Brielle and Ronan blog: The big Bandon summer trip

Recently we had a mini family reunion with Cousins Stella and Emmy and their families in Bandon!

It's an annual tradition, but this year we were also joined by Aunt Kelly's boyfriend, Matt, and his two sons, Dylan and Ben. They're great kids.

We usually rent a beach house together, but there weren't any big enough for all of us. So our family stayed at Grammy's house.

And that gave us a little more time to enjoy all of our favorite activities at Grammy and Kelly's house, including sitting and playing on the deck, going in the hot tub, and taking the boat out onto the lake.

And the cousins came over to play.

Brielle and Stella enjoyed many hugs. During most of them, Brielle actually picked up Stella and carried her around.

Ronan has started to become a real swimmer. Having hot tubs to practice in has really helped. When he was 3, I asked him if he was ready to put his face in the water. He said, "Not until I'm 4." And, true to his word, as soon as he turned 4 he not only started putting his face in the water, but he quickly learned to hold his breath, put his whole head under the water, and push himself across the spa!

Emmy and Stella are mermaid fans, too!

Ronan got to enjoy another birthday celebration!

We also had a surprise early birthday party for Grandpa Taylor. It was Linda's idea.

This was our first visit to the guest house, and the kids had a blast playing in what appeared to be a huge closet. They called it "the gymnastics room".

As usual, we were lucky to have great weather during our visit. Note that "great" weather in Bandon is a little strange. You go to the beach in a swimsuit but also bring a jacket, due to the wind. But, as always, it was absolutely beautiful.

The beach was probably the most crowded that we've seen (meaning that there were about 25 people max within view). We entered the beach at our favorite area, where there's a stream to play in that leads out to the ocean.

Brielle, Stella, and Emmy spent most of their time exploring the stream, finding rocks, and completing a project to create a "seaweed castle".

I promised the girls I would include a photo of it on this blog...

Ronan went to play in the waves with Daddy.

Ronan likes getting close to the water then running like crazy when the waves come in.

Proof that I was there...

We also visited a wild animal park just south of Bandon.

It's a really fun and unique place. There's a group of animals (mostly goats, deer, and peacocks) who have complete freedom and walk the same paths as the visitors. You have the option to buy food to feed them, which always results in a huge gathering of hungry animals around the kids. That's why I don't have any photos of the craziness - I was busy holding the food in the air, out of reach, and trying to make sure that our children felt safe.

Brielle spent a lot of time with her favorite new friend - a tiny, baby goat.

There are also opportunities to pet exotic animals, including some babies.

Grandpa Taylor works at the local award-winning golf course, and Todd likes to play with him when he visits. Kraig and I don't golf, but we sometimes get out to the course for a meal or to enjoy the free "punch bowl" golfing practice opportunity. While Grammy and Kelly watched the kids (thank you!), the rest of us spent an afternoon hitting balls around at the golf course.

Grammy and Kelly have a beautiful front yard, including my favorite flower, blue hydrangeas, in the landscaping. I love taking photos of the kids in front of them.