Nature...At Last!

Michael was on-call the ENTIRE Christmas vacation! That meant that we basically couldn't do anything as a family and since we got sick the week before he went on-call that means that we really hadn't gone out and done anything as a family since The Living Nativity at the beginning of December! Boy that was a long sentence! 

So on Martin Luther King Day I was determined that we were going to get out and do something as a family. Since it was closer to the end of the month we didn't really have any money to go do anything so mother nature it was...most of the time she's free! We packed a lunch and headed to Owen Beach in Tacoma. Even though we've been here three times Owen still gets excited that there is a beach named for him! ;)

We got a late start since it was a day off for the kids and Michael so we weren't in a hurry. The first thing we did was sit down and have a bite to eat. 

Family friends Jim and Norean got us a Hillshire Farms package with sausage and cheese for Christmas so we brought that stuff for us and then packed sandwiches for the kids. 

Michael was sporting his Hawks coat that my mom got him last year. We were still riding the NFC Championship high and in a bit of shock that we were actually, seriously going to the Superbowl...again!  

For dessert I brought the leftover cupcakes from Owen's party and realized I never took a picture of what they look like on the inside so Owen showed me. 

Then is was down to the water for tons of fun! 

Owen literally threw so many rocks into the water that his arm was sore for about 3 days! 

Jack and Ella are all about finding shells and rocks they want to keep. It's fun seeing the different personalities they each have. Owen and Zeke want to play at the water, Jack and Ella want to search for treasures and climb on logs! 

If this girl could be eating something every minute of the day I think she would. She is always hungry! 

Handsome boy with Nutella on his face! 

Look at me Mommy! 

One of the times Jack came over and showed me shells he had found I noticed that his new teeth were growing in. It's so funny how they always start out so pointy at first! 

Zeke did really good about being careful around the water at first and then closer to when we left he was just walking in so his pants and shoes were soaked. Thankfully I still have a bag of clothes for him in the van. 

It's hilarious to watch him throw something in the water. It doesn't matter what it is...rock or twig...he will throw it as hard as he can and it will go about 1 foot in front of him. Kurplunk! 

After we had been there a while the sun really decided to come out and it felt so good on our faces and backs. Ella has such beautiful goldie locks! 

Michael and I were just sitting on a piece of drift wood and then I thought it would be fun to see the kids work as a team so I asked them to try to move this piece of wood that was in front of us. 

Jack and Ella were really trying. They needed a little coaching strategy wise, but they got it moving. 

Once they got it out of the rut it was in Owen came over and took an interest in helping. 

Trying to figure out how to move it the most effective way. 

We told them to try just pulling one side instead of both.

Then they had to start pushing. This was when they started to get frustrated. They weren't pushing from the trunk of the tree so it was just digging into the beach instead of sliding on it. 

We tried explaining how they needed to squat down and push from the trunk, but they just weren't getting it. 

Daddy had to intervene a little to get them moving again and then they finally got the log into the water. Overall they did great working together! 

Jackson's most favorite thing he found on the beach were these sharp looking shell pieces that looks like dinosaur teeth. Ella and him had pockets full of stuff by the time we left. On the way home we weren't in a hurry so instead of taking I-5 home we drove on 509 over the suspension bridge and then up by Brown's Point, Dash Point and Redondo Beach. It was fun being that close to the water the whole time. We made a stop at the Redbox and got How to Train Your Dragon 2, came home, made sticky corn and had a fun family movie day. It was really nice getting to do something as a family after such a long drought!