2015

On our way up to Ashlee's to play for the New Year and Everly's Blessing on the 3rd, we talked with our kids about what a big year 2015 was for our family.  We made a list, in no particular order, of all that has made our lives amazing this year.  Goodbye 2015- Hello 2016!

~Shelby stopped sucking her thumb in September
~Caden was re-diagnosed with Cancer July 17th.  Surgery on his lungs July 24th. Cancer-Free!
~Big Income benchmark with three big sales: February with Spokane, May with Bonneville County, September with University of Washington.  Salesman of the Year!
~Tyler Technologies acquired New World Systems.
~Ashlee moved in with us for 6 weeks while moving from Dallas to Mount Vernon
~Oregon Coast Road Trip
~Shelby was Baptized and entered Activity Day Girls
~Keilie turned 12 and entered Young Women's.  She also got to go to Girl's Camp!
~Tyson entered Kindergarten.  All kids in school
~Caden entered High School
~Paid off a house
~Caden got his Eagle Scout Award
~Keilie went to her first Church Dance
~Keilie went to the Temple for the first time
~Brennon and Tyson learned to ride their bikes
~Shelby won first place at the Pinewood Derby
~Shelby, Brennon, and Tyson learned how to swim
~Stephanie played her flute in a large Christmas Choir
~We had two new nieces born into the Burrell Family: Audrey and Everly

Oh, what a year!

Sea Lions- take 2

 After we left the Glass Blowing, we headed South to Florence to the Sea Lion Caves.  It was a pleasant hour's drive, with many beautiful views of the ocean and beaches.  We got there, excited to see what the talk is all about...and it was closed.  9 minutes too late!  We were now two hours from our hotel with the sun going down rapidly.  Not to worry, we saw a little beach we were dying to visit.

 Look at the colors of the sand!!  I'm not sure what was making the pigment, but it was so colorful.  Too bad the sun was going down for fast, I would have loved to see it in the full-on sun.

Gosh, I sure love these kids.  They make me so happy. 

 The kids were able to walk under, and play around this amazing rock bridge.

 As soon as it was too dark to really see anything, we got back in our car for the rest of the drive.  First thing the next morning, we made the drive back down to Florence for the Sea Lion Caves before picking up our glass and heading home.  It was even more beautiful the next morning.  Things worked out the exact way they should have.

 This view is from above the cave.  Little did I know that we were standing above something so magnificent and amazing.

 If you search the pictures above and below, you'll see a few of the Sea Lions.  It was FUN to try and spot them before anyone else did, feeling so lucky to be the first to see them.

 Here is where you get into an elevator that takes you down, down, down.  It was a long way down.  And, boy, did it smell like fish.  BIG TIME!!  It was pretty distracting.  And for a boy of just six, Tyson could not handle it.  He took one small look into the cave with hundred of Sea Lions and asked when we could go back up.  It was STRONG!  He kept asking and asking, finally saying he had to go to the bathroom.  By the time he made it to that excuse, I was pretty done myself.

 Look at all of those Sea Lions.  In the biggest Sea Cave in.the.world.  It was amazing.  The sound of the waves in the cave, plus all of those animals almost sounded eerie.  I, for a little while, thought they had some sort of Halloween recording playing for effect.  Nope, it was just the normal sound in a cave that size, with that many breathing, sleeping, and probably snoring swimmers.  It was pretty spectacular.

It's hard to see the Lighthouse in the background, on the furthest rocks.  It is said that that is the most photographed lighthouse in the world.  This place holds a lot of World Records.  It was beautiful.

 I would come again, just to be able to spot them in the water.  I think it would take a million dollars to get Tyson back in that cave.  He really could not get past the smell.  I don't know if he even realized he was looking at that many Sea Lions, to tell you the truth. 

The drive home was a peaceful one, where our kids looked like beautiful angels.  We will be going back to the Oregon Coast, that's for sure.  There is even talk about buying a rental.  I would LOVE to have year-round access to a home that faces to ocean.  In my limited-travel opinion, there are no other views as beautiful as the Oregon Coast.

Glass Masters

After the lighthouse, we grabbed some lunch and headed to a Glass Blowing shop.  We didn't know it, but there was a shop in Lincoln City, not two miles from our hotel.  We're glad, though, because this one was family owned and just happened to have an opening for our family to learn.  It turned out to be my favorite activity of the vacation.

 Our Gaffer's name was Kris.  His dad owns the shop and he's been working with glass since he was 14.  Everyone was supposed to wear safety glasses.  We chose a piece that each of the family members could participate.  Two globes with three colorful flowers in the center.

 Tyson chose orange

 Caden chose green.

And Shelby chose Turquoise.

 He gave Randy the start of the Globe, getting some glass on the end of the stake.  He had Randy practice keeping it on Center, but spinning and spinning the almost taffy-like molten.

 While twisting, he walked it across the room to the 2400 degree "oven."  All the while, he twists and twists.

Caden took over.

 Forming the ball

 Being formed by the Master.

 At this stage, Randy picked up the kids' "flower" glass, one side at a time.

 Then he had each child take a poker and make a hole in the center of their flower.  Since the glass had been heated, it changed the colors of the glass.  He's been doing it long enough, that he knew exactly which colors they were, even though turquoise looked brown at this stage.

 The poker made what would become the stem of the flower.

 Next, he had Randy take a pair of needle-nosed pliers and kind of twist and open each hole.  This made the design of the stem look swirled, and opened up the center of each flower.

With it sufficiently cooled from time out of the fire, it was now ready to grab the rest of the molten glass to make the globe. 

 Now it is time to form the globe.  Can you see the "flowers"?

Here, he is using the tongs to move as much of the glass as he can down to our ball.

 Now that it is formed, but still molten and soft, it is time to cool it down.  And so we twist it along the table.  You go as fast as you can, pausing ever-so slightly if you notice it starting to become lopsided.  You twist and twist.

 The flowers in this glass orb are Orange, Turquoise, and Dark Green.  See it?!

 Don't they look so cute just watching?!

Cooling off, waiting for the extra glass that will make it sit flat.

 My men heating up the glass for the finishing touches.

After this, he keeps it in an oven at 900+ degrees for up to 14 hours.  The temperature is set to slowly come down over that period.  When we picked it up 24 hours later, it was still warm.  The next few pictures are take two, with Keilie, Brennon, and I showing our Glass skills.  It is the same process, so I'm just going to show pictures.  It was pretty incredible being the one that needed to keep it on Center.

The colors of this one are Orange (Brennon) Dark Blue (Keilie) Red (Me)

We left them over night, and headed down to Florence for The Sea Lion Caves.  We picked them up the next day, before heading home.

The owner of the store brought in other employees, telling us that she was so impressed with how well behaved our kids were.  Realize that while we were in there, at one point we had a six year old little boy unattended in a glass store, just to get the pictures for our memories.  He sat in his chair for more than 30 minutes without having to be told to behave, and without once touching what he wasn't supposed to.  Our other kids were just a great, but a six year old boy is the most impressive in this situation.  I've said it before, I have the best kids ever!