Swan Song

Tomorrow school starts.

Last night I demanded one last Padden/Galbraith night. 

I said to Jim before we left for the mountain, 

"this is more than just another night at Padden...it's...it's...I can't think of the word."

"Your swan song?"

"Yes!"

It was our swan song. Our final send off. Our last hoorah. 

I am really truly struggling with this being the end of summer. 

Wistfully, nostalgically sad about it ending. It was such a carefree, packed to the brim summer.

Tomorrow I start with schedules. Our enjoyable chaos is being traded in for:

Soccer practise - I am the coach,

Preschool - I am in a co-op with other moms,

Primary program in three weeks - I am the chorister,

New primary presidency meetings - I am the new 1st councilor,

Half marathon training - race is in 2 months,

and subbing once in a while.

All of these "schedules" are really so much fun to me...they are my jam,

but I am just going to miss all this so much:

Enduro

Jim and Joe have been "working" all summer getting ready for this race. 

By "working", I mean going mountain biking a couple times a week. Super rough. 

We didn't totally know what to expect, but it was so fun and laid back. We were able to go hang out with him during one of the climbs. I was a little hesitant, like, "are we messing with your focus?", but  it was all just easy going.

We rode ahead and met them at the top of the mountain where their third and final course started. 

The girls were fairies; you can see Avery's wand in her hand.

The bikers just kinda hang around and get ready, then get in line and go down the mountain

one at a time, wearing a timing chip that calculates how fast they go. 

We were a spectacle. 

Jim and Joe + their wives + 7 kids to "see them off" down the hill. 

I love how nonchalant everyone is...meanwhile they are going off/down/around/through some burley and steep stuff down there in the trees. 

I wish we could see them in real action. 

We drove back down to hang out and eat the best taco ever and not win anything at the raffle. 

We stayed for hours because the kids just kept on having fun and fun and more fun rolling in dirt and playing.

The dirt situation...dusting these two off produced a literal cloud of dust. 

Mt Baker

It's a tradition to head up to Mt. Baker before school starts. 

So we did. 

I know it's been said a million times, but I am clinging to summer's ankles.

Next week...NEXT WEEK we start school and soccer practises...

back to schedules and regimens and real bed times. 

One thing I have "let go" this summer is reading. I feel guilty every time I hear a mom talking about a book they read to their kid. We went to the library and picked out books all summer...but just never really actually settled in to reading them. 

Guilt, I tell you. 

But then today I said out loud to my friend, "we haven't been reading this summer, but we've gone on a hundred amazing adventures". And I think I'm ok with that trade off. That was just our rhythm. 

He would not share this Pink Lady apple with me. 

After it got covered in dirt from his dirty hands, I was ok with it.

Larrabee Sunset

Jim's mountain bike Enduro race is this Saturday, so we have been spending lots of time over at the Chuckanuts. 

The other night he and his friends were on the trails forever while we explored Larrabee. Then we settled into playing on the playground while I read (The Hot Zone) on the picnic bench. 

See Avery's crock there? It's like the one we saw on the post at First Beach. ha

When it was time to retrieve the shuttle cars, all the boys went while me and Avery stayed and watched the sunset (since there wasn't enough room for all of us + bikes). 

Then we all ate Wendy's at 9:00pm.

This summer has been "the summer of exploring while the dads mountain bike". 

I am going to miss the freedom of adventuring on trails and parks until the sun sets. 

School starts in T minus 7 days. 

Camping Trip 2016

Camping is such a Mendoza activity. We haven't been since I was pregnant with Andrew. 

I was a little apprehensive that all the hard work wouldn't be worth it...

but I'm happy to report that it was so worth it. Not only that, but I can't stop thinking about it.

I know that during the trip there were some major "below Mendoza" moments, but I can't really remember them specifically. I can remember, though, all the really good and pure moments we had as a family. Such good times. 

Plus we had to ride the ferry to get across the sound to the Olympic National Park area, and we always love a ferry ride.

The architecture in Port Townsend is so old and pretty. We stopped in long enough for some pizza and some candy, then kept on going over the peninsula to the La Push area. 

They are digging into some salt water taffies. 

So, our camp spot was the best camping spot ever ever ever. 

We initially tried Mora Campground, but it was full. I was seriously fretting, but down the road was a better place, "Three Rivers RV park", where we got the most secluded, secret spot, hidden behind the trees. Plus the place was deserted and dead quiet. 

We set up camp, then went to check out First Beach. It was completely covered by fog, so we went to see if Rialto was less foggy. As we were leaving, we noticed someone left a croc on a post. It was exactly like Avery's croc! We all looked down to make sure it wasn't hers. haha.

We remember giant sea stacks from the time we came to Rialto in 2012, but the fog was so thick we couldn't see a thing. It was kinda cool and mysterious. 

We played in the surf and hunted for rock-treasures. 

One of my favorite things about this trip was how every pocket in the tent and every cup holder in the camp chairs were full of rock-treasures. 

Of course Evan eventually got his shoes and jacket wet, and it was really cold! 

We went back to camp and huddled around the fire. 

That first night at camp is weird...you have to get used to the fact that there is no internet or TV. It's just us and us out there. 

I love camp in the morning. Everyone vies for the warmth of the sun.

See where Avery is walking toward? That is our hidden camp site behind those trees. So secret. 

This cracked me up. Evan was trying to light a leaf on fire with this plastic magnifying glass.

Last night he tried to start the fire by rubbing two sticks together. 

His shoes finally dried by the fire and the morning sun.

Treasures! All those rocks have a title. (monster rock, jellybean rock, oreo rock, soft rock)

All the chairs dragged to where the sun shines. 

We decided to explore Second Beach. I didn't really know what to expect, but the hike was the perfect length through the neatest forest. (also Evan found a 10 dollar bill at the trail head $$)

I don't know what it was about the trees along the way, but they were so unique and the kids had so much fun wandering up and over the side trails.

We have hiked around Lake Padden so much this summer, it has accidentally groomed them into pretty good hikers. They know when to explore and when to stay on track. 

This was the coolest tree. It was like a tree house with many levels. 

And this one! have you ever seen a coniferous tree with branches like this? These kind of branches are usually found on deciduous trees. 

On our way home from camping, we stopped and ate at Applebees. We went around the table and told what our favorite and least favorite parts of the trip were.

THIS exact moment was both me and Jim's favorite part of the trip.

You can't tell at all, but through the trees you can see the sea stacks and hear the roaring waves. 

It was so fun to get glimpses of what we were about to see. We were all squealing in delight.

I remember the kids kept yelling "it's hawaii!"

(ps me and Jim's least favorite was also the exact same: fighting kids)

They made sea stacks of their own, and the waves would knock them down.

Back at camp we had a weenie roast and some s'mores...

 The only place the hammock would work was right next to a ledge.

All the other trees around us were too big/round/fat.

You can't really tell, but back there the ledge drops pretty far. 

Avery wouldn't dare get in the hammock, but I took a nice little nap in it. 

Later that evening we went back to Rialto to see what was hiding in the fog the night before...

We stacked rocks. The kids were better at it than me. 

After each rock is chosen and placed, Evan brushes his hands together in accomplishment. I love it so much. 

I wonder what the story is behind this rock.

We found more treasures and played in the surf some more, then headed back to camp for the night.

 I put Andrew to bed and we sat around the fire telling ghost stories. 

This was my other favorite part of the trip. Just us and a fire and no fighting...just talking like human beings do.

For some reason, the kids had a whole ghost story rehearsed that they made up themselves. 

"Ghost Elizabeth"

It was actually quite disturbing. Ghost Elizabeth was a baby in her mom's stomach, but her mom died, and the baby became Ghost Elizabeth. And she lives in a forest just like this one. And when you hear a whistle, you better run. 

(that was Evan's cue to whistle)

So, I don't know when or why they came up with this story, but it's Avery's brain child and they talk about it a lot, apparently. 

Then we were talking about when they were babies in my belly and how did Jesus make it happen?Magic? 

And I explained as best I could that it is not magic, but scientific and all that,

and then Avery was imitating herself kicking while in the womb, and she kicked her precious flip flop into the fire.

We all stared at it for a second, then daddy the hero swooped in and got it out before any damage was done. 

Avery cried, and it was time for bed. 

Two nights is about the limit for us and camping. Everything just starts to get really dirty and messy,

we were running out of clean clothes and food.

We packed up and said a solemn goodbye to the best camp site in the universe. 

Along the way back to the ferry terminal this amazing Cresent Lake. It was dug out by a glacier and then filled with glacier melt. 

I couldn't get over how blue it is! The color does not look natural. 

Blah blah blah, we had to wait three hours for a ferry because we didn't make reservations and they were full, blah blah blah, three hours later in the hot hot (really!) sun...

and finally we made it on. 

In so many ways, this was the most refreshing ferry ride: the cool air, and not being stuck in a terminal. 

Refreshing. 

So, to sum up:

I loved this trip. I am fully committed to camping once a year (at least!) for all the life lessons and one on one moments, and memories, and adventures that it creates.  

I'm so happy to report that in the end (even after all the gear has been aired out and refolded and put away), camping with my family is way, way above the Mendoza line.