the hills.  Oh what fun!  But trust me, there is so much to do that's free....  the hikes, the breathtaking scenery, flying kites at the beach and building sand castles, wading in the water, having camp fires... it's endless!  Even though this was all in a weekend, it totally felt like a mini vacation.  It's rather incredible what getting to soak in all this beauty does in our soul --- so thankful to have been able to spend time in awe of God's creativity and better still, to have time with family!  Before I yammer on forever, I'll just share pics... :)

Here we are at Driftwood Beach

LOVE having a beach baby!! (beach babies, I should say!) :)

They literally ran, and ran, and ran... with glee & by the time we left, they were all soaked with chattering teeth & ready for their change of clothes. ;)

Next stop; Haceta Beach to check out the tide pools and hike

And this is the view along the hike to the lighthouse.  Seriously -- is this not amazingly beautiful??

This little picnic spot looked like heaven.  Definitely a place you could impress a date. :)  (just along the short hike to the lighthouse)

This might be my new favorite pic of Ken!

Though you can't see it in the pic, he's standing at the lookout at the lighthouse - and the views of the Pacific from there are stunning!

Picnic along the Rogue river en route to Crater Lake

Mags had to dip her toes in :)

Crater Lake is so breathtaking.  So is the scenery all around.  The water looked like an oil painting!

All the shades of blue from up there are insane! (this pic doesn't even come close to doing it justice)

And yes, there is that much snow.  Dry roads, and to our luck, they opened the North entrance an hour after we go there through the South - so we got to take the West Rim drive home and cut the drive time in half on the way back too.  Crater Lake is about 2 hours from home.

Holly, Kaitlyn & Courtney

All the cousins together :)

Ken's beautiful sister, Holly, on the Tokatee Falls hike; we drove right passed this on the way home from Crater Lake, and since it was a hike they already wanted to do while they were here, we figured we might as well stop then vs. driving back another day.  We were the only ones on the trail & it was dusk... two of my (general) rules we avoid given my fear of well, you already know, (Ha)... and though we've been there before, it was definitely more scary this time.  It felt like we were being tracked.  And I wasn't the only one who noticed.  But, we made it safe & sound and it's always beautiful!

Sweet Jack has been sick almost every day; just a bad cold I guess that got hold of him.. and despite the sneezing & congestion he's had, he's been a total trooper wanting to still go & do all these things with his cousins.  Normally we'd lay low if the kids were sick, but I'm so glad Jack did alright & glad to say he's almost 100% today! :)