Oden Adventures

On Christmas Day, we headed over to Lincoln City for some family bonding at the beach (a budding tradition).  Mom found & rented this big house with a stunning view to spend three days all together in.

(View from the living room)

Cousins bonding while the adults unload the cars & get organized

Dads & their boys :-)

Lovely Vera (8 months along with grandkid #11) with Oliver

Some carols led by Geoff after dinner

and then time for presents!

My little niece Rachael is now this gorgeous young woman...

Vianne enjoying her Rudolph Look & Find book

and her doll (she named Snowflake) from Grandma

The (four youngest) girls & their dolls

Reading with her new "me reader" from Grandma

After the kids went to bed, the adults stayed up for games & puzzles...and more eating. 

My baking for the season...

The next morning, Vianne helped Aunt Jenny make cinnamon rolls!

Movie in the Blairs' bedroom

It was gorgeous out (at the Oregon coast! In December!) so we bundled up the kiddos...

...for a walk on the beach!

(Mama's turn to play with the new camera)

Vianne feels that wearing three layers of clothing is just a swimsuit for winter...

Wave chasing (or being chased) with Daddy & Miriam

Always the happiest at the beach!

Oliver got so much cousin lovin' - here with Miriam...

...and Rachael

Edmund, eating his toes

Super Aunt Jenny, double-babying it

Making Rachael smile

With Matt, Rachael, & Grant

The third day, Grandma busted out the Christmas candy craft...

The Ever Adorable Grant

Couch o' Cousins

Tried out my new Curl Secret curling iron :-)

One of us is much more interested in this photo than the other person...

(The curls flattened a bit after a walk on the rainy/windy beach...)

That afternoon while V napped, Patrick & I took Oliver to his first McMenamin's, where we got my first passport stamp (thanks, Rebekah!) and we crossed another one off our list of McMenamin's We Haven't Been To Yet.

After we had all eaten our weight in food products (and added several pound to it) over the course of three days, we packed up the last morning and headed out, snapping a group shot just before we left!  It's getting more rare to get all 19 (almost 20) of us in one place at a time, so this was very special!