Summer life is good here in Washington. However, as we hit August I realize that we are in the home stretch. Summer just hasn’t felt the same this year with the cold temps. At least the weather has improved for us now, but we are still only getting to the mid-70’s at the highest.
1. Taking a Break
One Sunday afternoon I got to escape to my favorite place. I love to go to Fairhaven for shopping and chilling. I love the fish and chips at the double decker bus restaurant and getting a coffee in the park. Thanks Michael for sending me off for a break before a hard week of Girl Scout day camp!
2. Twilight Camp
Mid-July was a week of fun at the annual Twilight Camp. We had a lot of exhausting fun that week. I taught Outdoor Skills again. Kelby has graduated to a PAT…a program assistant in training…so she did some helping along with the playing this time.
I taught the kids how to light fires and use knives and took them all on a hike. I really enjoy camp! I love being “Gadget” for the week…my alter-ego!
The girls got to do crafts, outdoor skills, archery, and swimming…and even some face painting!
This year the older girls got the opportunity to stay overnight in tents one night and I offered to chaperone. That meant that Anika and Tegan got to come too so they got extra time for archery and swimming, campfire and friends.
3. Stay-cation
After a long week of camp we took one day to rest and then re-engaged to pack up and take off on a camping vacation. It was our first time out in our tent trailer this year. We went out to the WA Peninsula via ferry to find the Hoh Rain Forest.
We stopped by the Lavender Festival Vendor faire in Sequim, but we didn’t last long there because we were allergic to the Lavender and didn’t have any cash. There were lots of neat hand crafts there though.
It was pouring down rain when we stopped to set up our camp. Luckily we have the tent trailer and it was easy enough to set it up. In the morning, the clouds opened up and we dried out. Then we drove into the Olympic National Park.
We went on a beautiful hike through the rain forest and enjoyed the scenery and had our lunch by the river.
That night we set up camp near the ocean. We played in the waves and then went to the ranger talk in the campground about the Grey Whale. Tegan and Anika were working on their Jr. Ranger badges. In the morning we went back to the beach and took a long walk down to the “Hole in the Wall”. We saw tons of beautiful sea life in the tide pools and cool rock formations.
Of course we had to get our signage family picture.
That afternoon we took a hike up to some waterfalls after the girls turned in their Jr. Ranger packets and pledged an oath to be good rangers. For some reason Kelby wasn’t into it this time. So sad..
That late afternoon and evening we spent riding the ferry back over to the “mainland” and over the mountains in the search for sun. We went to one of my favorite little places to visit in Washington, Leavenworth…and we did find sun!
We set up camp at the KOA so the girls would be able to access a pool. The next morning we headed out to the mountains to hike a trail we’ve been meaning to hike for a couple years now. It was a six mile round trip hike and we all made it! It was warm and steep going in, but the view of the lake when we got there was worth it!
We took a rest and had some lunch.
Mike and Kelby caught a beautiful cutthroat trout.
And we just rested for a bit.
The hike down was much better for everyone. Downhill is easier and we all knew how far we had to go. This was the view on the way down.
We spent some time at the KOA pool that evening and then the next day we packed up and went into town for the fun shopping part of Leavenworth! We love the hat shop and the toy stores there.
Then we were on our way again…this time to Winthrop and another KOA…and pool!
We really took it easy that Thursday afternoon. We went into Winthrop for our ice cream cones and they all left me there to shop while they went swimming. FUN!
That night, sleeping at the KOA wasn’t too great. Friday nights are when the campgrounds get packed. There were screaming kids and babies all night long. In the morning we packed up and finished our loop by heading home.
4. BBQ Birthday
Sunday was a family BBQ birthday celebration for cousins Luke and Riley. Tegan seems to really love the babies. She’s always wanting her turn holding Zane.
5. Finding Fun
I took the girls up to my favorite Fairhaven stomping grounds. This time we went to the Cupcake Shop up there. We love the toy store there too.
The reason we went up there was to get me a special new water bottle for running. I like the Fairhaven Runners store.
Speaking of running, I have officially signed up to run a half-marathon! That’s a 13.1 mile race!! I’ll be doing that in late September. I have run up to 10 miles now and I keep training.
The neighbors invited us to a birthday party for their one-year-old baby boy at the park. There’s Tegan again with a baby on her hip.
On Wednesday night we went to Anika’s Girl Scout leader’s house for a backyard campout for her troop. Kelby and Tegan came too and were “helpers”.
They got to do lots of crafts, play games, and get their faces painted too. I liked it because I didn’t have to do any of the planning!
6. Church Campout
Our church had a campout planned for this weekend since last October. We had a great time with everyone and the campground had a great place to ride bikes and an awesome playground.
The kids were constantly playing unless they stopped for a minute to stare at the cute babies.
They found a little swimming hole right by our sites and had fun playing in the river.
We enjoyed a church service and potluck up at the campground before heading home. Now we are hanging out and relaxing!
We have been on the go. I know there has been some down time in between all this fun stuff we’ve been doing, but I only remember these high points. The weather has been great and the girls have been playing in our little pool in the backyard a lot. I’ve been running a lot. Mike’s been working a lot…poor thing.
School starts on August 31st this year, so the end is near. I hope we can get all our fun stuff done before it is over.
Love to you all!
