Canon Beach Vacation

Just got back from a weekend trip down to the Coast with my parents.  It was a lot of fun.  A few highlights:

• The Tillamook Cheese Factory.  Haha, this was great.  On our way down to Canon beach we stopped by the factory where the greatest cheese and ice cream is made in the entire Northwest.  I tried some "curds".  Nasty!!!  But we picked up some cheddar and pepper jack.  Good stuff.
• Canon beach was awesome!!!  There's this huuuuuge rock that is a ways off the coast line during high tide, but during low tide you can make your way out to it.  We don't there on Saturday morning during low tide and got to see all sorts of sea creatures, including MASSIVE star-fishes!!!  Pictures forthcoming.
• We also went down to Seaside beach, which has your typical "promenade".  Now, the West coast isn't exactly the same as... well, California or the East Coast beaches.  It's just not.  It's more like, "Hey, isn't nature beautiful?" than "Duuude, let's go surfing!!!"  Anyway, Seaside is cool because it's the end of the Lewis and Clark trail.  And there's a big statue of Lewis and Clark there.  And they sell salt-water taffee.  (So do most of the beach spots, but, you know, this is where we bought some.)
• I either fractured my foot or pulled a tendon.  Not exactly sure how I did it.  I think it was climbing (and slipping) up the sand dune.  All I know is that it hurts something awful!  I can barely walk.  I'm going to wait a few days and see if it heals a bit on its own, otherwise I'm heading into the doctor.  Something like this, though, most likely what they'd say is to ice, stay off it as much as possible.  Not much else you can do for these types of injuries.  My freshman year of college I had a hairline fracture on the top of my foot.  I did it during karate, not softball, so I was afraid to tell my coach about the injury.  Sooo I played on it anyways and offered up the pain.
• On our way home we drove over a 2.5 mile bridge that crosses the mouth of the Columbia River-- so cool!!  This bridge has some memories for me, as we used to cross it once a year on our way to the Long Beach parade during high school.  The bridge marked the spot where everyone on the band buses began changing into our uniforms.  Oh yeah, band kids changing on a bus.

 Got home in the early afternoon, which meant that I had to go to the 5:30pm youth Mass at a nearby parish.  It's a neat parish that is very family oriented.  And there was a baby baptism during this Mass!!!!

Now, crazy as this sounds, this was my first experience of an infant baptism!!  It was BEAUTIFUL!!  Oh man.  The little boy, John David, was so adorable!!!!  He watched the priest with great interest the entire rite and giggled when the priest traced the sign of the cross on his forehead.  I almost died!!  What really stuck out to me was the theme of being called by Christ into the family.  "You have been called by Christ."  Even the little ones!  Especially the little ones!  So beautiful.

During Holy Communion the dad had taken John David out of the church because he was getting a bit fussy.  So, he came in last with the little boy for Holy Communion.  And while they were walking past where I was kneeling, the little boy stared into my eyes for... what seemed like an eternity!!  He wouldn't look away... and I... I was overwhelmed because all I saw was Jesus in his eyes.  I can't explain it... it was such beautiful moment... and I couldn't help but weep...  I will never forget those eyes.  Never.

In other news... one week until I start work.  Crazy.  Still seems a bit surreal.

I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to keep a strong prayer life once work starts.  I know it's going to be tough work in general-- exhausting, even-- which means all the more that I need to be fueled in Christ.  How can I do his work if I'm not close to him?  So, I'm thinking it's either gotta be an early morning holy hour or a late night one.  Mass at my new parish is at 7:45am, office opens at 8:30am.  If I can manage it, I'd like to go to adoration at my home parish from 6:15-7:10am.  That leaves enough time to get to Mass at St. Rita's with time to spare for traffic.  Mass at 7:45am, followed by morning prayer.  Then evening prayer before I leave for home.  Or, if I can't manage to get up that early (hopefully I can make the early rising a sacrifice), I'll have to do a late night holy hour.  But, knowing me, it'll be more difficult to get over to the church for adoration late at night.  Hm.  We'll see.