beach

Hillside & Seaside

Posted by Lisa Eirene

I got some new hiking boots!

I really needed them. For awhile now, whenever I went hiking my feet hurt. My ankle hurt in a weird spot (achilles) and I couldn’t go as far as I would like. Our most recent hike was super easy and flat and my body was NOT happy. Later that night when we got home I was hurting. I even had shin splints. So the next day I went to REI and tried on some different boots and ended up with these:

Merrell Moab 2 boots. I love REI and I can try these boots out for 1 year and if I don’t like them or they cause me issues, I can return them! I think that’s awesome!

I got to test them out over the weekend. We had plans to go to the beach with friends but they weren’t feeling well. We decided to go anyways and go for a hike. We did Tillamook Head in Seaside. We did it once before, when Logan was little. Check out the old post and see photos of LITTLE Logan!!! Oh my!

It’s kinda crazy that last time we did this hike, Logan was probably a year and a half old and still in the hiking backpack. LOL Now he’s a little hiker!

He did so good! We did almost 3 miles roundtrip and he didn’t ask to be carried or act tired at all. We turned around and headed back because of time and lunch.

The trail is still pretty wet, soggy, muddy and slippery in places. But we did ok.

There were only a few parts of the trail that were kinda sketchy for a little kid (a washout). Last time we did it, there had been damage from trees and the trail had been blocked. They’d fixed it and we had no issues this time.

It was a great hike!

It’s a pretty steep hike, too. Lots of uphill. Despite it being the hardest hike Logan’s ever done, he did a great job!

After the hike we drove a short ways to the beach. I’m not sure which beach it was but it was popular with surfers!

We had a picnic lunch on the beach. It was sunny and almost 70 degrees.

It was so nice! We had a great time. Then Logan played in the sand, of course.

And then Logan and I played in the surf. He loved standing at the edge and then running from the water as the tide came in.

We did that for a long time (surprisingly, the water wasn’t too cold!). Then Logan and I got hit with a big, surprise wave! I grabbed Logan and picked him up and ran for the shore! I was drenched from the waist down. Yikes. LOL We were ok and I wasn’t in danger of falling down but Logan did. Thankfully I was holding on to him and was able to pick him up quick. It wasn’t scary until like an hour later. Oy.

Since we were both drenched and it was around 2pm anyways, we packed up, changed at the car and Logan fell asleep immediately.

It was a great day, despite the wave drenching us. It was nice to get out of the city and get a mixture of woods and hills and beach! AND my new boots were GREAT! No pain at all!

Beachy Birthday

Posted by Lisa Eirene

So this is 39!

For my birthday this year we made the trek to Depoe Bay to spend the weekend at an AirBnB house at the beach with friends. I’ve been looking forward to it for months! Saturday I went to the gym and then we packed the car and left after lunch.

The house we rented was SO GREAT!!!! It was called the “OctoMojo House” and it was a block from the beach with amazing views of the giant winter waves. There was a nice deck (which would be great in the summer time) and a hot tub and you could hear the ocean. The house had two bedrooms on the main floor and then a loft bedroom upstairs with even better views.

We unpacked and our friends, Sam and John, hadn’t arrived yet so we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and go for a walk on the beach!

You think Logan and Bella were having fun in the sand?!?! It was kinda gray and cold but it was dry so that’s all that mattered! We walked and ran and got super dirty. Then started to walk back to the house.

Our friends arrived and we made dinner. Pork tenderloin they had been marinating all day in lemon, ginger, soy sauce and garlic. It was delicious! We had salad and couscous, too. And fancy Trader Joe’s cheese with crackers while we cooked.

And opened a bottle of wine I’ve been saving for almost a year:

After Logan went to bed, the four of us got to chill out in the hot tub and listen to the ocean and just catch up on life. It was nice! And relaxing. I loved being able to hear the waves. And smelling the ocean air.

Sunday was a lazy day. It was stormy and rainy and the waves were even bigger. Breakfast was delicious omelettes made by Michael and Samantha. I actually got to enjoy my coffee while it was HOT. 😀

Then Logan and I went for a little walk outside in the drizzle.

Sam and I drove up to Lincoln City to Mo’s to pick up takeout lunch. It was nice to get away for a bit and have some time just the two of us. We got an order of Mo’s famous clam chowder and an order of clam strip appetizers.

I’ve wanted to try Mo’s for years but the lines are SO LONG we never go. I’m glad we finally got to try it! It was delicious! Creamy and tasty and hot on a dreary day. After lunch Logan took a nap, I took a short nap and then chilled with some hot tea and a good book. 🙂 Eventually there was a little break in the rain and Logan was still sleeping so Bella and I went for a walk on the beach just the two of us. It was nice!

Sunday night dinner was made by Samantha, with me helping prep the veggies. I brought chicken thighs and she brought the stuff to make an AMAZING curry dish! All fresh ingredients. She even showed me how to use fresh ginger (which has always intimidated me so I never bought it, now I want to try it!).

We opened some wine, turned on some great music and hung out in the kitchen while the boys did their thing in the living room. Then dinner was served. Curry chicken and veggies on top of mashed potatoes! SO good! Topped with fresh cilantro and green onion.

After dinner, Logan ran laps through the house 😉 and then went to bed and we played a few rounds of my new Family Feud board game (super fun!), more hot tubbing and then to bed for the great night of sleep I’ve had in awhile. Breakfast the next morning:

Scrambled eggs with green onions and diced jalapenos, bacon, topped with cheese, a side of toast and fruit salad. Monday the weather was just perfect. There was blue sky and rainbows.

I love the beach. Year round, doesn’t matter the weather. Stormy, sunny, whatever. The beach is in my blood. Someday, I will live at the beach. 🙂