They’ve come and gone, our family from afar, and I’m left with a bunch of pictures to remind me of the fun family time we enjoyed. The Philly trio—Rachel, John, and Oscar—spent some days with us before we headed to the beach. Mauri and I were a little preoccupied with work, but Rachel, John, and Oscar managed to find entertainment on their own. (That’s a link, in case you can’t tell.)

These two paid me a visit at the office. Too bad the weather was so crummy.

Then on Sunday, a lovely drive across the coast range to the ocean. We were so blessed to enjoy the Lighthouse at Harbor Villa on Rockaway Beach yet again.

There’s something about sand and salt water that attracts the young ones.

But they can also find plenty of fun on the grass.

Me? I don’t usually venture far off the back deck. I guess I’m past my sand-between-the-toes prime and prefer indoor sports.

I’m glad it isn’t hard to woo the girls into my silly projects. All I do is provide the ingredients.

The snack tastes a lot like a caramel apple. So I’m told.

Birthday girl Erin’s real smile and that cute baby of hers.

Yet another project…Cassidy named it “Connect the Dots.”

Looks good enough to eat, huh?

The luxury of lounging around…

Time to get reacquainted, work a puzzle together.

Read.

Bounce a baby.

Pose with a full set of grands!

Stare at the rocks.

Teach a riff.

Each family cooked a meal; each family took a turn on KP.

After the weeest ones went to bed, the three Macy men and their guitars broke into an accompaniment of Justin Bieber’s, “Baby,” while the Anderson five provided the vocals, Marissa the solo rap. I have it on video, preserved for all time and future blackmail. Definitely a highlight!

Our traditional Tuesday entertainment is a drive up to Cannon Beach to ride bikes on the beach. Mauri and I were long-distance observers, so I had to rely on Rachel for these shots.

But I was there with my camera to catch a smile from Quinn on their return.

Then a picnic in the park.

Linsey takes a break.

This Arizona resident (Dusty) finds the Oregon sun appealing.

These pictures speak for themselves.

This sweet boy was asleep in a matter of minutes on the way back to Portland (then home to Philly the next day).

Speaking of sleeping, one of my/our favorite parts of our August beach days is—you get the idea. On the clear nights we watched for—and found!—shooting stars (tis the season) and Mauri saw several satellites.

Too bad the weather was so crummy.

And then it was time to head back to the valley. First, a bite of lunch at

And of course a cone at Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Save our spot. We’ll be back.