little black journal

It’s time for an ode to Isaac, as my favorite little guy turned FOUR a few weeks ago.  Isaac, Isaac, Isaac…Smily and silly and charming as all get-out.

The kid’s got charisma.  I mean, pulling in the garbage bins on a Monday evening shirtless and shoeless, still looking this good?

And he makes us laugh an awful, awful lot.

Isaac has become and increasingly picky eater as of late, but of course, he’s always up for a treat.  Very occasionally we’ll make a run to Top Pot before school to grab a window seat and watch the cars go by while ploughing through a pair of lemon-filled powdered donuts.  Between mouthfuls, he narrates the traffic situation:  Struction worker! (any kind of work truck.)  Zoomie car!  (Tesla.)  And sometimes his very favorite vehicle, to all our chagrin, CYBER TRUCK!

Donuts are for mornings.  Scoops from Molly Moon’s are for evenings.

I recently pushed our post-dinner walk to the ice cream shop a little too close to bedtime and Buddy fell asleep in the stroller on the way home.  I moved him carefully to his bed and he slept the whole night through – it reminded me that he’s still got so much growing up to do.  Play hard, crash hard, little one.

Still so little, right?

We celebrated Isaac’s big fourth in phases, as Shane was traveling for work on August 24th.  On his Birthday Eve Eve, we did a small family celebration, with backyard decorations and presents and cake.

I work hard to make my kids feel special.  I mean, ideally year-round, but extra-much on their birthdays.

He took his usual birthday throne for gift-opening, with Juliette at his side to help with any tricky bows or taped-up boxes.

This age!  Such joy over each and every surprise.

We’re firmly in the era of Spiderman and Sonic the Hedgehog.  The four year old heart wants what it wants…

And then preparations began for the next day’s festivities with Isaac’s buddies.  This is the first year we’ve thrown him a kid-party and so we went a little big.  Bring on the bounce house!

Isaac’s Birthday Eve dawned sunny and full of excitement.  He discovered the cache of party favors as I was chopping strawberries and quickly claimed his own mask and cape.

This gave him ample time to get into character before his friends arrived.

And now, let the mayhem begin!

It was a great party.  Bouncing and donuts and so much utter delight.

Juliette and Isaac made good use of every last minute of the bounce house rental.

Pooped.

Even after bathtime that evening, our Energizer Bunny insisted on donning his costume for an evening scoot.  He had a theory that the cape would make him go extra-fast.

He was right!

Finally, finally, his energy waned.  We did our books in the gray glider and then I swung Isaac’s legs over the arm of the chair and tucked his head in the crook of my arm.  I rocked him and we talked about what a special day it had been and his eyelids grew heavy and I let him drift off in my lap.  It’s silly, I know – he’s such a big boy.  But if the lap fits…

Sunday was Isaac’s actual birthday, but we kept things relatively chill.  My parents came over and there was backyard basketball, some sprinkler running, leftover cake.  It was nice to sit back and watch our boy bring his next-level joy to even the simple things.

Happy Fourth to my favorite superhero.

One last camp trip to blog on this last day of summer.  I won’t let myself be blue about the changing of seasons – we seized the heck out of Summer 2025.

This ended up being another Mama-Isaac trip, as Juliette had a soccer tournament and I couldn’t bear to let go of the Salt Creek site I’d booked back at midnight sharp on New Years Night.  It was a trek to get out there, more than three hours on the road, so Isaac bounded out of the car begging to scoot as soon as we rolled into camp.  Tent setup could wait.

We scouted the full series of overlooks and eyed the beaches we’d explore once the tide receded.

TO THE PLAYGROUND!

Eventually, we landed back at our site for setup and dinner.  Isaac laid claim to the tent stakes, which he insists on using to ward off incoming monsters.

They’re maybe not the wisest toy for for a three year old, but I mean…that face.

I bought a new pair of walkie talkies and spent several minutes trying to teach Isaac how to hold down the button and talk, then let up on the button to listen.

He could not get the hang of it at all, but had plenty of fun trying.

We scooted a bit more after dinner and sat for awhile on what would become our favorite rock.

And then, as we were heading to the bathroom with our toothbrushes, deer!

Isaac tried to follow close behind them, but he’s not really the kind of kid that can sneak up on a wild animal.

Yes, yes, bedtime, but…beach!  We’d walk past a staircase and Isaac would ask, “Can we go look?”.  Absolutely.

We cozied in after dark and Isaac did his typical first-night somersaults for about 30 minutes, but then we both conked.

Friday!  Up and at ’em!

The tide was extra-low that morning, so we took our coffee and hot chocolate down to the beach to explore this whole new world that had been hiding under high tide the evening before.

Kelp bubbles are called “pops” and Isaac can’t walk by one without stopping to give it a squish.

This was meant just to be a quick scouting mission before breakfast, but it turned into quite the expedition.

Sweet boy:

Scary boy:

He really is the worst at hide and seek, but I can’t break it to him.

We went back to camp for breakfast, but then Isaac asked if we could go find more crabs and I said I’d love nothing better.  First though, POPS.

Score!

He loved scampering over the rocks and more than once I asked could I please help him get down from a particularly sharp, barnacle-covered boulder, but he assured me that he could do it.  Turns out, HE COULD.

Two thumbs up for Salt Creek thus far.  This place was magic.

The tide started rising mid-day, so we traded the tide pools for a visit to the general store.

Isaac spent several minutes at the toy table when I told him he could pick just one thing to buy.  The agony of decision-making!

Surprise!  He picked a car.  I could have saved him seven minutes and handed him that out of the gate.

From Joyce, we drove over to Lake Crescent to check out the Devil’s Punchbowl hike.  I’d heard the terrain was easy and I had a fanny pack stocked with Mike&Ikes to coax Isaac along the two and a half mile route.

After making our way through the tunnel, we headed to the shoreline to find a place to sit and wowsers.  The colors of this water!  Incredible.

I got a text from Shane that Juliette had scored two goals during her game that afternoon and I was thrilled for her, but also, I really really missed them in this moment.  They would love this lake.

The last half mile back to the car was a slog – Isaac rode piggy back for awhile and then we made up a song to pass the steps and finally we arrived.

He earned his noodles.

Back to our favorite rock for post-dinner Teddy Grahams and a little sun-gazing.

This scooter covered all kinds of terrain it was never meant to cover.

Saturday dawned with our usual scoot to the bathroom, followed by the long loop back to see if the little boy Isaac had been eyeing as prime friend material was at his campsite.  He was there and shy hello’s were exchanged, and then we went back to our site for pancakes and sausage.

That fifty-cent general store car was money.

It was another ultra-low tide morning.  To the beach!

We explored the tide pools for awhile, but found we were much happier and much more sure-footed on the sand.

We really let ourselves just go where the wind blew us.  It was perfect.

I wish I could personally thank whoever built this driftwood fort.  Isaac played in here for a good 30 minutes, serving me pretend breakfast from his makeshift tabletop.

Time to tidy up…

Bedtime!

We each had our own bedroom and I got in trouble for not keeping my eyes closed.

Back to camp…

I loved Lake Crescent so much that we jetted back over there mid-day to spread out a blanket for a picnic lunch and an afternoon of water-gazing.

 

Isaac ran his cars up and down this log while I read my book and for a hot minute I thought, “Look at me, relaxing on a camp trip with my three year old!”

We packed up our things and then walked a couple of the nearby forest trails before hitting the road.

What started as a walking stick soon turned into a monster-poker.  Whatever keeps him moving…

One last sit.  I had a hard time wanting to leave this place.

Eventually, though, dinnertime called.  We stopped at a little diner on the road back, scarfed down our burgers, and then ordered up a couple of heavily-sprinkled soft serve cones from the ice cream counter.

We savored our last Salt Creek sunset that evening from the rocks, then played tag on the grass.

We were both pooped and got ready for bed before the sun officially dipped, but again, Isaac asked to head down the stairs on our way back from the bathroom, and again, I stuck our toothbrushes in my pocket and said “When at camp…”  It was windy that evening, so I wrapped us up in the towel we were carrying and we watched the sun go down, down, down.  I’m so thankful for these chances to follow his lead.

I wanted to head home relatively early on Sunday to spend the afternoon with Shane and Juliette, but also, Isaac awoke all smiles and I couldn’t pass on some extra morning cuddles.

Isaac did a couple of scoot loops with his new camp buddy, I tossed everything in the car, and then it was time to head home.

Were there moments during the weekend when Isaac whined or didn’t listen and I lost my patience with him?  Of course.  On Saturday morning, when I wouldn’t fetch his cars because I was focused on keeping the pancakes from burning, and then he threw a fit, did I put him in the car for a timeout?  I sure did.  And then did the pancakes burn, anyway?  They sure did!  But there were so many more smiles than tears that weekend.  Joy won out.  By a landslide.

Fall is in the air, but you KNOW I’ve got a boatload of backlogged summer pics.  Stick with me.

We spent a weekend in mid-July camping at Kachess Lake, happy to have the family all together for this trip with a bonus four, as the Rusts had agreed to join us.  We landed at camp late afternoon and checked off our setup tasks one by one.  Lounge chairs,

Tent,

Beverages.

I took the kids down to the lake to scope out the shoreline while Shane stayed back to string the hammock and dig into his weekend reading.

The water was little mucky, but not too cold.  And the backdrop couldn’t be beat.

Really should have changed into those swim trunks…

We dined on beef tacos, our tried and true camp stove favorite, while the rest of our gang got settled.

The Rust pups were a welcome addition to camp life.

One of my favorite things about camping is the ability to walk in the woods at any given moment.  Did we just walk to the lake before dinner?  Yes, we did.  Did the kids want to go back right after dinner?  Yes, they did.

And did we opt for another walk to the lake before bedtime, the whole bunch of us?  Yes, we did.

Saturday morning!  Ube pancakes!  Sausage!  Pups!

Post-breakfast lake stroll: the colors out here at this time of day were on point.

The kids and I played a game of hide and seek and Isaac was convinced that he was fully invisible if he laid down in the foot-high grass.  I SEE YOU, BUDDY.

This boy left so many footprints in these long dusty roads over the course of the weekend.

Juliette set off on a separate path and challenged her brother to a race back to camp.  With that, he was OFF.

I huffed behind him, barely able to keep up.

We made it back to the site (before Juliette, no less), loaded up our car with chairs and water toys and a cooler full of lunch fixings, then drove down to the lakefront to set up shop for the afternoon.

Tuckered.  He slept over an hour on this rocky beach, a thin picnic blanket for a bed and a life jacket for a pillow.  When at camp…

While Isaac dozed, sister and I paddled.

This girl will forever be my favorite first mate.

We drifted back to shore to find Isaac up and ready to romp.

Pink cheeks, big grins, sunny vibes.

We spent the rest of the afternoon bopping around the campsite, snacking and gaming and reading.  The Rust boys continue to play the role of surrogate big brothers to my kids – they are as kind-hearted and patient as teens come.

We all took a walk after dinner and I led the crew on a very circuitous route to the same stretch of lakefront we’d been hanging at all weekend.

Long live family camp…

We decided on Sunday morning to pack it up early and grab a hot breakfast at a nearby diner.  Isaac said good morning to the dogs and then I took him for a walk while Shane and Juliette got on with the business of breaking down the tent.

Just a boy, sitting on a log with his warm milk and his mama, reveling in how good summer can be.  It’s one of my greatest hopes that my kids do not take this place we live in or these people we live life with for granted.

One last look, Bud.  Let’s pack it up.

And with that…back to civilization a la The Pancake House.  I do love camp life, but clean tables and flush toilets are nice, too.

Round 2!  My reservation at Deception Pass unfortunately fell on the same weekend as Juliette’s first summer soccer tournament, but since Isaac and I had such a good time at this campground last year under the same circumstances, we decided to stay the course with our plans and cheer on sister from afar.  I scooped up Isaac from daycare early on Friday afternoon and we hit the road, stopping just once to go to the bathroom and pick up a bag of gummy Smurfs.

Our little two-person tent is a breeze to set up and we were all settled within a half hour.  Welcome to your weekend home, Bud!

Hot dogs for the win, every time.

After dinner, Isaac hopped on his scooter and we went down to the beach to do some exploring.

A lone crab claw!  Total score.

This place has the best rocks for scampering.

We zipped ourselves into our tent much later than Isaac’s normal bedtime, and he still spent 45 minutes doing summersaults in our little tent, but finally darkness fell and he quieted.

Rise and shine!  I warmed Isaac’s vanilla steamer, made myself a cup of coffee, and then we took our morning beverages back down to the beach.

Isaac found another crab claw and placed it in a shallow pool of water to see if it would come back to life.

(It didn’t, but I adore his curiosity!)

We sauntered for a couple of hours, drawing in the sand and throwing rocks and dipping our toes in freezing cold tide pools.  I know I say this often, but ahhhh…the luxury of going slow.  We don’t get to explore at Isaac’s pace often enough, so I really leaned in and let him take me along for the ride.

 

By the time we got back to camp, we were ready for a second round of warm drinks – three cheers for the coffee cart!

Isaac put out our morning fire while I cleaned up, and then we hopped in the car to explore a little further afield.

We started at Rosario Beach, to do some dock-walking and tide-pooling.

And then drove over to Bowman Bay for a quiet beach walk.

The sun felt so good after our gray morning on the beach; I found a cozy spot in the warm sand and kicked back while Isaac drove his Paw Patrol motorcycle up and down the driftwood logs.

Isaac challenged me to a race and I managed to stay ahead of him for about 15 seconds before he left me in his dust.

It’s so easy as an adult to lose sight of the joy that can be found in running.  I remember now…

We grabbed lunch in Anacortes and then Isaac fell asleep on the short drive back to camp.  I unbuckled him from his carseat and laid him down in the tent, his body limp as he slept off the prior night’s shenanigans.

If you can’t wake ’em, join ’em.  This was a snooze.

Finally, though, he woke!  In time for a golden hour walk to North Beach!

We spread out our towel and our array of snacks.

CHEERS, Buddy.

Gosh, that evening was one for the books.  Warm and gorgeous.  Isaac bounced between being so sweetly, independently absorbed in castle-building, and then wanting me to come along to find special rocks or grab another scoop of water for his sand mixture.

We went back to camp for dinner, but then soon bounced back to the beach to catch the sunset.

Late nap meant late s’mores.  It’s rare in June for this kid to stay awake till dusk, but when at camp…  Isaac graduated to roasting his own mallows and was very proud of his golden brown finish.

We wanted to get an early start back home on Sunday to catch Juliette’s final game, but first…one last little walk in the woods.

Since there wasn’t anyone at the bridge’s overlook parking lot when we crossed at 8am, I pulled over so Isaac could see “the big green bridge” up-close.

And then we walked across, because my kid not only has no fear of heights, but apparently loves them.

I mean, at least watch where you’re walking, Buddy!

We grabbed breakfast in La Conner and recapped our favorite parts of the weekend.  I put beachfront happy hour on the top of my list while Isaac declared scootering his most favorite pastime.  I don’t know that I’d ever felt closer to this boy, more certain that I was living into my deepest dreams.  My dusty, tiring, sun-soaked dreams.  This is the stuff.

I had big dreams for Schnell Family Camp Season 2025 and spent a lot of hours on campground websites last winter, looking at campsites and mapping drive times and making reservations, keeping my fingers crossed that weather and schedules would allow us to follow through come summer.  And WE DID IT.  Mostly, I mean – there was a forest fire that nixed one weekend’s reso, and Juliette had a couple of soccer tournaments that required Isaac and I to trek on without her and Shane, but no regrets.  We’ve been living our best PNW lives these past couple of months.

We got right down to business the day after school let out and headed to Lake Chelan for our inaugural trip.  Shane upped the ante and reserved a boat for a couple of hours; we drove straight to the dock, strapped on our life jackets, and let ‘er rip.

Faster, Daddy, faster!

Juliette Grace, you look good on a boat.

Our boat came with an inner tube and I was the first to take it for a spin – Juliette wanted to see how it was done.  Shane took it easy on me, keeping the boat slow and steady.

And then Juliette took a turn, timid for just a moment but soon giving Shane the thumbs-up signal that we had agreed would mean GO FASTER.  Isaac and I watched from the back of the boat and he laughed as Juliette whipped around behind us.  Isaac turned to Shane and said, “Juliette is so happy, Daddy!”  That grin…

Swim break…

One last full-speed blitz before heading back to the dock…

Brilliant idea, Shane.  What a beautiful way to let the festivities begin.

We rolled into the campground late in the afternoon, pleased to find our site was tucked back from a lot of the hub-bub, perched over a small river whose bubbling sounds would be the soundtrack of our weekend.

We got settled, ate our hot dogs, and then capped off the day with our most favorite camping delicacy.

Isaac played drums on our skillet with the hot dog skewers while I finished doing dishes.  Toys schmoys – this is fun stuff.

Friday started with coffee, cinnamon rolls, and a morning fire.

Isaac’s yellow scooter was so clutch that weekend – we were able to make back and forth to the bathroom in record time.

Shane took the kids to the playground while I dragged my camp chair down to the river to read and drink a second cup of coffee.

Dang it, though – I soon wanted in on the playground action.  I mean…

Back at camp, hammock gold fish…

And riverside smoothies.

Isaac climbed up and down this hill a dozen times a day.  I do not take for granted the sure-footedness that comes with him getting older.

That said, he took a spill on his scooter after lunch and kind of lost his mind over his skinned elbow.  I laid down with him in the tent and his whiny whimpers soon mellowed to a quiet snore.  Bud was beat.

While Isaac slept, we enjoyed more grownup camp vibes.

I had hopes of paddleboarding that afternoon, but it was windy and the water was choppy, so we settled for a lakeside snack.

Back at camp, Juliette cozied up in the hammock while Isaac and I reveled in golden hour by the river.

And then Isaac joined me on a scouting mission to check out the lakefront sites.  Scooter for the win again.

This lake’s colors!  The temps were a bit too cold to want to take a dip, but we did plenty of water-gazing.

Juliette ate ramen while I made tacos and we dined all out of sync that night, but we were together and no one complained and I called it a win.

Good morning, bud!  Thank you for the sleep-in!

Again, who needs toys?!

Saturday morning was cloudy, but the lake was quiet and we took advantage of the glassy conditions to get out for a paddle.

In lakes as large as Chelan’s, where paddling across the lake is impossible, we pick our own mini-mini destinations.  As in, “Hey!  Let’s paddle over to that floating pinecone and pick it up!”  Almost the same sense of accomplishment.

Taco leftovers for lunch…

And then tent shenanigans during a passing drizzle.

We were all a little antsy by late afternoon, so we drove into town for burgers and a stop at the local toy store/candy shop.  Juliette picked out a tub of orange cream cotton candy and after much agonizing, Isaac selected a furry bouncy ball with the face of his favorite Bluey character on it.  The heart wants what it wants…

These two did plenty of getting on each other’s nerves that weekend, but also, they made each other laugh a lot.  It’s a package deal, parenting these two, and most days the scales tip toward joy.

Isaac was up early-early on Sunday, but after a quick trip to the bathroom, we snuggled back under our blankets.

And snoozed.

And snoozed.  Felt so good.

Those couple extra hours of sleep did my boy good!

One last tent romp before we packed it up…

I took the kids down to the lake while Shane broke down camp.  The sun came out in full force that day and we dosed up on Vitamin D before hitting the road.

I feel ya, Buddy.  The disappointment of a now-empty campsite…

We did a final sweep to collect our odds and ends and then shared a round of hugs, as Shane and Juliette were headed off on their own father-daughter five-day adventure in Winthrop.

SUMMER!  It arrived with a bang.

Another photo blitz, to catch up on the last bits of Spring, and then it’s going to be a camp trip bonanza on here.  In May and June, there were playgrounds…

And scooters…

And spray parks, oh my.

Dates at our favorite neighborhood  pub…

And a visit to our new favorite ice cream shop…

And so much time at Alki.

Lowman Beach is still our favorite place to spread out a blanket and a picnic feast.

I’d like to give a special moment to Isaac’s little button-down…

And Juliette’s Coffee Coffee Coffee shirt, gifted to her by a friend’s mom when she learned how much Juliette adores Lorelei Gilmore.

In April I chaperoned Juliette’s Fifth Grade Camp and had the best time with my girl.  While all the other kids with parent chaperones asked their moms and dads to sit at the front of the bus, Juliette saved me a seat, insisting we buddy up.  I couldn’t say no.

And I got ALL the 11 year old scoops.

These were my cabin mates, sweet as could be.  While the fifth grade boys were stealing latex gloves from the first aid kids and turning them into makeshift water balloons to be launched at cabin windows, these girls were stringing twinkle lights on their bunks and arranging their bookshelves just-so.  Don’t get me wrong – girls can stir up their own types of drama, but these particular kiddos were such a pleasure throughout the weekend.

We had an activity-packed couple of days.  Campfires…

Beach walks…

And a squid dissection!

A squid ink signature to prove she completed the assignment.

The kids played some form of tag in which they were all different animals in the forest food chain and Juliette dominated, gazelle that she is.

Our last morning brought shelter-building, fire-making, and a surprise salamander-sighting.

And to cap it off, the climbing wall.

It was pretty special, to watch Juliette scramble up that wall with her classmates spotting her and cheering her on.

I’m so glad I got the chance to tag along.  And I’m so glad I won’t be asked to do it again for another eight years (I’ve got you, Isaac!).

Mother’s Day was spent enjoying our usual backyard French toast brunch.

Tastes goooooood…

We went down to Whale Tail Park to test out Isaac’s new rocket launcher and he picked me the tiniest, sweetest daisy bouquet.

With a hike up through Schmitz Park to cap it all off.

I spent a weekend in Bellingham with a few lady friends, drinking foofy drinks and eating good food and laughing till we cried.

We went for a walk through the neighborhood and were accosted by a herd of goats.

This group spreads out a taco bar like nobody’s business.

Shane and I celebrated the evening of our 19th anniversary at Cactus Grill with the kiddos.  Maybe a tiny bit light on romance…

But big on love.

The romance came a few days later, when we snuck away for a night on Whidbey Island while my mom and dad watched the kids.  We drank our canned wine and ate our fancy cheese and streamed the Daily Show while waiting for the ferry at Mukilteo.  There was no passing of snacks to the backseat, no pleas for Paw Patrol, no interrupted conversations.  Just us.  It felt good.

We perused the plants and housewares at Bayview Garden before checking into our little cabin for an afternoon of reading and dozing.

We spruced up for dinner in Coupeville at The Oyster Catcher, where we treated ourselves to oysters and pork belly and creme brûlée.

I just asked Shane if he could remember what his favorite thing was at dinner that night and without missing a beat, he said, “looking into your eyes…”.  19 years and we still got it.

Morning reading time in our backyard…

And then a hike at Ebey’s Landing.

Woooo!  This place!  I could have watched these grasses wave in the wind for hours.  But alas, we missed our mayhem back home – time to roll out.

Mid June brought all the end-of-the-school-year happenings, like Juliette’s piano recital, which she rocked.

She played a duet with Nico and the two of them stole the show, tearing through their piece without missing a beat.

Shane and I were invited to an assembly the week before school let out where Juliette was presented with a Seymour Kaplan award for her exceptional attitude of kindness, consideration, and generosity.  To hear that auditorium erupt with cheers when her name was called, to listen to her principal talk about her one-in-a-million spirit, to watch her bound to the stage with pride and still, humility.  How’d we get so lucky?

There was a fifth grade picnic at Lincoln Park…

And then the big event!  Graduation Day!  Juliette donned her finest, hugged her grandmas, and said, “enjoy the show!”.

There was a dance performance and poetry readings and the essential presentation of diplomas.  SHE DID IT!

Her teacher is a gem of a human and challenged Juliette in all the best ways.

Juliette Grace, I’m so freaking proud of the person you are.

The next day, I walked her to elementary school for the very last time.  She looked back with a smile and waved goodbye, trotting back to me for one final hug.  I was a little sad, of course, but mostly thankful.  What a gift this school has been for my girl.  She’s so ready for what lies ahead.

Bring on middle school!

BUT FIRST:  we summer.

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.