The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer – Scarlett, Cress, Winter, Stars Above – I loved The Lunar Chronicles! I bought the books after I finished the series because I knew I would want to read them again. These sci-fi retellings of classic fairy tales remind me of why I love the television show Once Upon a Time. I am fascinated by taking a well-known story and adding a modern/new twist on the beloved tale.
Heartless by Marissa Meyer – After reading The Lunar Chronicles, this prequel to Alice in Wonderland came recommend. It’s the story of how the Queen of Hearts became heartless. While I found the tale interesting, I will admit that I’ve never been drawn to the world of Wonderland. This book didn’t compare to The Lunar Chronicles, in my opinion.
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Han, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows – This book was a hilarious and irreverent re-take on English history. The book has vibes like The Princess Bride and it had me laughing out loud. The magic in the book was a surprise to me since I really knew nothing of the plot before starting it. I liked how the authors humorously rewrote history to create their own version of a happily ever after.
Caraval & Legendary by Stephanie Garber – Caraval was the August book of the month for Courty’s Book Club (which I follow on Instagram). I loved it and couldn’t wait to read the next book in the series. I was impatient for the book copy of Legendary to arrive at my library so I snagged the audiobook version which was available without delay. Caraval was magical, full of suspense, and the main character was very relatable to me (a sensible, cautious, protective older sister). Legendary is told from the perspective of the risk-taking, younger sister. The magic in Legendary is also darker than the first book, which I didn’t love. I’m learning that I don’t prefer audiobooks so that might also be why enjoyed Legendary less than Caraval. I’m waiting for the final book in the series now. The last book is told from the perspective of both sisters, so I wonder if I will like more.
The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson – When I’m looking for a quick, sweet read, I turn to Melody Carlson. There is also something fun about reading a Christmas book during the summer. The Christmas Shoppe featured in this novel was magical so it fit well into the theme of the month!
The Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M. Montgomery – Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne’s House of Dreams, Anne of Ingleside – I was able to get six of the eight Anne books read this month. I always like a little LMM in my month readings. Visiting Anne and Prince Edward Island is like a visiting a beloved friend.
Our final week of summer vacation has come and gone. It wasn’t full of big adventures like I thought it might possibly be. It turned out to be fairly quiet. Last Sunday, Jeremy tweaked his back and as a result, our final summer adventure was postpone. Late in the summer, Jeremy added a hike at Mt. Rainier onto our bucket list. We’d been waiting for the weather and our free time to line up. Unfortunately, that didn’t pan out this week. The quiet week wasn’t what I expected, but it was good in it’s own way. Time at home and quieter days are never a bummer in my book. The weather was also cool and cloudy which gave me all kinds of cozy, stay home vibes.
Around the house, Jeremy tidied up the yard after a playful summer. The pool came down since the weather is too cool to heat it now. Inside, I worked on lesson plans for our first quarter of school. I looked over our school books one more time to make sure I know what to expect next week. I’m feeling fairly confident heading into next week. For Owen, it feels like picking up where we left off in May. But for Graham, I feel very different vibes. I have to keep reminding myself that kindergarten shouldn’t be intimidating. We can do this!
We had a few smaller adventures this week. For the scavenger hunt we visited many local area parks. The boys got to see trains our local Napavine park twice this last week. Railfanning is always a highlight of our kids’ week. We went out to breakfast one morning at a favorite restaurant. On Friday, we had a movie and sleepover with the boys in our bedroom. We pulled their mattresses into our master bedroom and introduced them to Kung Fu Panda. We wanted to make one more end of summer memory. On Saturday, we went to a park and splash pad to celebrate a special 5th birthday with a cousin.
We finished swimming lessons on Thursday. The boys didn’t pass their levels this time, but we expected that. I was surprised that they were both a skill or two away from passing, though. I’m so proud of them for all their growth over the last four weeks. With another year of growth, they’ll be ready to tackle those levels next summer. I was so glad that swimming lessons were wrapping up. Or so I thought. Thursday night a weird feeling hit me. I was actually sad that lessons were over. It had been so fun to watch the boys learn from a teacher other than Jeremy and I. The pool wasn’t a typical classroom, but it had done my heart good to see them in a “class” with other kids. Swimming lessons just felt like a normal summer kid activity. The pandemic has changed so many things for our family and swimming lessons just felt so normal. It was hard to see that come to an end.
As I process school starting, the season changing, and a pandemic that continues on, I’m not 100% sure what to expect this fall. I am trusting that God will guide us each day. I can’t see the big picture and I don’t how this is all going to pan out. All I can do is live each day with an expectation that God is here and in each moment. I’m looking forward to getting back into our school routine. I’m looking forward to fall outings and traditions. These are some of my favorite family times and I’m ready to make new memories. Autumn holds a special place in my heart. There is such beauty in this season of change. I might be unsure about what lies ahead, but I’m ready to walk forward and find out next!
Graham and the skyscraper sunflowers
Sitting down to write out lesson plans for the fall
Fiddling with flowers for my August cookies!
Waffle Day for the Scavenger Hunt
Breakfast at Berry Field’s
A little front yard golfing
Stay-cation vibes hanging out on the front porch
My mom tagged along with the boys on a walk to retrieve Jeremy’s trail cameras from where he hunts. She sent me this picture from their adventure.
Sleepover and movie night!
Splash pad birthday party!
Park play!
Something we don’t see often – two trains at the same time at our train park!
After wandering all over the PNW, we stuck close to home this week. Note: we didn’t stay home, we stayed close to home. Big difference. Even though we were still out and about, it was nice to have small adventures that didn’t take hours of travel or full days away from home. The week was quieter than expected and that was a welcome change after so much go-go-go.
We started another round of swimming lessons on Monday. This time at 7:40pm. The lights come on at the pool while we’re there. It’s been a cool and cloudy week, so late night lessons have been a bit on the chilly side. Thankfully the pool is heated and our little guys are happy to jump on in. Graham is working on his floats, kicks, and pencil point. Owen is working on mastering a couple different strokes, treading water in the deep end, and kneel diving.
One of our outings this week was a nature walk with friends. My boys love to go fishing at Carlisle Lake in Onalaska, but since I’m not a fisherwoman, I’ve never tagged along. The lake has a nice gravel path all around it – perfect for a short hike. My boys and a friend ran out their energy and I took a slower approach so I could chat with my mom friends. We paused in the middle of the walk to pick blackberries. I love exploring new places, especially on a cool PNW day.
On Saturday, we had a friend’s birthday party out in the the east part of our county. Since Jeremy’s summer scavenger hunt had locations to check-in at out that direction, we took advantage of being at the party to accomplish some missions. We visited Riffe Lake and Mayfield Lake. We stopped at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants and took take-out to the local state park.
Our big adventure of the week turned out to be less big than we expected. On Monday, our local health department tried to shut down the fair which was set to open on Tuesday. While the fair didn’t get cancelled, masks and social distancing were suggested. I’m not keen on going to events that the health department tries to close, but Jeremy and I talked it out. We felt we could be wise and safe while still taking part in this community event. We went on Sunday which was half-priced admissions. Since we only stayed a couple hours, the lower admission price was worth waiting for. We did two rides, looked at a few animals, completed some missions for the scavenger hunt, ate a treat and called it good. The boys enjoyed the highlights of the fair without it a big, long outing.
Now we’re starting our final week of swim lessons. Jeremy has some time off this week, so we’re feeling the stay-cation vibes. We are enjoying some down time around the house and we might just have one more adventure awaiting us before we hunker down to start school. One final week of summer left! It’s crazy how those months flew by. I’ll be honest though – the siren song of autumn has started to call to me. I’ve loved this summer and I’m sad to see it go. But… I’m also ready to find our new school routine, for the weather to change, and for pumpkin goodies to take over the grocery stores (and thus my house). I’m re-reading the Anne books by L.M. Montgomery at the moment and, like Anne, I’m excited for the bend in the road. A new direction awaits.
Chicken adoration! Buffy got to nibble on some leftover corn on the cob.
Back in the swing of swim lessons!
A little summer science
Blackberry picking at the end of our driveway was “berry” profitable!
A lakeside Chinese dinner
Completing scavenger hunt missions
Sunday afternoon at the fair
Graham’s first time on the Wacky Worm was a blast!
July was a month full of adventures and it turns out that August is doing a pretty good job of keeping up. The August adventures have been plentiful as we pack as much as we can into the last few weeks of summer. When I think of all we’ve accomplished and all that we still have planned, I’m amazed at what we’ve been able to do this summer. Our weekly explorations give us something new to look forward to and we’ve discovered some awesome new locations in the beautiful PNW.
So many big moments happened this week and they all fell back to back. Thursday was the “big” day at swimming lesson. The last class of the two week session is always a fun day for the students. The kids are allowed to swim for fun and jump off the diving board – even Graham’s beginner class. Graham informed us his plan was not to jump off of the diving board, but when the moment came he diverted from the plan. He donned his life jacket and took the plunge. By the look on his face, I don’t think he loved the experience. I’m so proud of him for being brave. I didn’t expect him to jump. Owen surprised us by jumping off the diving board with no life jacket. It turns out that Owen has officially learned to swim over the last two weeks. The kid is a fish and will swim laps just for fun these days. The big moment of the night came at the very end when they handed out the report cards. Both boys were thrilled to find out that they passed their levels! They were so excited about swimming lessons that they asked to do another two week session. I don’t love having a daily commitment, but it’s hard not to capitalize on their momentum. We opted for another evening session that will allow us to have playdates and daytime adventures. Swimming lessons won’t interfere with any plans we have for the end of summer.
On Friday, our family took off early to head to North Cascades National Park. It was on our summer bucket list to visit all of Washington’s national parks. Jeremy and I have been to the east side of NCNP, but the boys hadn’t been to the park. We love the NP junior ranger program and this park gave the boys another chance to earn junior ranger badges. The bummer about our trip was that smoke moved into the PNW the day of our adventure. The views were hazy, the air quality was unhealthy, and it was hot. I would love to return when I can see the towering mountains clearly. Ross Lake and Diablo Lake were beautiful even through the haze. We took the Ladder Creek Falls Trail and found some natural AC blowing off the creek. We also discovered a Seattle City Lights steam train at Newhalem (which our train lovers climbed all over). Our time in NCNP was brief due to the weather conditions, but still worthwhile and we would definitely go back. The day ended for us in Burlington where we got a hotel room. NCNP is bit far away for a day trip and we didn’t want to make it a super long and late drive home. The kids swam in the hotel pool for an hour and we saw many families come and go. Our little fish just kept swimming. The hotel pool might have the highlight for the kids.
Because we were staying so far north, we decided to have another big adventure on Saturday before heading home. We took the ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. We love exploring new places. Owen is actively keeping track of how many Washington State counties he has visited and he can now add San Juan County to the list. We didn’t see any orcas on our ferry rides which was my not-so-secret hope for this adventure. We did see a harbor seal and Jeremy saw a porpoise. The ferry ride itself was the highlight and the novelty of the day. Our time in Friday Harbor was a bit of a misadventure. We didn’t do much research before going so we wondered aimlessly around town. Around 11:00am we put our name in at a restaurant that looked popular and then Jeremy went online to research. It looked like a super promising lunch spot (like featured on Food Network good). After an hour of waiting outside for a table, we took our name off the list. We only had a few hours on the island and we didn’t want to spend them waiting to eat. This led us to the market across the street for apples and goldfish crackers. The lunch of champions! We wondered through gift shops, played at a small park, grabbed goodies at a bakery, and spent plenty of time by the water. Our ferry back to the mainland was over an hour late, so we might have had time to eat at the popular lunch spot. Oh well. Despite the hiccups, it was still a fun day.
We made it to church this morning a little tired and smidge cranky. Owen and I were leaning towards staying home, but Graham really wanted to go. He knew there would be foam gliders in the activity bags are hand out during service. He also knew that Pastor Josh was going to do the classic Diet Coke and Mentos experiment. Jeremy also hides a gnome each week that you get points for finding in the Summer Family Scavenger Hunt. It turns out that gnome is keeping our summer attendance in check. Last week I almost didn’t go because of the weather, this week because of exhaustion… and yet the gnome must be found and documented so off we went. I’m thankful for a quiet afternoon to rest today. We did a Walmart pick-up order and I’m working through mounds of laundry, but still it’s been a chill day. We have more fun in store for the coming week – starting with another round of swimming lessons tomorrow! Like I said, we gotta pack in all the summer fun we can into the next few weeks. You never know where we’ll end up next!
Root beer floats were a mission for the scavenger hunt
Slip and slide time also because of the scavenger hunt
Late night swim! (after swimming lessons – these kids love to swim)
So excited they passed their levels at swimming lesson!
North Cascades Exploration Day
Junior Rangers
It was so hard to document the turquoise water through the smoke
Ladder Creek Falls
What are the odds of finding a train in a national park?
Hotel pool time – I feel like just keep swimming is their motto this summer!
August is off to a wet and wild start! The boys are halfway through swimming lessons and they are going swimmingly! Owen has taken to swimming lessons like a fish to water. He is in his element when he is in the pool. Graham’s week started off a bit rocky, but now that he knows what to expect, he is doing great. We were in the hot tub last night and Graham wanted to show me how he blows bubbles and what his pencil point hands look like. Both sets of grandparents came by to watch swimming lesson this last week. The boys loved showing off their skills and for Graham, I think the cheering section was a big confidence booster. We can’t wait for another week!
Swimming lesson definitely count as the wet part of this post, but we’ve also had some wet weather move into the PNW. As a true Washingtonian, I’m all for cool, cloudy days. I even love some drizzle (when I don’t have to be out in it). Our weekly adventure found us at the Oregon Zoo this Friday – in the drizzle! Of all the days to go to the zoo… Actually, it worked out in our favor. The zoo wasn’t too crowded and all the animals were out. While we did get a little wet, we weren’t soaked and we dried out quickly. We hadn’t been to the Oregon Zoo in over a year and they’ve completed some major construction since the last time we visited. It was a blast revisiting one of favorite places. We had a wet and wild time!
Back in October, you might remember that our children’s ministry at church hosted a Fall Family Scavenger Hunt. Our family participated and had so much fun earning points for completing challenges. Jeremy is hosting another scavenger hunt this month and we are in it to win it. Well, not really… But we’re having a good time. Some of the challenges we’ve enjoyed so far are making Jello Jigglers, making chocolate chip cookies, making popsicles (we apparently like food challenges), and having a water fight with squirt guns and water balloons. Grandpa and Grandma might have been outside walking when the water balloons were filled and they may have been ambushed by two wet and wild boys. Such good summer memories!
I’m enjoying a rare evening home alone as I type this. My guys are out scouting and checking trail cameras. I’m between books at the moment so I took this evening to watch Finding You which is a movie based the book There You’ll Find Me (see my July reads post). I don’t usually let myself eat popcorn for dinner while watching a chick flick. This was a special treat! I also love comparing books to movies. I laughed that even when I have a movie night it’s still related to books. The bookworm in me is strong! With that being said, it’s time to find a new book and snuggle in for the last bit of my quiet time.
Taking a deep breath
My phone is super old so the zoom quality isn’t so great. That doesn’t stop me from documenting!
Homemade popsicles for the scavenger hunt
Another scavenger hunt challenge
Wet and wild at the Oregon Zoo
We saw so many animals up close!
These boys had a blast with the water balloon challenge
Wow! July was such a fun month. One adventure after another! We made so many good memories. It’s hard to see such a fun month go, but here we are in August. There is a completely different vibe to August. We still have adventures in store, but August also carries that “summer is almost over” vibe. In July, I sorted all the kids clothes to see what still fits, what can become hand-me-downs, and what needs to be replaced. July was the time to get ready for school. Our homeschool materials have arrived and await use. July was prep mode, because August is go time! With how the calendar falls, we’ll be starting school at the end of August, instead of waiting for September. With the first day of school less than a month away, the countdown is on. Summer doesn’t last forever. We’ve made the most of our July and now it’s time for August to shine!
We wrapped up July with a couple of pool play dates. The boys love splashing around in the pool and hot tub with friends. It’s always a good time to catch up with mom friends on our back deck while we supervise the splash zone. Our family outing last week was to our local children’s museum. We were gifted a membership that has been slowly extended due to COVID-19 shutdowns. Our membership ends in a month, so we wanted to use it one last time. The museum was relatively quiet and we enjoyed some of our favorite activities – like the water table, the emergency vehicles, and the outdoor play space. After some bigger adventures, it was nice to have this one be local.
Now that August is here, our new routine involves swimming lessons. We started last night and we have seven more to go! We opted for an evening class so we could still be social (or restful) in the morning hours. Owen was a fish. He was super focused on the lesson. I was nervous about the gap between this year and his last lessons in 2019, but he surprised me with how well he did. Graham has grown in his water appreciation thanks to having a backyard pool, but you can tell that swimming lessons are pushing his comfort zone. He was so brave! For a kid who has been mostly home with his family, I know it’s a big deal to sit with a class of new kids and trust a new adult in the water.
July was a good one! One for the record books! Now that August is here, we’re ready for the last hurrah of summer. We’re going to make these August days count!
Cookies of the Month for July! I decided to use our camping/outdoor adventures as inspiration. This might be my new favorite way to appreciate the great outdoors!
The boys’ favorite part of the museum is the water table!
Our kids will play with trains any time, any place.
Having fun with the big bubbles Jeremy was so good at creating!
Firefighter Bros
Tailgating in Grandpa’s truck for church on Sunday
Saying hi to Papa!
Spray park fun before swimming lessons
The pool was too crowded to get a picture during lessons, so here is an after lessons victory shot! Also, look at that sky! So pretty!
Big News!!! I made it to 100 books this month! Woo hoo!!! 138+ books is my goal for 2021. I want to beat my 2020 record.
Books by Melody Carlson – One of my favorite fiction authors!
The Legacy of Sunset Cove – Harbor Secrets, Riptide Rumors, Surf Smugglers, Turning Tide – This series focused on prohibition and WWI times in a small town on the Oregon Coast.
Christmas in Winter Hill – I was in-between books so I went searching for a light, quick read. I decided on this book because I was feeling Christmas in July vibes.
Books by Jenny B. Jones – A new-to-me author this month!
There You’ll Find Me – This book was shared with me by a friend and started my binge-reading of Jenny B. Jones. This book also came out as a movie this month called Finding You. I’m curious to watch the movie now.
Save the Date – The characters in this book tie into There You’ll Find Me so I had to check it out!
I’ll Be Yours – The only other Jenny B. Jones book my library had – band geek and football star romance. Not my usual read, but I enjoyed it!
Sugar Creek Series – A Sugar Creek Christmas, His Mistletoe Miracle, The Holiday Husband – Okay, again, Christmas in July vibes and a tie into the first two books I mentioned. These three holiday romances got me to 100 books with holiday cheer!
Books by Marissa Meyer – I started The Lunar Chronicles this month since they came recommended from multiple friends.
Cinder – I enjoyed this sci-fi fairy-tale retelling of Cinderella. I look forward to completing this series through my local library. The hardest part is waiting my turn to each book!
Fairest – While waiting for the next book in the series, I jumped at the chance to read the prequel that explains the backstory of the evil queen.
Books by other authors –
A Tangled Web by L.M. Montgomery – My monthly dose of LMM! I love this interwoven story of two clans and their obsession with who will inherit a family heirloom.
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey – This was Courty’s Book Club fiction pick of the month. I loved all the baking and that the story took place in England.
Things You Save in Fire by Katherine Center – This was loaned to me by a friend. It was interesting to read about a female firefighter as she re-established her career at a new station and falls in love with the rookie. The book has a strong theme of forgiveness for healing and I loved that message!
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – This is the second book I’ve read by this author and it was so much better than the first one. The WWII content of the book was heavy and the ending left me crying.
We’ve been having so much summer fun! We’ve opted for day adventures this summer instead of a longer vacation. It’s always fun to have a “big” trip to look forward to, but honestly, these day trips have been just as fun. Each week we have a new destination to get excited about. Here are the highlights!
Last week, we went for a river float. Jeremy has been on working our church’s riverfront property and he wanted to show it to the boys. The kiddos loved checking out the river and Owen brought his goggles so he could see minnows. We had a park play date with friends we haven’t seen in a few years. I was nervous that it would be awkward, but our new rec park is so much fun that the kids just dove into the play date and had a great time. The boys went out scouting with Jeremy one night in preparation for hunting season in September. I was informed that they saw elk and a bear. I don’t love that they saw a bear, but I guess that is the price I paid for a quiet evening at home alone.
Our weekend was full of action! On Friday, we took off to do some shopping south of Portland, Oregon. Our kids are growing like crazy. New clothes have moved from a fall priority to a summer one. Our shopping was quick and successful and then we finally achieved our original Father’s Day plans for Jeremy. We went mini-golfing! Jeremy has been interested in Crumbl Cookies so we also made a special stop to try something new. Very yummy!
We took our three roosters to a local auction late Friday afternoon. The whole process was a bit dramatic, but the real drama happened when we got home. Jeremy and Owen went to console our hens who had been freaked out by the process of catching the roosters. When they arrived at the pen, they discovered that four of our five full-grown hens were missing. Our three little hens were secure in their pen still. Owen adores his chickens. I thought for sure he would breakdown over this situation. He was concerned, but joined the search party without tears. We searched our property for40 minutes! I walked through the woods, up and down our driveway, through my parent’s property next door. I prayed the whole time. I was the one to finally discover our the hens in the bushes near our house. They had wondered back home! Praise Jesus! I literally had tears in my eyes as I called the family over from their searching. Who knew that chickens could be such an emotional investment?!
Saturday, we had the whole cousin crew over a pool and pizza party. The boys love anytime they get to spend with their cousins. Add pool time and pizza and you have an ideal summer day. Childhood at it’s best! Sunday, we had a dedication ceremony for our new church property. It has river access and we were able to baptize 31 people in the river that afternoon. It was a big celebration! Our Sunday evening wrapped up in Tacoma where I met my forever friend, Maggie, for dinner. Jeremy and the boys tagged along. They got a special dinner of their own and did some window-shopping.
You’d think that was it, but wait there’s more!!! The summer fun just keeps on coming. Yesterday we spent the afternoon at Mayfield Lake with the church staff. Our lead pastor took families out on his boat for tubing. Graham gave it a go for a the first time. I was so proud of him. I love boat rides and was happy to document all the tubing action.
Today we went to a local park to watch for trains – railfanning! My boys are super into trains again. Owen took a break and got into space for awhile, but trains have resurfaced as his true love yet again. We saw an Amtrak Cascades passenger train and a BNSF freight train. This outing was definitely a win!
Tomorrow I plan to go nowhere! I absolutely need a home day to recover from all this goodness! I love that we are making summer memories left and right, but wow, it’s tiring business! Life can feel like a balancing act sometimes. We’ve had a lot of go-go-go and now we need some slow-slow-slow. Summer is a good time for both of those vibes!
River float!
The last of our homeschool books have arrived! Our homeschool shelf is restocked and ready to roll!
Jeremy and the boys brought me flowers last week! So sweet of them!
Crumbl Cookies! 3 out of 4 Scotts approve! Owen was not into it.
Graham and I are cookie buddies!
Belated Father’s Day Mini-Golf!
Pool Party!
Pool Party!
Excited to have Grandpa & Grandma sit with us at church!
Baptisms in the river
Almost 20 year of taking pictures with Maggie!
Maggie & I’s first picture together! 10th Grade Biology – this picture was dated 6.12.02!
Lake Day! Out on the boat!
Literally jumping for joy at the sight of a train!
Our family adventure this week was exploring part of Olympic National Park. The park is so big that couldn’t do it all in a day trip and that’s okay. We have a reason to go back and explore another day! Last summer we purchased an annual national park pass as a part of our trip to Yellowstone. We’ve used the pass to get into Craters of the Moon, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Mt. Rainier (multiple times), and now Olympic National Park. Our hope is to make it to North Cascades before our pass expires at the end of the summer. I’m the first to admit that I’ve never been a nature person, but I’ve grown in my outdoor appreciation (thanks in part to my enthusiastic husband and boys). I now think that national parks are pretty neat. I look forward to exploring more in the future!
Our day at Olympic National Park started at Kalaloch Beach. We stopped by the ranger station there so the kids could turn in their Ocean Steward booklets and get their badges. We also picked up the Junior Ranger booklets for ONP so we could turn them in at the next ranger station. We had no clue what to expect at Kalaloch and we were so surprised by the cool rocks and tide pools. Being freshly appointed Ocean Stewards, our kids took looking around the tide pools very seriously. We discovered sea stars, anemones, mussels, acorn barnacles, and seals off shore.
After our time at the beach, we took off towards the Hoh Rainforest. This is where our plans slightly went off course. We didn’t expect the wait to enter the park. The parking lot was full, so the rangers were only letting a vehicle into the park once a vehicle left. Once we made it in, our first stop was the visitor center to get the boys their ONP Junior Ranger Badges. I love the National Parks Junior Ranger program. Our kids have so much fun with it (me too)! We did a hike through the Hall of Mosses. Visiting at another time of year might have been better. I appreciated the dry day in the rainforest, but our recent heat wave made the moss crispy. It wasn’t as lush as I remembered (from my middle school field trip two decades ago). The Hall of Mosses is a kid-friendly hike. My favorite kind of hiking includes limited/no incline and mostly just walking through shaded forest. The Hall of Mosses was right up my ally. Due to attitudes and the late time, we didn’t do the second hike. Again, it’s always good to have a reason to come back.
Our final stop on the way home was Ruby Beach. This beach had interesting rock features in and by the water. It was beautiful! It was a rocky beach with flat stones perfect for skipping. There was a little pond (or creek, I’m not sure) near the beach and our boys (including Jeremy) had fun skipping and throwing rocks. Because we had no beach expectations, the beaches were a highlight of the trip. They were so unique. We love exploring and discovering new places.
The end of our trip was a bit eventful. We had packed lunches, but didn’t have a plan for dinner. Our eating schedule was off. The long, winding drive back home was more than our tummies could handle. I got a touch of carsickness, but both of our boys threw up. After camping laundry at the beginning of the month and beach laundry last weekend, I thought for sure this day trip would mean less laundry upon arrival home. Nope. I was wrong. I got to spend the next day washing clothes, blankets, towels, and car seat covers. Oh well! It was a fun adventure even if it ended dramatically.
We keep checking activities off our summer bucket list. We’ll see where our next adventure takes us!
Officially Ocean Stewards
Kalaloch Beach 4
Kalaloch Beach 4
Kalaloch Beach 4
Officially ONP Junior Rangers
Hall of Mosses
Ruby Beach
Ruby Beach
Ruby Beach
A few pictures not related to our ONP exploration:
Raspberry Crumble Bars with berries from Jeremy’s garden!
We visited our sweet GG this week! It’s always a treat to spend time with her!
When we visit GG, the boys play with the same toys I did as a kid. It always does something to my heart! Such good memories!
July has turned out to be a month full of adventure! We are 12 days into the month and today is the first full day at home for the boys and I with no plans, no company, no errands. Insert a sigh of relief here. We’ve been having a lot of fun, but I’m glad for the break. I’m not used to this pace. (I apologize if I say that all summer). In my last post, I shared about our camping trip, our 4th of July celebration, and my Dad’s birthday dinner. Let’s pick up where I left off.
On Tuesday I had lunch with a friend. This was my first time going to lunch with a friend in a long time. The time with my friend was sweet, but I had one embarrassing moment. I dripped ketchup down the front of my shirt and didn’t notice it right away. I had some serious concerns about my ability to socialize after so much time at home but I didn’t realize I should be equally concerned about my eating skills. My friend laughed it off, but I was practically scandalized. I’m just not the type of person who gets food on her shirt. It was mortifying. I guess my eating-out skills were rusty.
Wednesday we had friends over for some pool and hot tub time. Wednesday morning was actually kind of drippy with a light rain. The pool was reading 74 degrees and it was only 60 degrees when the kids got in. Luckily, we have the hot tub as well, so the big kids had fun hopping between the pool and the hot tub, while the younger kids opted to stay in the hot tub the entire time. I love hanging on our back deck with friends. We’ve only a had few swimming playdates so far this summer, but they are always a hit. I’m looking forward to more!
Thursday was Jeremy and I’s 15th wedding anniversary! Woo hoo! Jeremy took the day off and we had a quiet morning/afternoon around the house before dropping the boys off at a sleepover with Nana & Papa. Jeremy and I took off for Portland to have dinner at The Cheesecake Factory and to do a little shopping. Jeremy was sweet and picked up another bookcase for our bedroom. I’m running out of room on our other two bookcases. We picked up some media baskets at Target so I can store our series DVDs out of sight. Storage/organization is my love language! I’m trying to talk Jeremy into getting premier access to Black Widow because I’m pretty sure Marvel movies are his love language. We enjoyed our kid-free evening immensely! Thank you to Nana and Papa for making that happen.
Jeremy picked up the boys early on Friday morning and we packed up for a family beach adventure. My sweet forever friend has a trailer near Long Beach and she offered to let us use it. It’s glamping at it’s finest! We got to the beach around lunchtime and spent a windy afternoon playing in the sand. We took off for Cape Disappointment where we visited the North Head Lighthouse and Waikiki Beach. We had dinner at the trailer before heading out on the Discovery Trail for a bike ride. Once we got back to the trailer, the boys settled into their sofa bed to watch Frozen 2. Thank you, Maggie, for sharing your home away from home with us.
We left the trailer early Saturday morning to have a day at the Oregon Coast. Our first stop was Pig’N’Pancake in Astoria (an OR coast must, in my opinion). Then we took off for the Tillamook Creamery. We were there in February 2020 before everything shut down and we hadn’t been back since. The Tillamook Creamery is a family favorite and we were delighted to watch medium cheddar cheese being packaged. We also did a little shopping at their store before getting ice cream. On our way back up the coast, we hit Arcadia beach for one more sandy, wet experience. Then we hit our favorite Costco in Warrenton and finished the trip with an early dinner at Mo’s in Astoria. The big highlight of Mo’s is they now have saltine crackers back in baskets on the table after a long absence. Our kids ate a whole basket themeselves!
Now we arrive at Sunday – our official return to in-person church. Our church is doing outdoor gatherings this summer due to construction inside. Jeremy has a swing chair ride and inflatables for kids to enjoy for the hour before church. The boys were so excited that they got up early despite being tired from our trip. They helped Jeremy set-up and then got to be the first to enjoy the kids zone. I used the time they were gone in the morning to work on the mountains of beach laundry and get myself ready for church. I will admit that I tried to keep a low profile (introvert alert). While I’m ready to be back in-person, but I didn’t want to have the same “It’s been forever since I’ve seen you” conversation on repeat. I talked with a handful of people and I’m sure each week I will build up the muscles to engage in church socializing. I enjoyed worshiping with my family. Worship is the one thing that doesn’t always translate well with online church. I’ve been singing alone at home for over a year now so it was nice to sing with the congregation again. Having church outside was a first for me, but I enjoyed the vibe and I’m looking forward to next week.
And that, my friends, is an update full of adventures! We loved having some extra time with Jeremy this last week thanks to the holiday and vacation. It was great to rejoin him at church as well. Family is important and I love the memories we are making together. I created a summer bucket list on our white board last week and we are working our way through a list of exciting adventures. I can’t wait to share what we’re up to next!
After 15 years of marriage, we’re still shopping at Ikea!
Glamping!
Sand art by Jeremy
North Head Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment
Getting wet at Waikiki Beach
Bike ride on the Discovery Trail
All cozy watching Frozen 2
First ones in the Cheese Bus at the Tillamook Creamery
Getting sandy at Arcadia Beach
This swing chair ride will ensure that my kids are at church early all summer long.
Amy Scott's Thoughts 