We had a lovely weekend in Brookings with Andy's family earlier this month in celebration of his grandma Jean's 80th.
It was my first time being at a "full" family gathering; I have spent time with everyone, but just never all together in one place. It made me thankful to be a part of such a wonderful family.
Everyone gathered at a little motel near Smith River, and since we rented out all the rooms, it was like our own private "estate." Each family had a separate studio or one-bedroom, and Andy and I stayed with his parents and sister on a futon that was surprisingly comfy!
In the back, lawn covered the cliff overlooking the ocean, a perfect retreat for when the wind picked up down by the water. Two benches were set up right on the edge for relaxing and taking in the views...
A stairway led down to the beach, which we had mostly to ourselves the whole weekend....
and had driftwood fires both nights and a softball game one afternoon...
with s'mores from the largest marshmallows I had ever seen....
and the first night, we roasted hotdogs and sausages over the open flames. Yum.
And everyone was content...
and the kids had the time of their lives in the "fort"...
and with their s'mores...
and the next day, a fresh tuna was filleted and made ready for the grill...
which turned out to be the best grilled fish I've ever eaten, rivalling maui, with fresh peach salsa, salad, roasted potatoes, and bread...
and good company...
and once again, happy kids!
Grandma's gift was an album full of pages that all the families had made. It was ginormous and so touching - Jean is a "cropper" who always has her camera ready and can scrapbook for hours on end. It was the perfect gift.
And the dog who put up all the cuddling and chasing was much loved by the kiddos...
and there was plenty of space to be silly...
and to blow bubbles...
and then back down to the beach for the last sunset and bonfire before heading back to real life...
a good weekend.
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