4th of July and Beach Trip!

Hello everyone! We just got back from a fabulous weekend at the Oregon Coast! But first, here are some cute pictures from last week before we left. Kenley has suddenly decided to play "pretend." Here is she taking her doggy to the zoo to see the elephants. Wearing a fireman's hat.

Michael wrote the following about our weekend:

The King/Brehm/Gedney/Friesen clan decided to pack our bags and hit the road for the long holiday weekend. Our destination: the gorgeous Oregon Coast, home of wonderful beaches, wild bingo and THE Tillamook Cheese Factory. Also, home to Great-Grandpa Bert and Great-Grandma Dorothy's beach house! So Kenley, Mom, Dad, Papa and Bebe all took off Thursday morning for the coast. We "toodled" our way south, stopping first for a lovely lunch picnic in a nice park on the way. The weather appeared dark and gloomy, but the further south we drove, the better and better it got! Kenley took a good long nap, and when she awoke, we were at the Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon. This was a spot that we'd driven by a billion times on our way to the beach house, but had never stopped in to check it out. Well, we're glad we did! Kenley enjoyed "driving the boats" and checking out an old fashioned navy ship.









We drove on from Astoria and down the coast to Cannon Beach, where we went and played on the beach before eating dinner at the famous Mo's. Kenley found a killer stream on the beach and was as happy as she's ever been. Water, sand, doggies coming to say hello - about the happiest little lady you could imagine!

After a delicious dinner at Mo's (aside from Papa's "Fried" oysters coming back "breaded"), we drove those last 30 minutes down to the family house in Rockaway Beach. After settling in and relaxing for a bit, Auntie MyMy and Uncle Jason arrived.























On Friday, we woke up, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and headed to our family favorite destination - the Tillamook Cheese Factory! An hour later, we walked out shopping bags full of delicious cheesy goodness, half the shop's pepperoni and with our belly's full of tasy i-c-e c-r-e-a-m. And I mean, TASTY. Kenley enjoyed Wild Oregon Huckleberry Ice Cream. Mommy "helped" her with that ice cream by sneaking in a lick or six. No doubt, Kenley will remember this at some point in her teenage years. We then snuck out to Cape Lookout state park and played on the beach, where Daddy and Kenley played in the waves (and got very, very wet), and we all saw a beached seal! Poor thing was "stressed" according to the park ranger, so after hearing it yarp a few times, we dashed off for a mini hike, then a picnic! After heading back, Kenley (and all the ladies) took a quick little snooze. Then we headed out to the beach by the house (hehe, a block away, hehe) where Bebe and Jason flew kites, and some of us read our books. This all of course culminated in what has become a beach house tradition - a steaming pot of bouillibaise, filled with crab, clams, halibut, scallops and at least one or two family members.

Saturday's adventures took us southward to Nehalem Falls, a new spot for all of us. Kenley was fascinated by (and a bit scared of) the HUNDREDS of newts in the river. We're talking big honkin' newts here. Uncle Jason picked them up and invited Kenley to touch them, but she refused. Later in the day the Google machine told us that some newts have some kind of toxins on them. So if Jason looks odd or uncomfortable or starts changing colors in the next few days...well, whoops! After a nice hike, we grabbed a bite to eat in Manzanita and relaxed at home for the afternoon. Saturday night, Mom, Dad, Mymy and Jason all hit the rockin' town that is Rockaway Beach for a night of bingo while Bebe and Papa babysat. Thank you for awesome grandparents, Kenley said!

The weather was spectacular, but Sunday morning gave us all pause - clouds and drizzle. But we Kinbrehgedriesens toughed it out - and the weather turned back in our favor by the afternoon! Everyone minus Papa took a trip north to Cannon Beach, where Kenley wore some clam chowder for lunch, then played with Daddy and Uncle Jason in the park while Mama, Bebe and Mymy hit up the Cannon Beach shops. Of course, the most important thing that happened in Cannon Beach was taking a "one year later photo." When we were down last summer (at almost the exact same time), Mama snapped a great shot of Kenley on a bench that just says "Democrats." Well, we snapped basically the same shot this year! Here they are side by side so you can see...

(all the pictures from last year's trip can be seen here).

One crab dinner later, we all went in "our pack and plays," as Kenley said all weekend before waking up Monday, packing up, cleaning up and heading north! Mymy and Jason drove separately, but the Kinbrehney van made a little stop at the Mt St Helens Visitors Center on the way back up.

Another successful trip! Kenley was absolutely wonderful the whole time (of course! (?)). Slept great on both car rides, took decent naps (minus Saturday) and had a blast playing on the beach ('Splash Splash in the big pool" she told Daddy). Bebe bought her a "Dora" doll, and she wouldn't let go of it the whole weekend!

Thanks to Great Grandpa Bert and Great Grandma Dorothy for letting us crash the pad!

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Back to Rachel:

We arrived home last night and celebrated the 4th by grilling burgers and having some friends to sit around the firepit in the backyard. The weather was fabulous and promises to hold for a week or two more. We love it! We plan on spending every bit of it outside whenever possible.

Here's a few other updates on what is going on with Kenley this week. She got two more teeth (bottom canines) and has picked up a few new hilarious habits. This morning, i caught her holding up a book and reading it to her animals like it was a story and saying: "Once upon a time there was a little Kenley, and a little house for Kenley, and there was Pete and Larry, and there was a doggy and a little Kenley..."

Also, at the beach house we taught her about the fourth of july, so now whenever she sees an American flag, she sings "happy birthday to AMEHRICA!"

Another favorite is repeating lines from books, such as "B is for Babe Ruth, that New York Yankee great," or (when she is naked) "My, aren't you bold baby!"

And finally, her new favorite thing to say is: "and because why?" for example: Dad: "Kenley, the rule is no running in the street." Kenley: "And because why?" I expect this is the beginning of a looooooong stage.

Happy fourth of july!