little black journal

We’re in the thick of Autumn – it’s raining outside as I type and the kids are watching Coco in the background, snuggled under a pile of blankets.  Summer is a distant memory…  But I’m leaning into the change of seasons, finding some comfort in the way we’ve settled into our Fall schedule and thankful for the sun breaks that graced much of September and October.

We spent a September Saturday up in Duvall, running through fields of sunflowers.  We paid our entry fee to Lora Lee’s and went through the gate, expecting to see acres of gold.  Instead, we found a patch of dahlias, which were beautiful, but not quite what we’d imagined.  We followed the signs to the sunflower maze, hopes held high.

And then there they were, just past the corn.  ENTER!

I’d imagined the sunflowers would be several feet tall, but I’m so glad these were minis, given that Isaac took off like a lightning bolt and I counted on being able to keep an eye on his blond bobbing head from a distance.

Top day.

Shane’s mom was with us for nearly two weeks in September and joined us for donut runs and soccer games and morning walks to school.  And lots of evening games of Hearts, once Isaac went to bed.

She celebrated her birthday with us, with drinks at Salty’s…

And apple pie at home.

We still spend as many golden hours as possible outside, at Alki or Lincoln Park.

I spy…a couple of runners.

Isaac is enamored with the barrage of skeletons and inflatable ghosts that have popped up around the neighborhood this month.  He calls them “mookies”, which is his pronunciation of “spookies” and we love an evening spooky hunt.

We found ourselves with a wide-open Sunday a couple of weeks ago and felt very much in need of a family reconnect after a hectic month, so we shoved aside our to-do list and boarded a ferry for Vashon Island.

We found the smallest, sweetest pumpkin patch at the south end of the island and loaded up our wheelbarrow with a pumpkin for each of us.

Score, Buddy!

Smile, Isaac!

Or…don’t, you little goofball.

I know, this just keeps going, but the pumpkin patch photo ops!

Post-pumpkins, we grabbed some treats at Vashon Coffee Roasters and headed to KVI Beach to get some sun and look for shells.

The weather was so good that day.  Some of us shed our sweaters.  One of us took off our pants.

Juliette and I read our books while Isaac brewed shell soup.

Our final stop was Dragon’s Head Cider – this place is heaven on earth on a sunny afternoon.  Hammocks and orchards and Adirondack chairs and crisp, cold drinks…we made ourselves right at home.

Isaac is far from “easy” these days, but we are finding ourselves with some several-minute stretches where we can sit back and watch the kids play without having to worry that Isaac’s going to hurt himself or run away or eat something unsavory.  It feels good.

I favored the Kinsgston Black, but Isaac thought my Columbia Crabapple was particularly nice on the nose.

A dream, I tell you.  Huge shout-out to Shane for being the mini-adventure mastermind – we drove back to the ferry sun-kissed and happy and reminded of just how much we all like each other.  Island time does a family good.

Happy Autumn, friends.

It’s Fall!  Like full-swing Fall.  But I’ve got a cache of August snaps I just finished going through, so here’s one last glimpse of summer…

I took a few extra days off after we returned from Neskowin to tackle some house projects and spend some extra time with Juliette.  It was bliss – I crossed a handful of longstanding items off my to-do list and relished my afternoons with my best girl.  We drank boba and watercolored and strolled Alki together.  Turns out Seattle is an ideal place to take a summer vacation.

We took a Saturday spin on the West Seattle water taxi to grab a waterfront lunch with my dad.  Public transportation at its best.

Shane and I took the kids to the Sammamish Animal Sanctuary in Renton to visit their goats and llamas and bunnies.  This place was wonderful – they give a home to neglected or unwanted barnyard animals and we had the best time doling out lettuce leaves and carrot sticks.

We spent a weekend on Bainbridge Island for one of Juliette’s soccer tournaments, but the weather was decidedly un-summery.  It rained and rained and rained and we shivered through her Friday afternoon game.

Thankfully, our AirBnB was warm and comfy and the perfect place to enjoy a post-game nap.

And the Harbour Public House!  There is no cozier place to enjoy a cup of beer and a bowl of chowder on a drizzly evening.

It stopped raining just as we were leaving the restaurant and we all felt a little giddy at the break in the weather.

My word, though – Saturday morning was even wetter.  The girls pushed through.  Isaac and I hunkered down in the tent.

And then enjoyed coffee and macarons at Coquette Bake Shop.

The sun came out just as the girls finished warming up for their third and final game.  They ended the tournament 0 for 3, but they kept their heads up and learned a bunch.

It felt nice to take it slow on Sunday morning.  Couch snuggles and cars.

Isaac was smitten with this little recycling truck he’d found in the house’s toy bin and had a very hard time saying goodbye.  Finally, though, he gave it one last kiss, murmured “I love you, truck”, and walked away.  Parting is such sweet sorrow.

And Poulsbo donuts make things brighter.

We took a short walk along the Poulsbo waterfront and I made a mental note to do some more exploring around here, when we have more time and less rain.

We capped off our weekend with brunch in Gig Harbor.  And SUN!

Labor Day weekend was quiet – we decided to spend the last weekend of summer break close to home and ventured no farther than Jefferson Park when we felt a bit antsy.  It scratched the itch – new grass to run around on!  Bigger slides on the playground!

And dandelions as far as the eye could see.

Shane’s mom came to town the day after Labor Day and folded right into our family hub-bub.  We loved having her around – cheers to Grandma time!

Ah, summer.  It’s so hard to see you go.  So long, spray parks…

And spontaneous evening sprinkler runs.

We loved our sunny drives in the big blue car (though Isaac may insist we keep these up through Fall)…

And especially our front yard water fights.

Dump truck car washes…

And beach ball shenanigans.

What a beautiful season, in so many ways.  But on with the business of September.  And school!  Juliette started fifth grade and I realized as I was snapping these pics that we were memorializing her last first day of elementary grade.  Our walks down the street to our neighborhood school suddenly feel numbered.

Although I suppose in a couple of years Isaac will be a sporting a backpack and we’ll do this all over again!  That makes me feel equal parts comforted and exhausted.

“One more hug, Juliette!”

And then, with a final wave goodbye, summer break officially came to a close.  Bring on the pumpkins.

By Thursday the kids and I were feeling ready to mix up our beach routine, so we hopped in the car and headed north for a mini-adventure, just the three of us.  As we drove down country roads en route to Blue Heron Dairy, Life is A Highway (Isaac’s pick) and I Will Always Love You (Juliette’s pick) piped through the speakers.  We sang, like really SANG, Isaac always a couple of words behind Juliette me.  The road trip vibes were strong that morning.

We rolled up to Blue Heron just as they opened and spent an hour sitting in tractor seats and feeding goats and patting the resident donkeys.

Such friendly little dudes!

Such slobbery little dudes…

Once we’d fed all the animals and given our hands a thorough washing, we walked/ran to the candy store for a treat.

Isaac was thrilled with his Super Mario Pez dispenser.  Juliette went for the Mambas.

It was a short drive to Tillamook Creamery from Blue Heron.  When in dairy country…

Our stint at Tillamook was short, as the free cheese samples couldn’t compete with the well-stocked candy store at Blue Heron, so we did just a quick tour and then popped across the street for green smoothies and a cinnamon roll.

Next stop: the Garibaldi Train Depot for a ride on the old-timey rails.  The 30-minute ride from Garibaldi to Rockaway Beach was scenic and sweet and the perfect way to do some seated sight-seeing.

Isaac bounced from Juliette’s lap to mine and back again.  Turns our seated sight-seeing isn’t so much his style.

My word, kiddos.  Laying it on THICK, these two.

We had a short layover at Rockaway before we needed to catch the train back to our car, so we briefly hit the playground and the beach.

Get those wiggles out, Isaac!

I’m certain there were moments on this day when Isaac whined or wouldn’t listen, but I can’t remember them.  I just remember how much damn fun the three of us had together.

We thought about calling it a day after the train ride and heading back to the house for Isaac’s afternoon nap, but he fell asleep in the car just two minutes into our drive, so we let him doze and slowly moseyed over to Oceanside Beach for one last stop, figuring he’d be ready to go again by the time we got there and parked.  He was still pretty groggy when I lifted him from his carseat, but Sister offered to give him a carry, because she’s the best.

We explored the tunnel and collected a few rocks…

And then once Isaac had wiped the last sleepies from his eyes, it was time to twirl.  Juliette made a game of spinning at top speed, arms stretched wide, until she was so dizzy she collapsed in the sand.  Isaac followed suit and they fell again and again, the sound of their laughter mingling with the waves.

Juliette and I made our own sand-shard jigsaw puzzle and then Isaac stomped on it and now I remember there was definitely crying and whining from both my kids that afternoon, but it passed quickly.

Holding a grudge just isn’t in this girl’s DNA.

We eventually brushed the sand from our feet and headed back, eager to see the rest of our crew.  Morgan welcomed Isaac with open arms and let him help with dinner prep.

We drove down the beach that evening for a fire and s’mores.  It felt good to have everyone together.

We savored our treats and then the kids went for a run, because they’re unstoppable.

Isaac ran up and down the sides of this sandpit, at one point collapsing just over the edge so that all we could see were his little legs sticking straight up in the air, kicking as he struggled to roll onto his back.  We laughed a lot.

The Isaac Henry Show, coming soon to a beach near you…

Friday was our last day there, and Shane took the day off.  It was nice to have him with us for our morning walk.

Oh, Buddy.  These beach-run smiles are the stuff of my dreams.

Once again, Isaac couldn’t resist the frigid water, and once again, his shorts were soaked.  We rolled with it.

When Shane asked how I wanted to spend our last day there, I couldn’t think of a better place than our favorite stretch of beach, so he dashed back to the house for our beach chairs and snacks while I continued to roam with the kids.

Flipping through these pictures, I see image after image of Juliette leaning over so she can show or tell Isaac something.  ISAAC HENRY, YOU ARE SO LUCKY.  Often it feels like he has no idea how big he struck the sister jackpot, but someday it’ll sink it.  I know it.

The rest of our crew trickled down to join and us and we spend the afternoon reading and splashing and eating and lounging.  All my favorite things.

This driftwood fort was a good find.  No bears in here, either, though!

Juliette wrote our initials on the doorway with a piece of charred wood.  Love Wuz Here.

I had been promising the kids ice cream all week and finally made good on my offer.

One last game of tag for the road…  We love you, Morgan.

We went back to the house to gather our things and say our good-byes.  Juliette sniffled a little as we pulled away – what a good week, filled with laughter and play and rest and beauty and family.  Neskowin has our hearts.

Tuesday!  Isaac and I happily settled into a morning routine of walk -> coffee -> beach while Shane got his work day started and Juliette slept in.

Donut zoomies…

That morning was sunny and gorgeous, so we stretched out our beach time and headed to the south rock faces to do some exploring.

Isaac Henry, you’re too much sometimes.

As we drew near to end of the beach and saw the smattering of little caves in the rocks, our little stroll morphed into a full-fledged bear hunt.

Here we go, Bud!

Isaac gasped when we reached the first cave, then put on his scariest face, growled his most threatening growl, and yelled, “No thank you, Bear!”  Small but mighty, this boy.

Hello?

We didn’t find any bears, but the search was awfully exciting.  Time to head back.

The beach is still a pants-optional zone.

We splashed in the waves for a bit, Isaac’s little legs skittering over the surf.  He played chase with the water and squealed with glee each time it caught it up to him.

Detour for sea anemones…

And then we hoofed it back up the hill, Isaac giggling while I struggled to catch my breath.  Buddy is heavy and that climb is steep!

Morning cozies…

Afternoon backyard games…

And an evening in Pacific City, because the sand hill was calling.

Isaac started his climb up the dune with such vigor…

But then needed a little help.

And then a little more help.  Sister is a STUD.

Made it!

We all collapsed in the sand at the top, wanting to just chill for awhile and take in the view, but guess who popped up after 30 seconds and wanted to run around?

Down we went.

We tried again to sit and view-soak, but Issac Must. Keep. Moving.

Eventually I buried a little stick in the sand and Isaac made a game of trying to find it.  We did this over and over.  Whatever works!

Again, the waves beckoned and the kids answered.

WE DID IT!  I think we finally tuckered him out.

We spent the rest of the evening back at the house, eating and drinking and playing games.

Wheelbarrow shenanigans.  We laughed a lot that night.

Good night, sun.

On Wednesday, Juliette joined us on our morning walk.

Errrr…jog, I mean.  Keep it moving, Isaac said.

Just as I was about to suggest we head back, Isaac fell in the water and completely soaked all of his clothes.  Whoops.

Thank goodness for the dry sweatshirt I found in the stroller!

Blackberry pitstop.

And then our quietest day of the week – I helped Kathryn with a house project while the kids played in the backyard.  Isaac and I took an epic nap.  There was some evening pickleball and a pizza run.  It was slow and wonderful and gave me all the energy I needed for a Thursday adventure with the kids.  Up next!

It’s the first day of Fall, which means I’ve got a slew of Summer photos to post before we’re all in the thick of sipping our pumpkin spice lattes.  Here we go:

We decided to forego our annual Summer trips to Idaho and to Minnesota and to Hood River this year, because of busy schedules and Shane’s limited vacation days, but I’d be damned if we didn’t mark my favorite season with some sort of family getaway, so we asked my brother if we could crash at their beach house for a few days in August.  We hadn’t been to Neskowin since the summer I was pregnant with Isaac, so it felt like it was time to introduce our boy to that magical stretch of the Oregon Coast.  First though, a night in Portland to break up the trip and to enjoy the city we’ve seen too little of these past few years.  Iced coffee!  Books!  It was vay-cay time.

Of course he found the one Super Mario book on the paperback carousel.  Powell’s has something for everyone!

We ate dinner at Mitch’s and then settled into our downtown hotel – I had a free Hilton night that was set to expire, so we figured we’d make use of it and lean into urban life (with a heated pool to boot).  Sunday dawned bright and sunny.  Brunch time!

Screen Door was bustling and cute; Juliette’s lemon curd pancakes were perfection.

While Shane went back to the hotel to grab the car, the kids and I did a walk-about of the Pearl.  I do love me those Brewery Blocks…

We made it to Neskowin mid-afternoon and Juliette settled right into her little reading nook.

But I quickly got the beach itch and rallied the crew to head down to the sand.  No time to waste!

You’d think the whole “they’re growing up so fast” thing would wane over time, but El is 16 and still growing up so fast.

We spent the whole afternoon playing our hearts out, and it felt so good.  Sand pails and baseball bats and frisbees, oh my.

Sporting goods are fun and all, but the waves always win.

Settle in, Bud.  Welcome to home for the next few days!

The house’s earliest risers convened on the couch Monday morning while I sipped my first cup of coffee.

And then we booked it down to the market for my second cup of coffee.  Isaac drank his weight in hot chocolate.

I love these coastal misty mornings.

We spent the rest of Monday morning getting settled, running to the store for milk and yogurt and a few other essentials…

And then once that afternoon sun popped out, we staked out a spot at what came to be our favorite little stretch of sand, on the shallow waterway near Proposal Rock.

We paddled and splashed for hours, slowly watching the tide rise.

Isaac is the kind of kid that generally manages to live his best life wherever he goes, but truly, the I think the beach is his very best life.

Uncle Mitch shows NO MERCY.

And Morgan’s even more ruthless.

Isaac’s a good sport, though.

Juliette found a use for the hole in the bottom of our sandcastle cup…

And then we toasted to her creativity.

This was the first of many “bear hunts” that occurred over the course of the week.  This beach has so many fun nooks and crannies to explore.

BEAR!  RUUUUUUNNNN!

We shook out our towels, wiped the sand from between out toes, and then golden hour was enjoyed from the deck.  Cold wine with a side of Hotwheels.

Happy Vacation, Buddy.

Summer is slipping through our fingers, as it does every year, and I’m snap-shotting as many moments as possible, wanting to freeze-frame joys big and little.

We’ve felt a little short on buddy-time these past couple of months due to by-passing travel schedules, but have squeezed in a couple of hangouts, like this evening with the crew at Lowman Beach.  It’s so apparent from these photos how much Juliette loves being the presence of these people.

We skipped our annual Idaho trip this summer and leaned into a West Seattle Fourth of July, complete with a curbside viewing of the neighborhood parade, which is really just a single fire truck followed by hundreds of families taking a walk together in their red, white, and blue.

We picnicked with friends in the afternoon on the Fourth, with popsicle appetizers and a burger bar and eight varieties of chips…

And then spent the evening at home, doing sparklers and fireworks with our neighbors.  This is the first Fourth that Isaac has been old enough to hold his own sparkler!  Such pride.

The fireworks were a bit confusing for him, initially.  Why were we making so much noise?  And such a mess?

But soon he got into it.

REALLY into it.

We only made it to Coleman Pool once this summer, on an 80-degree day that proved to still be too cool to enjoy a long swim.  But the bikeride was beautiful, our quick dip was fun, and the beachfront burritos were superb.

When temps climbed toward 90 later that week, we hopped in the neighbor’s pool for some more drawn-out swim time.  What a treat.

On the rare occasion that we found ourselves with a free Saturday, we headed toward open water with our paddleboard and squirters in tow.  I forgot how good Chism Beach is!

(Don’t jump, Isaac!)

(JUMP, JULES!)

It took Juliette ten minutes to get up the gumption to make the jump and swim to Shane on the floating dock, but once she leapt, her dad was all cheers.

Back at shore, Isaac eased into the water a bit more gradually.  Cold, Bud?

But he quickly acclimated.

Juliette showed him how to load the water squirter and once he got the hang of it, he was dangerous.

Popsicle break…

And then lunch at Dough Zone, where this cool kid drank half of my mango iced green tea.

We ordered a second paddleboard last month so that we could get out on the water as a family, but our first paddleboard popped (on land, thankfully) as we were loading up for a sunset SUP at Lowman.  The best-laid plans…  Isaac and still got out on the new board for a quick test drive.  It floats!

Miscellaneous playground snaps, of wading pools and spray parks and climbing walls…

We took in (part of) a Mariners game at my office’s summer picnic.  Snacks, lemonade, and matching pink hats for the kids.  I don’t even recall if the M’s won, but we certainly felt like we came out ahead!

Juliette has been extra fitness-focused since getting her Apple watch and is always game to accompany me on my evening walks.  I LOVE these walks, this dedicated catch-up time with my girl.  Often the highlight of my day.

If I’m working from home and can step away from my desk a little early, we jog to Isaac’s preschool to pick him up, then catch the bus home.  Something for everyone!

Front yard hangs continue to be another simple summer pleasure.  So many giggles during my evening watering.  Pants optional.

Finally, Isaac and I capped off July with a berry-picking spree at Bybee Nims while Juliette was at a soccer tournament.  It was cloudy that day, but Mount Si was no less beautiful and the blueberries were no less sweet.

Isaac ate about 10 berries for each one he dropped into our bucket.

And for the record, I told him not to eat the green ones!  This will teach him to listen to his mama.

Back to the blues…

These slow, sweet summer days with my boy…we’re eating it all up.  Every last bit.

 

 

Back at camp, again.  We embarked on our third camp trip of the season last month, this time at Kachess Lake.  We settled into our sweet little site on a Friday afternoon and then bee-lined for the lake, ’cause it was HOT.  

The lake was perfect for paddling, with knee-deep waters for quite a ways out.  Plus, those mountain views…

I strapped the kids into their life jackets and we ventured beyond the shallow waters, so Juliette could go for a real dip.

These may be some of my favorite snaps of the summer – the adoration these two feel for each other is real.  Most of the time.

We kept putting off heading back to camp for dinner – it was still so hot and the water was still so good.

Finally, though, we toweled off.  Dinner time.

Juliette loves helping with meal prep when we camp and I’m more than happy to delegate.  Slice those peppers and cook that rice, girl…

Campfire hangs…

I tell you, even a walk to the bathroom or the water spigot can be sweet when we camp.  Nothing is easy, but most of it is beautiful.

G’night.

And good morning!  Happy Saturday, Bud.

It was nice to have a camping trip with no rain, but ugh…the dust.  This boy was dirtier than dirt after a morning of playing with his cars on the ground.

I mean…

At some point I recommended he play on the picnic table rather than the ground, but too late, Mama.  The damage was done.

These two, meanwhile, stayed cool and clean in their shady little nook.

Alright, Bud.  Time for a dip!

We spent the rest of the morning on the water, bouncing between paddle board and inner tubes.  Isaac really liked draping his body over our mermaid floatie and kicking his legs for all it was worth.  I liked the feeling of washed feet!  

Watermelon, water, kiddos.  Love, love, love.

We ventured out of the shallows for a little bit to do some exploring.  Gosh, that turquoise water.

We came back to shore and Shane rigged up a new sort of watercraft.

More floating…

And then it was naptime – we all needed a sun-break.  Our tent was a sauna, so we hopped in the car and sought refuge from peak heat at the air conditioned Dru Bru a few miles away; Isaac fell asleep just as we were parking and I gently scooped him out his car seat, found a comfy booth inside, and he dozed with his head on my chest while I drank my Saison and ate French fries.  He’s a big boy, but in that moment, he was very much my baby.

It was back to the lake as soon as we returned to camp, droplets of sweat gathering on our backs as grabbed our towels and floaties.  We found the lake to be particularly mucky where we settled and I wondered if I was really down for a dip, but then our beloved mermaid inner tube started drifting away and I was all-in, swimming after it like a golden retriever fetching a stick.  I did not catch said floatie in the water, but it landed in a little cove where I eventually was able to recover it after a shoreline scramble.  The windfall was that I discovered a new stretch of beach backed by the most golden grasslands.  I hustled back to the family, grabbed our things, and we resettled at this gorgeous spot.  

The sun was setting and temps were finally cooling – Juliette stretched out on the blanket with her book, Isaac attacked imaginary monsters with a big stick, and Shane and I sipped our Moscow Mules.  Respite, in so many ways.  Our moment of zen was short-lived, as Isaac needed to make a run for the bathroom, but on our hustle to the outhouse we came across two spotted baby deer, which felt worth stepping away from my canned cocktail.  

 

I love this state we live in.  These people I get to explore it with.  It takes a lot of work to get out here, a lot of planning and packing and schlepping and asking Isaac to please stop whining, but gosh, it’s worth it.

We broke down camp early on Sunday, eager to get home to our bathtub and our portable AC unit.  I took a walk with the kids to scope out next year’s prime sites while Shane did the final loading of the car (thanks again, Shane!).

Requisite goofball pics…

Adios, Kachess.  In looking at our calendar, I’m thinking this was our last camp trip of the year, which brings on a bit of melancholy, but also, what a note to end on.

Another one of those campground reservations I made so many months ago rolled around at the end of June and again, we carpe’d the diem, loaded up the car, and made it happen.  Coho, here we come!

Juliette is now legitimately super-helpful when it comes to setting up camp.

Isaac…not so much.  But he sure tries.

I eventually asked Isaac to “help” by lining up all his cars on the picnic table.  THAT, he could most definitely do.

Tent up, sleeping bags unrolled, hammock strung, juice boxes unearthed from the bottom of the cooler…cheers!

We spent the evening getting the lay of the land, traipsing through the campground in search of the closest water spigot and the best lake access.

Found the lake!  Too cold for swimming, but perfect for rock-throwing.

S’mores…

And the after-party.  I need to seriously rethink pumping the kids full of marshmallows before bedtime.

But there was an awful lot of pre-sleep laughter, so I rolled with it.

We slept in a bit on Saturday and emerged from our tent to find sunshine and salmonberries.  Worth getting up for.

That morning was the stuff of camp dreams.  We lingered over our coffee and hot chocolate.  We snacked on bacon and croissants and got a little fire going and I scooted my camp chair extra-close to Shane’s while Juliette read in the hammock and Isaac scrambled over tree stumps.  And that morning light streaming through the evergreens…

 

We took our time getting to the breakfast dishes, but eventually cleaned up and then headed out for a short stroll down a nearby trail.

This “hike” clocked in at just under a mile, which was the right distance for Isaac.  We were only a couple of minutes from camp when he tired to the point of wanting to hitch a ride on sister’s back.

Lunchtime lounging…

And then what I thought would be a short stint in the tent for naptime.  It started sprinkling just as Isaac fell asleep, which I figured was the perfect window for the sunshine to take a quick detour, but then it kept raining, and kept raining,  And so we hunkered.  Cozied up.  Waited it out.  Isaac did a lot of tent gymnastics and then resorted to tormenting his sister.  I brought chips and canned wine and juice boxes into the tent and we happy-houred in there, then ate our hot dogs in the trunk of the car, the tail gate serving as a makeshift canopy.  

Finally I decided rain be damned, we needed to stretch our legs, so we pulled up our hoods and walked over to the lake, searching for blue skies along the way.

We didn’t find any.

There was an easing-up of raindrops around 7pm and Juliette and I bee-lined to the boat launch to inflate our paddleboard and get out on the water.  The rain stopped completely as we climbed on the board and the lake was glass.  So still, so pristine.  Juliette did most the paddling while I sat back and soaked it all in.  This was worth waiting out the weather.

Sunday!  I do love rolling over in the morning to the sight of these two.

These next couple of photos make my laugh – Isaac so clearly wakes up with MUCH more energy than the rest of us.

Everything was still pretty damp that morning and I couldn’t get a real fire going, so we decided to go ahead and pack it in once we’d polished off our muffins.  We’d scratched our camping itch.

When I say “we” packed it in, Shane actually did the packing while I took the kids for a paddle.  He’s the best.

Shane met us down at the water with a loaded-up car.  We deflated our board, tossed it in the rooftop carrier, and hit the road.  Rain be damned, we rocked Coho.

We’ve done very little camping these past four years, because of COVID, then pregnancy, then having a baby, but I decided earlier this year that come summer 2024, we’d be ready.  I spent a January evening making a handful of reservations, knowing not all of them would pan out but wanting to give ourselves some options before everything filled up.  Our first option rolled around in mid-June and while I almost cancelled due to the fact that Juliette had a soccer tournament that same weekend, I decided instead that Isaac and I would give it a go on our own.  Bring on the mother-son time!

I loaded up the car with our two-person tent and a pile of snacks, picked up Isaac early from daycare on a Friday afternoon, and we hit the long, traffic-filled road to Deception Pass.  We listened to Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts 14 times over (“More Lightning McQueen song, Mommy!”), burned through the iPad’s battery, stopped at McD’s for a potty break and chocolate milk, and made it to our site with no tears and plenty of remaining daylight.  Victory #1.

We set up camp in no time and Isaac was very excited by the tent, zipping and unzipping the door, poking his head out each time to flash a big grin and say, “I see you!”.

Camp chairs were also a big hit.

Once we were settled, we headed out to do some exploring.  I let Isaac set the pace – if he wanted to stop to climb up and jump off off a rock or pick a handful of daisies or wave to his shadow, I let him.  No rush.

We found the beach at the end of the road and my goodness.  The driftwood to climb on and the endless supply of rocks to throw and the early-evening sunshine.  Best playground ever.

Who was I kidding with those rolled-up pants?  Just ditch ’em altogether, Buddy.  Be free.

The luxury of having nowhere else to be…  I suggested that we look for a special rock to take home to Juliette and we both sifted through the smooth stones, Isaac exclaiming all the while, “I’m looking, too!  That’s special, Mommy!  Ohhhh…so special!”  SO SPECIAL.

Eventually, Isaac’s legs did get cold and we both got a little hungry, so we walked back to our site for a campfire and an easy dinner.

Isaac’s first s’more!  He dug it.  Obviously.

We felt the first rain drops fall as we were finishing our dessert and hustled to put our things away and get ready for bed.  We zipped ourselves into our sleeping bags just as it really started to come down outside.  Cue cozy-time!

Cozy-time does not necessarily equate to sleepy-time, however.  Isaac was buzzed, with new-adventure excitement and a side of marshmallow wiggles.  I let him play with the flashlight and do his somersaults and sing his silly songs until he eventually conked out at 10 pm.

Buddy slept great, snoozing through the downpour that kept me up much of the night, and woke up with a fresh boost of energy on Saturday morning.

I felt less than bright-eyed and very much needed a few minutes to savor my morning coffee by our smoky fire while Isaac sipped his warm milk from the paper to-go cup I snagged from the car (add sippy cups to the packing list).

This kid most definitely gets moody, but he’s often so delightfully goofy.

A few camp chair snuggles while the fire petered out…

And then we set out for some more exploring.  We made the short drive up to the Deception Pass Bridge, but it was too windy to enjoy the view for long from up there.

Instead, we hiked.

Our ‘hike’ was more of a slow stroll / faux bear hunt, but Isaac had fun.  Give a boy a long stick…

We didn’t make it far, but we played several rounds of raucous hide and seek and found many interesting things.  “A rainbow, Mommy!”

It was a short(ish) walk down to the north beach from the parking lot, so we detoured before heading back to camp.

I was feeling pretty kaput by this point, between the sleepless, stormy night and the cold I seemed to be coming down with, so I was thankful that Isaac just let me chill on the warm rocks while he hunted for treasure (that boy loves popping those kelp bubbles).

The trip down to the beach felt short, but the trek back to the car felt long.  Thank goodness for the emergency Dum-Dum I keep in my fanny pack.

We ate lunch in our tent, too tired even to unfold the camp chairs I had stowed in the car in case of more rain.  Naptime came easily and we both dozed to the sound of the wind whooshing through the pines.  One of my best-ever naps – so sweet, so cozy, so needed.

Rested and refreshed, we drove into Oak Harbor in the afternoon to grab a chai and a vanilla steamer and to play at a nearby playground.

This two-person swing was fun, but I think we’d both still take driftwood and rocks any day.

We moseyed on back toward camp in the late afternoon, but got sidetracked by a farmstand advertising cherries and ice cream.  Dinner, Schminner…

Given our ice cream appetizer, we were in no rush to prep dinner once we got back to camp, so…to the beach!

We found a sunny place to perch over the water and threw rocks for a bit.

A park ranger stopped us as we were walking back to our site and asked Isaac if he’d like to earn his Junior Ranger Garbage Collector Badge by picking up 15 pieces of garbage and turning them in at the ranger station.  Challenge accepted.

I got us a little turned around as we were walking back to our site and we ended up needing to do quite a bit of back-tracking.  Isaac was a good sport.

But man, it felt good to put our feet up at the end of the day!

I feel ya, Bud.

We had hot dogs for dinner and another round of s’mores.  Sleep came easier that night.

And on Sunday morning, we broke down camp in 20 minutes flat and high-tailed back to Seattle to spend the day with Shane and Juliette.  We’d missed them.  But also, we had rocked Isaac’s first camp experience.  So proud of us.  So thankful.  So tired.

Can I pack an entire season’s worth of photos into a single blog post?  Why, yes I can.  Enjoy this smorgasbord of photos from March, April, May, and June…  The highlights.

Springtime brought sports season – our weekends were largely planned around softball and soccer games, and I was there for it.  Watching Juliette out on the field is one of my most favorite pastimes, and she grew so much as an athlete and teammate this Spring.  Plus, she’s adorable in a visor.

Her on-base percentage was off the charts, tallying at .949 by the end of the season.

Number 1 fan…

Second Number 1 fan…

Ok, let’s be real.  Girlfriend has a whole fan club.

Isaac is awfully good about cheering from the sidelines, but I also spent plenty of games chasing him around the out-outfield, letting him play his own version of softball.

The Storm closed out their season with a doozy of a game that went into extra-extra innings and while they didn’t walk away with a win, they kept their heads high.  Class acts, these girls.

And then there was soccer.  Let’s gooooooo Chile Peppers!  Juliette has leaned into soccer as her favorite sport and laid it all on the pitch week after week.

Side note:  thanks to Grandpa for taking Isaac on numerous ‘bear hunts’ during Juliette’s games so that I could really watch her play.  Much appreciated!

Juliette’s beloved PE teacher came out to watch a game and we welcomed her to the fan club with open arms.

The season ended in early June and there was much shedding of tears as Coach Dan gave his final post-game speech.  Juliette decided in May to try out for a higher-level league AND MADE IT and so this chapter with these particular girls is coming to a close.

Seriously, though – the tears!  This team is something special.

We’re not sure yet what Isaac’s future holds in terms of athletics, but…pickleball?  He’s got the stance down!

Other Spring highlights include a ladies weekend getaway to Vashon Island:

We hiked, then we ate and drank and did facials and laughed till our stomachs hurt.

Morning coffee was essential.

Then Easter!  It came early this year.  Candy-filled eggs, church, family, food, a lot of gratitude.  A very very good day.

The much-loved Hickory family spent a weekend with us in April and these freckled beauties were the best of buds during their time here.

Twins!

That brings us to May – look at me go!  Once again, Shane made Mother’s Day magic happen with a sunny backyard French toast brunch, followed by a bike ride and beach time with the kiddos.

These stinkin’ kids, man.  I’m so lucky.

Side note / fast forward…I kind of dropped the Father’s Day ball in June as we had all sorts of other things happening that weekend, but Shane did score an awesome shirt from Isaac!

Shane and I celebrated our 18th Anniversary in May with a bottle of Veuve and an ice cream date with the kiddos down at Alki.  Elegant.  Simple.  Perfect.

We’ve spent a lot of time with family over the past few months.  My parents have rented an apartment nearby and spend about a third of their time in the neighborhood.  The kids are big fans of their roof deck.

And the lobby coffee / hot chocolate machine.

It’s been a treat to fold my mom and dad into our day-to-day, partly because we can use all the help we can get, but also because it’s a joy to watch them watch the kids grow.  They were around for Isaac’s first pee in the potty and several of Juliette’s softball games.

My brother’s family came to visit over Memorial Day weekend and the cousins got along splendidly.  Lots of basketball at our neighbor’s hoop.  Lots of couch cuddles.

And Grandma Schnell came to visit!  Bearing gifts, no less.  She gave Juliette one of Denny’s fishing poles and Juliette was pumped to open it up.  So special.

Get it, Grandma!

Bikes and baking and brunch – we loved having her here.

ISAAC!

June brought all kinds of festivities, like Juliette’s second piano recital, in which she played my favorite song from Little Women…

The school performance of Imagine a Dragon, in which Juliette played a bold princess.

And the last day of school!  It made me so happy that even in fourth grade, she still revels in a classroom pajama party.  Complete with stuffies.

Next stop, fifth grade!  Queen of the school.

Lots of park time in the Spring.  Dropping this photo here just because I miss Isaac’s uneven bowl cut.  He looks so little!

Lots of golden hours down at Lincoln Park…

And beach time, Seattle style.

Lowman is such a happy place for us.  I love where we live.

A sunny Sunday at Camp Long…

The kids and I found ourselves with a wide-open day on Juneteenth and headed out to Kelsey Creek Farm in Bellevue to see the animals and run around in the grass.

Post-farm fro-yo and with a side of spray park.

And through it all we eased into backyard weather.  Magnolia blooms and rhodies and sprinklers, oh my.

And today marks the beginning August?!  MORE POPSICLES!