Happy Birthday Carson!

Carson was turning 2, and his mom and dad did an amazing job of incorporating all of the things he loves most into his big day. There were backhoes and bulldozers and trucks of all sorts, construction hats and noisemakers and more balloons than you could point a small plastic dinosaur at, Mickey Mouse gifts, a pinata and a beautiful construction themed cake...and even a sitar player! (OK, PI had THOUGHT she was hiring a drummer, as Carson loves the drums in his playgroup, but she rolled with it when the entertainer unexpectedly showed up with a different sound instead!). And, the pièce de résistance, the Hotwheels car that Grandma and Grandpa surprised Carson with at the end of the party. It was clear that Carson had an amazing time at his party, as did all of the friends and family that came to celebrate with him. Little sis Zoe was on hand to give the birthday boy a hug...as was Grandma and Grandpa...and even Great-Grandma! PI and Steve, thank you so much for letting me and Mike be part of Carson's special day.

Mike and I thought this post was the perfect way to introduce a new blog format that we've been anxiously anticipating for some time now. This is only the first step in a much bigger overhaul process, so be on the lookout for more exciting changes to come.

Meet Michael

This is one happy kid! Michael was full of smiles and energy and had a ton of fun hanging out at the beach with us on Sunday morning. He showed off his mad crawling skills, did some walking with his parents, splashed in the waves and ate a little sand. It was a full morning! It was so nice to meet your beautiful family, Elizabeth and Matt. Thanks for a great time!

Cannon Beach

When the morning sun shone through the low clouds hovering around the mountains, it looked like heaven. Cannon Beach is an awesome combination of an expansive stretch of sand, interesting rock formations (at low tide, beachcombers can explore tide pools containing sea “enemies,” as Mike called them, and starfish), and this amazing backdrop of tree-covered mountains. When Mike and I set out to explore this part of the Oregon coast with my parents, we were all expecting a relaxing, zen getaway. But the beach, hotel, town and state parks just blew us away. The Ocean Lodge was impeccably charming, with their 24-hour fresh-baked cookies and amazing pastry spread for breakfast every morning. (Cannon Beach resembled heaven even more when I discovered the Lodge’s breakfast apple pie. I’m telling you: HEAVEN). The Lodge even hooked us up with firewood and s’mores one night so we could have a bonfire on the beach. And the town, filled with low-key seafood restaurants, boutiques and art galleries, was just as charming. Mom and Dad, thanks for an incredible time. We had such a blast and hope we all get back to Cannon Beach again soon!

Keep in mind none of the following pictures have been color treated or retouched. Yes, these gorgeous colors are 100% natural.






I loooooove this picture that dad captured of me and Mike. Way to go, Parpo!



"Firemaster Mike" took the task of starting and maintaining our beach bonfire very seriously. He was in fierce competition with the other visible bonfires up and down the coast...and I think we all agree his was definitely the biggest and brightest out there that night.