When TV hits too close

I just finished watching the first season of CHEER on Netflix. I avoided it initially because when it first aired It was right when I was retiring from coaching. I was so emotional I literally packed up my stuff and walked away.

I knew of Navarro Cheer from coaching and building my high school program around the successful collegiate programs. I wanted my kids prepared if they decided to pursue cheer at the next level, and they were. I wanted so much to coach at the next level but knew that wouldn’t be an option.

I know so many of my friends watched and wanted to talk about it but I just couldn’t. I wasn’t ready to go down that road. After a few years and getting back on the horse so to speak I was ready to give it a shot. It was just as emotional as I thought it would be. Coaching youth is so much more than skills and drills. I have said that for 20 years. We get a glimpse into the lives of our kids that we wouldn’t otherwise. We come to know how incredibly courageous and strong these kids are and learn just what they go through. We do our best to guide them during our short part of their journey and hope that they take with them so much more than just how to participate in a sport. It’s gut-wrenching watching kids choose paths that will make things more difficult and just as emotional to watch them succeed. Every one of the hundreds of kids I coached touched my heart. There is not a day that goes by that something in my life doesn’t remind if of at least one of them. They made me who I am today and I am grateful for them. Watching this show brought so much of that back. So many of the good times and a bunch of the bad. Being the structure and 2nd mom for so many was a blessing in so many ways. I have loved that calling and am glad I have a second chance.

A few comments on the show though.

First off, every single catch in cheer doesn’t sound like that. It’s a sound byte people! Yes, it hurts, but if your flyers sound like that every single time, your technique is wrong. The Navarro team has good technique and the catch isn’t louder than the clap. I rolled my eyes every time!

While I like Gabi Butler and appreciate the amazing athlete she is, I despise her parents. They are portrayed as being more of her business managers and owners. They treat her like a cash cow and I fear she has suffered because of it. It’s childhood actor foreshadowing and Brittany issues waiting to happen.

It was hard to watch season one knowing how the scandal unfolds with Jerry. There was so much hype and so much positivity from him in the show, but he turns out to be nothing like we thought. It’s tough to watch going in.

I love Monica. I relate to her on so many levels and appreciate what she has done with that program. She turns water into wine every year with new kids at a Junior College. It’s tremendous what she can do. I wish I could’ve had that opportunity at the college level. I am pretty proud of what I was able to do at Sparks though! That will always be some of the proudest moments of my life.

Thank you.

Thanks to those who supported me then and now. Thanks to those athletes who let me be part of their journey. I hope I’m still in your head helping you stay on track. Thanks to those who knew my heart and continue to push me daily to be who they know I can be and help me see it too.

*\o/*

Get my clipboard!

This may come as a surprise to some of you and for those who really know me… I would hope no shock at all…

I have agreed to be an assistant coach for the Astoria High School Cheerleaders.

I know, I know, but here’s the thing. You know I love it and you know I will offer up help and mentoring to anyone willing to listen. Our school's cheer program is rebuilding this year with a fantastic new coach who loves listening to an old lady jabber on about the sport she’s dedicated so much of her life to… It feels great to be able to be in the gym again and offer up my knowledge to a whole new group of students and friends willing to listen. I missed it friends, too much to admit.

Side note… it’s harder to perform skills and drills after 40.

Oh! For those of you putting money on it… 973 days or 2 1/2 years is how long it took.

42. Thanks for all the fish.

42. It's an age. A shift in mentality. A better understanding of life and what we really need. People ask me what I want for my birthday. At 42 it is less about what I want and more about what we need. What I need is for the world to become a less scary place. We all need to know trust again and regain faith in humanity.

I am calling each one of us to take a day and do our very best to be nice and show compassion for each other. This will look different to each individual, but I ask you to do what you can, however that may look to you.

At the end of the day, ask yourself the following:

Did I offer peace today?
Did I bring a smile to someone’s face?
Did I say words of Healing?
Did I let go of my anger and resentment?
Did I Forgive?
Did I Love?

Imagine the ripple effect we could have.

THIS is what I want for my birthday.

Today we closed a chapter.

Today we closed a chapter. In some respects, it was a very short chapter, but for the last 15 months it is has been the longest chapter of our lives. It has been wrought with uncertainty and confusion. We didn’t always know where the correct information was coming from (still don’t), and we were just trying to survive the day-to-day of it all. We saw so many events, celebrations, vacations, and opportunities vanish overnight. We have witnessed horrible indiscretions, terrible acts of violence, riots, the collapse of our physical and mental well-being. However, in the midst of it, many of us found family. A newfound love in a hobby, craft, heritage, and personal journey. 

Let’s be honest though, it was hard. Very hard. 

There have been many tears and meltdowns but there have also been beautiful connections made with family and friends along with a new appreciation for the freedom to move about our community, our state, our country, and our world. 

For many, we never stopped working and providing services. For even more, we watched with dread the loss of work, support systems, business, and even life. These experiences all define a moment of our lives and will continue to shape our future. 

Today I was able to close a two-year-long chapter. My transition to the Pacific Northwest finally feels real. I am surrounded by geographical beauty in the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean which are walking distance from my home. More importantly, I am surrounded by an amazing tribe of people who respect and share in my joys, my heartache, my struggle, and my success. They are strangers who became friends and often feel like family. They love me, Doug, and Jillian and have accepted us as a part of their world. 

My Someday is here. It’s real and it’s everything I hoped it would be. But we are not done. We are not out of this. We are also not alone. 

Thank you to my tribe. Thank you for your patience, guidance, and character-building honesty. Thank you for loving my child as your own and not judging me when I step outside just to smell the rain and the coastal air. 

Have a restful summer friends. Find your balance and live, love, and recharge. 💕⚓️🪴🌊✨ 

Change

This was the decade of change with 2019 being the crescendo. In the last 10 years I remarried, had a baby, and coached many amazing athletes to victories (both team and personal). We traveled to Hawaii, Mexico, Disneyland, and all along the Oregon Coast. I changed jobs twice and watched my very deserving husband retire from teaching. It was a wonderful journey with great friends and new family. All of the changes and challenges of the year have been humbling and brought us so much closer as a family. As we head into the new decade and prepare to celebrate Jillian’s tenth birthday and our tenth wedding anniversary we will continue to celebrate our dreams and set our sights on more goals. I don’t know yet where the new year will lead us, but I do know I’m grateful for the friends and family that supported us on our journey. Love and Hugs to you all and best wishes on your new year.

- - - - - 

2019 saw all of the changes and accomplishments finally come together. 

January flew by with some major plans in the making and coaching my last competition cheer team. 

In February I coached my last cheer squad and retired from 24 years of coaching cheer. 

March was the transition to Track and Jillian’s bridging for Girl Scouts on the Hoover Dam. 

April was filled with coaching track, transitioning to the new cheer coach, my last girls weekend with Char and Jules, and helping to organize my last Quarter Auction. 

In May I graduated with my Associates Degree, Jillian performed in her dance recital, I Co-Coached my last Track team to Regional and State runner up titles. 

In June I applied for and accepted a job on Oregon’s North Coast, packed up our family, and said goodbye to some of my dearest friends and support system. 

July was spent adjusting to a tiny apartment and Doug starting a new job as Assistant Park Ranger for the State Park. 

In August Jillian started attending day camp and saw the sights of the area including the Astoria Tower, Trolley, County Fair, and Trip to the Zoo. I began working as the Head Secretary/Office Manager at Astoria High. 

September was a time for Jillian to start a new school and make new friends. I had a good 40th birthday. I also said good-bye to one of my dearest friends who lost her battle with Cancer. 

In October we faced some continued challenges and changes with adjusting to the area. 

November we traveled down to Medford to visit mom and came back up the coast visiting Newport and Tillamook. 

December finished up with school and traveled almost 2000 miles to visit Nevada seeing family and friends.

40 and freaking out!

It was a busy week. Volleyball line duty on Tuesday. My birthday Wednesday, football Friday. The passing of one of my dearest friends floored me in the middle of it all, but I am slowly building a support system here and my best friend was there when I needed her. Dinner last night at Mo’s and some crafting today. Needless to say, I came into my forties like a cannonball into the deep end of the pool. Until I can get adjusted to our new life I’ll just take it all one step at a time. Thank you to everyone that reached out this week for the multitude of reasons I needed you. I’m blessed to have such amazing friends and family.

#CancerSucks

My Dearest Julie,
You didn’t lose the fight with cancer, heaven won the fight to take you home. Now you get to stand tall next to Randy and your mom and watch over your best friends and dear family.
I know you know it but, thank you. Thank you for being the friend that always told me how it was and picked me up when I fell from grace. You hugged me and laughed with me and held me accountable for my mistakes. I will always love you for taking me in and loving me when I needed a home. We coached together and saw some great successes. We traveled together and saw some beautiful sights. You were there when Jillian was born and at my tiny 2nd wedding on the river. You were always one of the very first people I called to share my news with and my best coffee date buddy. Most of all we laughed and loved and always picked up right where we left off. You will always be one of my dearest friends. I know you were watching over me today to make sure my birthday was great. Thank you for all you’ve done for me and my family. Until we meet again Jules, I love you. 😘💔 #cancersucks.

Announcement

I suppose it is time to officially announce that Doug and I are moving to the Pacific Northwest! I have accepted a position as the Head Secretary at Astoria High School and will be starting work at the end of July.
We have found a very cute (and very small) apartment in Warrenton and we move in on July 1st. We are excited for our new adventure and saddened at the thought of saying goodbye to our amazing friends and life in Nevada. It has been a blast, but our Someday has arrived.
Love and hugs to you all and thank you for making Nevada my home for 17 years.

Your approval might be needed.

I think all of us have a person (or two) that we NEED approval from. Be it a parent, boss, spouse, friend, coworker, family member, child, etc. For me, I have a huge support group of friends and family that love me and are there for me with a hug or an encouraging word when needed. However, sometimes we work hard or accomplish something and there is a specific person that we desperately need to know noticed and approved. When this goes on for a while with no feedback or acknowledgment we can become overly discouraged and if we do happen to say something to that person, it is often passed off with comments like “of course I’m proud of you, you should know that”, or “you don’t need my approval.”
The point is, if you are proud of someone or notice they did something good please tell them. You never know when you are THAT person for them. It this weird PC world of ours don’t be afraid to give compliments and hugs. It’s human nature to crave those things. You never know when your words will help heal.

Trade Schools For the WIN!

In the 90s we saw a trend of forcing students to take an academic route post-high school and a shifting attitude towards trade schools. we were told that they were not good enough. Over the years we have eliminated the trades classes from our schools causing a shortage of specialists. Now we are suffering because we have no one to teach these classes that will create mechanics, electricians, plumbers, woodworkers etc. There is a shortage of these people in the work-force, driving up the prices to hire someone to fix/repair our homes and cars. So now we offer these things through STEM academies with more strict requirements to get in. The kids that would benefit the MOST from these trade classes are no longer able to take them. Why have we forgotten about the common man, those people who don't want or need higher education? We have educated our society right out of work and then demand that we raise the minimum wage. We punish those who run a small business and the families who just want to live a comfortable life. The rich get richer and the middle-class shrinks and shrinks. Quit shoving higher education down people's throats and bring back the trade schools. Less administration, more options for shop, art, music, home ec, personal finance, critics, and horticulture classes. Let the kids get dirty and learn to work with their hands!

14 Years

14 Years - That’s how long I have been a Railroader.
Fourteen years ago, Charlie Walsh took a chance on me and gave me the head coaching job at Sparks High School. In those 14 years that have come and gone, I have served four principals, two athletic directors and hundreds of cheerleaders. I was given an opportunity to build a program and make it my own. Over the years my teams earned countless trophies at camps and competitions, we earned a few Nevada state titles and even regional title in California, I was chosen as coach of the year, and we had kids cheer in college and at the national level. We participated in rent parties, parades, festivals, marriage proposals, and countless community events. I have seen kids go on to college, military, get married, have babies, and travel the world. The memories are immeasurable and currently leaking out my eyes…

On a personal level, I survived a marriage and divorce, a second marriage, a beautiful daughter, and will earn a degree. I have learned patience and the art of working with parents. I learned the importance of low power mode on my phone when taking bus trips and the value of a blanket and soft-sided med kit (pillow). I came to love the quirkiness of Sparks High School and its facilities. The history of the Brickhouse and why we affectionately refer to it as the brick-oven during basketball games. Most importantly I have joined a family. The people of Sparks High school have become some of my dearest friends. They have supported me in good years and bad and have seen me grow up from that pain in the butt 20-something to the pain in the butt 30-something I am today. The support and friendship that I have are priceless.

Walking away from a program that took over a decade to build is the hardest thing I have ever done. It was time for me to go, but there are so many things I am going to miss being a coach. I love my kids, all 700-ish of them. They have made me a better person, and through the blood sweat and tears, we have all made the Sparks Cheer Program incredible.

As I transition from Head Coach to Athletic Secretary and Spectator, I know the program is in good hands, and I desperately hope that the traditions we have created will carry on and the memories of my athletes are as meaningful to them as they are to me.

“Once a Railroader, Always a Railroader.”

Education Stupor

Not everyone is destined to have a college education.
I am not a “smart” person, but I am an intelligent person. I have always struggled to learn out of a book; I am terrible with dates and names and even worse with Algebra. I do however read people and situations well, and I am resourceful enough to make things work. I think fast on my feet and can learn on the job or in the middle of a situation. I am clever and witty. Being college-educated is a different kind of "smart.” A college education opens doors and gives the illusion of higher pay and more opportunities. But at what cost?

I started my college journey in 2004. In the 15 years since I started attending college classes, I have changed my major five times. Some of those changes were due to an honest misunderstanding of the curriculum and what came after graduation, and some were due to my not being “smart” enough to complete what it would take to earn the degree. Often, I had a passion for a class and a good grasp on the skills needed, but not the ability to complete the course-work to the instructor’s standards. Some of my degree changes were blessings. There were also a few that broke my heart. I understand that the “real world” is not going to be like it is in college and I understand that much of what you learn in college is merely learning how to learn. There is nothing more discouraging than having a passion for something and being told that you really should pursue other options, or having an instructor tell you that perhaps college is just not meant for you. In the Fall of 2017, I took a leap and started taking classes after a 5-year hiatus with the hope of working toward a bachelor’s degree. I took a full class load because we had the money to go forward at the time. I completed one semester, and because life has a funny way of sending you messages in cryptic ways, we could not afford for me to attend the consecutive semester. This winter I did some research and discovered that I could take one class and potentially earn an Associates Degree in general studies. I decided to take the one class and secure the Associates Degree so that I would not lose the credits I had earned to date. What I wasn’t prepared for was the negativity from both the instructors and the students. I was treated inferior in many classes and often had instructors make comments that made me feel as though I should not be trying to finish my degree. I know that I am not an idiot, and to date, I carry a 3.65 GPA with many classes at the honors level, but the feeling of inadequacy is there. I know that with the large amounts of people attending college now, instructors feel the need to weed out those students who don’t have the drive or passion to pursue a specific area. I am frustrated at these same instructors who do not nurture those students who have an honest interest in the course, the course-work, the potential to earn a degree in that field. I don’t feel that belittling your students or gearing your classes in a way that makes people despise the subject matter is appropriate. After 15 years of taking college classes, I can say that I will earn, at minimum, an associate’s degree, but I will also say that the last 15 years have been a complete waste of time and money. The amount of debt required to attend classes is staggering. The amount of heart-ache and stress that I have put myself through to live up to a standard that I was not meant for is sickening. To those who have managed to secure degrees at the Associates, Bachelors, Masters, and the Doctoral level, congratulations. Please don’t look down on those of us without a college degree. Your level of education doesn’t make you superior, and my lack of “higher” education doesn’t mean that I am inferior or deserve less.

Let it go

Don't hold onto your past so much you forget to enjoy the present and look forward to the future. There really are some things that will keep you from living your best life. If your BEST memories are from high school, then maybe you should take a look at your life and find something to make new great memories. I did enjoy parts of high school, but I'm glad it's over. I enjoyed my twenties, but I'm glad they're over. My thirties had their ups and downs, but still, some of my best memories came out of that era. As I look down the barrel to 40, I'm excited for a new chapter and new memories.

New year, new path

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I think that most everyone is letting out a sigh of relief that 2018 is over. It will forever be the year that everyone was offended and opinionated. I truly hope that 2019 will be the year of healing and self-care. I know my family needs it. I plan to make some huge changes in 2019, step out of my comfort zone, and refocus my attention on my family and our lives. My life is my own and I plan to take over and become a better version of me. I need to complete some very important goals that may seem insignificant to others but have held me captive for a very long time.

I have one class left to finish up an associate’s degree and move toward my goal of graduation. I registered for that class last week and plan to check that goal off my list by graduating in May. This will open more doors for me and my future, it will also make the path to my bachelor’s degree easier.

The most important change will be my retirement from coaching. This year I will finish up my 24th year overall as a coach. With the closing of the 2019 Track season, I will be taking a step down from my post as the Head Cheer Coach at Sparks. I have spent 14 amazing years at Sparks high school with the best administration, staff, and students anyone could ask for. I have had some amazing accomplishments in my coaching career, and share some of my fondest memories. I feel that it is time to let someone else take the reins and make the Sparks Cheer program their own. I will dearly miss my athletes and the actual coaching at practices, but its time for someone else to worry about tryouts, spirit packs, fundraisers, away games, scheduling, travel, and grade checks. I would love to progress to the next level and coach college, but for now, I will take a break and recharge. Thank you for supporting me as a coach for all these years!

Best of luck to you all in 2019! I know it will be a year to remember!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Birthdays between the ages of 27 and 40 have always just been birthdays. We celebrate a whole year of adulting and trying to maintain that we are responsible for ourselves and our tiny humans.

I have to say, because of my amazing friends and family the 18th annual celebration of the 21st birthday was pretty awesome! I got out of bed today thinking that I didn’t feel a year older and wondering what the day had in store. But the amount of wonderful birthday wishes and good-natured razzing I received today reminded me that birthdays are a nice way to remember the year and look forward to the next one. I have met so many fantastic people in the last year and continued friendships with some of the best people on earth. I’m blessed to have the best job in the world with the best coworkers and students. I have a beautiful daughter and a loving family. I’m grateful for all of them. 

Thank you all. 💕😘

I must admit though, at 10:00pm on a Tuesday... I do feel a year older.

Friday Nights

In the fall, each long week culminates with Friday Night Lights. 

Each Friday night at some point I experience a moment of total calm. Everything gets quiet in my mind and my heart is at peace. Tonight it was during the national anthem. Standing on the sidelines between the cheerleaders and the band. Seeing the football boys stand proudly and ROTC on the field with the Stars and Stripes. I know in those moments I am home. I’m where I’m supposed to be and doing what I’m supposed to do. It’s what I never knew I wanted to be when I grew up. Sometimes the weeks are hard, the job is hard and the hours are long. But it’s always worth it. 

To the kids who’ve shared their lives with me and the kids who challenge me to be the best coach I can for them. Thank you. Thank you for all of it.

On The Track... Again

This has become my spring...Again. 

Coaching all 4 jumping events is ridiculously complicated and pushing me out of my comfort zone, but so rewarding! Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, and Pole Vault. 

I have some pretty awesome kids who give their all each weekend. 

This weekend we had a tied PR in the high jump and 3 new PR’s in Triple! I came home sunburned and wind-burned and freezing cold, but really it was one of the best Saturday’s I have had in a long time.

Thank you to my husband who I know is living vicariously through me giving me tips and drills. Thank you to Coach K and Coach Leo for always being there to help me and my kids learn. Glad to be on the track again with some pretty great coaches! Thank you to Brad and Troy for putting up with me! 

Time Reveals Our Path

I have spoken a lot in the last few weeks about things happening for a reason. In my life, I believe this is true. I am learning to look back at my choices and events and start to piece together the how and why of life's twists and turns. I have become a student of my own life and it's fascinating. All my choices and experiences have lead me to this moment. I am who I am because of the mistakes, trials, relationships and things I have loved and lost. I can start to see the paths and the choices and how it has come together.

In the last 30 plus years, I never had a good answer for the "where do you see yourself in 10 years" question. I don't know if it was the fear of the future, fear of committing, or the fear of failure, but something always kept me from thinking so far ahead.

Over 20 years ago I was given a small opportunity, not to change the world, be certainly to affect the world around me. That one opportunity has been the one thing spanning all the years that has stuck with me and motivated me. The one things I have been truly good at. Through the years, I struggled to find myself and my true passion when all along it was with me. I was given the opportunity to coach, but that opportunity became so much more than skills and drills. Teaching kids the value of hard work and committing to something that was bigger than them; than all of us. This has taught me so much more that I could have ever imagined.

I learned something about myself 8 years ago. I learned that I would never be 'one of the notorious', or be in a position of power or great importance in a business world. I will never be rich and famous, and in some respects, I would just never be enough for some people. So much of society dictates what our personal success is. But success means so many different things to each and every one of us. 8 years ago, through failure, I learned that my success was not determined by someone else. It has taken 8 years to finally understand that letting go of others view of my success will set me free. This is a lesson that I struggle with each day.

Five weeks ago, Sparks High gave me an opportunity to do a job that I knew I would be good at. A job that all my previous jobs prepared me for. A job I knew I would love. Each day I wake up excited for the new day and the challenges that lie ahead. Some days have been easy and some frustrating. But each day I know, that in a small way, I am affecting change. I know that by my small contribution, I have a small part in the successful journey of others. I get to help others define their own success and their future.

I will be forever grateful to my Sparks High family. For over a decade they have given me the opportunity to find myself. They supported me when I stumbled and continue to have faith and trust in me. This family has saved my life. Now in the face of so many changes and dividing paths my heart breaks. Change is never easy, but inevitable. I will do my best stand tall and support those who have supported me. It may be with tears and a broken heart, but I know that the success of their journey depends on my choice to support them too.

Thank you to those who have given me the opportunity to be successful in my own way. I love you all so very much and I hope that I can continue to be a positive influence for years to come.

The sounds and smells of our lives

Every once in a while you experience a sound or a smell and it triggers something in your brain that paralyzes you, if only for a second. Sometimes good, some bad. It can be the scent of a perfume that someone close to you wears, or a sound that takes you back to your childhood. As I get older I experience these more and more.
 
Yesterday it was the rain. That wonderful slow drizzle of rain. The sound of it hitting the roof and the smell of rain on the pavement. This sound and smell make me infinitely happy. Rain cleanses the soul and makes everything new again.
 
Today it was my coffee. I happened to get a mixture of my creamer and coffee just right and it took me to the Ocean. Just for a fraction of a second. I don't even know the exact memory, but I know it was coffee near the beach. I stopped, closed my eyes and took that moment to be happy (and cry a little).
 
I really believe that this is what life is about.
Live, Dream, Adventure, Take Risks, and LOVE. All of these things create memories that will forever be stored in your brain. Do these things so that 10, 20, or 30 years later you can be sitting at your desk drinking coffee and be totally overcome with the same feelings you had at that specific moment in time.
 
It's worth it. All of it.

Family Traditions

Growing up, my family didn't have a lot of traditions. We had the usual holiday get-togethers where everyone congregated at my grandmother's home. When I was very young my grandparents on my father’s side took a two-week holiday vacation at Diamond Lake in Oregon.  They rented a cabin and took their boat.  It was always a highlight of my summer, but as they got older they stopped taking the trip.

When Doug and I married we were both in need of a new life and new traditions.  A few years in, he had the opportunity to interview for a teaching position in Astoria, OR.  We discussed sending him up to interview solo, but we decided to take in impromptu family trip.  We rented a very small car, reserved a spot in a KOA ‘Kabin’ for a few days, stuck a cute little two-year-old Jillian into her adventure seat and off we went.  Doug had not spent any time on the northern Oregon coast and I had hadn’t been there in 20 years, so we explored and fell in love with the area.  While we were there, we both imagined what our lives would be like if we moved and it was wonderful.  Doug didn’t get the job and we were actually kind-of heart broken, but we understood that the time was not right and we had other things left to do in Nevada.

Hug Point State Park, 2012

The following year we went back.  Doug had applied for a job in a different town, but we still went up to Astoria to visit.  He didn’t get that job either, but we continued to explore and fall in love with the area.  This time we spent some time in the ‘Kabin’ and we took our camping setup with the tents and outdoor kitchen. Jillian was a little older and starting to understand the beauty of the coast. We visited lighthouses, the Tillamook Cheese Factory, most of Newport and continued to fall in love with the coast.  Growing up in Oregon, I took many trips to the coast.  I always loved visiting, but as I got older I appreciated the community and culture even more.  Happily, Doug and Jillian were starting to see it too.  It felt like going home.

Cape Mears Lighthouse, 2013

The third year there was no job interview, we just went.  We adjusted the trip a little and didn’t go all the way up to Astoria. We Packed up the car with more camping equipment that you can fathom! We grabbed our hoodies and jeans and spent a week enjoying the coastal weather while Nevada was sitting in 100+ degree heat.  The trip was fun, but we decided that we needed to look into a tent trailer or a small trailer.  It was taking upwards of two hours to set up camp. Our fussy, now 4-year old was hard to wrangle and there was too much for one person to do while the other entertained Jillian. Jillian was now starting to really love the coast and looked forward to the trip.  It had become our family tradition for sure! Doug was developing a healthy taste for Rogue Ale’s and Jillian loved seeing the sea lions lounging on the rocks, docks and beaches.

Beverly Beach State Park - Nature Tour, 2014

In the next year Doug did a ton of research and we visited every RV Show that came our way.  We checked out Campers, Tent Trailers, RV’s and even wandered through the big 5^th Wheels and Class-A RV’s that were only a dream. Finally, in March of 2015 we were in a place to purchase a tent trailer that we could pull with our current small SUV.  We drove down to Turlock, CA to pick it up. We tested it out a few times prior to the Oregon trip and loved it! So much easier to set up and take down. Less than a half hour compared to the 2+ that the tent site took.  Much of the setup involved things that even Jillian could help with. Because of the trailer, we were able to head all the way back up to Astoria and even extended our trip to nine days! It was wonderful! 

Beverly Beach State Park - Sunset walk, 2015

As we round the corner into spring, we are planning out our vacation again.  We have booked our favorite spot in Fort Stephens State Park in Warrenton, OR and plan on taking advantage of our Thousand trails membership along the rest of the coast. This year we will go up through Bend and Central Oregon to get up north, hoping to avoid the awful heat and humidity of the Central Valley and I-5 Corridor. We plan to take 14 days this year, the most we have ever been away from home.  Jillian is already starting to plan out her toys and packing her must-haves for the trip.  She really wants to try her hand at fishing this year! Doug and I want to take advantage of the amenities our membership to Thousand Trails gets us and attempt crabbing. 

With a lot of patience and other necessary events between, we look forward to this year’s adventure! 56 days to go!