We’ve got a five-day camping trip on the books where I expect I’ll take a boatload of photos, so I figured I better get up-to-date here on my summer snapshots – in addition to Friday Fun-days, Saturdays and Sundays have been pretty grand as well.
We convened with the gang in Issaquah in early June for a hike out to Coal Creek Falls.  Actually, let’s call it more of a “saunter” – 6 adults, 5 kids, and 1 dog made for a less-than-nimble group.
Oh, and add two babies to the tally!
This place is was so much greener than it was on our walk just a few weeks earlier.
Isaiah kissed a slug, proudly earning a new notch on his nature belt.
Seriously, people, the goin’ was slow!
Made it!
Steady, Gryff!
And…homeward bound!
We made it back to the car in record time, logging a speedy 35-minute mile. Â Nicely done, kids.
In other news, Grandma was here! Â My mom spent a couple of days in Seattle en route to Florida in mid-June and we hit up Jefferson Park on a sunny afternoon…
Then lounged in the backyard with white wine and kombucha.
We walked my mom to Lightrail on her final morning here and Juliette sobbed for 15 minutes once we said our good-byes, as if we’d never ever see Grandma again (we’ll see her next month).
We spent last Saturday in Mukilteo, visiting Shane’s aunt, uncle, and cousins. Â Doug and Val have a condo right near the ferry terminal and the Mukilteo lighthouse, so we spent a little time exploring the sights.
And I snapped some Schnell family pics, since it’s so rare that their whole family gets to be together, with the kids spread from coast to coast. Â See that strapping young man on the right? Â I used to read him bedtime stories when he was Juliette’s age!
We spent much of the afternoon at the pool, floating on noodles and working on our tans.
Juliette got swim lessons from Auntie Val…
And loved it.
I soaked up some rays while Juliette pouted about the fact that pooltime was over.
We took an evening walk along the beach with ice cream cones from the corner brewpub and overturned rocks in search of crabs.
Thanks as always, Schnells, for showing us a great time!
With all the out-and-abouting we’ve been doing lately, we opted for a laid-back Fourth of July at home, venturing no farther than our own backyard.
I sometimes forget how good the simple pleasures can be.
SUMMMMMMMERRRRRRRRR!
We ended the day with a stroll down to the neighborhood kids’ lemonade stand, raising our cups to the entrepreneurial spirit of the good ol’ U.S. of A.
We woke up to another magical 80-degree forecast on Saturday and drove over to Pine Lake to check out the Eastside water scene.
Shane and I each got out for a solo spin on the SUP and then Juliette asked if she could try. Â We let her climb on but hovered close by, sure that we’d soon have a soaking wet kid on our hands.
Steady, baby…
She’s a natural, folks.
A few minutes in, she hopped off the board and ran to grab her life jacket, as a way of letting us know she was ready to venture a little farther out.
Shane took the fin off the bottom of the board so that Juliette paddled in circles around us, reveling in her newfound freedom.
What’s better than bobbing along in a cool lake with your favorite people on a warm day in the PNW? Â Quite possibly nothin’.
