The Coombs Family

After rescheduling our family pictures 3 different times, we finally got to take them. The first time we showed up, dressed up, and it was POURING down rain in July. The summer this year has been kind of a big joke. The second time we tried Calvin fell so many times that week that his face was a complete battle zone of bruising, scratching and swelling. I text my photographer and said, "Calvin has a huge swollen goose-egg on his forehead, a bruise around it, and some scrapes on his cheek. How do you feel about photoshop"? He agreed, let's pick another date. The day we got was very warm and didn't have any cloud cover, which is not ideal either. My kids did not want to sit by me, or by Caleb, or smile at Randy Kepple, our wonderful photographer. We were wondering if anything would turn out with the sunshine and energy that a 1 year old and 2 year old bring you. Randy was patient, played games with my kids, and was very relaxed. He doesn't stress about it and the wh...

We woke up this morning and decided the weather was nice and it was time to head to the beach. We started off by hitting up the Newport Aquarium. It was pretty full of people, but my Groupon made it so we could skip the hour long line and go straight inside. Thank you Groupon! The kids loved the fish swimming all around them in the tunnels. They were glued to the glass and did not want to leave.  Here's the reaction we got when we told them it was time to move on......  We got in trouble for my kids splashing, climbing rocks, banging on the glass. Basically every thing the signs said NOT to do, my kids did.  Best dad ever, helping his daughter touch weird slimy stuff Then it was off to the beach. The sun was out and it was about 68 degrees in town. Too bad it was very windy and we had to wear coats to stay warm. It was beautiful. We just ran around and laid in the sand until we were covered in it. The sounds of the ocean is very relaxing. It was fun to see Calv...

I am officially 33 years old now! I actually thought I was 34 this past week, and I was happy to do the math finally and realize I am not. How can I seriously forget how old I am? My sister and I are the same age for a week every year and this is always my favorite week. When we were kids I would torture her this week. I would play with her and all her friends because I was the same age, so I could play with the "older and more mature girls". Oh, how she hated me! Now, I just keep thinking I am always the same age as her. Caleb travels during the week every week, so my birthday was going to be a lonely one. Caleb went to Las Vegas the week before, and I got to see him for about 8 hours on Sunday, and about 4 minutes on Monday before he left. He did manage to make me cards and still be the thoughtful man that I married. I am not big on presents. I would much rather give them away than to receive them myself. So I always ask for something thoughtful, that doesn't cost a l...

My kids love to play in the water. There are some pretty fun parks around Salem, but I love the parks at Wilsonville the best. I wish we still lived closer to this particular park. It's right next to the softball fields where I played slow pitch for the past few years. I miss playing ball and I miss this park. Here are some shots of my kids loving the water. May we have more sunshine in this blessed state so we can play more!!

The kids and I decided to venture back to the Zoo without Caleb. My girlfriend Lindsey came with us and it was a busy day for the Oregon Zoo. It was the only Saturday without rain that we have had in awhile, so we were not the only family who decided to go see the animals. We walked until our feet fell off, and then walked more. I think my double stroller in pointless most of the time because both kids want to walk all the time now. It becomes more of a huge storage area than anything else. But we had fun and I am really glad we went.  Here we are watching the polar bears play with their ball. They got right up to the glass and Shelby thought it was hilarious. Calvin is starting to look where I point, but not always very well. Luckily these bears were close so he got to see them.  Every kid needs to each a snow cone when it's hot outside. Shelby loves ice, so this was an instant hit. She got that nasty syrup all down her shirt and skirt.  My boy and his baby blue eyes....