Monday, June 21, 2010
Oregon Trip: Getting Home (Day 6)
Thursday morning we left the house just after 6:30 in the morning to make the drive to Portland and catch the flight home. Scott slept most of the way in the car but I did not. Once we got to Portland we dropped off Julie and Landon. They met with his cousin to drive to Seattle for a family event. We got a little lost which really hurt us for time. We got to the airport with about thirty minutes until our plane was to leave but still had to return the van, check our bags, go through security and make it to our gate to board. We were optimistic but the line to check baggage was incredibly long. We ran to security and once through we sprinted to our gate but we missed the plane by seven minutes! We were able to change our tickets but the next flight wasn't for another four hours or so. We were supposed to go straight to work so we had to call someone to cover for us. Lucky he was available! During the wait we ate lunch and got ice cream, but it felt like we had been sitting there for ages.
Once we arrived in Salt Lake we met with my dad and went to find our bags. We didn't see them anywhere so we went to the office where they told us they had no idea where the bags were. We started to feel a little like Greg Focker in Meet the Parents. After requesting a claim we headed home and decided to stop for dinner (we were already late to work and we were famished!) at Texas Roadhouse. My dad and I had never been there and it was a treat for all of us. While at the restaurant we received a call from the airline letting us know our bags had just arrived from Denver (Denver?). They offered us a $50 travel credit to pick them up or said they would deliver them to our house for free. We would have taken the credit but Southwest doesn't service Des Moines. We asked them to deliver the bags and were told they would arrive that night. Great!
We got back to Orem and Scott went to a friend's house to watch the NBA finals while I went to work for a few hours. After getting through hundreds of emails I realized how tired I was, so I picked Scott up and we went home where we expected our bags. To our dismay they had not arrived, so I looked over our claim form. It said that we needed to sign the form and tape it to our door for them to leave the bags if we were not present to sign for them. We figured we missed the courier, but taped the note to the door anyway and went to bed. Just after 3:00 am Scott's phone rang. In our sleepy stupor we were confused, but quickly realized it might be the courier. Scott answered and the man said he had our bags but couldn't find the door (it is between the house and the garage, a little tricky). Scott explained where the door was and asked the man to leave them on the porch before going upstairs to bring them in. Expecting the man to be gone Scott didn't bother to put clothes on, so he was surprised to be standing outside in his underwear at 3:00 am meeting some guy. Awkward.
Long story short, the trip was better than planned! After working around 30 hours in two days we were absolutely beat. This morning we slept through alarms, phone calls, and sunshine through our windows because we were so tired! Now for the week ahead: moving out of our apartment.
Once we arrived in Salt Lake we met with my dad and went to find our bags. We didn't see them anywhere so we went to the office where they told us they had no idea where the bags were. We started to feel a little like Greg Focker in Meet the Parents. After requesting a claim we headed home and decided to stop for dinner (we were already late to work and we were famished!) at Texas Roadhouse. My dad and I had never been there and it was a treat for all of us. While at the restaurant we received a call from the airline letting us know our bags had just arrived from Denver (Denver?). They offered us a $50 travel credit to pick them up or said they would deliver them to our house for free. We would have taken the credit but Southwest doesn't service Des Moines. We asked them to deliver the bags and were told they would arrive that night. Great!
We got back to Orem and Scott went to a friend's house to watch the NBA finals while I went to work for a few hours. After getting through hundreds of emails I realized how tired I was, so I picked Scott up and we went home where we expected our bags. To our dismay they had not arrived, so I looked over our claim form. It said that we needed to sign the form and tape it to our door for them to leave the bags if we were not present to sign for them. We figured we missed the courier, but taped the note to the door anyway and went to bed. Just after 3:00 am Scott's phone rang. In our sleepy stupor we were confused, but quickly realized it might be the courier. Scott answered and the man said he had our bags but couldn't find the door (it is between the house and the garage, a little tricky). Scott explained where the door was and asked the man to leave them on the porch before going upstairs to bring them in. Expecting the man to be gone Scott didn't bother to put clothes on, so he was surprised to be standing outside in his underwear at 3:00 am meeting some guy. Awkward.
Long story short, the trip was better than planned! After working around 30 hours in two days we were absolutely beat. This morning we slept through alarms, phone calls, and sunshine through our windows because we were so tired! Now for the week ahead: moving out of our apartment.
Oregon Trip: Family (Day 5)
Wednesday we woke to cloudy skies on the verge of rain. It was family picture day so we hoped that all would go well! For this photo we stood on the beach with white shirts, khaki bottoms, and bare feet. We didn't have anyone to take our picture so we asked someone on the beach if she wouldn't mind snapping a quick photo or two. Turns out she is a photographer! She got some great pictures with my digital camera as well as a few on her much nicer camera. The pictures were fun and it started raining as we were walking home. How perfect! After the family photos we took some fun pictures with our matching shoes.
For our last day we decided to go whale watching at the post in Depoe Bay and revisit the Yaquina Head lighthouse. We didn't see any whales (imagine that since it isn't mating season) but we had fun watching boats enter the harbor (remember it's the world's smallest). At the lighthouse we went to the visitor's center to look around then "hiked" to the lighthouse and spent time at the beach below. The beach had neat rocks on it that sound like applause when the waves wash over them. It is also nesting season for many birds in the area so there were birds everywhere!
For our last evening we made a trip to the beach (surprised?) but this time with sand toys in hand. Janelle, Melanie and I spent an hour or so building a sand castle before heading home for burgers. We took to the hot tub again before staying up late to finish a puzzle and clean things up to leave.
For our last day we decided to go whale watching at the post in Depoe Bay and revisit the Yaquina Head lighthouse. We didn't see any whales (imagine that since it isn't mating season) but we had fun watching boats enter the harbor (remember it's the world's smallest). At the lighthouse we went to the visitor's center to look around then "hiked" to the lighthouse and spent time at the beach below. The beach had neat rocks on it that sound like applause when the waves wash over them. It is also nesting season for many birds in the area so there were birds everywhere!
For our last evening we made a trip to the beach (surprised?) but this time with sand toys in hand. Janelle, Melanie and I spent an hour or so building a sand castle before heading home for burgers. We took to the hot tub again before staying up late to finish a puzzle and clean things up to leave.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Oregon Trip: The Sights (Day 4)
Tuesday started well with everyone sleeping in and rounding up their own breakfast. We set out for Tillamook in the early afternoon before deciding to stop off at the Tanger Outlet Mall in Lincoln City. We didn't expect to stay for long, but we bought some fun stuff! Melanie and Julie got some cute clothes at American Eagle, Lisa and I got new jackets at Columbia, and we all bought shoes and purses at Naturalizer. We went in the shoe store not noticing they were having a going out of business sale. There were racks of shoes and purses that were all 80% off - the shoes were all around $10. I have been searching fruitlessly for brown sandals that I can wear to church while Julie has been searching for zebra shoes. Our dreams came true! I found a great pair of brown sandals, and the zebra shoes were so cute that all of the girls bought a pair. Best shopping day ever!
We were going to have lunch in Tillamook but stopped at a local place in Lincoln City because we were all so hungry. My dad sent me a list of great places to eat so we took to the first one on the list - The Beach Dog Cafe. It was a small cafe-style restaurant serving all things breakfast and all things dogs (hot dogs, bratwursts, sausages, etc). So delicious! The walls were lined with framed photos of dogs - so many that we couldn't count. While we waited for our food they brought us photo albums and dog magazines to look through. They definitely love dogs in all forms.
Satisfied from lunch we drove to Tillamook for the factory tour, cheese samples, and ice cream. It was neat to see the cheese being sliced and packaged and it was fun to try a few different cheeses. After our tour we all got ice cream - most of us got the three scoop sampler. I tried cake batter ice cream and it was great!
On the drive back from Tillamook we stopped off to hike to Munson Falls (more of a nature walk). It was very beautiful and we took a few pictures before heading home to the beach. It wasn't as cold at the beach as usual - the wind may have been taking the day off - but we still had to take our time in the hot tub before having a girl party (complete with matching nail polish).
We were going to have lunch in Tillamook but stopped at a local place in Lincoln City because we were all so hungry. My dad sent me a list of great places to eat so we took to the first one on the list - The Beach Dog Cafe. It was a small cafe-style restaurant serving all things breakfast and all things dogs (hot dogs, bratwursts, sausages, etc). So delicious! The walls were lined with framed photos of dogs - so many that we couldn't count. While we waited for our food they brought us photo albums and dog magazines to look through. They definitely love dogs in all forms.
Satisfied from lunch we drove to Tillamook for the factory tour, cheese samples, and ice cream. It was neat to see the cheese being sliced and packaged and it was fun to try a few different cheeses. After our tour we all got ice cream - most of us got the three scoop sampler. I tried cake batter ice cream and it was great!
On the drive back from Tillamook we stopped off to hike to Munson Falls (more of a nature walk). It was very beautiful and we took a few pictures before heading home to the beach. It wasn't as cold at the beach as usual - the wind may have been taking the day off - but we still had to take our time in the hot tub before having a girl party (complete with matching nail polish).
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Oregon Trip: Seaworthy (Day 3)
Monday we all slept in then had french toast for breakfast. Thank you to Landon for cooking! After getting ready for the day we set out for the Newport Aquarium. We stopped for lunch at a roadside fish'n'chips place called the Lighthouse Cafe. Delicious food, but really greasy. We were all a littly uneasy for the rest of the day. After lunch we made our way to the aquarium, which was such a cool place! We arrived just as they were feeding the sea lions so we quickly made our way there to see. There were a lot of people gathered around, but we were all able to catch a glimpse. We wandered around the aquarium for a few hours and saw a lot of neat stuff! I'll be posting all the pictures separately since that is easier. From the aquarium we went to see the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse and the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. It was neat to climb through each lighthouse and learn about the history of the lighthouses. For dinner we stopped at a seafood restaurant called Tidal Raves. It was delicious! After eating we went back to the house to spend some time at the beach, in the hot tub, and watching movies.
Oregon Trip: Day of Rest (Day 2)
Sunday morning we were all up early getting ready for church. It was nice to realize that church was only 20 minutes away instead of an hour. Church in Newport was a little tricky to find - lucky us to have a Garmin GPS with us (nicknamed Garmie). I suppose they are used to having visitors at church as we felt very welcome. The three hours went by quickly (with a few of us falling asleep at times...) and we headed home for lunch! We made sandwished while defrosting lasagna for later (mmm) and took a walk to the beach. We waded in the water a little, only to remember how cold it is along the Oregon coast.
After dinner and the beach we watched a movie and spent a few minutes in the hot tub -so nice after a cold, windy day at the beach! After our soak, sleeping was in order. Not the most eventful day, but definitely relaxing.
After dinner and the beach we watched a movie and spent a few minutes in the hot tub -so nice after a cold, windy day at the beach! After our soak, sleeping was in order. Not the most eventful day, but definitely relaxing.
Oregon Trip: Getting There (Day 1)
When Scott and I got back from Boise, we went straight to work. We worked our 40 hours in four days so we could be ready to leave again on Saturday. We worked late Friday night, then got home to finish all the laundry before our trip. Saturday morning we got up and packed before my dad took us to the airport. On the way we stopped for an early lunch at The Olive Garden. I'm not a big fan of Italian food, but the soup, salad and breadsticks are so great! We arrived at the airport with just under an hour before our flight and met up with Julie and Landon.
We all arrived in Portland at about 2:00 pm and waited about half an hour for the rest of the Millers to arrive. After meeting up with the family we went to pick up our car rental - we had reserved two separate cars for the eight of us. Dave came back from the counter and announced that we instead had rented a 12-person van. We were all skeptical, but it turned out well!
From the airport we drove to Applebee's for dinner, then on to the Portland Temple for baptisms. Our time there was great! It was nice to have the whole family together in the temple and we performed baptisms with members of a Spanish Branch from the area. It was exciting to run things in another language, especially because it was easy to understand what was being said. After finishing up at the temple we jumped in our party bus and made the two-hour drive to Depoe Bay, Oregon. Depoe Bay is the smallest harbor in the world and is located between Newport and Tillamook. At first I didn't realize what the smallest harbor meant, but I'll post a video later of why it's a big deal.
We arrived at our beach house around 10:00 pm. Our house was perfect for the eight of us - each pair of us had a room with Scott and I in the separate carriage house over the garage. We had a hot tub on the back deck and were located a block or so from Bella Beach. So perfect! After hauling in the luggage a few of us drove back to Lincoln City to buy some groceries for the next few days. After family prayer and scripture we all headed to bed.
We all arrived in Portland at about 2:00 pm and waited about half an hour for the rest of the Millers to arrive. After meeting up with the family we went to pick up our car rental - we had reserved two separate cars for the eight of us. Dave came back from the counter and announced that we instead had rented a 12-person van. We were all skeptical, but it turned out well!
From the airport we drove to Applebee's for dinner, then on to the Portland Temple for baptisms. Our time there was great! It was nice to have the whole family together in the temple and we performed baptisms with members of a Spanish Branch from the area. It was exciting to run things in another language, especially because it was easy to understand what was being said. After finishing up at the temple we jumped in our party bus and made the two-hour drive to Depoe Bay, Oregon. Depoe Bay is the smallest harbor in the world and is located between Newport and Tillamook. At first I didn't realize what the smallest harbor meant, but I'll post a video later of why it's a big deal.
We arrived at our beach house around 10:00 pm. Our house was perfect for the eight of us - each pair of us had a room with Scott and I in the separate carriage house over the garage. We had a hot tub on the back deck and were located a block or so from Bella Beach. So perfect! After hauling in the luggage a few of us drove back to Lincoln City to buy some groceries for the next few days. After family prayer and scripture we all headed to bed.
Keepin' It Real
Thank you to Scott's Uncle Jim for this post. He wrote this on facebook and I couldn't help but share.
Jim's Status: "I have no idea what the expression, "Keepin' it real" means."
After a few comments from others, Jim wrote this:
"I see now. There should be "Keeping it Real" subtitles. For Example when people say:
The check is in the mail = I have no intention to pay you
You get this one, I'll pay next time = thanks for lunch, sucker...
It's not the money, it's the principle of the thing = it's the $
...let's just be friends = let's be enemies
Don't worry, I can go another 20 miles when the gauge is on "empty." = put on your walking shoes
I'll call you later = have a nice life, or not, I don't care.
I've never done anything like this before = I always do this"
Jim's Status: "I have no idea what the expression, "Keepin' it real" means."
After a few comments from others, Jim wrote this:
"I see now. There should be "Keeping it Real" subtitles. For Example when people say:
The check is in the mail = I have no intention to pay you
You get this one, I'll pay next time = thanks for lunch, sucker...
It's not the money, it's the principle of the thing = it's the $
...let's just be friends = let's be enemies
Don't worry, I can go another 20 miles when the gauge is on "empty." = put on your walking shoes
I'll call you later = have a nice life, or not, I don't care.
I've never done anything like this before = I always do this"
Boise!
The weekend of the 12th we made a quick trip to Boise - so nice and much needed! We planned to go Saturday morning but decided to stay home to pack our apartment. At about 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon we were bored and a little overwhelmed with all we had to do so we decided to leave it all for a few days and head to Boise anyway! We arrived Saturday night and drove back Tuesday afternoon. We had such a great time! Scott was able to spend a day with his friend Andy since we won't see him for a while, we saw The Last Song (after I finished reading the book of course), and we watched movies and played games. All in all, a great weekend trip. Below is a photo of Janelle, Melanie and I with our ice cream "dirt cups". So delicious!
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