mass camping

this was the first mass camping I’ve experienced since I was a kid camping at san elijo. it was fun. we spent the weekend at sagehen lake with seven other families.

our site backed up against a forested hill, which the kids took full advantage of.

there was much warfare…

the lake shore was covered with baby frogs. this was the early morning hunt…

jon leading the kids in a rock session around the fire…

zoe was wielding this weapon like a true soldier…until the camera came out, then it was just a photo prop. it was hilarious watch her go from shooting to hugging.

taking a dip in the lake

a successful fishing trip…

birthday celebration…happy birthday colin!

enjoying the fire, my personal favorite part of camping.

there was a lot of this powwowing going on. little huddles of kids here and there. they just had a blast.

reese showing off her larger than life personality.

eli finally partaking of s’mores.

these butterflies were abundant around the campsite…

super.fun.times~

“this is AWESOME!!!!!”

the much anticipated fair came to town this week. and for these small town people without six flags and disneyland, it’s a BIG deal. the kids have been watching the field for the last week. watching the trucks move in. watching the tents go up. watching the rides take shape. turning a grass lot turn into fast, spinning, screaming fun.

we met up with the porterfields and rode some rides with the girls (and greg:)

eli was soooo sad that he was not tall enough to ride the upside-down rides. i CAN’T WAIT until he’s old enough to go on them. meanwhile, the swings and the viper were his favorite.

lyla enjoyed the rides too…

my sweet girl

i love how eli is looking at her here…

this is her, “I gave the goat the food AND the cup” face.

if i said we got the wrist bands just for the kiddo’s, i’d be a big, fat liar. i love fair rides and was super excited about a specific tall ride that they had this year. while eli was all amped just to watch me ride, lyla began crying, “i don’t want you to go on that ride.” i say this to set the seen for after I got off the ride. both kids ran over and gave me a great big hug. one, because she was happy her mama was alive. and the other because he was just so proud/excited. it was super cute.

so we’re sitting at the top of the farris wheel when eli says...

can I throw my shoe?

no.

can I spit?

no.

i was telling adam this when we got down. he laughed and said, “i was just thinking while you were up there that i hope nobody throws their shoe or spits.” it must be a guy thing, it really never crossed my mind to do either:)

i was trying to get lyla to put her hands up, but she wasn’t havin’ it.

this was eli’s favorite ride of the night, the viper…i went on it with him once, but that was all my stomach could handle. the spinning within the spinning was just too much for me. when we rode it together he kept yelling, “this is AWESOME!!!!'”

if you’re wondering where adam was, he was our photographer. he’s not a huge fan of fair rides, so he opted out of the wristband. all in all, a successful night. fun had. goats fed. second mortgage taken out to pay for it all.

a decade later

we celebrated our 10 year anniversary with a trip to seattle. 10 years? really? yep!

we began our weekend with a ferry ride to bainbridge island, took a nature walk, ate some wild black berries and headed back. the ferry was a beautiful way to view the city

us on the ferry…who would have thought that you would need to BUNDLE UP in AUGUST?!?

the next morning we headed to the market. crazy place. the fruits and flowers were just as impressive as the famous fish.

adam picked up this sandwich for breakfast and and said, “it’s so nice, I don’t want to open it.” but “it” contained food, so he did. behind him are sacks of cheese cloth draining the whey off to make cheese curds.

see the headless fish flying through the air with the greatest of ease?

the candy shop. was i buying candy for the kids? nope. they carried some violet candy that my mom and i love. it’s hard to find any more, but it’s fun when i find it. it reminds me of going to seaport village when i was little.

us

after the market we rented some bikes and toured the olympic sculpture park and the seattle center. my feet hurt SO BAD from all the walking. I was so, so, so happy to be on wheels.

adam said he loves this picture because it was just ”you in real life” :)

we got a new camera while we were there and were messing around with it while waiting for our lunch…so this is what we look like at 33.

this picture reminds me of the one with the farmers…adam, where’s your pitchfork?

our hotel was beautiful. built in 1927 and full of character and class. we really could not have been in a better location, the walkability was perfect.

another one of adam’s favorite pics. he had the fish and chips here and said they were the best he’s every had:)

so that sums up our trip. beautiful weather, good food, time alone! and the space needle. who could ask for more?

Thanks, mom and dad, for watching the kiddos!