Labor Day Weekend

Several months ago, there was a groupon deal for the Newport Aquarium.  Stacey called and asked if we would want to do it with her, so we bought passes for our families.  My parents decided to join in too, buying a pass for them also.   After our busy summers, we decided the best time to go would be Labor Day weekend.  Jake, Stacey, and family drove up with my parents on Friday evening.  Jake even loaded his bike in the car so that he and Shane could go on a long bike ride to train for their century ride in October.  True to fashion, we crammed our Saturday so full of activities we hardly had time to sit down.  The boys started on their ride, then Stacey, Mom, Kallie, James, and I went to Woodburn to the outlet stores while the boys stayed here and went bike shopping for my dad. 

After we got home, we watched the BYU game, and Shane, Landon, and I went to a baptism of a good friend in our ward.  We barbecued some delicious kabobs when we got home, then Stacey and I drove out to Ikea for a late evening shopping trip.  I needed a few small things, and Stacey wanted to get some frames.  While I was there, I saw the bed I have been wanting for four years on sale from $399 to $99!  I called Shane (we had just brought our Accord since we weren’t getting big stuff), and he put the seats down in the van and met us out there to bring it home.  He got there just a few minutes after they closed, so Stacey and I enjoyed some ice cream cones while we waited!

We relaxed on Sunday and tried to stay cool in the heat. The kids had fun playing together in the backyard and going on a walk after dinner.

              The kids all trying to squeeze on the slide together in the backyard (pics by Stacey)

  

Everyone relaxing in the backyard after enjoying some peach and marionberry pie.

 

James found someone’s abandoned bowl of ice cream!

Then Monday, we got up early and drove to Newport.  We enjoyed a yummy lunch at Mo’s (although I still think the best thing is to stick to the clam chowder there.  I haven’t been impressed with much else).  We then went to the aquarium, and the kids had fun seeing all the different fish and ocean life.

All the kids sitting on the Walrus outside.

 

The kids looking at the sea lions and otters, and looking at the puffins.  They all were laughing and really liked the sea lions and otters because they would swim right up to their window, flip around, then swim back, over and over again.

 

            

One of the neat things about the aquarium is the big tunnels you get to walk through, with fish swimming above and below you.  The kids really liked these tanks, and you can even see Davis lying on the ground in the picture below to see the fish swim underneath us. (above left by Stacey)

    

At the end of the aquarium, they have this area with sea animals to climb on.  You can tell in the above left picture taken by Stacey that Davis was not too comfortable when the three of them squished onto a turtle together!

It was a fun day, even if we didn’t make it to play in the ocean!