Awesomeness!

Most excellent. Great pics of home. :)

That is what “Cool mom’s” do …… According to my 7 year old!!!!! Such good memories!!!

I always love it when you post pictures, but I have to say, these were the best! Such a good time!

Awesome memory making, mom! These are the things they’ll remember when they’re grown.

PS. Do you always look this HAWT or do you make a special effort on holidays? Cause goddam.

You look so happy in these pictures. Genuinely happy.

I was just randomly thinking about you and how JB’s job was going with his commute and all this morning!
It’s great that you did this with the boys – better than all sitting around pining for daddy!
Beautiful pictures too!

Riley’s hair is so blonde!! It looks like you had a great time!

Beautiful Linda!

You look great!! And I’m totally diggin’ Dylan’s shirt in the 2nd photo.

Awesome! Your hair looks really pretty.

Is that THE JB posting in your comment thread? Is that even allowed, or does that break the blogging space/time continuum?

Beautiful pics, gorgeous kids…and your hair is just AMAZING in these shots. Looking good!

Yes! I think most “single parent’s” instincts are to hole up at home when left alone, but I find it’s so, so much better to get everyone out of the house as much as possible. Also, is it me, or is your hair looking particularly adorable right now?

That is awesome and you will be sooooo glad you did this! I wish I had up and taken off a few times with the kiddos … you live in such an incredible part of the country I’m envious!

So much Happy. Love.

7th picture – Riley and Dylan —- if that picture brings a tear to MY eye, I can imagine what it does to you . . . .

This post is so inspiring – for kind of an unusual reason. I live an hour away from Newport and am too lazy? scared? intimidated? to take my kids (8 & 4) even for just the day.

You make it look so easy and fun and magazine-like! Seriously, you give me inspiration to get off the couch and have an adventure. Thanks.

Seriously, your boys are SO BIG. I’ve been following you for so long (apparently I lurk and don’t comment too much!) and it’s just crazy to see them now. They were babies!

Glad you had such a great time!

Captain obvious here but the light in the pictures looks so different from the light on the East Coast-it makes the pictures that much more beautiful to me. Also, your FIL looks really intimidating-but I bet he’s awesome, I just have even more compassion for you watching tv with him now as you posted on twitter.

The boys are so big! Dylan looks totally different to me in these pictures for some reason-so much more grown up.

Looks like an awesome fun trip, and I love that Riley is frolicking in the pool! The torture of swim lessons paid off!!!

You’re a fantastic mom. It looks like you had a wonderful time!

Good gosh, those coastline pictures are beautiful! Makes me want to go to Oregon when I’ve never been! The pictures of the boys on HIGH rocks made my heart jump in my throat….falling! But I must be more of a helicopter parent than I’d like to admit. Secretly I’d love if my ‘afraid of heights’ girl would be a little more adventurous like your boys…..she won’t even ‘slide’ most of the time…and she’s 6! Looks like a fab trip, very inspiring indeed.

I wanted to thank you for giving me such excitement and hope about the times ahead with my kids. I currently have an almost-4-year-old and an almost-2-year-old and we are in the middle of our nth illness of the year – another puke one this time – and it’s just so exhausting. Lots of good in these days with young kids but the exhausting piece tends to reign supreme.

Anyway, you speak to the fact that it does, in fact, get easier as they get a little bit older versus all the nay-sayers who are like “it’s always hard! BUCK UP!”

Glad you all had such a nice time. What an amazing part of the country to live in.

I know this isn’t part of the story…but I LOVE your hair this length. Looks fab!

Your boys are so big, you are beautiful, Oregon is gorgeous, your parents-in-law are sweet, and O PLEASE GOD TELL ME JB DIDN’T INFORM DYLAN WHAT HE DID TO A HORSE IN JAPAN

Beautiful pictures! Your boys are truly blessed with a wonderful, awesome mom.

Such wonderful photos! Looks like such a great time.

Beautiful! I am so excited for my kids to get bigger.

First, you are a GREAT mama!
Second, love your sunglasses. Can I be cheeky and ask where they are from (because I’m totally going to copy them if can)?

CC: they came from a very expensive and fancy place called Old Navy. :)