Dreamy Depot

What can I say about Depot Bay, other than Dreamy Depot. I mean, just look at that beautiful ocean. We all just take turns sitting in the "special " chair, and are hypnotized by the waves crashing in and out. Hoping with each swell, that it's big enough to get just a little bit of a spray on our windows. Trying not to fall asleep, so that we can spot, if we are ever so lucky, a whale, or dolphins, or seals. And... our patience paid off because Liam came yelling excitedly to us... " I saw a shark fin ! ". Turns out, it was a pod of 4 ( probably more, but that's all we saw ), orcas ! Do you see their fins in the pictures above. They were pretty far away, and Josh zoomed in as much as he could. He did get a bit of the white on their chests though. How amazing it was to see that. We also saw several " spouts " of water, indicating a whale or two.  WOW !! The pictures above of Josh, Noah and me sitting in front of the window shows you what we did about 95% of the time we were there this time. The weather was your typical Pacific Northwest weather. Raining and  blustery one minute, and then shining sun the next. The day we chose to go see our lighthouse ( pictures to come ), was an absolutely blinding day. The sun was out in all her glory. Just for us I like to imagine. And it was just us. Our little family of 4. Grammie stayed back at the condo that day. I drank in every moment that day with my 3 guys all to myself.

We had a good Thanksgiving. We actually celebrated on Tuesday. Grammie likes to have leftovers for the week we are there, so that entails cooking the turkey dinner early.. I am not a fan of this. I want to eat ON Thanksgiving day. It shouldn't matter, and I know I'm being trivial, but that's how I feel. Anyway... moving on . I brought a few things to make the table more "Thanksgiving-y" , and Josh and I prepared a wonderful meal. The turkey tuned out so tender, and Josh's stuffing is to die for. I of course, had to make some buttery noodles. I grew up always having noodles on the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables. Not a traditional Thanksgiving side dish for most, but it was a Laney side dish, and will be a Jurgensen side dish as long as I'm cooking the dinner.  Grammie made her amazing pies. Two to be exact. Josh's favorite, apple caramel, and she made a pumpkin Chiffon pie. It was so light and airy. It has definitely replaced the traditional pumpkin pie in my book. The table was full of tummy filling food. We are certainly blessed and went around the table, each of us saying what we are grateful for.  Thanksgiving is Josh's favorite holiday because it's about what it should be about. Family and everything in our lives that bring us joy. I wish more people felt that way about Christmas. Like I said, as we head home to Michigan to be with  my family for the holiday, I am going to try very hard to slow down. Breathe. Memorize beautiful moments and really think about the true meaning of Christmas.

We had a professional photographer come and take our family pictures while we were in Depot. We are excited about that, and hope that the waves were crashing behind us as we stood as a proud family. It has been too long since we've had a professional picture of us taken. The last one was when Liam was only 2 months old. Hello !!  It's about time ! (although, those pictures still remain my very favorite of any pictures taken of us in all these years ! ). I am anxious to hear from the photographer so we can pick out the perfect prints to put on our wall. All of my boys looked so handsome and dashing. What a lucky woman I am to be surrounded by such debonair men.

Noah came into our room a couple nights before we were to leave and said "Mom, I've never been homesick before, but I am feeling so homesick. I am ready to go home and be in my own bed, and go back to school and see my friends and play football ". I could  not agree with him more. I was ready to go home too. You know you have made a loving home as a family, when you are always so excited to get back. Even after a wonderful vacation. I am proud of that fact. That being in my home  makes me the happiest. I always walk in and say with a sigh... I am home !  And we are home. There is no place like home.