I AM ENJOYING MY TIME OFF FROM WORK. LAST SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, I HAD MY DAUGHTER STAY WITH US.
ON SUNDAY, WE MET DOWN IN HERMISTON FOR HER HORSEBACK RIDING LESSON. THAT WAS ABOUT 2 HOURS. WE HAD LUNCH AND THEN HIT THE ROAD. WE STOPPED IN MULTNOMAH FALLS, OREGON. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. WE TOOK PICTURES, AND MARISSA AND I HIKED UP ALONG THE TRAIL FOR ABOUT 1/2 MILE UP. WE MARVELED AT THE FALLS, AND MET UP WITH DON NEAR THE GIFT SHOP. WE THEN PROCEEDED ON OUR WAY.
WE ROLLED INTO SPRINGFIELD, OREGON AND MET UP WITH MY SISTER, HER BOYFRIEND, HER FRIEND KARI AND HER SON. WE HAD A GREAT DINNER THERE, TOOK A WALK TO THE PARK TO LET THE KIDS RUN AROUND AND SWING. WE LEFT AND WENT TO THE HOTEL. MARISSA WANTED TO GO SWIMMING IN THE HOTEL POOL. SO WE SWAM UNTIL NEARLY MIDNIGHT.
ON MONDAY, WE WENT TO BREAKFAST AT IHOP. THEN WENT TO DO SOME SHOPPING FOR A LIGHT JACKET FOR MARISSA TO WEAR TO THE BEACH. COULDN'T FIND ONE, SO WE LEFT TO GET ON THE ROAD TO NEWPORT BEACH, OREGON. IT WAS A WINDY TWO LANE ROAD. WE FINALLY MADE IT. WE HAD LOOKED ON THE INTERNET FOR SOME ATTRACTIONS AND THINGS TO DO WHILE WE'D BE THERE. WE FOUND THEY DID HAVE SOME TOURIST ATTRACTIONS. WE BOUGHT AN ATTRACTION PASS TO GO THROUGH THE UNDERSEA GARDENS AQUARIUM, RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AND THE WAX MUSEUM.
WE STARTED WITH RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT. IT WAS GREAT. THERE WERE SOME SCARY THINGS SHE DIDN'T LIKE, BUT SHE MADE IT THROUGH. THEN WE LEFT TO GO TO THE UNDERSEA GARDENS ACROSS THE STREET. WE SAT AND WATCHED A DIVER DISPLAY SOME EELS, OCTOPUS, AND OTHER SEA CREATURES GALORE. THEN WENT BACK ACROSS THE STREET TO GO THROUGH THE WAX MUSEUM. I CAN'T QUITE FATHOM WHY SHE DOESN'T LIKE E.T.? IT WAS A GREAT MOVIE! ANYHOO, SHE WOULDN'T GET CLOSE TO IT. THERE ALSO WAS A CYLINDER TUNNEL THAT GAVE THE ILLUSION THAT YOU'RE GONNA FALL OFF THE DECK! SHE DIDN'T LIKE THAT ONE EITHER! HAHA. KINDA FUNNY TO WATCH HER REACT. WE THEN LEFT AND FOUND A CANDY SHOP WITH FRESH MADE SALT WATER TAFFY. WE BOUGHT LOTS. THEN FOUND A PLACE TO EAT RIGHT ON THE OVERLOOK OF THE OCEAN. WE LEFT THERE AND DROVE DOWN TO THE OCEAN SHORE.
WELL, THERE REALLY WEREN'T ANY SIGNS TO DIRECT YOU TO GET TO THE BEACH, SO WE PARKED IN A HOTEL PARKING LOT AND SCALED OUR WAY DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. MARISSA AND I GOT OUR FEET WET IN THE SURF, WHICH WAS VERY COLD AT 8PM. SHE MADE A SAND CASTLE REAL QUICK, WE LOOKED FOR SHELLS, DON TOOK OUR PHOTOS, HAD HER WRITE HER NAME IN THE SAND, AND WALK ALONG THE BEACH. IT WAS RELAXING AND REFRESHING. IT WAS GREAT TO TAKE HER THERE.WE DROVE BACK TO THE HOTEL AND SLEPT SOOO GOOD.
ON TUESDAY, WE WENT TO GJ'S FOR BREAKFAST, HOW YUMMY! THEN I DROVE DON AND MARISSA AROUND TOWN SHOWING THEM WHERE WE LIVED WHILE I WAS MARRIED TO HER DAD IN MY FIRST MARRIAGE, SHOWED HER THE HOSPITAL SHE WAS BORN IN, THE FIRST HOUSE WE BROUGHT HER HOME TO, MY SCHOOL, AND THEN WE WENT TO MONIQUE'S HOUSE TO VISIT. WE HAD AN HOUR TO KILL TIME. SHE WAS HOME, AND JUST HAD HER YOUNGEST SON AT HOME WITH HER. IT WAS PRETTY SAD TO SEE A 1 YR OLD SCREAM AT HIS MOM, AND HIT HER. SHE HAS BEEN UNEMPLYED FOR A LONG TIME, HAS BILLS, ETC. IT WAS PRETTY PATHETIC. OH WELL, IT'S HER LIFE SHE HAS TO LIVE.
WE LEFT HER HOUSE AND IT WAS ON TO OUR DESTINATION........THE WAVE POOL! THE LAST TIME I HAD BEEN THERE WAS WHILE I WAS PREGNANT WITH MARISSA. SO 9 YRS AGO PRETTY MUCH TO THE DAY! WE SPENT ABOUT A GOOD 4 1/2 HOURS THERE. WE WENT DOWN THE WATER SLIDE, SWAM AND PLAYED IN THE WAVE POOL, PUT MARISSA IN AN INNER TUBE TO RIDE THE WAVES, AND TAUGHT HER HOW TO SWIM UNDERWATER, AND FLOAT ON HER BACK. WOW, IT WAS SO INVIGORATING. IT WAS QUALITY TIME WELL SPENT. WE SHOWERED AND GOT READY TO HIT THE ROAD.
OUR NEXT STOP WAS TO BE DOWNTOWN PORTLAND, SO I COULD GO TO TIFFANY & CO. JEWELRY STORE TO HAVE MY BRACELET CLEANED AND BUFFED. WE GOT STUCK IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC OUTSIDE OF WEST LINN. WE CREPT THROUGH SOME TRAFFIC, AND DECIDED TO JUST GO TO CLACKAMAS TOWN CENTER MALL. WE WEREN'T THERE VERY LONG, SINCE WE WERE TRYING TO GET HOME AT A DECENT HOUR FOR DON TO GO TO BED TO GO TO WORK THE NEXT DAY. WE WENT TO DENNY'S ACROSS THE STREET AND HAD DINNER. THEN GOT BACK ON THE ROAD. WE STOPPED TO FILL UP AT BIGGS JUNCTION, AND WENT HOME FROM THERE. WE SLEPT HARD AGAIN! OH YEAH!
ON WEDNESDAY, WE SLEPT IN A BIT, HAD SOME BREAKFAST AND WENT TO WALMART TO HAVE OUR FILM DEVELOPED, THEN WENT TO THE MALL. WE WENT TO MACY'S KIDS, GAP KIDS, OLD NAVY, JCPENNEY, RAVE GIRL, BATH AND BODY WORKS, WICKS-N-STICKS, CLAIRE'S, SEARS, ETC. I BOUGHT HER LOTS OF TOPS FOR SCHOOL, AND A CUTE DENIM SKIRT. SHE HAS A NEW PAIR OF SKECHERS, SO WHEN SHE COMES BACK BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS, WE'LL SEE ABOUT ANOTHER PAIR.
WE THEN MET UP WITH MY HUBBY AT APPLEBEE'S, MARISSA'S FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT. THEY TOTALLY SCREWED UP HER AND MY ORDER. SO WHEN IT FINALLY CAME BACK OUT, WE HAD TO SCARF IT DOWN CUZ WE HAD A MOVIE TO GO TO. WE TOOK HER TO GO SEE THE MOVIE "CARS." DON AND I SAW IT THE WEEK BEFORE. SHE LIKED IT. THEN WENT HOME AND WENT TO BED.
ON THURSDAY, I LET HER SLEEP IN UNTIL ABOUT 10:30AM. I DID HER LAUNDRY, DID SOME CHORES, AND GOT HER IN THE SHOWER TO GET READY TO GO HOME TO HER GRAMMA AND GRAMPA. WE WENT BACK TO WALMART TO GET SOME DRINKS, AND GOT HER SOME MORE SCHOOL SUPPLIES LIKE, PENCILS, MARKERS, COLORED PENCILS, SHARPENERS, PENCIL POUCH, NEW SOCKS, ETC. IT FELT GREAT TO GET TO DO THAT. THEN I TOOK HER BACK. SHE DIDN'T WANT TO GO. I DIDN'T WANT HER TO GO BACK EITHER!!! SHE LEFT FOR CAMP ON SUNDAY. HER FIRST CAMP, NO PARENTS FOR 5 DAYS. I HOPE SHE DOESN'T WIMP OUT CUZ SHE'S HOMESICK! I TOOK 10 DAYS OFF FROM WORK FOR VACATION. I GO BACK THIS THURSDAY. BOOHOO.
I DIDN'T GET TO GO TO SPOKANE LIKE I HAD PLANNED, BUT OH WELL, IT'S A SHORT DAY TRIP ANYTIME. WE DID FINALLY GET OUR STORAGE SHED PAINTED WITH PRIMER. FINALLY! WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WEED THE GARDEN AND FIX THE SPRINKLERS. I HAVE A DENTIST APPOINTMENT ON WEDNESDAY. HOORAY! I LOVE GOING. OF COURSE, I STUDIED TO BE A DENTAL ASSISTANT! WELL, I THINK I WILL STOP NOW AND LOOK FOR A NEW MUSIC VIDEO TO POST ON HERE, THEN GO TO BED. THIS SONG IS MY DAUGHTER'S FAVORITE. SO, EVERYTIME I HEAR IT, MY HEART OPENS UP, AND I ALWAYS STOP TO THINK OF HOW PASSIONATELY SHE SINGS THIS SONG. SHE SANG THIS SONG FOR HER SCHOOL TALENT SHOW.
LATERS!