My Heart Belongs in Pacific City

I love the beach. Any beach. But I REALLY love the Oregon Coast. It's where my life source is. My family has been vacationing there since I was little and I always felt like there couldn't be a happier place. I still remember how it felt to return to the ocean if we hadn't been able to visit for a few years. We'd be in the car winding down that road surrounded by the color GREEN and then finally the greenery would part enough for us to briefly get a peek of that blue-gray ocean and the excitement was unreal! I'd impatiently wait for us to find our beach house and get settled enough that we could go down to the water. Then we'd run down that sand dune at full speed and I'd yell "I'M FREEEEEE!" and we'd run straight into the icy waves and it all just felt like this is what life was all about. Whew. Can you feel my love for the ocean?? I'll calm down now.

While dating Matt, I found out that he too frequented the Oregon Coast as a kid. This just added to the nostalgia of it all (were Matt and I ever on the coast at the same time as kids???) and it was an obvious choice for our honeymoon destination. It's been almost three years and this summer we got to go back! This time with our playful daughter :) It's so cool to come full circle and bring our kids to a place that Matt and I loved to go as kids.

Carly is a water baby through and through. We definitely hit a couple of cold-windy-rainy days but Carly trudged right on into those waves whether it was freezing or not (and whether anyone was there to hold her hand or not!) When she wasn't in the water, she was building (or rather knocking down) sandcastles with her little shovel. She was in heaven. Just like her momma :)

Look at that face. Pure joy.

More pictures on my Mom's blog

Take a Hike

This summer, Matt and I made a goal to go on a hike every weekend we weren't playing at the water park or out of town. My favorite hikes are the ones that end in a waterfall, and it just so happens we are blessed to live in an area with a ton of beautiful waterfalls!

Carly was a champ and was content to be toted around in her carrier.  As you can see below, Matt made a tradition of dunking her feet in every creek we stopped, no matter how cold. What a trooper!

Battle Creek Falls

Spanish Fork Hot Springs (pit stop on trail)

Hot Springs (on top of waterfall)

Stewart Falls

 Here are some of my favorite pics from our hikes:

Battle Creek Falls...whatta smile.

Like father, like daughter.

Into the waterfall...

...can you see him??

...dripping wet.

Hot Springs...super cool place.

Always goofy. Get it from my Mom.

Matt is the pink speck!

Cutie Patootie.

Gorgeous Stewart Falls

Happy Trails!!
Love, The Bares

Bridal Veil Falls

The sun is out and the Bares are coming out of hibernation! (I've only been a Bare for a less than two years so these "bare" puns are still funny to me, I apologize.)  We are so excited to get out of the apartment and show Carly this beautiful world she lives in! 

One of our favorite places to frequent when the sun is out is Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon.  Grass, trees, walking paths, picnic tables, and a creek running right through.  It's pretty much perfection.  Bridal Veil Falls is also a special place to me because it's where my grandpa proposed to my grandma! Awww... The falls usually look like this:

Pretty, huh?

 But because we decided to head over there a little earlier in the season, we ended up with this:

The falls were still pretty but there was a HUGE pile of dirty snow left over from an avalanche at the bottom.  It knocked over the fence and destroyed a portion of the path, so that made for some creative maneuvering of the stroller.

 

There is a pond at the bottom of the falls filled with ducks and huge fish and for the visitors to feed...

Carly was more interested in the dog. 

Matt decided to take Carly down by the creek...

Excuse me...IN the creek.

At this point I was I was yelling,
"DON'T DROP MY BABY! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"





He didn't drop her.

He's excited for Carly to start walking across logs and such.

Judging from this face, tummy-time on a log isn't all that great.

Mommy's turn! This little girl sure loves her daddy, but I love that she always saves some smiles for me.

Absolutely precious.

We really miss our families, but Provo isn't so bad for now.