Bandon Beach Trip

Grandma Driver treated us all to an overnight stay in Bandon [a coastal town here in Oregon, about an hour and half away from Roseburg], even though she couldn't come with us. We drove out there yesterday late morning, and arrived back this afternoon. The Oregonian coastline is beautiful, even when it's stormy and rainy.

There are lots of pictures. You have been warned. :)

Crashing waves

Admiring Robert's photography

Playing rook

View from our room

Rock climbing down at the beach

Stephen was the daring one.

It was a little chilly. But we still had lots of fun.

This is actually a giant tree trunk, not a rock. And that's me inside that giant poofy coat that Stephen lent me. It was nice and warm.

We took pictures of each other.

Paul, the poser :)

We went back down to the beach at night. Crazy us.

Breakfast at the hotel the next morning.

We went back to down the beach again to explore.

Doesn't the sand look peaceful & calm in contrast to the tumultuous ocean?

Sand and sea foam.

After we checked out of the hotel, we went down to the Bandon old town and played the "Nakumatt game"... so called because it was begun by the Congdons back in Kenya where the main shop is called Nakumatt. This time, each person got $20 to spend, and whoever came back with the most unique, utilitarian & useful object(s) would win whatever was leftover of everyone's money. We were allowed to buy up to 3 different things, and Dr. Rob had a carefully thought-out and structured way of judging which person would win the prize. Bandon old town has some fascinating little stores, so people ended up with some fun things. Stephen won the prize with a knife from the 2nd World War that's in really good condition.

Thomas and I made off like bandits... we got some great stuff. He got a cowrie shell night light, a survival tool, and a wooden carved pocket knife. I got a photography instruction book, a miniature sho-do calligraphy set, and an awesome mood ring :)

When the game was over, we had fish & chips on the oceanfront and then headed home.

Grandma Driver had cooked some delicious potato soup for dinner, and afterwards Dr. Rob read aloud a book called "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton, about growing up as a Maasai in Kenya. It is very well written.

James and Paul playing on Paul's new iPod touch

Practicing with my new calligraphy set

Thomas got hold of the camera and took a couple of cool pictures.

Me, concentrating on my calligraphy.

Stephen, looking serious.

Later in the evening we played Mariocart on the Wii, and I discovered that I am quite terrible at it. One game, I was driving along merrily thinking I was doing very well, until the very end when I realized I had been looking at Thomas's half of the screen. My car, on the other half of the screen, was still stuck at the beginning.

All of the other boys were trying their best to tell me what to do, and were probably wondering why on earth I wasn't following their advice... even though I honestly thought I was.

Oh dear me.

Thomas playing Super Smash Bros.

Tomorrow we are having our Christmas celebration with the Driver side of Thomas's family... let the festivities continue. It's also mine and Thomas's 2nd anniversary... I'll do a little blog post with some wedding pictures tomorrow, since I have never blogged about our wedding. What a wonderful two years it has been!