Grimmett Family Visit

Shaun's entire fam came to visit 2 1/2 weeks ago! It just happened to be the hottest few days of the year, even record breaking heat! And to have 12 people in our house with one small window a/c unit, things got pretty interesting. Then add a crazy flu bug that was super contagious and you have our week!

Before everyone arrived I stocked our fridge and cupboards full of food. I braved Costco with four kids by myself, which I regretted in the first five minutes.

I felt something drip on my foot and I looked down to see Miley in the front pack smiling away. I look further down and find poop all down my shorts and my leg and my foot, oh and drops along the Costco floor. It just kept coming out! I wrapped a blanket around her and had it hang down over my shorts and hurried through our shopping list. 

The next day, they arrived! We met them at Sweet Tomatoes for dinner. That is Papa's favorite place to eat, and being that it was his birthday, we let him choose. The boys met Miley for the first time and for the most part, my kids were actually well behaved. 

Once we got home, we did some bed shuffling. We were going to turn Maisey's room into the boys room while everyone was here. Gage slept on Maisey's top bunk, Nick on the bottom bunk, and Nathaniel on an air mattress on the floor. But Maisey begged to sleep in there too, so I made her a bed on the floor next to Nathaniel. 

At 3 am, I was awakened to Maisey puking everywhere (even on Nathaniel's bed!). By 5, Shaun joined her, and by 6 the three of us were fighting for the toilet. 

We cancelled our plans to hike Silver Creek Falls that morning and just hung around the house watching the Olympics all day and drinking Sprite and Gatorade to get us feeling better.

Maisey sleeping the morning away on our bed!

That afternoon we had family pictures. Who wants pictures taken of them when they've been up all night and puking and in 103* heat? But we all survived. You can find them here. I love how they turned out!

We were all feeling better by Sunday morning so we headed to church. After church we had Shaun's cousin and her family over for a backyard bbq and a friendly game of volleyball. 

By the time Sunday night rolled around, the flu bug traveled to Shaun's brother and by Monday morning Shaun's dad had it. 

Most of us headed to the Tillamook Cheese Factory Monday morning, while those who were still sick stayed at our house and rested.

Once at the cheese factory I think Miley might have been hit with the flu bug. 

We love a good trip to the factory, complete with lunch and ice cream. 

Next we headed to Lincoln City to meet up with the sick group at the beach house that Shaun's Dad rented for the week. 

We played at the beach, played lots of games, went exploring, some went deep-sea fishing, watched movies and the Olympics, and everyone else who hadn't gotten sick yet did, except Janel.

Shaun, Janel, Nick, Nathaniel, and Richard all went fishing. 

They brought home a ton of fish and crab!

Hannah and I took the kids to the beach to keep them busy while they were all gone.

And we totally wore them out!

Papa bought Despicable Me for the kids and I think they watched it 8 times in 3 days! Everyone else seemed to enjoy it as well.

My favorite part of the whole beach trip was the tide pools. On Tuesday morning I went for a run on the beach by myself (it was so peaceful and nice!). About a mile and a half down the beach I came across these tide pools that I never knew were there. And there is even a ramp you can drive down and park right on the beach next to them. So the next morning, at low tide, we all went to check it out. 

Maisey touching the star fish and the anemones.

Love this pic of my boys!

These rocks were covered in muscles and they kept poking through my flip flops.

Maisey got to hold a big star fish and a baby one. We brought the baby one back to the house in a bucket to show Hannah. (she was sick so she didn't come. It was a nasty flu bug!)

We headed back down to the beach to play before our family headed home.

Shaun braved the cold water and got all wet!

Hannah took a ton of pictures on her new camera, and I think Janel has quite a few as well. I had my hands full with Miley most of the time and didn't take very many. Hopefully I will get some from them and put more up. I really want to see the volleyball ones. 

We had such a fun week with everyone here, and we can't wait to do it again next summer!