A Banner Day

It really was a Banner Day....

I'm using this both sarcastically and truthfully.  So, they kinda cancel each other out.  Right?

THE PLAN, was to meet our good friends at their house, load 'em up in our van, and have a day of frivolity at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.  

That plan was not met in its entirety.....See Exhibit "A" below...

My van tire.  All blown out.  I was driving on the rim!! (EEK!) 

We made it to right before the Gladstone Exit.  Thank Heaven we weren't any further when the tire blew...(3 holes in there...impressive, eh?!)  I called Hunky Hubby.  He was on a job...he wanted to make sure we were safe {we were} and he sent Rob Stephenson to come help.

In the meantime....Mindy and her boys were troopers.  My boys weren't too bad either. ;)  Mindy read them books and kept them really well entertained....I managed to remember most of what I needed to do to change a flat....

*Put jack on frame, so it lifts car right [check]
*Put E-Brake on {thanks for reminding me Mindy} [check]
*Lower spare & read instructions (Thanks again for assistance Mindy!) [check]
*Get nuts off the hubs...NOPE! Not strong enough!

Me trying to get them off...well, yeah, you guessed it.  COMICAL.

About the time I'm giving myself a hernia trying to get the nuts off the tire...I wonder aloud..."Aren't there any chivalrous people in the world?!"  And not a minute later, my half-hearted prayer was answered!  A complete stranger helped me get the tire off and he changed it...THANK YOU very kind stranger!!!  After he got that done, we said many more thanks, Rob helped me get stuff put away and made sure we got back okay. 

I parked the car at Mindy's and Hunky Hubby took it to Schwabby's...and I came home to a fixed car! {YAY!}

We got a little later start...This pushed us back 2 hours...but we were still game for a trip to the coast!  {Thanks for not letting this ruin the day, Mindy!}
The Swampland Exhibit is there still.....kiddo's playing on Mangrove roots.

We're big fans of SWAMP PEOPLE (show on TV), the boys at the Alligator exhibit.

The tidal pool = touching and feeling to their hearts content....

The Passages of the deep....

Jack, Mindy, Davis & Josh

This picture of the sharks...taken by none other than:

MATT!

[The kids had A LOT of energy pent up - spending 2 extra hours in a seatbelt will do that to you...and I had the idea to give Matt the responsibility of carrying the camera and letting him take pictures.  A lot got deleted, but he did pretty dang good! It was interesting seeing things from a kiddo's viewpoint...]

Mindy was kind enough to document by photo, that I really was along for this trip...

Matt's still mesmerized by the sharks...

This little picture...the end result of me chasing after Josh...taken by Matt!  ;) 

{So this is what I look like when I'm chasing boys...?  Hmm.  Look a little red...}

Like every other parent, I too, am not above bribery.

Notice the nice new binoculars?

Binoculars = Co-operation. :)

That's a scientifically proven formula, I'm sure of it. 

We lasted 2 hours...running around the aquarium, but the day was absolutely GORGEOUS!  We went to Nye Beach (a new one for me) and we enjoyed the warm sand between our toes. 

Mindy was so patient and calm during it all. AMAZING!  I lost my cool twice - mostly because my voice is shot - and I couldn't talk loud enough to get the boys' attention, which meant that I got super frustrated at times, unfortunately.

They only took off running a handful of times....but when you're weighing out what actually happened and what your kids are actually capable of MAKING happen during the day, it all makes the day add up to a success.

We played in the sand....the clothes were shot by the time all was said and done.  Kinda can't help that when little boys run into the ocean, get wet and the proceed to roll around in the sand.

I ran after the kids, into the surf...wearing my Adida's...(forgot to bring my flip flops) and I ended up taking off my shoes.  But somewhere in between me taking off my shoes, putting them in the back of the car (thinking I had them), and putting stuff into my own car, I LOST THEM.  I ended up buying a new pair of sandals so I could get home comfortably, but I'm out a pair of running shoes. :( 

The ride was half the fun. :)  {Thanks again for driving Mindy!}  We were blessed with a safe ride, lots of fun conversation between boys and us, and at the end of the day, after a fun filled day at the beach, we got the boys a happy meal, (stopped at Mo's for some chowder for Mindy and myself) and we headed on home. 

About 8:30ish...the car looked a little like this....

And, that, my friends, is why we do this. :)

I can't wait for the other trips we've got planned for playdates this summer!  This is gonna be lots of fun!!!