little black journal

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.

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.

 

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.

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.