We've had an exciting last few weeks! I'll break it down to three parts...it's a long one so grab a glass of wine!
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| CET turned 8 yrs and 11 months old on their first day of school! |
Backpacking
Even though we tried recruiting help friends to come along, it was bad timing for all the backpacking enthusiasts we know. Since the boys are getting bigger and stronger we decided to go for it anyways. The boys carried a lot more weight than years past which helped a ton. Surprisingly we were able to fit everything else we needed in Phil and I's packs and they were reasonably heavy. The only thing cumbersome is our tent situation. We use our old 4 person tent (small dome) that is not made for backpacking but it doesn't weigh a lot and Phil just carries it like a duffel bag. What really helps is that we mostly bring dehydrated meals (they are a great deal at Costco) and we brought very minimal clothes. We upped our hiking game too, in the years past we've only done 1-2 miles each way. This year we did 3 miles and one of those miles was straight uphill! The kids did great but not sure I could handle anymore. I was fine but the whole time I was nervous that my bad knee would start acting up on me. Funny enough my knee did act up on me two days later I'm guessing from the heavy backpack. I recovered quickly I think because my muscles are strong from biking to work all summer long. If only I could stay in shape through the winter, ha!
Back to School
The kids started 3rd grade and they got the nicest teacher they've ever had. I even told them to behave extra extra good for her, I'd hate for them to be anything but sweet with her. I think they are very glad to be back in the school routine and getting to see all their friends. I warned them that they needed to step up their school game because 3rd grade will be much harder than 2nd. Funny enough that's what their teacher told me at back to school night. They will be doing tons of reading and writing and they'll be memorizing all their times tables. I ordered flash cards so we can get a head start, it's weird that I'm excited, ha!
Vashon Island
The next weekend after school started we headed up to Vashon Island for the first time ever. We haven't done a ton of exploring in Washington but every time I go I'm always taken aback at how gorgeous it is up there. The beaches in Oregon and California are so beautiful but the beaches in Washington are simply breath taking! The countless islands and the way the densest of forests go all the way up to the shore is so unique. The "sand" is essentially tons of tiny shells mixed in with colorful pebbles. The kids and I spent literally hours picking through the sand. We saw tons of sea life, tiny crabs we could grab and would crawl around our hands, large crabs that we assisted back into the ocean and not to mention dolphins! The Sound is so amazing I can't wait to go back.
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| They've been super into building muscles lately |
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| On our way to school! |
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| At the trail head |
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| Picture time before heading out |
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| These guys love backpacking |
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| We stayed for two nights and here we are before heading out. We camped at a small lake and besides a few hikers passing through we pretty much had it all to ourselves. |
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| Perfect timing for picking huckleberries, it's a lot more than it looks! We made 24 huckleberry muffins when we got home and still had a ton to freeze down. |
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| Our friend works with horses on Vashon Island and we were so excited to meet Lily! |
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| The boys at the beach |
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| Caleb jumping against such a beautiful backdrop. My pictures just don't do it justice though! |
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