A weekend in Seabrook

Weekends where T.J. has all three nights off are few and far between so we do not like to waste them. He often has grand ideas for these golden weekends and will proclaim "lets go away!" Of course sometimes he forgets to tell me his schedule until the Thursday before and it's too late for me to plan anything, or he's too exhausted from the week to do much more than binge on Netflix. But this past weekend I had enough notice to do some research and find a place for us to escape to for a couple nights. It couldn't be anywhere too far of a drive (I found an adorable Airbnb in Bend that I've bookmarked for a longer weekend since it's about 5 hours away), and it had to be dog friendly. We've been wanting to go to the coast for a while now so Seabrook, Washington checked all our boxes. I packed his weekend bag for him so that the second he got home from work all we had to do was load up the truck and the dog and hit the road.

Seabrook is a little beach town not quite 2 hours west from our home. It sits up on a tree lined bluff overlooking the ocean and is chock full of coastal sweetness.  All the beautiful shingled homes are privately owned and perfectly designed to create the most adorable, walkable little community. When we arrived we got checked in at the rental office, and were given our pool key (that we never ended up using) and a cute welcome bag with shower items, dog treats, popcorn and other little goodies for our stay. I had rented a little two bedroom cottage named Sandy Crab and it was just perfect for the three of us!

Since we'd gotten in kind of late we pretty much went right to bed and were excited to explore more the next day. We woke up early (thanks Hunley) and had a bite of breakfast in our house before making our way to the beach.  The whole way there I was snapping pictures and exclaiming every step how simply adorable this town is! It's pleasantville perfect. The sidewalks are made of crushed shells, the homes have large cedar porches, and colorful shutters and doors, flower boxes and picket fences. I loved getting to meander around the town and try to pick which home was my favorite, an impossible task.

We passed the town hall and then arrived at the Red Velvet Bakery by the Sea where T.J. grabbed a coffee before we started our climb down the twisty steps to the sandy beach below, trying not to break our neck as Hunley dragged us most of the way.

Though the morning has started out sunny enough, some dark clouds had rolled in as we'd made our trek to the beach. But we stuck out the drizzle like the good Pacific North-westerners we are now, and were soon rewarded with just overcast skies.

Hunley was in seventh heaven having the entire expansive beach to run on. He chased seagulls and splashed in the waves and ran back and forth between T.J. and I until he was completely exhausted with his tongue hanging out the side. We walked back to our house on a different path and passed more adorable homes, public fire pits, bocce ball courts, and the cutest "Lending Library."

My favorite vacations involve a good mix of activity and down time so after our morning excursion we plopped ourselves down on the couch, wrapped up in blankets, to watch a couple hours of our new TV series (I'm not going to say which series, though, because it's been over for years and yet somehow I haven't had it spoiled for me yet).

 When we were satisfied with our couch potato status we ventured back outside and were pleased to see the sun had broken through the clouds in full force. We headed back to the beach, this time by way of the affectionately named "Gnome Trail."  

This dense, wooded, mossy trail, is not exactly what we think of when we picture the beach, and we kept questioning whether we were headed in the right direction, but sure enough, the trees cleared and we found ourselves a bit further down on the beach than our earlier excursion. 

This time on our way back to the house we checked out some of the other shops and restaurants in the town. There are two restaurants, a wine and cheese shop, a cute ice cream and candy store, and a market where you can pick up supplies for s'mores or sandwiches, plus plans for future shops.  I think it would be so fun to come back here in a couple years, maybe next time with some family in tow, and see what new adorable cottages and restaurants have popped up.

We got showered and left the dog behind and went to enjoy a nice easy dinner together at Mill 109, with views of the setting sun sparkling off the ocean. 

On Sunday we went back to the beach for one last frolic before we had to pack up our gear and head on home. We had the whole beach to ourselves and we're joking about how different it would look if this was a beach on the East Coast in June. For one thing, I don't think I've ever worn rain boots and fleece to the beach in South Carolina.  But regardless of what coast I'm on, there is just something about the ocean, something that pulls at my heart and catches my breath like no other place on Earth. 

We were sad to be leaving so soon after arriving but I am so glad to know this little slice of paradise is just a short drive away from our home. It's so crazy to think this is a piece of the country we might never ever have visited if not for this crazy journey we're on. These weekend adventures are like water for the soul. We come home with stories to tell and memories that we'll share forever. I feel lighter and refreshed and ready to face another week of late nights alone. So no matter how last minute, or how hectic the week before has been, I'll say yes every single time T.J. tells me "let's get the heck out of town." Just to go somewhere, anywhere new, together.

 

Two down, Three to go.

This past weekend we gathered alongside our Ortho department family to celebrate the graduating chief residents. In just a few weeks they'll be moving away and heading to new hospitals on new Army posts. We toasted the end of their five year sentence, recognizing all their endless hard work  that brought them to this place, and the awards and achievements earned along the way. And in turn, they pass on words of wisdom and some gag gifts to the younger residents whom they're leaving behind.

 

Of course this banquet also means that T.J. is (almost) done with his second year of residency - only 4 more call nights left - which deserves all the praise hand emojis! After the banquet we headed to a local bar in our town to prolong the celebration and sing a little karaoke. Here's a riddle for you. What do you get when you take a couple who's normal bed time is 9pm, and the last time they went out was 6 months ago?  Answer, a headache in the morning and a puppy whining at the bottom of the stairs because he's already been up for 5 hours and you're still in bed. It may have been the latest we've been up since before we got married but you can't waste these rare nights, when everyone is free, and no one is dressed in scrubs.

This has been a long year, full of even longer nights alone and one worn out husband, and yet I still can't believe the "dreaded" second year is over. I am so incredibly proud of how hard he works, and how positive he stays through all the endless shifts and emergency room pages in the middle of the night. It would be easy to only look at the negative side of residency, the toll it takes on him physically and mentally, the time spent apart, but that's just not how he rolls. He still walks in the door at the end of the day smiling, with an armful of books and dirty Tupperware from a week's worth of lunch,  and gives me a big kiss and a "hey baby!" and I completely forget that I had to kill the spider in the bathroom because he wasn't home. I feel like we're pros at this now. The next three years of residency are going to breeze by... right??

five on friday

Thank goodness it's Friday! T.J. had a really hectic week at work and I feel like I barely saw him so I am looking forward to having a fun weekend with him. We have the graduation banquet for the chief residents in his program and it's supposed to be sunny and beautiful all weekend! Plus it's June, which is my birthday month and therefore my favorite month, so I'm ready for him to get home from work today so we can start enjoying it together!

Now lets jump in to the my Friday Five.

one. I tried a new recipe this week that I saw in this month's issue of Southern Living for a Chicken Noodle Bowl with Peanut Ginger Sauce and it was big hit! I used rotisserie chicken which made it even easier and the recipe made a lot of extra sauce so I didn't have to worry about dinner for the nights T.J. was out.

 

two. I am in this style facebook group where you can post your outfit of the day. My office is super casual (and I'm usually the only one there most days) so I am totally lazy when it comes to my wardrobe. Lately, though,  I've been missing getting dressed up for work like I used to. The days of blazers and heels and riding the metro with all the other professionals seem so far away (not saying that's a bad thing).  Most days I  just throw on jeans and t-shirt but this little group has given me a fun excuse to actually try with my outfits, wear more accessories, and I've felt so much more put together this week.

three. My last hair cut was exactly one year ago so I think it's about time. I want to mostly keep the longer length but I need to freshen up my layers and I just have to get some of the weight out of it! It's way to thick for summertime.

 

(my last haircut last june) 

 (some inspiration for my yearly cut)

four. T.J. has a weekend off coming up this month and he actually told me about it more than 1 day in advance so we are trying to find someplace to escape to. He's itching to get out of town and it happens to be my birthday next week so I'm scrambling to find a cool place to go for a couple nights. So many PNW bucket list items to choose from! Just got to find the right Airbnb.

(Tumalo Falls)

five. Speaking of birthdays...a new bed is on my wishlist. I'm kind of over our zen mattress/boxspring on the floor deal and I'm leaning towards a wrought iron bed frame for a rustic farmhouse feel.

 (source: 1 | 2)

 

(link up: here and here)