This winter’s vacation consisted of a week on the central Oregon coast with Chris’ sister and her family. We were able to book a room right on the water and it was nothing short of INCREDIBLE.
The Ocean
There’s just something amazing about the ocean. The size and strength of that much water, the repetition of those mighty waves, powerful yet peaceful, the beauty of the spray as massive waves hit massive rocks, and the way that, on the beach, the ocean seems higher than you, leaving you to wonder what, besides God’s power, is keeping all that water from crashing down and covering you! It is one of those places that is awesome and humbling. Watching its force and beauty just never gets old!
Ups and Downs
We battled a few mornings with sick kids, but the downtime made a perfect opportunity to enjoy family and squeeze in a few more relaxing games of Ticket to Ride. (Not entirely true – the games could be relaxing if we weren’t all so competitive!) Even when we were all healthy, time outside was limited as the winter weather was questionable at best. But, being the outdoor explorers that we naturally are, we braved the possibility of rain and ventured out regardless, leading to an extra adventure of getting caught in a serious downpour! No worries – we (and the seats of our cars after the drive back to our room) all dried out eventually. We were blessed with a few almost-sunny days, perfect for enjoying typical beach activities like walking (or kicking driftwood, if that’s too boring) along the surf, building sand castles, and trying to outrun waves.
A few more favorite memories include:
- Exploring areas only accessible at low tide and then going back to see those same spots at high tide. Wow!
- Observing loud and seemingly very grumpy sea lions
- Rating area restaurants on their claims of serving the best clam chowder
- Watching our kids’ sense of adventure, trust, and bravery grow during the time in the pool
- Seeing some incredibly beautiful parts of God’s amazing creation
Here are a few of our favorite photos from the week.
Low tide.
High tide.
Warmest wishes,
Chris and Jeannette
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