roloff farms: little people, BIG world

Only Days after posting our trip to the coast, here I am again, posting another adventure. This past weekend our kids group at church had a day trip to Roloff Farms. YES, it is the farm of the Roloff Family from ‘TLC’s Little People Big World’. Taylor, Emma, Maddie and I drove about an hour or so just west of Portland to the really little town of Helvetia, OR. This was a MAJOR excitement for Emma, who loves the tv show. She especially likes Jeremy and Molly. So, for the whole time (until the end of our day) I let her take the photos to post on our blog, she did a great job, other than some minor adjustments, the photos turned out great! If you like them, leave her some good comments!

The Roloff Home with the new addition

About a half mile from the Farm, the traffic started to back up, and there was even sherriff patrols to direct traffic and keep everyone in line. It took us an hour to drive just a half mile. And when we left, the line was backed up to the same place. The Roloffs seem very down to earth, they were around the farm working, hosting tours and doing photo ops with visitors … while we were on the farm we saw Amy, Matt, Zack, Jeremy and Molly. We didn’t see Jacob anywhere. We also saw Grandma and Grampa Roloff. Jeremy drove the tractor on our hay ride tour.

the hundred year old barn–

Matt Roloff and the Mule in the driveway

Amy Roloff taking a photo with just a few of the MANY visitors there

Jeremy Roloff, our tractor tour driver

Molly Roloff

Zac Roloff

Grandma and Grandpa Roloff (Matt's Parents)

Checking you out with my 'binoculars'

Scary Jack-o-Lantern Faces

As you can see, we had a great time at the Roloff’s Farm! The kids even shared their Scary Jack-o-Lantern Faces with me for a photo. Hope you enjoyed our Trip to the Roloff Farm, maybe next fall, you can visit and join us for a trip there yourself!

Coast Day Two

Hey Everyone… Tim and I took the kids to the Lincoln City Kite Festival this past weekend. We spent the day driving from Monmouth to Lincoln City to Newport to Corvallis and then back to Monmouth. (click link to see map… Map of Coast Day II) We drove about 180 miles. It was an AWESOME day at the coast, the sun was bright and shiny and the sky was blue. The air was crisp and cool, but not too cold. A perfect day! ( a rare event on the Oregon Coast, where it is usually overcast, foggy and rainy) I want to tell you more about the sights… but, I will have to post and write as I go… there was so much to show you!

Maddie flying her very own kite, that Mommy made for her. And above, holding her hood down because it is windy!

The following information about Cape Foulweather was found on www.u-s-history.com.

“Cape Foulweather was discovered and named in 1778 by the famous British navigator Captain James Cook. It was at this Point that Captain Cook first sighted the mainland of North America on the Pacific Coast, and one of the sudden storms which greeted his arrival almost put an end to his historical expedition. The fierceness of the storm is reflected by the name he gave this rugged landmark – Cape Foulweather. The Lookout is perched atop this promontory rising 500 feetcan be seen the crashing surf along the shore, sea birds nesting on the rocks, sea lions basking in the sun, fleets of fishing boats in search of salmon, ocean liners whose wisps of smoke string out along the far horizon. Whale Watching, unbelievable sunsets, and the peaceful calm which follows the violence of a sudden storm. above sea level and from its windows

This state wayside between Depoe Bay and Otter Rock offers good views.

A small gift shop perches atop the headland.”

Devils Punchbowl is a large hole in the rock just below Cape Foulweather and parallel to Otter Rock, which fills with water when the tide comes in, and small tide pools when the tide goes out. It was interesting to look at, and as I found out, it was created the division between two sea caves collapsed several years ago, and made one large hole in the rock. As you are standing above the bowl looking down into the rock, you can see the waves churning in the rock, and I would imagine that it isn’t such a great place to be if the tide were coming in and you were stuck in there.

As we were coming around the corner back to our car from Devil’s Punchbowl, we could see off the cliff, these surfers in the water on the beach below, as we walked back to our car, we noticed the steps leading down to the beach, so we decided to walk down to the beach. We wanted to see if we could find any tide pools or sea caves. We were not disappointed, we found both on the beach below, not to mention starfish, sea urchins and surfers. The kids took their shoes off, rolled up their jeans and walked on the sand, and in the water.

So, after spending time at the beach, looking for shells, and starfish and sea urchins, we decided to take a short drive, a few miles away to Newport.  Newport, as you might remember from older posts is the working fishing village.  We decided to go for chowder @ Mo’s, since Tim had never been there before.  Then we took a long walk along the docks and looked at the seals on the big rock by the Marina.  After we were done looking at seals, we went to Yaquina Head Lighthouse, and to the beach to take photos of the sunset which was BEAUTIFUL!  Enjoy the rest of the photos, there are lots of them!

For those of you who follow our blog on a regular basis know that we have been to Newport before, about a year ago.  Last time, Tim walked around on the dock at the Marina and took photos of some of the boats that were there.  The one that stood out to him was called “Perseverance”, (you can see the boat if you click the tag “Newport” on the right side of the blog.)  which he thought was timely then… and Today, as we turned the corner after checking out the seals, the first boat we came upon was named “Persistence” again, timely, and meaningful to us.  Whether that is a “message from God” or not, I do not know, but… I do know that for our current situation, both are good messages!  While we have had a tough year, GOD is GOOD, he has been and will continue to be our Rock.

Well, that’s the end of our adventure for today, next time we hope to go to Tillamook, and maybe Astoria.  But until then, keep checking up on us, and let us know how you all are.  Its been awhile since we heard from you!

Coast Day, Fall 2008

This week, the kids had Wed-Friday off of school because of conferences.  Since Tim was working, I decided to take the kids to the beach…. or, as most Oregonians call it….”The Coast”, Enjoy these photos, and if you’re ever in the area, on an off chance… We will take you to Mo’s Seafood, and treat you to their famous Clam Chowder (sooooo yummy).  We went to Pacific City which is about16 miles North of Lincoln City, on Highway 101.  We spent a good part of the morning on the Beach there, watching the mesmerizing motion of the surf as it pounded the shore.  We saw a handful of Surfers and other beachcombers picking up shells, and parts of Crabs on the beach, as well as hiking up the dunes.  After spending a good amount of time on the beach, and watching Taylor get wet in the surf, we drove over the mtn. Range and crossed the Salmon River to make our way back to Lincoln City, where we went down to D river inlet, and to Mo’s (An Oregon coast neccesity if you like clam chowder.  I had mine in a bread bowl…. it was sooooo goooood!)  The River spills from the ocean, inland to form Devil’s Lake, which is just on the east side of Hwy 101.  The beaches all around the river/bay inlet are littered with driftwood (or in Maddie speak…. ‘dripwood’‘). We couldn’t even take off our shoes to walk in the sand because of all the chewed up wood in the sand. The size of the logs was amazing! Any of you who have lived next to the beach or a lake or river know the color that the wood turns after it has been floating in the salt water, and then thrust up onto the beach left to burn in the sun…. the silvery-white wood is neat to look at especially when there is so much of it.  It is like going through a maze just to get from the boardwalk to the water on the beach.  We saw GIANT Fir trees, Emma and I saw one while sitting in Mo’s, and it looked like the ribs and vertabra of a large whale… we could see the branches from accross the river, it was so large.  On the way home, we saw a sign for the Drift Creek covered Bridge, so we stopped and took a photo of it as well.  We will write soon again, with another adventure, I am sure!