Christmas 2012

We didn't really get a vacation in the 2012 year. Normally we sneak down to Manzanita, OR at least once - sometimes twice - a year for a few days. It happened to work out that I had a chunk of days off in a row so we opted to do something a bit different. Instead of doing the traditional family Christmas dinners we headed down to Manzanita for some rest and relaxation. We will be meeting up with the family units for dinner and gift exchanges in the coming weeks.

It was nice. It was fairly rainy which was expected but the pups got out twice a day to romp in the sand and water and then warmed up by the fireplace while Rob and I relaxed, napped, etc. 

One of the awesome things we love about Manzanita is how dog friendly it is. It is a very sleepy little town so it isn't a place you go to party hardy - and that's perfect for us. Violet is dog reactive, so allowing her to romp around safely on the beach can sometimes be tricky. Off season, week days, and off-peak hours are what allow us to go out safely and have a great time. 

We have a 15' lead for Violet if there are dogs playing in the background. If there weren't any dogs nearby we would take off the lead and let her run her little heart out. Since the beach is so flat and wide we can see dogs coming from a safe distance. I always keep treats on me and it's a great place to practice attention, recalls, and emergency recalls. 

The motel we stay on is right on the water so it's pretty easy for us to peak out heads out and figure out if the coast is clear - if there are too many dogs out we just hunker back down and wait for a safer time to venture out.

Monday was our only day without constant rain. Gave some pretty pictures! But since it was nice out everyone else came out with their dogs so Sadie and I did a solo photo shoot.

Coincidentally, a friend of mine named Jana came down to Manzanita for the Christmas holiday too! She brought her Giant Schnauzer, Gus, and her two adorable Boston Terriers, Eddie and Kaia. Gus is a huge goober of a teenage boy. He has no idea how big he is and just wants to play. He's adorable.

The motel we stay in is pictured in the upper left corner. So close to the beach and Manzanita's main drag! So many cutesy little mom n pop shops. No big box stores here!

After playing outside in the sand and water, curling up against the fireplace is heaven. The girls utilized this fireplace often. Our future house will have a cozy fireplace.

Christmas evening we had pie with Janna - and we got to snuggle with her crazy puppies. This one is Kaia. She has one blue eye and is deaf. She responds to hand signals. Super smart, super cute.

Eddie. He is seriously cute. Completely ball crazy. He had us cracking up with his antics and tricks.

Gus thinks he's a lap dog. 

Wednesday, before checking out, we let the girls romp around one more time before packing up and heading home to Seattle. We got some seriously cute pics.

They love each other <3 div="div">

Jana gave the girls a santa squeak toy for Christmas. They decapitated him. Santa is dead. Sorry kids.

It was a great Christmas. We may do this again in future years. A new tradition has been born? Maybe.
A ton more pictures can be found here:
http://niroha.smugmug.com/Vacation/Manzanita-122012