The Pacific Northwest really is the place to be in summer. Sometimes I hate to go on vacation to other states when the weather is so great around here. We try to take advantage of the opportunities around us.
Here are some of our adventures from the first half of summer:
We've visited our favorite spot at the river numerous time, with a wide variety of friends and neighbors.
No one gets tired of our visits, regardless of how often we visit.
With all the mud and water, can you really blame them?
We've ruined a fair number of bathing suits with all that mud.
We also spent many afternoons lazing around in our generous neighbor's yard. She pulled out a blow up pool and a few water toys, and kept the kids happy for weeks.
When they needed a break from the water, they reenacted 80's Jazzercize routines they found on YouTube. If you need a laugh, here you go. You're welcome.
We've explored a number of nearby hiking trails.
When we planned a hike to Taylor Mountain, we expected warm weather and thought the kids would enjoy playing in the creek that crosses the trail.
Of course, it ended up being a chilly morning, and no one was interested in getting in the water. Instead, we tried to traverse the creek without getting our shoes and socks soaked by stepping on stones. I failed spectacularly pretty quickly (those rocks are slippery!), but Ashley proved her super stardom by successfully crossing out and back twice while carrying children!
Bryce didn't join us on that hike because we went while he was at Robotics camp. This was his second year attending and he loved every second. He was disappointed that his robot didn't work as well as he'd hoped during the final tournament, but I think he would be happy to work on robots all day everyday.
Our ward Relief Society sponsored a hike/lake day. It was extra fun to meet up with lots of friends for a hike around the lake followed by a picnic lunch.
One Saturday Finley joined us as we tried to participate in our City's KidsFest. We'd attended in past years and had a great time, but this time around the place was packed. We found parking in time for the kids to participate in the candy cannon, but the lines for all the other booths were nuts, so we didn't stay long.
Finley and Thane have been great friends since they were two but have drifted apart the last few years as Finley's been in public school and they haven't seen each other as much. This summer they have rekindled their friendship and spent tons of time together. Their favorite activity has been picking blackberries.
Our neighborhood hosted a BBQ get together at the end of July just as the very first blackberries began to ripen.
Finley and Thane trudged up the hill to scour the bushes for any black or nearly black berries. When they returned, they were thrilled to show off their haul. Thane told me, "Finley filled her pockets full of berries!"
Wait. What?
The next time they went up the hill we made sure they took cups in which to carry the blackberries.
While Finley and Thane hunted for berries, Mark and Bryce led many of the neighborhood kids in a frisbee toss in the cul-de-sac.
Nellie met two young neighbor girls just her age and size and declared, "They're my friends!" They had a fantastic evening running circles around the house, playing in a push car, and digging in the dirt.
Sometimes we have friends over and play inside. Thane is the king of games. He and Holly made up their own version of Carcassonne and were pretty pleased with the results.
Whenever the kids made a neat creation, they always want a picture as proof of their accomplishment.
One of my very favorite parts of summer is Thursday night co-ed volleyball. Mark joined me on occasion (and he's a solid baller), but he doesn't love the competitive aspects. I love it!
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