little black journal

Thursday was our final full day in Zion and though I could have happily spent several hours stretched out in the grass at Big Bend, the maximizer in me couldn’t resist a further-afield adventure.  To Bryce Canyon we went!

It took a little over an hour to get there, but we were assured from the moment we stepped out of the car that the journey was worth it.  WHAT IS THIS PLACE?!

It was chilly that morning and I felt validated in my insistence that we pack beanies and fleeces in addition to swimsuits.

We pep-talked the kids and set out on the Queen’s Garden trail, fingers crossed that Isaac would again summon his inner hiker.

Lots of pit stops for water and snacks, but I didn’t mind.  There’s no bad place to pause in this park.

God, this trail.  Rocks and tunnels and overlooks and nature-made sculptures around each turn.

More hide and seek…

Mid-way through the final ascent and still smiling.

MADE IT!  What a stunner of a hike – if ever I’ve seen evidence of God’s creativity, this was it.

Payoff at the lodge.

We drove up further up the road after lunch and hit snow flurries as we gained elevation.  A quick pop out of the car for a couple of photos and then we booked it back down the mountain to warmer temps.

We made good time getting back to Springdale and grabbed an easy pizza dinner before calling it a night.

Juliette and I were up bright and early on Friday morning to squeeze in one final hike before checking out of our hotel (see note above RE: my maximizer tendencies…).  I wanted to see the Canyon Overlook trail but knew that Isaac couldn’t be trusted at the trail’s multitude of sheer drop-offs.  Cue my down-for-anything best girl.

I did not take for granted that my oldest child is now of an age where I can tell her to run ahead alone on a craggy path so that I can snap a pic.

She got this.

We made it to the overlook as the sun started peek through the morning’s clouds and spent a few minutes taking in the view.

Legs rested, we turned around started our hustle back to our boys.

Again with the sculpture.  Something new and dramatic around every corner!

Isaac, we missed you, but were so glad you weren’t there!

Nailed it.

We chowed down on chilaquiles and pancakes at Oscar’s Cafe before hitting the road to Vegas for the final leg of our big adventure.  We had booked a room at Mandalay Bay, thinking the kids would enjoy a day of poolside lounging after several days of biking and hiking.  Plus, the lights and the pomp and the circumstance – it would be an interesting contrast to our nature binge.

We parked our car in the hotel garage and walked what felt like a very long way through a casino before getting to the check-in desk.  This was…weird.

I mean, Isaac dug it, thinking we’d stumbled into the world’s largest arcade.

We dumped our bags and threw on our swimsuits, eager to chillax.  We took a couple of loops on the lazy river, but it was surprisingly windy and cool, so we didn’t linger.

Since it looked like a poolside evening wasn’t in the cards, we showered and set out for an evening on the town.  When in Vegas…

Isaac strutted through the casinos like a baller, turning to me every few steps to point to a slot machine and ask, “Is this one for kids?”.  No, Buddy.  It’s always no.

I don’t know…an entirely-indoors Venice?  No real windows to be seen?  I’ll say it again – Vegas is weird!

We hit most of the major hotel lobbies for a Vegas world tour, and then settled into a table at Din Tai Fung for Juliette’s most favorite dinner.

Just a couple more blocks…Juliette loves Ocean’s Eleven and wanted to see the Bellagio fountain, so we hoofed it over there.

(With a detour to peek at the Chandelier Bar and watch a feather-clad lady dance in a giant martini glass…)

CHECK!

We took a cab back to our hotel and Isaac nearly fell asleep in his sister’s lap during the short drive to Mandalay.  He thought Zion was tiring!

Saturday dawned sunny, so we spent a little time in the pool before checking out.

And then we started what felt like an endless several-hour countdown to our evening flight.  What to do in a city with so few parks?  We ended up at an outdoor mall that was hosting a community Easter Egg hunt; Isaac collected a hat full of candy, we lunched at pub, we drove around to find the city’s best iced coffee, we bought tickets to watch The Minecraft Movie.  We were ready to be home.  But we stuck together, ate our lollipops, giggled a bit at Jack Black, marveled at all we’d seen that week.  Lots of reasons to board that plane to Seattle with the biggest of smiles.

Here we go – Zion in the books!

We left Minnesota early Monday morning, but Isaac caught his lost Z’s on the plane.

We landed in Vegas early afternoon, swung through In N Out for a late lunch, and then hit the road to Zion.  The landscape right outside of Vegas is largely flat and brown, but a couple of hours into our drive, things got interesting…

We made it to our hotel in Springdale just in time for an evening swim in the day’s last rays.  I was wowed by the little town’s backdrop, with dramatic peaks in every direction.  I couldn’t wait to do some exploring.

First things first, though.

I love a good hotel bed snuggle.

Tuesday dawned sunny and breezy.  I walked along the river with the kids to the nearby coffee shop while Shane headed further down the road to see about some e-bike rentals.

Rentals secured!

We breezed through the park entrance and it was one stunner of a view after another.

Water stop.  Photo stop.

We hopped off the bikes a few miles in to hike the Emerald Pools Trail.

Higher…

Higher…

And a quick descent.

We found a little ledge beneath the falls to eat our sandwiches and drink our neon Powerades.

Isaac was such a sweet little trooper, scampering around in the heat.  My fanny pack full of gummy bears helped, but still, he gets lots of credit for hanging tough.

The bridge back across the river at the other end of the trail was closed, so we summoned our pioneer spirit, found a shallow spot, and forded it.  Time to give Juliette trooper credit – that water was cold!

Though there were busloads upon busloads of visitors traversing the park, there were moments like these when we felt like we had the whole magical place to ourselves.  Shane is so good at getting us just the right amount of off the beaten path.

Onward!

We stopped at the overlook at Big Bend and I made a mental note: must come back here.

We zoomed all the way to the end of the road and then turned back, satisfied that we had fully maximized our bike rentals.  This was such a good way to see the park – most of the road is closed to cars, so we shared a lane only with other bikes and the occasional park bus.

Cold drink pitstop at the lodge…

And then the final stretch.

Just. Couldn’t. Make it.

Afternoon pool time.

And then watermelon margaritas to round out a spectacular day.  Five stars, all of it.

On Wednesday we used the shuttle bus to make our way into the park.  We hopped off at the Temple of Sinawava and set out on the Riverside Walk, thinking we’d do our hiking early while the kids were still feeling carbo-loaded from their pancake breakfast.

The trail ended at The Narrows, which is an adventure I’m putting on my bucket list for another day when we don’t have a toddler in tow.

Another quiet, crowd-free place to pause.  Just a boy, his mama, and a river.

We played a lot of hide and seek on the walk back.  “Run up to that tree and hide, Isaac!  I’ll come find you!”  Whatever it takes…

We got back on the bus and then disembarked at Big Bend, again in search of a place to call our own.

Found it!

We ate our lunch and roamed a bit.

The kids got real cute.

Shane scampered across a fallen tree while Isaac shouted at him to pleeeeeeease come back.

He made it back across, assuring the kids it was easy-peasy, and then a branch broke and he fell knee-deep in the water.  Whoopsie Daisy.

BIG BEND.  One of the best log lunches I’ve ever had.

We vegged for awhile back at the hotel and then grabbed dinner at a burger joint in town.  It was so nice to walk everywhere – restaurants and cafes and pottery shops lined up just-so.

And ice cream?  What more could one want?  I can’t even imagine.

This blog has become a photo reel that scrolls from Winter Break to Mid-Winter Break, now to Spring Break, and will soon capture Summer Break, and I know that I’m leaving out a whole lotta living in-between, but also, this is kind of how life feels at the moment, hustle-hustle-hustle, then break-break-break.  Work hard, play hard (though even the play takes a fair amount of work these days!).

Our first few days of Spring Break were spent in Minnesota, hanging with family and celebrating our niece’s wedding.  Buckle up, Isaac – you know the drill!

We settled comfortably into Pat’s house, Tiff and Jason brought over pizza, and then…BABY!  Hayden and Kenny came over with little Brexton and I summoned every fiber of self-restraint in not being that gimme-that-baby kind of auntie, but when I saw Hayden eyeing a slice of pizza, I graciously offered to take her little guy off her hands for a few minutes so that she could eat in peace.  I mean, it was the least I could do…

Friday was wonderfully chill, main events being the walk to the mailbox with Grandma, ice cream from Tip Top, and a manicure for Juliette to match the wedding outfit she’d been planning for weeks.

Plus some driveway sprints, because Isaac’s best version of vacation includes more running than sitting.

We visited Grandpa at the cemetery and said a few words to him.  When Denny got sick, he set his sights just on making it to Hayden’s wedding day – he wanted so badly to watch his granddaughter walk down the aisle.  It brought a fresh wave of missing-ness, knowing he wouldn’t be there in the way we’d hoped.

We spent the evening in the front yard, running more laps, tossing the frisbee around, feeling the hustle melt from our shoulders.

Saturday!  Wedding day!  Juliette went to the church in the morning with Pat to be part of the getting-ready hullabaloo.  A room full of women getting their hair and makeup done?  My girl was so there for that.

Isaac was not invited.  For obvious reasons.

Eventually, though, it was time for all of us to don our finest.  We gathered back at Pat’s for final touches and a few photos.

STUNNER!

It took some creative safety-pinning to keep these suit pants from dropping and he wanted his tie worn not-too-tight, but still, he pulled it off.

Shane and I cleaned up okay, too.

And one with the jacket, since I don’t know if I’ll ever get Isaac into this suit again!  I convinced him to pose for a photo only by telling him I needed a picture of his extra-special snowball.  Hence the prop.

I didn’t take any pictures of the ceremony, but it was joyous and beautiful and Juliette had stars in her eyes throughout the whole thing.  She sat up extra straight, clasped her hands in her lap, and quietly smiled when the groom kissed the bride.  The romance of it all!  Isaac ran for the door the moment it was over.  Time to party.

Denny wasn’t sitting in the sanctuary with us, but he was still very much there, in spirit, in hearts, in the nuggets of love he planted and watered in each of us for so many years.

We headed to the reception, grabbed some snacks and drinks, and then waited for the special couple’s big entrance.

Cheers!

The next few hours were filled with dancing and eating and laughter.  A few tears, too, but happy-sad ones, always followed by long hugs.

Isaac ate quickly so that he could practice his break-dancing moves while the dance floor was wide open.

Congratulations, Hayden and Kenny!  We love you and Baby B so very much.  You throw a great party.

We met for church on Sunday morning, grabbed a few last baby snuggles, and then said goodbye to the newlyweds as they headed home to North Dakota.

We visited the local nursery’s Palm Sunday petting zoo and Shane caught up with some old friends.

The day ended back out in the front yard, running relays in the midst of golden hour.  Denny’s office, where he spent so many hours playing iPad golf and watching sunsets, faces this field, and I kept picturing him leaning back in his chair, smiling as his grandkids ran wild on the land he and Pat worked so hard to build a home on.

That’s a Minnesota wrap.  Next up: Spring break part II, in which we play extra-hard, Utah-style!

The final installment!  Wednesday was our last full day in Maui.  Shane and Juliette took off early that morning for a zipline adventure while Isaac and I lived our best lives back in Wailea.  He hit the swings while I drank my coffee…

This courtyard has the best morning light.

Isaac doesn’t know the rules of chess, but he did enjoy lining the knights up face-to-face for a smooch.

Lawn laps…

And then we hit the pool.

Isaac had been admiring another kid’s Spider Man rash guard all week and we finally broke the ice that day and made some proper intros.  They played together for much of the morning while I sat by the edge of the pool and read my book.

Fly, Buddy, FLY!

Snack break…

And back at it.  Spider Man brought a full kitchen set to the pool!

Look who’s back!  Shane and Juliette had a grand adventure – I’m glad they got some one-on-one time.

But it felt good to be the four of us again.

We knew the waterslides wouldn’t be open before we had to pack up and leave the next morning, so this was our last chance.  We did the full circuit several times over after lunch.

We had our route down pat; we knew which slides Isaac could brave alone, which ones he needed a partner on so that he wasn’t dunked in the rapids.  We knew to swim quickly past the dragon statue, which Isaac said was a monster, and knew where the lazy river split with a particularly fast current that would pull you left if you didn’t veer right soon enough.

Every time we paddled through this misty canyon, Isaac would exclaim, “It’s so SOGGY (foggy) in here!  I can’t seeeeee!”

Isaac feels so big in so many ways these days, but his hands look so tiny here as they grip my shoulders.  That’s a comfort…

Finally, (most of us) got our pool fix and felt ready to head back to the room for a bit.  We took our usual route through the hotel lobby, past the granite statue of a reclining nude where Isaac would stop every time, point, and yell, “EWW!  BUTTS!”.  Bonafide art critic, that kid…

Shane and I snuck away for a quick cocktail at the Four Seasons bar next door while the kids watched a movie in the room.  It was a treat.

Golden hour drew us back down to the beach for reading and splashing and tossing the frisbee around.

Shane went for a swim…

I snapped photos…

And then I held Isaac for a bit, as he was tired and grumpy and needed a little love.  Don’t let these hundreds of photos of his cheesy grins fool you – he did in fact still throw some fits in Maui, he still annoyed his sister sometimes and acted very three.

But dang if it’s not easier to sweep all that stuff under the rug when you’re in paradise.  The attitude reset cycle felt shorter here…

There he is…

This evening was one of those evenings when Isaac really drove Juliette crazy, irrationally screaming at her for accidentally stepping on whatever project he was building in the sand, but like I said, it was hard for her to stay mad.

Isaac was so happy in Juliette’s arms that I decided to go for a quick dip with Shane – I’d gone all week without a proper ocean swim, but I couldn’t leave the island without at least a short bob session among the waves.

One last look, Buddy!

As we passed the uppermost pool on our way back to our room, the kids asked if they could hop back in, just real quick.  I said, go for it.  When on vay-cay…

Tuckered and tucked.

Thursday.  Go day.  Hard day.  But still, we were able to squeeze in a couple hours of beach time…

These sand toys that another family gifted us on their final day in Maui got some good use.

One last hand-hold while Shane and Juliette swam…

And a few final jumps into the “swimming cool”, because I couldn’t imagine a happier note for our kids to end the trip on…

And then it was time to hustle to our room, do a quick rinse, shove our pool toys in our suitcases, and head the airport.  WAIT, though.  Make a wish…

We wish..for a Maui 2026 trip.  Seriously, though, every couple of weeks, Isaac will sigh and say, “I really want to go to Maui…”, like he knows it can’t really happen at that moment, but he can’t help but speak his hopes out loud.  I tell him we’ll go again someday, and then we talk about the pool and the sunsets and the beach and how brilliant it all was.  The magic of the island is not lost on us.  We’re so thankful.

Sunrise, beach, rest, pool, beach, shower repeat.  Isaac and I were the only ones up with the sun on Sunday; we grabbed a coffee and a chocolate milk from the hotel cafe and then went down the rocky part of the beach to look for treasures.

The afternoons in Maui are technicolor, but the mornings are a study in pastels.

Juliette eventually came down to join us and we shared a thick slice of banana bread before heading back to Po’olenalena Beach.

(One last zoomie for the road…)

Isaac’s ocean-facing boldness slowly returned that morning as he crept further and further into the water, still insistent on both holding my hand and wearing his favorite, super-powered goggles.

Shane’s turn…

I wonder to myself, “Hey, Isaac…how’d you get so cute?”  And then he nonchalantly shrugs this unassuming shrug…

Meanwhile, Sister has graduated from cute.  Now she’s a genuine beauty.

We got lunch in Kihei and then headed back to the room to rest.  Shane and Isaac dozed, but Juliette and I were jonesing for iced coffee and Honolulu cookies.  We went for a stroll.

This little lady…

Guess who was up, already dressed for the pool when we got back?  And the speed with which Isaac bolted for the elevators when we opened the door to go back out!  Kid on a mission, for sure.

We lingered in the pool through the early evening, eating our dinner in our favorite lounge chairs, and then hopped down to the beach for sunset.

To quote Shane’s dad RE: the sunset, “It was a good one”.  We see you in this pink and orange skies, Denny.

Guava cookies…

And little footprints.

I say this every year, but the feel of my boy’s hand in mine while the waves lap at our feet.  It’s my favorite.

Late-night scoops of mango ice cream in the hotel courtyard.  It’s vay-cay.

Monday!  Up with the birds, Isaac wielding pool toys before I’ve even rubbed the sleep from eyes.

We went back to Makena Beach that morning to lay claim to “our” shady spot (how quickly these places become old favorites!) and wait for our Seattle friends to drive down from their resort in Kaanapali.

Isaac was beside himself with the promise of a new playmate for the day.

Buddies!

The kids played in the water and the parents caught up and we all got a little sunburned.  Hurts so good.

Seconds after I snapped this photo, Juliette epically wiped out and promptly declared that day’s boogie boarding adventures OVER.  She was rinsing the sand from her hair for days.

Lunch at Maui Brewing was both raucous and filling.  We said our goodbyes and headed back to our hotel for an afternoon chill.

We couldn’t let a day go by without at least a couple hours of pool time, so after we’d vegged, we suited up.  Funny, isn’t it?  That we felt like we needed a couple of hours of rest so that we could make the 5-minute walk to do this?

To be fair, for all of Shane’s and my poolside R&R, Isaac and Juliette expended some serious energy in the water.

The more independent Isaac got on the waterslides, the bigger deal he liked to make of it all being so so “skeery”.  That way he could pat himself on the back for being so brave!

Ok, maybe I know where he gets his flair for drama…

Callin’ it…

We kept dinner simple that night, with smoothies and Spam musubis on the lawn while we watched the sunset.

We went back to the room and Isaac’s eyelids fluttered shut within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.  Play hard, rest hard, Bud.

On Tuesday, Isaac and I enjoyed a little quiet time on the beach while Shane and Juliette more slowly rolled out of bed and readied for that day’s adventures.

Much as we loved the Wailea groove we’d found ourselves in, we decided we were ready to go a little further afield.  We grabbed a round of beautiful, brightly colored treats from Brekkie Bowls and then hit the road, pointed north.

We rolled up to the parking lot for Twin Falls an hour later and made our way down the wide, winding path in search of a waterfall or two.

Found one!

The kids and I happily perched on some rocks and let the water cool our feet while Shane unleashed his inner daredevil and did some rock-scaling, then took a leap.

Long walks are tricky with Isaac these days – his little legs don’t carry him too far before he starts asking for a carry, and he’s just too big to tote around anymore.  Or is he?  This is the face of a boy that most definitely just got his way.

We eventually made it to the larger falls and settled in for a rest.  The boys took a dip.

Shane went for a further-afield swim under the deluge of the waterfall, but Isaac held back for that.

We made quick work of getting back to the car, promising the kids popsicles from the parking lot’s snack shack.

He did it again!

From Twin Falls, we wound back toward Paia, stopping at Ho’okipa Beach to see if the turtles were out.  They were!  They almost look like rocks from this distance, but we definitely saw them slogging up the beach.

The colors on this beach at the peak of mid-day sun are incredible.

We tossed a few rocks, picked up a few shells, got a little windblown.

We grabbed lunch at the Flatbread Company in Paia – this place’s Mopsy pizza, topped with mango barbecue sauce and pulled pork, is one of our most favorite Maui eats.  Never disappoints.

A quick dip, because he asked nicely…

And then we packed a picnic and made the short drive to Makena Cove, to round out a day of favorite things.

This little stretch of beach is everything we love about Maui – soft sand and gentle water and palm tree back drops and whales in the distance.

Isaac was so happy here, skittering through the shallow pools of water until he was soaked from head to toe.

The plot thickens…

Juliette was happiest that evening just sitting on the beach towel, chatting with her dad.  I mean, I probably would have been doing the same if not for chasing a three year old.

Final laps…

The luckiest.

The Maui 2025 roundup!  Three months after the fact, but no matter – this trip was particularly good and I’m still able to summon all those good Maui feels.

I love that early morning flight to Maui – such promise on the horizon (now that we’ve recovered from the trauma of Juliette’s in-flight puke-fest during our 2023 trip).

Smiles all around.

We arrived at the hotel before our room was ready, but I’ve learned to keep swimsuits and goggles easily accessible, as pool time is priority numero uno, so we traded our travel clothes for our swim gear, stowed our bags, and set up shop down at the main pool.  Isaac and Juliette wasted no time staying dry.

Isaac quickly became enamored with the slides, wanting to do one circuit after another.  This year, with his floaties on, he was able to go alone, so I found a little ledge in the pool to lounge on and watch while he went again and again.

And again.

For the record, she loves the slides, too.

Finally, hunger trumped swimming and we settled into our lounge chairs to wolf down our poolside salads and chicken strips.  There’s happy Isaac and there’s tired Isaac and rarely do the two identities converge, but here, they did…

We eventually made it up to our room to settle in and change our clothes, but then golden hour beckoned and we were back out the door to head to the beach.

Soak it in, Bud.  This is as good a playground as you’ll ever find.

Isaac held up his little red sand shovel and told me it was a stop sign – that he was telling the water to quit chasing him.  Truly, that boy thinks he’s master of the universe.

Hotel room dinner, moon-gazing, and sweet dreams.  We had arrived.

Friday!  On our first morning in Maui, we sought out our favorite island treat.  A new açaí place had opened in the shops near our hotel, so we sauntered over there at daybreak.  Of course, I would love it if our toddler slept in on vacation, but being up and at ’em at 5:30am means you catch those 6am pastel skies.

It was as good as it looked…

On the way back, we stopped for a short romp at the Marriott lawn, which I don’t think we were technically supposed to play at as we weren’t hotel guests, but this chair swing beckoned.  We’ve had a handful of happy reunions here with the Chens, as this was their place, but we missed them this year.

We walk this path from the market to the hotel a couple of times a day and I never stop marveling at the colors and the sparkle.  The long morning shadows and the squish of grass under our feet.  It’s life in technicolor.

Our hotel changed things up this year and started charging for beach chairs, which initially bummed us out a bit, but we made lemonade out of lemons (margaritas out of limes?) and let this be our reason to explore some new beaches in the vicinity.  We found a shady little stretch of sand at Makena Beach, just down the road, and wandered back and forth from beach towels to surf.

Isaac dipped too far into the surf too fast and spent 15 minutes running up and down the beach crying for Shane to come out of the water and hold him, but he soon got over it.

Sister eased him back in.

Isaac’s early wakeup caught up with him mid-morning and he fell asleep on the beach towel, his floatie a makeshift pillow, and Juliette and I  went for a stroll further down the beach.

We climbed a small bluff and took in the view of Makena, then scampered down to the small cove on the other side.

“Little Beach”, as it’s called, was pristine and quiet, but also…it was a nude beach.  A few people waded in the surf or stretched out on their towels, buns to the sun, and it all looked very chill, but also…this was not our scene.  We quickly about-faced and had a good laugh as we trekked back toward our boys.

Isaac woke shortly after we returned and marveled at the in-ground beach chair Shane had dug while he was sleeping.

We grabbed lunch at a taco stand and then zipped up to Kihei for shave ice at Ulilani’s.  This place.  Always a wait.  And it’s fine for the first couple of minutes, the kids giddy with anticipation.

Patience grows thin…

But then they call your name and any inconvenience is forgotten.  Fluffy and freezy and fruity – it’s perfect.

We spent the hottest hours of the afternoon relaxing in our room, reading and vegging and dozing, then succumbed to Isaac’s incessant requests to go the “swimming cool” – it was slide o’clock.

Early evening at the pool is where it’s at – most families have had their fill of sun and have headed out for dinner, so it’s quiet.  Still warm.

And it’s so easy to walk down to the beach for a sunset splash.

Beautiful bow on a beautiful day.

Shane went for an early run on Saturday and then we all walked down the beach path to Fairmont to check out their cafe’s breakfast offerings.

We took our acai to go and found another idyllic little stretch of beach nearby, this time at Po’olenalena.

This little beach was my favorite.  Small and uncrowded, rocky on one side, lined with palm trees on the other.

We did our exploring as the sun fully rose, wanting to get good and hot before we dipped in the ocean.

We’re getting warmerrrr…

Isaac was still feeling a little timid after the prior day’s surprise wave, so he didn’t want to venture too far into the water without being held.  In Shane’s arms, though, he was in full bring-it-on mode.

 

Beach:  CHECK.

Both kids were itching to really get their swim on, so we lunched poolside while they did their thing.  Shane will take ocean swimming over pool swimming any day, but Isaac?  This is his happy place.

The afternoon crash…

And then dinner at Monkey Pod, where the food is so-so, but the Mai Tai’s are perfection.  That lilikoi foam…  Next time we’ll go just for drinks.

Back in time for an evening swim…

Isaac Henry…photobombing since 2021.

Shenanigans.

The pool area was so wonderfully deserted that we decided to take in sunset from the hot tub.

It’s nice to take in the sunset with the tide lapping at your toes, but also…this water was warm.  We’re such lucky ducks.

Ahhh…we were finding our groove.

 

This is it – the last of winter’s snapshots, so that I can clear house before it’s all tulips and egg hunts on here…

I posted about our Suncadia weekend, where the snow conditions were only so-so, but we did get out for a couple of shorter day trips to play in some fresh powder.  Juliette, Shane and I spent a morning cross-country skiing at Cabin Creek and were dusted with an inch of snowfall as we zipped down the trails.

Juliette and I were both a bit rusty and approached the first couple of downhills with some serious trepidation, but we eventually found our footing.

That’s not fresh snowfall on my hat and in my hair, but the remnants of a downhill face plant.  Still smiling, though!

We made good time heading back toward the car and decided to detour for a quick snowball fight.

I love these three-of-us days.

That said, we know how much Buddy loves the snow and gladly brought him along a couple of weeks later on a morning visit to Hyak for sledding and fort-building.

This was as bluebird a day as I’ve ever seen.  Sun shining over two feet of fresh powder.  So good.

No fear of downhills for this boy!

His eyes have never looked bluer.

Once we’d had our fill of sledding, we walked over to a nearby clearing to attempt a snowball fight.  The snow was too fine to stick together, but Isaac loves a good powder-shower as well.

Shane called us across the road, where the snow was piled even higher.

The powder was so deep that Isaac couldn’t go more than two steps without sinking to his waist and collapsing.

My kids can really wreak some havoc on a patch of pristine, freshly fallen snow.

Burrow, Isaac, burrow!

Ahh…tuckered.

Winter held some good play days closer to home, too.  Lincoln Park is a Sunday favorite.

This particular outing was a couple of months ago, but I remember it well – we’d been cooped up and Isaac was driving his sister and me crazy in equal measure and then we got outside and…voila.

Same on this Saturday afternoon at Lowman Beach…I felt up to my ears in housework but after an hour of watching the fog lift over the Puget Sound, priorities came back into focus.  One of those I can’t believe we get to live here kind of days.

Roxhill Playground gets bonus points for its proximity to both Target and to Juliette’s and my favorite boba shop.  Also, I have to memorialize Isaac in this cute jacket before he soon outgrows it.

And sometimes a cruise to the school playground is all we really need…

We spent a lot of Saturdays on the soccer field over the past couple of months.  These twilight games are chilly, but the sky sure is pretty.

I love watching Juliette play, but it’s also fun to spectate with her.  We went to a Seattle Reign game last month, rain and all, and cheered between sips of our hot chocolate.  As we were walking back to the car after the game, Juliette said that was the coldest she’d ever been in her whole entire life.  And yet, still smiling.

My parents moved to Bonney Lake, just an hour south of us, in January.  We’re all loving the extra grandparent time.

The crux of it all: our winter cornerstones are our Suncadia snow-cation and our week in Maui (those photos coming up next…), but I’m increasingly thankful for the little joys closer to home.  The park days and the soccer games and the random weekday happy hours.  Shane had a work event one evening and I took the kids to Good Society for bites and a brew.  Isaac colored and Juliette gave me every little detail of her day at school and a band of 20 seniors gathered on the outdoor patio for ukulele practice.  Such a simple, perfect Tuesday evening.

Whew – winter!  We didn’t just make it through – we leaned in.  We’re tuckered.

Ack!  It’s Springtime!  And I have a cache of snow-covered pictures to share.  Here goes…

We stayed true to tradition and spent MLK weekend at Suncadia Lodge, sledding and snow-balling and cozying.  Someday we’ll spread our wings and embark on new adventures, but in this current season of life, it feels good to return to what we know.  This place just works for us.  We’ve got our favorite fireside table at the Inn…

And the complimentary s’mores kits are always a crowd-pleaser.

We quickly settled into our routine.  Saturday morning was spent sipping coffee by the lobby’s huge picture windows.

And then a round of pool, because the wee hours of the morning are the only time we get the game room to ourselves.

Coffee, pool, cinnamon rolls, SNOW!  The trick at Suncadia is to always stay one step ahead of the crowds, so as the lobby and restaurant started to fill with the folks who woke an hour or two after us, we headed out to the sledding hill.

The snow was hard and crusty and a bit patchy, but no matter.  My kids (and their dad) are so, so good at maximizing fun in mediocre conditions.

Every year Shane wonders aloud if this pond is frozen solid enough for him to walk across it, and every year Juliette begs him to PLEASE don’t try it.

We found a golf ball tucked under a tree branch near the pond (the sledding hill is a driving range in summertime), and then another, and then another.  Suddenly it was Easter in January as the kids gathered a treasure trove of balls and placed them in a neat little pile.

Back on the sled…

Ultimately, he just couldn’t help himself.

The ice held, but not without some cracking that had us all yelling for Shane to head back to shore.  Dare devil, that guy.

There’s nothing better than peeling off your snowpants and snuggling up back in bed.

Eventually we put real clothes on and headed into Roslyn for lunch.  Again, we stuck to our tried-and-trues.  Roslyn Cafe for burgers, then coffee and books at Basecamp.

After lunch, Juliette and I scoped out the pool.  Last year the water was too cold to enjoy a swim, but this year it was perfect.

I texted Shane the thumbs-up on the water temp and he brought down Isaac.  Buddy loves a good pool.

We ate dinner in our room that night, tuckered after a day of snow, swim, and sun.  Top day.

Sunday brought more of the lovely same old, same old.

The sledding hill was really giving icy vibes that morning, so we walked over to the adjacent field in search of better snow coverage.

The sledding was decent, but then I popped Isaac’s beloved blue innertube on a particularly rough patch.  Again we sought out alternate fun.

We found a snow cave!

I loved exploring a little further afield this trip.  So many beautiful little clearings – a pair of deer crossed our path just as we were leaving this spot.

And we found another pond!  This one was much more solid.  Shane practiced his fancy footwork.

The kids were somehow unimpressed with their dad’s dance moves.

Like…”What is he doing?!”  Let’s hear it for dorky dads.

After lunch, we headed to the pool for swimtime.

The pool wasn’t as warm that day and Isaac’s little teeth started to chatter after just a couple of minutes, so we adjusted our game plan.  Shane took Juliette over to the indoor pool and I took Isaac out for a hot chocolate and a walk.  Something for everyone!

We made our way down the river and threw rocks for awhile.  I never knew this was here!  Such an idyllic little spot, particularly on a sunny afternoon.

He really can be the best little buddy when we have the time to slow down.

This is Isaac’s Bear Hunt face.  Get that grizzly, Son.

We drove into Roslyn for a pizza dinner and Isaac fell asleep on the 10-minute drive.  He wouldn’t wake, even as we pulled him out of his carseat into the cold night air, and he spent the first half of dinner sleeping in his sister’s lap.  She ate it up.  Play hard, sleep hard.

On our final morning at the lodge, we did…more of the same.  Coffee, sledding, snowplay.

We found a little hill at the far end of a clearning and the kids did a few runs.

I mean, THESE KIDDOS!  They obviously don’t always love on each other with such abandon, but when they do, it’s a joy to watch.

Deer spotting!

And some snow-baseball.

Isaac found a stick and spent 15 minutes trying to dig a hole with it – that snow was crusty.  But he kept going and I kept watching.  We had nowhere to be but right where we were.

More scenic stops…

We pulled some beautiful ice sculptures out of the stream.

And then with one last squeeze, hit the road back to Seattle.

What a weekend.

 

Isaac.  ISAAC.  He’s three and a half today and I’ve never felt quite so equal a measure of savor-these-sweet-days AND sweet-Jesus-when-will-this-end.  He is excitement and affection and stubbornness and ungratefulness in one single package.  Three is a ride.  This is our boy:

Current loves include his yellow scooter, which got more use in warmer months, but still gets pulled from the garage when the sun comes out.

I don’t pull out the paints and brushes as often as I’d like, but when I do, Isaac’s inner artist really lights up.

We still throw a lot of rocks…

And then we head to Starbucks for the occasional special treat.  Their steamers have upended our milk game…  I make Isaac a cup of warm milk each morning and add a couple of drops of vanilla, Isaac accepting the sippy cup and asking, 1: “Is it warm?” and 2: “Does it have a LOT of banilla?”.

We’ve cycled through obsessions with Mario Brothers, Trolls, Paw Patrol, Spiderman, and Sonic the Hedgehog, but cars and trucks are still his end-all, be-all.  He falls asleep most nights snuggled next to something with wheels.

There are days when it feels like we’re in an endless loop of coaxing, negotiation, and discipline.  Isaac, let’s see if you can get dressed before the Gummi Bear song is over!  Isaac, finish your hamburger and you can have a dessert.  Isaac, stop jumping on the couch or you’re going in time out.  ISAAC, WORK WITH ME HERE!

He had his first dentist appointment in November and I dreaded the lead-up to it, remembering how Juliette wailed through her check-ups as a toddler, but Buddy hopped right up in that chair, slipped on those sunglasses, and opened his mouth wide before the hygienist had even taken a seat next to him.  Occasionally he makes things easy on us.

Bathtime snaps…

And bedtime drama!  Goodness, we’ve been put through our nighttime paces these past couple of months.  Our routine usually starts out fine – we get through pajamas and toothbrushing without much fuss and I love the few minutes we spend snuggled up in his bed, reading books and singing songs.

But then I turn out the light and the whining and pleading begins.  “Sleep with me, Mommy?  Peeeeeeeease?”  I tell him no, that I have things to do and that I need to sleep in my own bed, and his eyes fill with tears as he cries, “But I need some peoples in my room!  It’s hard!  It’s too hard!”  I tried comforting him, closing his door (he bolts out of bed and throws it back open in seconds), reasoning with him, yelling at him…he just could not bear to be left alone.  Finally, though, bribery for the win.  I told him if he was a brave boy I would get him a brave boy car.  And, he slept.

At the end of the day, though, sleep woes and stubbornness be damned.  He’s tender and exuberant and gives the very best hugs.

Isaac Henry, Happy 3.5.

The annual roundup!  Things that brought me joy in 2024:

Favorite book:

I set a goal every year to read 24 books and eeked in by finishing my 24th book on New Years Eve.  One or two snoozers in here, but mostly four-star ratings on the Goodreads’ five-star scale.

Favorite book of all was Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.  Maybe the best book I’ve read in five years?  I loved it so much and had all the feels for Demon.  

Favorite non-fiction was Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad.  I’m so thankful for that glimpse into her journey of sickness and healing.  Bonus points for the mentions of Jon Batiste.

 

Favorite TV show:

Where have I been?  How did I not discover Shrinking until just last month?  I watched the first episode by myself on an evening when the house was quiet and proceeded to blitz through the first season over Christmas Break.  Finished season two last week.  Jason, Harrison, Jessica…I adore you.  I’m a sucker for a heart-tugging comedy.

 

Favorite movie:

Easy. I watched with We Live in Time with Nancy and La Verne while we were on our December weekend getaway and can’t tell you many times the three of us cried over the course of those two hours.  Love and loss and that birth scene.  

 

Favorite podcast:

I debated striking this category this year as I’m accepting that I’m just not that much of a podcast person, but I do find myself occasionally wanting to stream something while I’m in the car alone (rare) or have a quiet moment to myself (rarer).  I tune into select episodes as recommended by my most trusted circle and La Verne, thank you for the tip on the episode of Modern Love featuring Andrew Garfield.  Maybe I just have him on the brain as he features in my favorite movie mentioned above, but that man is gentleness and genuineness personified.  Give it a listen.

 

Favorite song:

We listened plenty to Taylor’s Tortured Poets Department last year and while I Can Do It with A Broken Heart is a genuine BOP, I’m going with Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club as my 2024 anthem.  Juliette and I have the fondest memories of belting out I’m gonna keep on dancing over and over as we drove from Charleston to Savannah.  Heck, we sing it on our 5-minute drive from home to Trader Joe’s.  It’ll get you.

 

Favorite personal pastime:

I have a standing Sunday morning walk date with some women friends and that hour each week has become such a meaningful time for me to move, breathe, and connect.  We check in and we laugh and drink coffee while getting our steps in and I alway leave there feeling restored.  Plus, these views.

 

Favorite family pastime:

Camp season 2024!  We did it!  Each of our three trips had their challenges (sleeplessness, rain, heat), but what stands out are Isaac’s shouts of glee as we erected our tent, Juliette’s eagerness to help with dinner prep at the camp stove, the moments when Isaac was occupied with his cars and I was able to scoot my camp chair right up next to Shane’s so we could sip our canned wine and listen to the wind in the trees.  I’ve got big plans for summer 2025.

 

And, favorite moments…

Suncadia was colder than cold last January, but we leaned into the cozy vibes.

 

Maui’s Makena Cove…forever our family’s most special place on earth.  

 

Saying goodbye to Denny in March was the hardest thing our family has ever done, but the evenings before his funeral spent sitting around the kitchen, reminiscing about all the joy he brought into our lives, made me thankful for the nuggets of goodness he left planted in each of us.

 

And in the thick of our grief, we found sun and water and friends.  Exceedingly grateful for these few days in paradise.

 

Sometimes Juliette greets me at the bus stop at the end of my day.  Sometimes the little things bring the biggest joy.

 

When Juliette’s soccer tournament popped up during the same weekend I had a campsite booked at Deception Pass, I almost cancelled my reservation.  But instead Isaac and I trekked out on our own, and that weekend held some of my most favorite moments with my boy.

 

Criss-crossing vacation schedules kept us from seeing these folks as much as we wanted to this summer, but when we did, it was a big ol’ family picnic.  

 

Our weekend camping at Kachess Lake was HOT, but the long afternoons on the water were GOOD.

 

Dreamy Neskowin…

 

Isaac skips naptime more often than not these days, but when he does doze, I do it with him.  These days are numbered.  

 

Buddy turned three!  And got some new wheels.

 

And Big Sis turned ELEVEN.  Sweeter and cooler with each passing year.  

 

I’m so stinking proud of Juliette’s commitment to her new soccer team.  And look at that Grandma fan club!

 

A break from soccer Saturdays to pick pumpkins and drink cider.  These family mini-adventures fill my cup.  Literally.  

 

I couldn’t pick a single pic from mine and Juliette’s southern galavant, but these are top three.  Dinner, drinks, parks.  

 

Thanksgiving was so warm and comfy this year, from the Macy’s Parade to our after-dinner pie.  Such a treat to have Shane’s mom with us.

 

Long live the Polar Express.

On with the business of 2025.