sunday snapshot...

Here are my pics for Sunday Snapshot for the week. I feel like I've been getting them out on time recently. Mainly becuase I just figured out how to do "delayed posts". For instance, I'm doing this post on Thursday when we had a 'snow day' at school but it will post on Sunday! Pretty snazzy!!

Go HERE to see what your favorites are!!

I'm glad there are people who want to go there...so I can live here.

I'd love to go here and see these!

OH Panda's.  I don't know if I've even seen a Panda in a zoo...

I miss skiing. I need to go! At least my husband snow shoes :)

an afternoon is Astoria, OR...

We've been over to Long Beach 3 or 4 times in the past year and a half and every time we drive through Astoria we say that we should stop there but we're always headed home, on Sunday, with work the next day. Well this weekend we finally decided to stop. The weather was nice, there was no work or school to get back to on Monday, and we were both feeling good!

It wasn't really until we were passing over the bridge and Jason saw all those ships that he decided we should stop, and I was all for it!

Please Pardon the picture quality. This was from the car on the bridge.

And yes, the passenger (Jason) took the picture!

These are the ships that Jason works with. They are his life, our life really. He was really wanting to take some cool pictures of them "for his desktop" and I knew there was one place in Astoria we needed to go! The Astoria Column, which is situated on the highest hill in Astoria and looks out to sea. I really never thought I'd get Jason up there, he hates heights, I guess the lure of a good picture did him in. I'm training him well :)

The ship on the right was one his company is in charge of!

A ship coming into the Columbia River

A look to the South

The Astoria Column

After our almost 200 stair ascent and decent we were hungry and ready for some lunch. We knew we wanted to eat down by the water somewhere but neither of us knew where. I jumped onto YELP and found a place called Baked Alaska right on the water front with great food and a great view!!

my view :)

Jason's view. He could see all the ships. One left while we were there and one got moved by the Pilot Ship. It was all very interesting.

My other view. See the Astoria Column??

PILOT ship. They bring in the Bar Pilot's who drive the ships over the Astoria Sandbar.

I loved these lamps/lanterns!

Next time we have some time when going through Astoria, we are going to stop at the Columbia River Maritime Museum! I know Jason would enjoy it.

February 2011 clamming videos...

I wanted to play a big with the video while the others were busy clamming. Sorry in advance for the quickness of the movement from side to side...I hadn't panned using this camera before. I also didn't figure out how to focus the video until after I'd taken these...whoops!!

The video on our Canon T1i is AMAZING...now if I only worked it correctly! Next time!!

It is just so amazing how many people go clamming!!

a weekend away {Long Beach, WA}...

...was exactly what we needed!

We headed to Long Beach, WA this past weekend with my parents, Tony and Kellie, and our family friends The Leal's. We've been in the past with them, to go clamming. This was the first time that Tony and Kellie and their two dogs had made the trip.

We got there on Friday night after one of my roughest days of my career and the end of a very long (ie. late) week for Jason. The rest, the quiet, the family, the beer - was all much needed. Friday night we played a round of Farkle and then hit the sack. In our double bed.

The next morning we set off for a walk on the beach!!!

It was absolutely GORGEOUS!!! Like 45 and sunny!!!

Mom taking a turn flying the kite.

Dad taking a turn flying the kite. With Barry the helper dog.

While walking the beach Barry the helper dog decided to run full force into me from behind, which did not help anything considering I'd already tweaked my back earlier in the week. Thankfully Tony had driven down to the beach and gave me a ride home where I took some happy pills and went on my merry little way!

Then in the afternoon, after naps and board games, it was time to gear up for clamming. I had already not planned on clamming. For one, my back really hurt. For two, I don't even eat clams. For three, I really wanted to take pictures...which I did. Lots. This was Kellie's first time clamming and she enjoyed it for about the first 5 :) Much like I do. Hence, why I take the pictures.

We got out there about an hour early and it was surprisingly fun to walk around in the ocean :)

Bald Eagle on the way to clamming.

Daddy Oakes

Leo teaching Tony and Kellie

Mom and Kellie

Jason

It is so interesting. There is so much pressure that all the water gets sucked out around the hole.

Mom dragging her gun. We didn't find much the first hour...

Jason

The next day we spent some time at the beach in the morning...

Me and my kite!!!

Jason took a turn

The Washington Coast.

Sand and Surf

We had a great time away from home, with family, at the sunny Washington Coast!!!

sunday snapshot...

60 years! WOW. That is how many years my grandparents are celebrating this year!

These guys (and gals that aren't pictured) sure seem to be able to work with what they have. And I am thankful they do, so I can be free!

What a powerful picture. Such conformity.

I love lighthouses!!

how DO you use this camera?!?!

We'd been asking ourselves the same question since we got it last year!! We finally took a class from our wonderful wedding photographer Chris Becerra. We headed to Corvallis to leanr about our camera and hopefully get it off "Auto" and into "Manual". I think we did pretty good. Okay, I think I did. Jason already knew the basics. We're headed to the beach this weekend so we hope to put the camera to good use there!

Photo by Jason

Photo by Annie

(Jason with our camera)

Photo by Jason

(this camera in my hands belongs to Chris!)

happy heart day...

Valentine's is certainly celebrated around here. I'm up for anything that involves a little extra time or thought into our relationship. Last year was pretty low key considering we were BROKE! This year that happened to include flowers and cupcakes :) I love my husband and am so thankful he is mine. He also get me the sweetest card, which I'm not going to share since its for me, but it definitely made me tear up!! We still had our typical days at work followed by an averge dinner and some HIMYM. Really, I still wouldn't have that any other way. This year we decided to get each other a little something (since we can) but Jason went above and beyond (which he is glad he can)!

Lovely pink and red roses.

Here they are again!

Ohhh. A red ribbon and a cupcake stamp...that could only mean one thing!!

Cupcakes from Cupcakes Jones!!!

PB Cup: Chocolate with peanut butter frosting.

Little black dress: white velvet cake filled with drak chocolate topped with fudge frosting and an edible pearl.

Chocolate dipped strawberry: Self explanatory ;-) And amazing!!

And of course - the heart shaped Papa Murphy's Pizza :)

sunday snapshot...

So happy for my Packers!!

What a scene!

Still a symbol of strength!

it's time for some BUNCO!!

I don't really "require" Jason to come to much in the way of social events. He's happy to go home after work if I'm out and about. In fact, I think he prefers it. Last weekend though, I required his attendance at a rousing game of BUNCO. Now, to be fair, everyone else who had a husband had theirs there too...so he was NOT the only one :) I think he had a good time, though with him it can be hard to tell! There was lots of laughs, a few drinks, and some winner and some losers. Though we weren't either of them...see in BUNCO winners and the loser of all losers get the money. We went home with no money...we were right in the middle.

Ready to play!

Danielle (the wonderful hostess) and the Bunco Outfit.

Laughing at...

Elmer Fud....I mean, Randal!

Group action shot.

This was my favorite table because it was by the fire.

The guys at the "Bad JooJoo" table!

The ladies!

We did okay...

The players!! What a fun bunch!!