Fall time!

It's hard to believe all the changes going on here!  Kids are growing way too quickly.

Asters are beautiful in the Fall and the bees are buzzing around collecting the last bit of pollen before the winter.

After school, Brooke and Oliver were so excited to see that so many leaves had fallen during the day.

Finn is fourteen months and getting quite a personality! He loves going to the parks and playgrounds and doesn't want leave! He wants to explore, and go where HE wants to go!

Hard to believe Oliver is a Kindergartener. He is really excelling and loving school. He told us tonight, "I can't WAIT for writers workshop!" Would would ever guess that he would be this interested in writing! He has a wonderful class and an absolutely amazing teacher. We are so blessed!

Oliver being... Oliver!

I love his blue-green eyes!

The Last Days of Summer Vacation!

We took a last minute drive out to Lake Wenatchee State Park. It has a nice playground and a beach for the kids to enjoy.

Louise and Oliver playing together.

Maisey and Brooke have been special friends for years!

Hailey will be a big sister soon! She has been practicing with her baby boy!

The whole gang! Can you see why we love living here?! 45 minutes and you are on this sunny beach!

I signed the kids up for a few private swim lessons this summer.

Camping Trip Post #2

After Kalaloch we made our way to Mora Campground near Rialto Beach. The beach was rocky and the waves were really crashing!

The kids enjoyed climbing on all the logs and were brave enough to jump a few waves with their dad.

We felt so lucky to have such warm weather on our trip. 

Finn found a great place to nap at the Mora Campground.

Once we got back from exploring the beach, the kids transitioned into drawing, playing with dolls and running in the woods.

We had stopped at a grocery store in Forks and picked up smores supplies!

Morning time reading in the camper is the best!

We drove our way around the Olympic Peninsula and ended up in Fort Flagler.  I just love this place! The bike riding and exploring was so enjoyable. We went on a bike ride all around the state park and at one point we heard a marching band! We ended up riding past one of the large schools in Washington at their marching band camp. It was pretty great to hear them!

Camping Trip

For the last five years I have been wanting to go to the coast, so we finally made a trip this August. Kalaloch ("Clay-loch") on the Olympic Peninsula was our first camping spot. It's a six hour drive, but so worth it! I could have camped there for a week!

Can you tell this girl LOVES her dad?!

It was so much fun taking photographs on the beach! I'm posting a ton of pictures on this post because I can't pick just a few!

You can't tell, but Oliver is whining at this point... wanting to go back to the woods.  He didn't care much for the beach. He could play in the woods ALL DAY LONG.

Maisy came with us and did pretty well!

We had a few meltdowns from broken treasures, especially when the almost perfect sand dollars broke. But it was a good lesson in caring for fragile items!

So many ferns... love them.

Their bums and that tree just cracked me up!  I couldn't help but take a picture!

Happy boy! He makes camping with a one year old so easy!

Great campsites.

It wasn't until a little after I took this photo that I found out that the bird in the middle only has one leg. I thought it was just hiding one like other birds do.  But we saw it hopping around! Resilient little thing!

Kent was crossing the creek with baby stroller and Maisy. He thought he had it all under control until the very last step!

This is how we walked the beaches!

Aren't beach sunsets the best?!