Summer Fun

the nerdy bunch

This has been one incredible summer! 

Suddenly it feels like it's over, but it's still August.

It's really not over, but the busy part at our house is. All our relatives and friends have gone home and the house seems a little empty.  We didn't stick around to feel it empty after everybody left, we all scattered and went camping. Steve and I took the tent trailer and headed out to the ocean. 

 We took our bikes and rode the ferry and toured an island that we had not seen before. We just rested and were just together. We didn't do anything super fancy, just enjoyed the sea breeze and the walking trails and rode our bikes. On our way home it struck me ~ it was the first time in 5 years that we could just be the two of us and the conversation did NOT center around the twins. That is progress. :-)

 

Vanessa took the twins on the Pathfinder Campout. It was my job to organize their menu... That was a big task, but I have three menus now for three different weekends. The kids really enjoyed this campout and they worked on their birding honor and a Bible honor.

Brianna and Christina talked some friends into climbing Mount Stuart. 

It was quite a hike... 

The elevation is 9,415 feet, and it is the second highest non-volcanic peak in the state. Christina had some trouble with fear of heights near the top... 

It took Brianna's step by step encouragement 

and the help of a stranger with her backpack for her to make it.  

BUT she conquered. 

And more importantly they were all safe.

The only regret was that Caleb was not there to do it with them.

check out the smoke in our valley.

Mount Stuart

The next adventure on Christina's bucket list is Glacier Peak.

The date is set and there are men who know the mountain going, so I am confident all will go well.

Speaking of smoke...

The whole state is on fire with little to no relief in sight.

My greenhouse is finished!!

I am thankful for so much help. My brother, Jason did a lot to help Steve get things done. The electrical wiring and thermostats, fans, doors, plastic, and even the dirt got done in record time with Jason and my mom and dad's help. So thankful. So glad to be planting seeds in it now.

We so enjoyed having all the family here this summer.

My brother and his wife from Africa with their three girls

my mom and dad from Tennessee

and my sister and her kids from the Yukon

plus friends from Vermont and North Carolina joined us.

It was busy and crowded

and we swam a lot

and ate a lot of garden melons and in-season fruit and 

worked and played together. 

Good memories.

cousins

big crowd, big food! Homemade vegan macaroni and cheese.

I have some fun pictures that were taken on Brianna's camera, but I'll have to save it for next time.

Steve's mom died last week.

She was a sweet lady all the way to the end.

We head to Canada for the memorial service soon.