Visit to the Harbor

I can't remember the last time we went to Gray's Harbor to visit Tom's family. Seriously bad relatives we are. With summer upon us, we decided to steal away and go visit Grandpa Revel (Great Grandpa for the girls) and a few other family members in town.

During the summer, our schedule goes from a normal daytime-nighttime one to resemble something similar to the nocturnal animals that roam the night. This is pretty much sums it up. :)

We decided to get up at the unsummerly hour of 7:00am so we could be on the road at 8:00. It was 8:05-ish when we left the driveway. Not too bad for the Crones! (Right, Friend?)

The drive was easy peasy. I chose to drive there because I knew I'd be tired for our return trip and Tom would need to drive us home.

We pulled up to GG's house around 10:30 to find he was still at church. This gave Tom the chance to show the girls some of the places he spent time at as a kid. First, he drove us up the hill to see the mansion where his mom and her siblings spent their time sliding down the stairs on mattresses. It is privately owned now, so we drove up the drive, took a quick peek and turned around.

Our next stop was at Mill Creek Park. Alora LOVED everything about this park and thinks we should have a family reunion there sometime. Kylin wasn't quite as thrilled about being with all the bugs. I've tried to hide my distaste of them as she's grown up, but alas, she is just like me in the bug regard. Whoops!

 Alora ran right to the creek and started exploring it. She was looking for good salmon habitat and was sure this creek would be a perfect home for them.

 Tom told us this used to be a damn when he was a kid and behind it was a big lake where he went fishing.

We climbed up these stairs to get to the former damn.  I loved it's grandness and thought it unexpected in this landscape.

There were two moss covered benches in the park. The moss tells the story of their long forgotten purpose. I had to capture the beautiful way nature takes care of what was once it's own and tries to return it to its roots.

We left Mill Creek Park and drove by GG's house once more. We were in luck! Ami, Sean and GG had just gotten back from church. Literally. GG got in his scooter and met us in the house. 

The first thing he wanted to do was show us around his room and tell us about where he spends most of his time. We had a good laugh at the fact that he likes his room about 10-15 degrees warmer than most people would be comfortable staying in for very long, but it is perfect for him. :)

Ami came in and snapped a few pictures of us with GG. She's not noticeable, but Tom is looking at Piper. She loved that we took her on this trip, too.

We had a nice visit with GG and Ami. They even had us pick a treasure from Grandma Revel's red and cobalt blue glass collection to take home with us. We opted for a set of two clear wine glasses with gold rims (they are similar to the glassware I have from my Grandma Klemetti) and a beautiful serving tray. The glasses are a perfect fit in Grandma Klemetti's curio cabinet next to her set of glasses. The tray has a home on the top of the cabinets above our refrigerator. 

Before saying good-bye's we talked about having a family reunion in August before school starts again. Alora just might get her wish for Mill Creek Park after all!

Our next stop was to see Tom's cousin, Shane and his girlfriend Deana. Tom and Shane are only about 2 months apart and were great friends growing up. Every time they get together they enjoy reminiscing about days gone by. We wanted to take the girls to the beach. Shane and Deana jumped at the chance to go with us. A quick stop by Subway for some lunch to eat at the beach and off we went.

 The girls and I had fun making faces at each other while Tom drove. This is seriously how we spend a lot of our time. It's either faces at one another or staring. Both result in great laughter!

 Ocean Shores has a lot of deer. This little guy (or girl) was strolling across the road as we headed toward the jetty.

 Piper doesn't usually go on the leash but the rule is to be on the beach, she must be on a leash. She does the best with Tom...okay, I don't have the patience to wait for her to settle down and stop pulling so I usually ask him to take her. I don't think he minds, too much.

Look how good she is! :)

 Piper was very watchful of her "sisters" as they ran in and out of the water. If they were in the surf, she wanted to be at the water line. She liked the water and would have gone in it with the girls but Tom suggested we keep her from getting too wet and sandy. After all, she had to go back in my car, too. He's so smart!

 Oh look...I was there, too! :)

 Alora and I climbed up the jetty a little way to look at the entrance to Gray's Harbor. I was trying to get pictures of waves crashing into the jetty, but I wasn't fast enough with my iPhone. However, I did learn a trick that might help in the future. If you press and hold the capture button, your iPhone will take a succession of pictures. Who knew!?

 The girls wanted to play in the sand for a bit to warm up after playing in the surf. This girl loves this dog. Can you tell? Piper absolutely loves Kylin and they spend a lot of time cuddling like this. :)

 Alora dug a hole and buried her legs to her knees then Deana and I helped build a mermaid tail for her. She was thrilled and right after I took some photos, she destroyed her tail. Kids!

 Tom noticed the moon as this group of clouds passed by. Can you spot it?

 Kylin made a sea turtle. I asked if it was a girl since it was on the beach. Kylin named her Tammy.

 Love this man!

 The girls found a big piece of driftwood and decided to run down the beach with it. As they're running off, I hear Alora say, "They'll never find us this way!" Nope, we never will. ;)

On our way back to the car, I snapped a few more pictures. When we first arrived, we thought the ship in this picture might be on it's way out of the Harbor, but soon figured out it was anchored. It would have been fun to watch it maneuver it's way out of the Harbor. Maybe next time though.

 Looking down the jetty to the open Pacific.

Looking north, up the beach.

Our last stop was for dinner at Galway Bay, an Irish restaurant in Ocean Shores. We had a great time talking with Shane and Deana more as we filled our bellies for the trip home. The girls sat their own 2-top table behind us. They were so polite and quiet I almost forgot they were behind me.

Kylin had the chance to do her first long distance driving, at night, on I-5 at 70 mph. She drove from the rest stop just south of Chehalis all the way home and did a beautiful job! #proudmama

This day was one for the record books. It was peaceful, restful, and very fulfilling. Tom kept thanking the girls and I for spending the day with him at the Harbor. He loves family time. Thanking each other for spending time with one another has become a tradition for our little family of 4...and I love that Tom started it!