WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE

What's the biggest difference between  a 15 hour drive to the Oregon Coast &  a 15 hour plane ride to the Mediterranean?

A heck of a lot of money...and oh, did I mention...FAMILY!!!

We were so excited to hit the road after 3 years of trying to find just the right time to visit Brian & Heather over in Oregon.  The best part of this timing was that it was with in a weeks time of deciding and then just loading the car, picking up the kids and hauling out.

This was the kids and my first time to OR.  Todd had been once before.  We loved the drive through the high forests and the beautiful lakes.  We saw a cute little Christmas Treasures store in the middle of a canyon and I begged Todd to stop.  I was able to get a cute ornament for our tree.  We started a tradition at the first of this year of collecting an ornament on each of our vacations that we can add through the years.

When we reached the coast we stopped at the Sea Lion Cave.  We had to take an elevator that dropped down the rock cliff 200 feet.  I couldn't really get any good pictures, we weren't aloud to use our flash.

We had such a great time.  Pulling into Coos Bay was the best.  Heather and Jackson were out side waving us on down the road, when we pulled up, Todd rolled his window down to say Hi to Jackson, and his face just dropped.  He screamed!  It was the funniest thing.  Jackson finally warmed up to Todd by the second to last day we were there.

Brian and Heather were so warm and inviting.  We loved seeing their  house and meeting those they mingle with.  Heather had a nice little guestroom set up for us.  The views from the house are wonderful and fresh.

Here are few photos from the first day we arrived. I'll add each day as I go.  Vacation pics are always hard for me to narrow down.  They always hold such great memories.

The Christmas Treasure's Store.       Ty at Sea Lion Cave

Alyssa & Ty at Sea Lion Cave

Sea Lion Cave view from top

Look out bottom of Sea Lion Cave flowers were growing on the walls.

The Cave of Sea Lions...

Ty in Sea Lion Cave.  2 birdies were just out side the bottom of the cave.  These birds are one of my fav photos this trip. 

I LOVE this photo on the left.  I made it look like a poster print I have of an adult couple on the beach.  I want to put it up in my house.

TJ and Lyssa on Bastendorf Beach.  The sand was like silk.

 

Little Jackson Boy!  Oh, he's so cute! 

Little Alyssa Lou...she's so cute too!

 

Brian and Jackson

Heather.  Brian & Jackson

Family snapshot

Alyssa's cute little footprint.

 

Lyssie plopped down on the sand and started drawing after she noticed my smiley face for Jackson.

   

We love these little Rug Rats of ours.

 

These are the cute little star fish we found by the rocks.