I've been actively working on

an album since last week about our lighthouse tour we went on last October. I guess I decided it was time I did something with all my photos. It's very different from what I'm used to, but still very much me. I'm excited about the way it's turning out and I'm almost done :) Here's a sneak peek...

And since I never did post about the last few days of my trip, sadly there were several photos I had never really seen until about two weeks ago, I'm posting a few of my favorite photos from the last several days of our trip.

Astoria, OR

Japanese Gardens - Portland, OR

overlooking Portland from the Japanese Gardens

Lighthouse tour day 3.

I thought I would get my experience documented before it was too late. Lucky for me I remember details very well. Actually I do have key events/activities on paper, but tend to loose those things so wanted to blog it asap.

We woke up to dark gray skies. Adam suggested we go for a walk, but upon closer examination the mist was actually rain and not fog. He told me I was crazy and that it was Oregon's “misty rain” which was great for walking in. Well I still declined, I’m not blind it was raining. So he decided to go anyway and I opted to take a shower and get ready. When he came back he was soaking wet and it turns out he didn’t even end up going walking because it was raining hard (just like I said). He went to Wal-Mart instead and got us umbrellas to use for the rest of the day and trip if needed.

When I actually went outside I couldn’t believe how wet it was. Just getting to the car, keep in mind we had our bags as well, got my pants all wet. Anyway, we found a quaint little diner to eat at where everyone inside new each other but us. I liked it, but also felt like I was intruding in on an exclusive party.

Next we headed to the Newport Aquarium. It was enjoyable to walk around and see all the amazing sea life. I also really liked the touch pool. It made me feel like a kid again. Of course half of the Aquarium is outside so we were forced to walk around in the rainy cool weather. I suppose it was good because it made it so it wasn’t crowded. Outside we saw the bigger animals like sea lions, which I really enjoyed watching them chase each other in the water. Man they move fast. We weren’t at the aquarium terribly long. Without the crowd it moved very quickly, plus because of the weather we weren’t just hanging out walking around outside like we probably would have with clear skies.

We then went to Yaquina Bay lighthouse. It was unfortunately still closed and it was so foggy we didn’t even bother getting out of the car.

Then we headed to Yaquina Head lighthouse. It was still foggy and so windy our umbrellas were turning inside out, but it was open so we were able to go inside. It pretty much looked like the others we had seen, but still cool nevertheless. One of my favorite parts of visiting the lighthouses was seeing the lenses and learning there signature.

We had a drive ahead of us so we headed to Canon Beach. I heard so many cool things about this town that I was really excited to go. I can’t remember how long the drive was, but I know we were so engrossed in conversation that we missed Cape Meres lighthouse, one of the lighthouses on our list. I was bummed, but we saw so many that I got over it quickly.

photo actually taken day 4

They were right…Canon Beach was a very cool quaint little town. It was still gray and yucky outside so we headed straight to our hotel to settle in. We stayed at Hallmark Inn right on the beach across from the very famous Haystack rock. I wasn’t sure at the time, because I thought Goonies was filmed exclusively in Astoria, but it was in fact the rocks in the movie. After taking about an hour or so to relax we went for a walk in the “misty rain”. I don’t know if this is legit, but Adam has always talked about the rain in OR being misty instead of pouring rain. Well this was my first experience of it and it was very cool. You could tell water was in the air, but you weren’t getting really wet. After a while of walking along the beach, I forgot to take my camera, we started getting cold so we headed in to get ready for dinner. We ate at Wayfarer Restaurant and celebrated our anniversary. No, it wasn’t our real anniversary, but that’s what we had told them when we made reservations so they brought our dinner on plates that said “Happy Anniversary” and they treated us so well. It felt like a very special dinner, plus the food was exquisite….by far the best meal of the trip for me. Oh yeah when we first got there the storm was lifting and you could actually see the sky. So as we waited to order we watched the most beautiful sunset. Again I wanted to run outside and take a picture, but opted out and decided to enjoy the moment with Adam. It was the perfect end to a great day.

More photos here.

100 things about me

I thought this was a great idea that Jill took from Annalisa who originally got it from Kelly. I think everyone should do this. It's such a great way to learn bits and pieces about each other. Thank you for the inspiration ladies. I so enjoyed doing this.

1. I have a hard time making decisions.
2. I have no problem saving money.
3. I love to watch people and am hyper aware of what's/who's around me.
4. I'm really bad at keeping plants alive.
5. I'm not a huge fan of ice cream.
6. I've never really had a best friend that was a girl.
7. I enjoy when I get up and get going in the morning, but am not really good at it these days.
8. 90% of the furniture in my house is from DownEast Home.
9. I only drink water and it's been like that as long as I can remember.
10. I'm so uncomfortable in stores like Tai Pan Trading Co that are mainly for decorating.
11. I rarely eat breakfast.
12. I have a crooked nose.
13. I have the worst hair. I pretty much hate it.
14. I always crave french fries.
15. I love the whole process of labor and delivery.
16. I know what I don't like.
17. I learn things very quickly.

18. I love taking photos of the details of my life.
19. I love the smell of the earth after it rains.
20. I feel lonely a lot of the time.
21. I have a hard time spending money on cloths.
22. I've taught myself almost everything I know.
23. I delight in the word "simplify".
24. When I go back to school I'm going to study graphic design.
25. This is my favorite number.
26. I have chocolate everyday.
27. I would much rather read a book on design or photography before a novel.
28. I have a good life.
29. I love dance music.
30. Having an ipod has changed the way I listen to music.
31. I care what other people think.
32. I lack self confidence.
33. I'm hyper aware of my flaws.
34. I'm so bad with grammar or anything else that has to do with the subject "English".
35. I love biology & science.
36. I'm fascinated with history.
37. I memorize very easily.
38. I can sort of play the piano.
40. I would have another child if I thought I could mentally handle it.
41. I so desperately want to be a good mother.
42. I delight being on time.
43. I'm a home body.

44. I hope my girls will become best friends.
45. The internet has changed my life.
46. I enjoy a reason to get dressed up.
47. I can talk to my husband about anything.
48. I have lived in the same state my whole life and don't see that changing.
49. I love technology.
50. I love to take something/anything out of it's package for the first time.
51. I really want a mac, but can't justify getting one.
52. I want to learn how to play the guitar.
53. I get cold after I eat.
54. I never did get my bachelors degree.
55. I enjoy hearing my wind chimes out back.
56. I love to be organized.
57. I use to hate being alone, but now I need it daily to feel sane.
58. At night in the winter I love to make hot chocolate, wrap myself in a blanket, and read a magazine.
59. I love sushi.
60. I'm always thinking. My mind never stops.
61. I love to exercise, but am in a dry spell right now.
62. I enjoy silence.
63. I hate dreaming at night.
64. I kicked my issue with death.
65. I need to be creative.
66. Our 2005 taxes didn't get filed until Oct 2006.
67. I always sing in the car.
68. I enjoy listening to NPR.
69. I love getting homemade creative gifts.
70. My older brother died when he was 18 and I was 16.
71. I love/need intimacy.
72. I don't really have a favorite color just different moods.
73. I love roller coasters and amusement parks.
74. I dance with my girls on a daily basis.
75. I have learned a ton about myself from being a mother.
76. I want to be understood.
77. I don't get bored. There's always something I want to do.
78. I'm a massage therapist.
79. I never had braces.
80. I love the smell of a new box of crayons and playdoh.
81. I loved my childhood.
82. I feel utterly lucky for the family I have.
83. I have a hard time forgiving myself.
84. I would be completely lost in life without my religion.

85. I love lighthouses for they way they look and everything they stand for.
86. I enjoy being silly and laughing.
87. I love wildflowers.
88. I usually forget at least one thing when leaving the house.
89. I would take a nap everyday if I could.
90. At night I must have all my blinds closed. I hate living in a fish bowel.
91. I can see my entire town from my back yard. I love it.
92. I enjoy coming back from vacation.
93. I work on "parenting with love and logic" on a daily basis.
94. I hate feeling like I'm missing out on something.
95. I love the smell of the anthropologie candles...such a delight.
96. I enjoy being in a small group just sitting around and talking.
97. I love making a to do list and will often write something I've already done on the list so I can cross it off.
98. I have multiple junk drawers.
99. I love being inspired.
100. I love blogging and being able to document my life my favorite way.

Lighthouse tour Day 2

I'm under the impression blogger hates me. It's not allowing me to post photos so if you want to get a visual just click on the links provided. I will keep trying.

We woke up this morning and had breakfast at the bed and breakfast we stayed at. I have never actually stay for the breakfast when I stay at B&Bs. In fact I always thought they gave out pastries instead of a full meal. It was by far the best breakfast of the trip. Shirley, the woman running the B&B, knows how to cook and host. She was very funny and had interesting stories to tells us about her famous, yes famous, seagull named Baby. Apparently he had a broken leg and she feed him back to health. He found a mate who also had a bad leg and they lived happily by the B&B until she broke her other leg and then ended up dying. Apparently Baby wouldn't eat and almost died (I was teary at this point). He eventually found the will to live and found himself another woman. Apparently he lives at his woman's place these days, but I saw his celebrity first hand in a golf magazine. Too funny.

After breakfast we headed out of town to our second lighthouse of the trip, Cape Arago. It was only viewable from a distance. It was quite small where we were, but through my lens you got a decent view. It was a bit out of the way from highway 101, but such a gorgeous drive. At some point we were driving amids the tree in a fog. It was very cool. Here we are with the lighthouse at a distance...you can't even make it out.

As we headed out of this small town we saw a place called "Fun center" with the word "adult" circled at the top. Why am I telling you this...because it was located across from a school. Unbelievable.

Next on our list was Cape Umpqua. This was the first one we were able to tour. We waited for a while for the tour to start and spent time in the small museum and gift shop. Our tour guide was Bob and he liked to talk. He gave us some interesting info that really helped me for the rest of the trip, but my goodness he talked a lot. I thought it was really funny at the end when he said he always wanted to be a History teacher, but ended up being a chemist. I was happy to see him retired and doing what he always wanted. Very cool to see someone living their dream.

Back on highway 101 we headed to my favorite Lighthouse of the trip, Heceta Head. It was in an amazing spot. The drive, the hike up to it, and the surrounding area...just stunning. It was located just above a calm cove with rocks and of course tons of trees. The hike to the lighthouse was needless to say beautiful. Most of the way was lined with raspberry bushes so I can only imagine what it would look like in the summer. We actually got there just in time to take the last tour. It actually looked a lot like Cape Umpqua, but enjoyed it just as much. We spent a lot of time at the lighthouse and the surrounding area. It was just so beautifully overcast and the weather was delightful...plus there was a ton of sea life to see.

Next we head to our last location, Newport. We got there pretty late so just headed to our hotel and then out to dinner. We ate at a restaurant down by the water. It was a scary looking place, but actually had great food. From our room I could actually see one of the lighthouses on our list from the hotel window. It made me very happy to see the lighthouse signature.

All and all it was a perfect day. As the afternoon came in it began to get cloudy, but perfect temperature. I can't say the same for day 3. Coming soon.

Day One of the Lighthouse Tour

I don't know what business I have staying up late. It was 11:30ish when I came downstairs to download my photos onto my computer. It seemed to take about 1/2 hour. I guess that's what happens when you take over 800 pictures. Anyway I should be going to bed, I know I'm going to regret this tomorrow, but I wanted to at least look through the first day and post a few photos.

First just let me say it was such an amazing trip. Oregon is absolutely the most beautiful coast I've seen. The steep cliffs, rocky terrain, and wooded landscape are to die for. Seriously loved ever minute of the traveling.

The first day we got off the plane and headed out to our first little town, Bandon. I don't think I realized how small the towns are that dot the Oregon coast. "Tiny ones" as Megan would say. Though small, they were quaint and very inviting. We definitely took our time traveling and even stopped at a very cool cemetery along the way. I know what your thinking, pretty crazy for someone like me, but I loved how old the graves were and that it was nestled along a woody forest...what's not in Oregon?

When we got to Bandon we headed straight for the Coquille River Lighthouse. We were hoping to make it in time to go in, but sadly it closed an hour earlier than expected. Not to worry, we walked along the lighthouse and surrounding rocky area which included the jette where we were splashed more than once by the crashing waves. It was amazing. We took a short walk along the beach when we found this incredibly long seaweed Adam started throwing around like a whip as if he were Indian Jones...I will spare you the photos. Anyway, he got creative and spelled out his nickname for me. I just love that man.

We quickly headed to our bed & breakfast that overlooked the Lighthouse. The lady who ran the place, Shirley, wanted everyone to check in by 6pm because she goes down to her room to get ready for bed at that time since she gets up at 4am. Crazy. She was the funniest lady. I really enjoyed her company in the morning over breakfast. Might I just add her breakfast was the best breakfast I had the entire trip. It came with interesting stories that had me teary eyed. For that you'll have to wait for my next installment. I need to get to bed.

Blogger hates me and is not letting me download more than one photo. Go here to see more from the first day. I will be updating this as I go through photos. I really only chose a few to tell my story.