Travel

PNW Vacay Part 5: Seattle

Posted on July 16, 2024July 15, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! I hope your week is off to a great start.

I’m linking up with Joanne for…

…for the fifth and final post about our vacation to the Pacific Northwest.

Let’s wrap up this trip, shall we?

After driving from Lake Quinault Lodge, we arrived in Seattle around 12:30. We booked our hotel on the drive to Seattle. Can you tell we were over planning trip details at this point? haha

Really, we knew it would be easy to get a hotel, so we just pushed that final decision to the end. The bad news is that $400/night is about the cheapest you can find in downtown Seattle. We did end up at Hyatt Place for a bit less than that, and we were very pleased with the hotel and the location.

We figured we were too early to check in, but Travis went to the front desk, and they gave us access to park in their garage. Then, we got our bearings, but literally, when we looked up from the hotel, we could see the Space Needle, so that was an easy attraction to locate.

Travis had told me I was in charge of this part of the trip, and that was easy enough…I wanted to go to Pike Place Market and figured the Space Needle was a tourist spot we should see (and we’d get a great view of Seattle).

Also, I read Andrea’s blog daily, and she’s been recapping their time in Washington. They started their trip in Seattle and highlighted a few things like Pike Place Market.

We were about a mile from Pike Place, so we started our walk there.

It was a beautiful day in the low 80’s, and the walk was about 20 minutes.

We’d arrived…and I was so excited!

We were hungry!…but we spent about 20 minutes getting the lay of the land.

Trader Joe’s needs to take note on the beautiful peonies.

It was so fun to see the market with fresh flowers and fresh produce. If we were staying longer, we would have purchased flowers and fruit.

We did end up at the fish market where they famously throw the fish to each other. That was a popular spot, but we enjoyed standing there for a few minutes.

After that, we split up, and Travis and Hayden went to find something to eat as did Hadley and I. It was around 1:30, and before we parted ways, I booked the Space Needle tickets for 3:30. We’d said we’d meet back up around 2:30 after we got our food.

I’d missed it on the first pass by, but I spotted the original Starbucks. The line was out the door. It sounds silly, but if we were there one more day, I would have come back and stood in the line for coffee and maybe a coffee cup souvenir.

Hadley spotted a French bistro…and she loves a macaroon, so we stopped in there to pick up a few for dessert.

I’d spotted Beecher‘s Handmade Cheese, and I’d remembered that Andrea shared about it too. Mac and cheese is one of my favorite foods ever, and I was hungry. Hadley wanted the tomato soup, and then we also split a grilled cheese sandwich. They had a counter where you could stand to eat, but we also were able to watch the workers making the cheese. It was really cool to see.

We walked around a bit more, and I’d texted Travis to see where they were. He said they were at a pizza place by the gum wall…and I’d remembered Andrea sharing about that too. Anyway, we made our way to the restaurant and sat with them while they finished their pizza.

The gum wall is equal parts mesmerizing and gross…

…but of course we had to get a pic!

Then, we made our way out of the market, but the kids obliged me in taking one more pic for the memories. I truly could have hung out there quite a bit longer, but we needed to make our way to the Space Needle.

We arrived at the Space Needle, and I pulled up the tickets on my phone. Well, I apparently purchased tickets for an observation deck somewhere else? I’m guessing it was an observation deck with view of the Space Needle?? I’m not sure, and do you see why I shouldn’t be in charge of the itinerary?! haha

The look on my face must have shown my panic because the very nice lady gave me four tickets, but we’d have to come back at 5:30. I was so appreciative, and actually, it was probably a good call because we walked five minutes back to the hotel, and had about an hour to cool off, relax, and regroup.

As we entered the hotel, they were handing out champagne…see, it did work in our favor to come back to the hotel for a bit…haha

At the hotel, we checked in and got our bags from the car. Then, after about an hour, we went back to the Space Needle around 5:15 and got in line.

The line is outside and reminds me of getting on a ride….and then once you get inside, you still weave around until it’s time to get on the elevator to the top. While in line, there is a spot where they take your pic and give you a QR code to access the photos at the top.

We were probably in line about twenty minutes before getting in the elevator to go on up. I don’t love heights, so I was a little nervous that I’d be anxious, but once we stepped out of the elevator (which only took about 40 seconds, I think?), this was the view. It was so pretty…and I had no worries at all.

Mt. Rainier was easy to spot!

We walked around the top in order to see 360 degrees of views.

The Puget Sound was so pretty as well.

We even spotted our hotel.

We snapped a few pics…

…and then we went down one level to the revolving glass floor. I don’t think we took pics correctly…haha

How many times can you say you hit 10,000 steps at over 600 feet in the air?

We were probably at the top for about 45 minutes, and then rode the elevator down. As you exit the elevator, there’s a Space Needle made out of Legos!

While we were at the top of the Space Needle, we visited the kiosk to choose our picture backgrounds. Hadley had quite a few she liked, so I received four emails with four different background pics.

These two were my fave:

Then, we walked back to the hotel to take settle in for the evening. The track trials were on TV, so that was a great way to spend our evening. We were tired. The kids relaxed, and Travis and I said we’d go find dinner. He’d already spotted a few places near the hotel.

A funny thing happened though when we walked around the block…We’d paused at a restaurant to read the menu that was on the window, and the door burst open, and someone shouted “Jennifer!” Hardly anyone calls me Jennifer, and I was startled at first…but it was one of my co-workers! What are the odds that we were both in Seattle at the same time?! He’d just arrived in Seattle with his family that day and were headed to the Space Needle after dinner. Small world!

Even with the walk around the block, we settled on the pizza place right across the street from our hotel. Even though Travis and Hayden had pizza for lunch, they were fine with having it again for dinner. I got a salad as well. While the pizza baked, Travis and I got a beer and chatted.

We ate our pizza in our room, took turns showering, and then watched the track and gymnastic trials on TV.

We were all truly exhausted, and had no trouble falling asleep by 10:00. This hotel room also had a pull out couch, so it was nice to let the kids each have a bed to sleep in.

The next morning, we were up early and at the hotel breakfast by 7:00 when it opened. Our flight was at 10:30, and thankfully everything was on time. I was really impressed with Alaskan Airlines. We had a direct flight to Cincinnati and no delays! We got home to Homer around 7:00, and it was so nice to shower and sleep in our own beds.

The following night, we were all still awake at midnight, and it dawned on me that we were gone just long enough to adjust to Pacific time zone.

If you don’t read Andrea’s blog, you should check out her trip recap. She has lots of posts about Seattle and Olympia and all that they did.

Trip Recap:

Here are the posts about the other parts of our trip in case you missed one:

Part 1: Portland

Part 2: Eugene and Olympic Trials

Part 3: The Oregon Coast

Part 4: Olympic National Park

Thanks for following along on our journey. We saw so much and covered a lot of ground; some of the best memories were logged in the car and at various pit stops along the way.

I’d like to think we’ll be out that way again some day, but no matter what, I’m really thankful for Travis for planning it all, and I’m grateful for this time with my fam visiting new places.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Travel

PNW Vacay Part 4: Olympic National Park

Posted on July 15, 2024July 15, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

Shew! I feel like the weekend flew by. Did you catch my Sunday post all about s’mores? S’mores in the summer are a favorite, for sure.

Today, I’m picking up where I left off on our vacation to the Pacific Northwest, and sharing about our time at Lake Quinault Lodge in Olympic National Park.

(Parts 1, 2, and 3:Portland, Eugene/Olympic Track Trials, Oregon Coast)

After driving a couple of hours from Rockaway Beach, Oregon, we arrived at Lake Quinault Lodge.

We did arrive about an hour before we could check in…

…so we explored the property a bit.

Big Foot!

The weather was partly cloudy and windy, but the views were still very pretty.

We sat in the lawn chairs for a bit, and then Hayden and Travis left for Hayden to get his run in. At least he was able to run in a national park…that’s pretty cool.

Hadley and I sat inside for a bit, and I enjoyed a drink.

Then, our room was ready. I spotted some pretty hydrangeas on our walk to our room.

Our room was in the Boathouse near the lake.

After we got settled in our room, we got back in the car and drove around a bit. One of the stops was at the “World’s Largest Spruce.” It was probably a half mile hike to see it…

…and it was quite the sight…

We got back in the car and drove to a hiking spot in the rain forest which was really neat.

We hiked for about an hour…

There were pretty views everywhere.

Then, we headed back to the lodge. Right across from the lodge was a general store, so Hadley and I walked over there for some snacks.

I got ready for dinner, and went and sat outside to read for a bit.

Then, we headed to dinner at the restaurant at the lodge.

The kids let me snap a pic…

Dinner was delish. We had pretty views of the lake. Hayden got a burger, Travis and I ordered salmon, and Hadley had clam chowder.

The sun was setting as we left the restaurant.

Family selfie!

The kids went over to the general store to get some ice cream for dessert. Then, they found the only TV on the property to try to watch some of the Olympic trials, and I enjoyed a glass of wine.

So–one thing about this lodge (that we didn’t know until we arrived…) was that WiFi is VERY limited. Each device can log on for 30 minutes of free WiFi per day. You could buy a data package for less than $20, but if you are by the lake, even it wouldn’t work. So, when we used our 30 minutes, we had to be in the lodge and not in our room. Point being, we survived! Obviously, it was a nice break from technology, but Travis and I both agreed it would have been nice to be able to send a text message!

After dinner, we sat out on the patio and played cards.

In the lobby, there were puzzles and games, but I’d brought a couple of games with us like Uno and Monopoly Deal. We sat outside and played for a couple of hours before bedtime.

We did pause our game at one point because Hadley and I wanted to go down to the lake to check out the sunset views.

She loves a sunset as much as I do!

We played a few more hands of Uno, and then walked to our room around 10:00. It was crazy to me that it still wasn’t fully dark outside yet.

This was the nighttime view from our room:

Honestly, I didn’t have a great night’s sleep, so I was up pretty early.

Friday morning, after I got up, I walked up to the lodge with my cup of coffee.

I sat outside and used my 30 minutes of WiFi, drank my coffee, and read for a bit while the Hadley slept. Travis and Hayden left for Hayden to get his daily run in before we left.

We woke Hadley up around 9:00 when Hayden got back from his run, and they walked over to the general store to pick up a few things for breakfast like donuts and juice. We packed up and left the lodge around 10:00 to head to Seattle.

For the second time on our trip, I gave up my front seat for the “Passenger Princess.” haha

It took a little over two hours to get to Seattle. We stopped for a snack and a drink on the way. We arrived at our hotel, Hyatt Place, around 1:00. As soon as we stepped out of the car, we could see the Space Needle. Our room wasn’t ready yet, but we could park in the hotel garage. Once we did that, we walked to Pike Place Market.

*view of Space Needle when we went at our scheduled time…not the view of the SN from our hotel 🙂

I will share part 5 (the last part! about our time in Seattle) later this week.

Have a great Monday.

Delish Desserts, Seasonal

Summer Sundays #6

Posted on July 14, 2024July 14, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Sunday!

How has your weekend been? Yesterday, we spent most of the day watching Hadley play in a sand volleyball tournament which was really fun. We also had dinner out with friends. I’m hoping for a little more downtime today…and maybe we’ll even “beat the heat” and go to the pool.

Today, I’m sharing another…

…and I’m talking all about s’mores. To me, nothing says summer more than s’mores. Of course, we’ll make s’mores in the cooler months as well, but summer and s’mores also go together.

My mom made this patriotic s’mores dip…(I’m not sure the exact recipe she used, but these seems like the directions she told me)…which got me thinking about s’mores recipes I have pinned on Pinterest.

How do you like your roasted marshmallow? I think I’m a “B3” girl.

This meme made me laugh….(if only it was that easy to burn calories!)…

…this one made me chuckle too!

Anyway, here are a few s’mores recipes I have saved on Pinterest. I haven’t made these yet, but maybe I can try a few new s’mores dessert recipes before the summer ends.

1. S’mores Cookie Bars

This recipe looks easy and delish.

Recipe from Lifestyle of a Foodie.

2. S’mores Rice Krispies

Rice Krispie Treats are one of my favorite desserts. I bet these s’more ones are delish.

Recipe from Dessert Now Dinner Later.

3. Chocolate Dipped S’mores Sticks

I’ve not seen a dessert like this one.

Recipe from Crafty Teacher Lady.

4. Oven Baked S’mores

I actually have made this recipe, and it was a hit!

Recipe from Kara Creates

5. Hershey Kiss S’mores Cookies

Yum!

Recipe from Like Mother Like Daughter

I have so many other s’mores recipes pinned on Pinterest, but these are a few that I hope to try soon.

How do you like your marshmallow roasted?

Let me know if you try one of these recipes!

I hope you have a great rest of your weekend. I hope to have Part 4 of our trip on the blog tomorrow.

Clothes, Friday Favorites, Holidays

Friday Favorites {#215}

Posted on July 12, 2024July 11, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? Ours was pretty good, and it included a little bit of everything.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Last week I was in KC to help my dad after his knee surgery. While both legs of the trip to and from KC were long thanks to delays, on my flight from Lex to Chicago, I got bumped to first class. I don’t think I’ve ever sat in first class on a flight.

I won’t let it go to my head, but I did enjoy my Diet Coke out of a real glass! Oh the little things…

…and even though the flight from Chicago to KC was delayed, this was my window seat view once we finally took off. I don’t love to fly, but I’ve gotten better about being less anxious when flying. It is kind of amazing to be up in the air and above the clouds.

Ok this is random, but we haven’t had cable for a few years, and one thing I do miss about not having cable is all of the random channels like Lifetime, TLC, and Nickalodeon, etc.

Well, while at my dad’s, we watched a lot of “Me TV” last week.

I’m an old soul when it comes to TV shows…I could watch Green Acres, Leave it to Beaver, and The Beverly Hillbillies all day long.

Also, when I left, the Major made me bring home this pack of 72 pieces of bacon for Hayden. haha

Trav’s birthday was Sunday, and I didn’t get home until five hours past my original flight’s scheduled arrival time…and I ended up flying to Louisville instead of Lexington. Anyway, we didn’t get to Lex until after midnight!

After a week away, I was happy to go out to dinner with these guys to celebrate Trav….even if it was a day late.

We ate at one of our favorite restaurants: Carson’s.

We had dessert at the restaurant, and it hit the spot.

I was able to go to the pool two afternoons this week which was nice.

I shared my July trackers on Instagram, and they are saved in a highlight. Feel free to use them and tag me!

Favorite Clothing Item:

I bought the “Sally” set from SSYS at the beginning of the summer, and it’s been one of my favorite things to wear. I have their crepe set from last summer, and it’s one I wear often as well.

We were at Walmart this week, and Hadley picked up these“Athletic Works” shorts. They are less than $7, and so soft! She’s worn them to sleep in as well as to the pool with her swimsuit.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Funny story. The past few vacations, I’ve given the kids a list to use when they pack. I’ve told them many times to figure out exactly what they need. So, if I write “t-shirt,” they decide if they need three shirts or five. Anyway, Hadley, who is often wearing a sweatshirt, and for sure has too many sweatshirts, packed one sweatshirt on our recent vacation….to the Pacific Northwest…where you might actually need a sweatshirt even in the summer.

Well, joke’s on me…of course, she ended up buying not just one but two sweatshirts on our vacay.

Weekly Recap:

I’ve been a busy blogger lately. Here are my posts going back to last weekend:

PNW Vacay #2: Olympic Trials

Summer Sundays #5: 4th of July Recap

Share Our Lives

PNW Vacay #3: Oregon Coast

Let’s Look

Throwback Thurs: First Beach VacaY

What are your weekend plans? We don’t have too much going on. Honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve been home on a weekend, so I hope to do some “regular” things like meal plan, place my Kroger order, stay caught up on laundry and more!

I do have a Summer Sunday post planned, so come back then!

Thanks for reading,

Throwback Thursday, Travel

Throwback Thursday: First Beach Vacay

Posted on July 11, 2024July 10, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

I hope you’ve had a great week. I finally feel like I’m getting my feet back under me after being gone. The kids have had a few things this week, but I also got to go to the pool and start chipping away at some of my “to do” lists for the summer.

A few weeks ago, I shared a Throwback Thursday post about the first time Hadley went to camp, and today I’m sharing another post about the first time we took the kids to the beach.

Sharing my trip recaps has had me thinking about the first vacation we took as a family of four. Wow! Traveling with kids has definitely gotten easier!

In July of 2010, Travis and I went to Folly Beach, SC to celebrate our five year wedding anniversary. We left on a Thursday and came back on Monday, and the drive was only about eight hours to the Charleston area.

The following summer, we decided the eight hour drive seemed doable…even with the kids being 18 months old. We went on vacation with friends who also have twins (two years older than my two).

Anyway, we found a house in Folly Beach, and we arrived late afternoon/early evening. Our house was on the second row, so we just had to cross the street at the beach access point. As soon as we got everything unpacked, we decided to check out the beach.

Hadley has always been more outgoing and assertive whereas Hayden has always been more quiet and hesitant.

Well, upon seeing the beach and the ocean, Hadley was the hesitant one, and Hayden was all in. I will always remember her pointing at the water and just seeming so uncertain. Hayden, on the other hand, went from running to the water’s edge to playing in the sand. He got so wet that we had to take his shirt off so he could play and not get as messy.

Obviously, with each passing day, Hadley became less timid, and Hayden had the time of his life. It was so nice not having to walk too far with all of our beach gear.

Target was my “go to” for their swimsuits for years and years. Hadley still loves Target for her swimsuits. I would always put one or two swimsuits in their Easter baskets.

Hayden loved the water gun at the beach! Hadley…”diva mode” activated!

They loved sitting in these little chairs for snack time while looking out at the water.

We went out to dinner most nights. We’d also head to the beach after dinner to catch the sunset.

I still have this pic framed….it’s one of my faves!

I always loved dressing the kids up in cute little summer outfits.

Many of our afternoons looked like this:

(and this is one of my favorite photos of all time of Trav and Hadley)

It was nice being so close to the house as sometimes my friend and I would stay at the beach and the dads would take the kids back for nap time. Other days, we’d switch off.

We had our house Saturday to Saturday, and on the Friday that was our last day, it was very overcast, and it was going to be rainy. The other family stayed, but we decided to go on home a day early. We were tired, and the kids were fussy.

My kids have always been great sleepers, but always the first couple of days anywhere were rough. Once they got in a routine and settled it, it was always ok.

Even now, Hayden is still kind of a sleep talker/fitful sleeper the first couple of nights not at home.

On the second night of our recent vacation, at 3 am he hopped out of bed and was talking to us in the hotel room. haha!! He never remembers doing these things.

Anyway, the kids were tired, and I was just ready to be home. That next Monday, I remember taking Hadley to the doctor and he said that when the kids are little, it’s a “trip” and not a “vacation.” This was a lightbulb moment for me…haha

Hadley had an ear infection which might explain why she was out of sorts even at the end of that trip.

My friend took this pic of the kids and me as we said goodbye to them and Travis packed up the car.

It was a really great vacay even though it was a lot of work to be away from home. We had a lot of fun with our friends, so that was a bonus too. That trip to Folly Beach was the start of a few summers visiting the Charleston area.

In 2013, we stayed at Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms which provided two more pics that make me smile when they pop up in my memories:

We went back to SC in 2014 and 2018 and we most recently went back in 2021.

It’s crazy to think that traveling has gotten quite a bit easier. The kids can entertain themselves on a long car ride, they can pack their own suitcases, and they can even have a little more independence and freedom when we travel. It’s true—the days are long, but the years are short!

South Carolina is a great place that’s pretty convenient for us to visit.

Books and Shows, Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on July 10, 2024July 9, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

How’s your week going? Y’all, my long travel day on Sunday and then hitting the ground running on Monday caught up with me! Yesterday, I woke up from a dead sleep at 9:30! I got almost 11 hours of sleep. I can’t believe it…but clearly I needed it.

I also can’t believe that it’s already the second Wednesday of the month which means I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for Let’s Look.

So far this year, we’ve looked at:

How we clean our closets in January
Little things we do every single day in February
What’s in our grocery cart in March
Our daily quiet time/prayer time in April
Our summer closet staples in May
Our summer schedule in June

This month’s topic is let’s look at…podcasts and shows we binge.

Podcasts:

Well, I still don’t listen to a lot of podcasts. That being said, I finally reconnected my phone to my car, so maybe I will start listening to more podcasts when I have time.

On the podcast app on my phone, I do have downloaded random episodes of:

Absolutely Not (you know I love Heather McMahan!)
Hey Dude, the 90s Called (I love that Christine Taylor and David Lascher interview so many actors from the 80’s/90’s!)
I’ve Had It (Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan are hilarious!)
Let’s Be Honest (Kristin Cavallari doesn’t hold back!)

Two podcasts that I listen to regularly are:

Calm Down (Erin and Charissa talk about sports, news, travel, gossip and more!)

& …New Heights with the Kelce Brothers.

Just FYI – I was listening to this podcast before Travis and Taylor started dating! These two are also fun to listen to.

Audio Books:

I’ve just gotten into listening to audio books thanks to a few road trips and travel.

I listened to these two audio books last month:

This month, I’ve listened to Matthew Perry and Matthew McConaughey’s books, both narrated by them. I will share more in my July book review, but I really enjoyed both. There were definitely parts of Perry’s book that were hard to listen to knowing of his now untimely death.

I could listen to McConaughey’s voice all day long…just not on 1.50 speed like I usually listen to books and podcasts. haha!

Shows:

Recently, I watched Twelve Final Days about Roger Federer’s final twelve days before retirement. It’s on Amazon Prime, and I think it was just under two hours long. So, it’s not episodes, but a short documentary.

He’s definitely one of my favorite tennis players, and I loved seeing him off the court with his family as well.

On Netflix, I’ve been watching America’s Sweethearts about the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I watched it last week when I was in KC, and I still have one episode left.

Also on Netflix is Sprint about the US sprinters in the year leading up to the Olympics. Of course, this is a family favorite.

My summer guilty pleasure is always the Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip on Peacock. It’s been fun to see the NY ladies again.

Travis and I have been watching Presumed Innocent on Apple TV. I think we’ve watched the first four episodes. Our viewing has been kind of sporadic as we watched the first episode before vacation, and then watched a couple more before I left for KC. A new episode comes out every week, so hopefully we can keep the momentum going.

Right now, Hadley is re-watching all of All-American before the next season comes out…

…and Hayden’s been watching Friday Night Lights. Travis and I used to watch that show together when it was on TV. We were telling the kids how we used to look forward to watching it live every week…and that went over their heads. haha

Travis and I both stop and watch some of the episodes when Hayden has the TV on. Who doesn’t love Coach Taylor and Tammy?!?

Movies:

On our flight home from Seattle, I watched The Boys in the Boat, and it was SO good. I’d wanted to see it when it was in the theater, but that just never worked out. Now I want to read the book. I highly recommend it.

I love having extra time in the summer to watch shows that aren’t normally on during the year, or finding the time to get caught up on shows or movies that I’ve missed out on. Usually, my reading time dips a bit in the summer, but I’ve been good and keeping that up too!

Do you have any suggestions on shows I should watch? We have Netflix, Prime, Peacock, and Apple TV.

Travel, Tuesday Talk

PNW Vacay Part 3: The Oregon Coast

Posted on July 9, 2024July 8, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

I hope your week has gotten off to a great start. I was sluggish yesterday thanks to a long travel day on Sunday, but it was nice to sleep in, unpack, do laundry, and run a couple of errands. Of course, the kids had places to go too!

I’ve shared parts one and two of our trip to the Pacific Northwest, and today, I’m linking up with Joanne for…

…to share all about part 3.

I apologize but this post will probably be the one that has the most pics 😂…and please note that I actually have narrowed down what I want to share. haha

Once we left Eugene, we had about a three hour drive to the Oregon coast. Travis had found this really cute house in Rockaway Beach, and we were excited to go there.

To be honest, Travis planned these couple of days to “appease” me in the sense that he knows how much I love a beach. Of course, I had to manage the kids’ (especially Hadley’s) expectations that this isn’t the same kind of beach and ocean water that they are used to when we go to Florida.

I am glad that we took the two days here, and honestly, the timing was perfect because we were tired! We’d been busy and the time change had officially caught up with us.

Anyway, the details of the house were so cute, and I even loved the front door as it is one of my favorite colors!

The living room picture window was, well, picturesque. The cute little gate open with the ocean view…we were ready to get the lay of the land.

This little nook was perfect for sipping coffee and reading.

This little window with the view was too cute as well.

The view from the kitchen:

The details throughout the house were just perfect. I’d never seen this before, but this little hatch opened to allow in the breeze, and you could hear the ocean! There was one in each of the bedrooms.

After unloading the car, Hadley and I headed to the beach.

The short walk was perfection...

…as were the views.

I was surprised at how warm it actually was there. It was in the high 70’s, and with the sunshine, it felt warmer.

Once Hayden and Travis got to the beach, I took a little walk.

It was such a lovely day. I ended up walking about half a mile and spotted a restaurant on the ocean that I’d seen as a dinner option. I just didn’t realize how close it was to our house. So, I walked back and told my family that I’d spotted it.

We hung out on the beach for a couple of hours, and then we walked to the Sand Dollar restaurant. There was a bit of a wait, but we ended up being able to sit on the patio for dinner. We had amazing views as well as delicious food. I had clam chowder, and it was so good.

Then, we walked back to our house. I had Hadley take my pic with Trav since we didn’t get one on our anniversary the day before.

Then, I persuaded the kids to let me take their pic since I said the next day the weather forecast called for rain…which meant that we’d most likely not have a sunset session. Hadley wanted a couple of pics too.

The kids headed back to the house, and Trav and I watched the sunset. I love a beach sunset…even for just one night!

While Travis and I watched the sunset, the kids walked a couple of blocks to the market to get marshmallows to roast. Truly, the town seemed kind of “sleepy,” but it was nice that our location was close to some restaurants and markets. They kids are the perfect age for a bit of independence…and they have no trouble using a debit card. haha!

Anyway, once they got back, we sat on the back patio and roasted some marshmallows.

Hadley perched herself up on the chair outside the patio. She had quite the view of the ocean.

After the fire extinguished, we came inside and got ready for bed. We’d had a great first day on the coast.

We’d checked the weather, and we knew Wednesday seemed like it might be overcast and rainy…and it was. I’m really glad we hung out at the beach the day before, since this day was more of what I assumed Oregon weather to be like.

We slept in, and then I went to the beach to read and sip my coffee. It was 57 degrees…and I loved it!

Hayden ran while Hadley slept in. Around 12:00, we got moving and decided to drive about a half hour to Cannon Beach.

We’ve all seen The Goonies movie, but Hayden and I definitely consider it a favorite. So, we made our way to Haystack Rock once we got to Cannon Beach. This is definitely a popular tourist spot, but it wasn’t too crowded. The weather was pretty chilly!

We explored for a bit…

…and then we made our way to Pelican Brewing Co. for lunch. Travis has a real knack for knowing if there’s a brewery nearby. Travis and I split the fish and chips, and it was a delicious lunch. Hadley had the clam chowder, and she loved it.

Honestly, this afternoon was one of my favorites. We had nothing on the agenda, so we explored the town of Cannon Beach. I found the library, and the kids found the candy store. We walked around for about an hour going in and out of shops. I ended up getting a sweatshirt, and it’s now one of my faves.

Then, it really started to rain, so we made our way back to the car.

The drive on Highway 101 is unreal. Again, it was nice to have the time to just pull over at the scenic stops. I couldn’t get over the fog…

…and Hadley is always up for a little walk.

It was so pretty, and the pics don’t do it justice. I felt like everywhere I looked was a Bob Ross painting!

Hayden was really wanting to watch the NBA draft, and due to the time difference, that meant he wanted to be home around 4:00. We made it back in time, and while he watched the draft, I read.

We had a lovely, lazy evening at the house. We were all pretty full from lunch, so we just ate sandwiches and other leftovers at the house. I baked cookies too.

That night, we watched Stand By Me. It was a really great way to end our day.

Thursday morning, I went to the beach for about thirty minutes. It was chilly, but I loved it. If I’m near the water, I always say “goodbye” to the ocean.

“Until we meet again…”

Then, it was time to pack up and say goodbye to this cute little house.

After we packed up, we made our way to Astoria. My brother had been there many years ago, and again, like him, we love The Goonies.

We drove about an hour and a half, and made it to Astoria. The Goonies house was easy to find (thanks to a Google search for the address!)

We parked and walked up the gravel driveway to the house.

This was the view looking out from Goonies house:

Hadley snapped our pic, so I could send it to my brother. (He gives me grief for not following his suggestions when we are traveling…haha!)

After we left the Goonie house and walked to our car, I looked up and saw this view, so of course I had to take a picture.

As I took that pic, my brother texted back and said I had to go see the elementary school from Kindergarten Cop. Right as I read this message, I turned around and saw an playground and wondered if I was looking at the back of the elementary school. Well, I was! I walked around to the front to send him another pic as proof. I was telling the kids about it, so now we have to watch that movie too.

After that, we got back in the car, and drove a bit, crossing a beautiful bridge into Washington. Even rest stops in Washington have views:

We drove a couple of hours making our way to Olympic National Park, and the Lake Quinault Lodge.

We couldn’t wait to explore the national park and this property!

So, that’s part three of our trip! I’m so glad we added in these couple of “beach” days as they were perfectly timed to relax a bit and have a different beach experience.

Day in the Life, Not Just a Mom

Share Our Lives: July 2024

Posted on July 8, 2024July 8, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

I’m not trying to be negative, but I only have four more Mondays (counting today!) until I go back to school. I swear summer feels shorter and shorter every year.

Did you catch my posts on Saturday and Sunday? My Saturday post was all about our time in Eugene, OR at the Olympic track trials. It was such a special part of our trip. Sunday, I shared a few pics from our 4th of July…I was in KC while the kids and Trav were at home in Lex.

Anyway, it’s already the second Monday of the month, so I’m co-hosting this month’s link up with some of my favorite bloggers:

So far this year, we’ve discussed:

Introductions and jobs you’ve had in January
How we met our significant others in February
5 items you can’t live without in March
Favorite make up and hair products in April
5 favorite and least favorite foods in May
Foods to make for someone else in June

This month’s topic is…day in the life: summer edition.

Well, I’m glad that I looked ahead at this topic because I decided to go ahead a document a day a couple of weeks ago knowing we were about to go out of town for vacation, and then I’d be in KC for a week. I wanted to choose a somewhat “normal” day when we are home.

Honestly, we’ve yet to have two days a like this summer which can be both good and bad.

Anyway, here’s a peek at Tuesday, June 18th.

I got up at 7:30 but forgot to screenshot the time. I did so around 8:30.

After I got up, I settled in my with “dream team” team of eye gels and coffee.

Hayden has been here….

He ate some coffee cake before his run.

Knowing we were about to be gone, I wanted to make sure my Kindle was loaded up with good books:

Of course I made my bed…

…started some laundry…

…and did my morning skincare routine.

Around 9:00 is when the HVAC guys arrived. This was the day we were getting our new a/c and furnace.

Just in time! It had “cooled off” to 82 that morning.

Hayden was prepping for his run while Homer and I snuggled.

Then, I went to unload the dishwasher only to realize that Trav had unloaded it before work… but he did it wrong…(haha!)

There…that’s better 🤣 To me, I don’t care where the forks and spoons go (although, they should go side by side)…the butter knives have to go to the far left…at least that’s what I think!

I looked outside and realized that Hayden was still home. He takes forever to get started…and was out front warming up.

I didn’t have to go to school for summer school this day, but I did have some stipends to approve. I grabbed a second cup of coffee and did that.

While I was at my computer, I decided to go ahead and work on the next day’s blog post.

Around 10:00, I put on a little makeup, finished getting ready for the day, tidied up and changed out the laundry.

~~Sleeping Beauty~~, Hadley was still sleeping at 10:30, so I woke her up.

Then, I took Hayden to his doctor’s appointment.

Once we were finished with that, I dropped Hayden at home and filled up my tumbler with water.

I had a 12:00 dentist appointment for my six month cleaning. Fun fact about me is that I never had a cavity until I was thirty years old…and then I had two! I got them right after I had the kids. I’ve never had another cavity since! Another fun fact about me is that I love going to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned.

How cute is their summer tree?

I was home around 1:00 and had lunch. I still love a little plate of snacks for lunch in the summer.

Then, I walked around the house and fussed at my kids to pick up up their ish!

Around 1:45, Hadley and I picked up my niece for our 2:00 nail appointments. I wanted to get a pedicure before vacation, and I usually let Hadley get a manicure before vacay too. Layla had a birthday in late May, and I hadn’t gotten her a present yet, so she tagged along for a mani too!

Then, of course we had to get ice cream…

…and see Layla’s updated room!

As I got home around 3:30, the a/c guys were finishing up.

Hadley said our new thermostat is “bougie” because it has the time on it haha

I found Homer was cooling off in the sun room.

I decided to have a little snack and watch some tv in the basement. During the summer, I find myself watching King of Queens, 227, Golden Girls and other shows from my childhood. It’s a great way to pass the time. Sometimes I doze off if needed too!

I lounged for about an hour before finally getting my workout in around 6:00. I almost didn’t “press play,” but I’m glad that I did.

Then, I put dinner in the oven. I decided to do something easy and make a store bought quiche for dinner.

While it baked, I read for a bit.

Then, I picked up Hadley and her friends from pool party at 7.

Since the house was still hot, I enjoyed dinner out in the sun room, and Homer kept me company.

After dinner, I always get the coffee pot ready for the next day…even in the summer.

I still hadn’t gotten in my Bible study for the day, so I did that.

Then, I showered and did my PM skincare routine.

Around 9:00, Travis and I watched the first episode of Presumed Innocent on Apple TV. We were hooked…but tired…

…so we went on to bed. I had the Royals game on in the background as I read my book.

I read and watched TV for a bit before going to bed close to 11:00.

In the summer, 11:00 seems to be my typical bedtime instead of 10:00 during the school year. It’s nice to stay up about an hour later and sleep in about an hour later.

So, that was a summer day for us! Some days, I’ve been at school for a few hours, taken the kids to other appointments or activities, gone to the pool, ran errands and more. I guess I just try to make the most of each day and have a mix of productivity and downtime.

Next month we’re discussing least favorite activities. We hope you’ll join us.

I love reading “day in the life” posts, so I can’t wait to read other bloggers’ posts today.

Have a great start to your week!

Holidays

Summer Sundays #5

Posted on July 7, 2024July 6, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Sunday!!

I’ve enjoyed these Sunday posts this summer because I seem to have a bit more time on the weekend in the summer to get these written.

Well, it would be unnatural of me not to do a 4th of July recap, so that’s what’s happening today.

4th of July used to look more like this:

or this:

This year was definitely a different kind of 4th of July. I was in KC with my dad after his knee surgery (I’m head home today), so Trav and the kids were left on their own. haha!

Like last year, Hayden ran the Bluegrass 10,000. He stuck with his uncle for the race. Here’s a pic at the starting line:

Hadley sent me an “action shot.” She was really thrilled to be at a race at 7am!

They just hung out the rest of the day, went to the pool, and grilled out. Hadley ended up hanging with some friends before Travis played chauffeur and took the girls (and Hayden) to our favorite spot for fireworks.

I did miss seeing a big fireworks display this year. The 4th is one of my favorite holidays.

Again, Hadley provided a few pics!

‘Merica, y’all!

While they didn’t have my traditional red, white and blue waffles, I think they survived the holiday without me.

On the 4th, I did go to my aunt’s house for dinner, so I was able to see my mom, Gma and uncle. We had pork chops, watermelon, and “Corn Jumble.” As I was eating the jumble, I was conflicted because I loved it but just knew there was mayo in it…and you know how I feel about mayo. My aunt told me there was just a bit in it (and sour cream), but truly…it was so good. I even had seconds.

She said the recipe is from a cookbook called Beyond Parsley.

Here it is:

My mom made this cute s’mores dessert, and I thought it was for our 4th of July dinner….but it was for her monthly dinner with her neighbors.

She has Hershey’s chocolate on the bottom and then layered marshmallows (some of which she rolled in colored sugar) and then you just bake for a bit to melt it…and dip with graham crackers.

We did have key lime pie for dessert at my aunt’s, so I wasn’t too upset…but…

…I pouted just enough that she made me a small version of the s’mores for my dessert Friday night at her house.

I’ve spent this week binging America’s Sweethearts on Netflix. Is there anything more American than the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders? haha

Today, I’m headed home. My dad is about a week out from knee surgery, and definitely in better spirits.

I just counted, and in the past 16 days, I’ve slept in my bed two nights. I’m ready to be home and find some kind of routine for the rest of July.

Also, I can’t end this post without giving a “happy birthday” shout out to Trav. Today is his birthday.

He’s been holding down the fort this week which I’m sure he’s done with ease (and apparently without eating many of the meals I planned out for them. haha!)

Hopefully, we can celebrate him a bit tomorrow.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and come back tomorrow for our monthly Share Our Lives link up.

Travel

PNW Vacay Part 2: Eugene and Olympic Trials

Posted on July 6, 2024July 6, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Saturday!

After posting sporadically lately, I’m trying to find my blogging groove. I had time to do it, so I’m picking up where I left off yesterday and sharing part 2 of our trip today.

As I said in yesterday’s post, this vacation was planned because of the track and field Olympic Trials at the University of Oregon. Travis had been to Eugene once before when our nephew had a race years ago, and he knew Hayward Field is a special place.

Of course, both my kids run track and follow quite a few athletes, so this was really special for them.

Travis did the best he could choosing two days with races that the kids would specifically want to see. He chose Sunday because of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was slated to run the 400m, but she decided to focus on 400m hurdles which ended up being a different night. We still got to see many amazing races including Noah Lyles in the 100 and a few University of Kentucky athletes compete as well. Keaton Daniel is an outstanding UK pole vaulter, and he came in 4th and was named an alternate.

There was a fun area behind the track with photo ops, the merch tent, food, and a stage where the top three athletes would go for Q&A after the races/events.

Welcome to Track Town!

Hadley signed the (cardboard) “Olympic Torch,” which she thought was so neat.

We made our way to our seats which were on the second level, and we had an amazing view.

The weather was amazing too!

There’s Noah Lyles in the red after his 100m run:

Sunday night, we saw: men’s pole vault, men’s 100m semi and final, women’s 800m semi-final, men’s 400m semi, women’s 400m final, among other events.

Afterwards, we snapped a couple of pics…

…and then a lovely woman asked if I wanted to hop in a pic…which I appreciated 🙂

Afterwards, the kids wanted to go down a level to see some athletes. Sunday night they got selfies with Fred Kerley (men’s 100m) and Noah Lyles (men’s 100 and 200m) and then Monday night with Allie Wilson and Juliette Whittaker (both women’s 800m).

Going into these races, I didn’t realize how accessible these athletes would be after the races. It’s super cool that the kids saw so many of their idols up close!

After the races, we walked around a bit and then made our way to catch our Uber back to the house.

We were hungry, and Travis went out of find some food while the kids hung out in the hot tub.

Then, it was bedtime.

The next day was Monday, June 24 which was our 19th wedding anniversary. Travis is known for his bubble letter cards, and he tries to be artistic. Of course, this is my name looking like Hayward Field track. haha

Travis and Hayden left for Hayden’s workout, and when they got back, I woke up Hadley and we went to “Pre’s Rock,” which is where Steve Prefontaine died. If you aren’t familiar with him, he was an amazing distance runner from the University of Oregon who ran in the 1972 Olympics. At the age of 24, he died in a car accident near the university.

Runners leave items at the rock. Hayden meant to bring a medal or racing bib but forgot. I’m glad we went and visited this memorial.

After that, we made our way to the University of Oregon bookstore. Everyone wanted to get a shirt or sweatshirt, and I love a university bookstore. What we saw of the campus was really pretty.

Hadley loves a mascot!

Then, Hayden wanted to see the football field. We figured it would be pretty locked up, and it was, but he was able to get a peek at the indoor football facility.

Then, we went back to the house for a bit, before getting ready for night two of the Olympic Trials. We decided to leave early and get some dinner beforehand. We drove instead of taking an Uber, and we ate at Wild Duck which is a popular place near campus.

Then, we walked over to the field, and the kids watched some of the athletes on the warm-up track.

On Monday night, our seats were on the first level near the finish line which was so cool.

Hayden was so excited to watch the men’s 1500. The men’s 400, women’s 800 and women’s 5 k were also exciting. We also paid close attention to the women’s high jump as University of Kentucky’s Charity Hufnagel was jumping, and she won gold. The men’s long jump was right in front of us too.

Monday night, we were able to watch: men’s 110m hurdles, women’s high jump final, men’s long jump final, men’s 1500m (Hayden was so excited!), men’s 400m final (one of the finalists was 16 year old Quincy Wilson!), women’s 5000m (such an intense finish!), and the women’s 800m final (with a heart-breaking trip up by Athing Mu!). It was such a great night of racing, and we were so close to the action!

After the races, the kids wanted to go back over to the area they went the previous night where the athletes enter/exit the track. We stayed put and told them to meet us back in our seats. We got a text that included my mom asking if GG had seen them on TV. She looked back on the track coverage, and lo and behold…there were the kids on TV right behind Mike Tirico. haha

We finally caught up with the kids after their time on TV. haha

We had to get a pic in their Oregon/Olympics merch. I joked that the only thing faster than the men’s 110m hurdles that night was Hadley finding the merch tent!

Afterwards, we got ice cream while Travis went to pick up Chipolte. Both nights, most things were closing around the time the trials were over…at least where we were staying.

We headed back to the house, ate, relaxed and went to bed.

On Tuesday morning, Hayden went for a run, and then we packed up the car. We had breakfast at the highly recommended Pancake House. While we ate our delicious breakfast, we spotted Noah Lyles with his mom, then Travis noticed Michael Johnson (who famously wore his gold spikes for the 200m race in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics) in a booth. On our way out, we spotted distance runner Craig Engles who Hayden looks up to. It was quite the place to be!

Before we left Eugene, Travis asked Hadley if she wanted to go to the Nike store as he’d taken Hayden the day before. As we walked up to the store, one of the employees asked the kids if they wanted to try to “Nike Experience” they were putting on that day. They signed in, were given the latest Nikes and then got to run down about 20m. When they were at the beginning of the “track,” they announced their name, blew smoke and said, “runner, take your mark!” and then as they ran, one of the employees snapped professional (ish) photos that could be sent to my phone.

They had a good time doing that.

After the Nike store, we got in the car and drove a couple of hours to Rockaway Beach, Oregon. We had the cutest house, steps away from the beach.

So, that’s a recap our the second part of our trip. It was a very memorable experience that we all loved. Honestly, I loved everything we did on this trip, but so far, when people have asked my favorite part, the Olympic Trials were definitely it.