Last weekend we went on a family trip that I’ve been wanting to take for a while, going to the coast and the aquarium. It worked out that my cousin and her family are visiting from Montana and wanted to meet up there so it gave us a welcome excuse to plan the trip. Organizing even a weekend trip and getting out of the door isn’t an easy undertaking now that there are four of us (including two in diapers). Even with my parents making some of the arrangements, just packing and traveling with two kids under 2 is a challenge. There is usually a moment in the car where both children are crying/whining, J and I are invariably tense, and I’m wondering why on earth we got off the couch and forced the trip. Then we get to our destination, have a good time, and I’m reminded that we just have to do it. It might be easier to stay home and do our usual activities but, in the end, that doesn’t lead to an interesting life or interesting childhood for our kids.
So we did it! We hit the beach on a BEAUTIFUL and WARM weekend. There were lovely sunrises over the ocean, holes dug in the sand, toes dangled in the water, dogs walked on the beach, sea food eaten with a view of the ocean, and lots of visiting with family.
Mom, Glenn, Chris and Tracy enjoying a beautiful day on the beach.
J, Clare and Lucy playing in the sand and water.
As you can see, Clare’s pants didn’t last very long…
Clare and Lucy became fast friends. At one point Lucy was leading Clare around by the hand and telling her a long, involved story. 
Mom helped little Aksel with his walking.
On Sunday we packed up and headed down to the lovely Oregon Coast Aquarium. I’ve been wanting to take Clare there for a while and show her the seals, sea lions, and fish. She loved it – especially watching the sea lion feeding, the part where you can walk through the fish tank, and touching the sea anemones and sea stars. We loved experiencing it with her.
