little black journal

I’ve got some catching up to do around here!  We’ll start with our annual MLK snow-cation back in January.  We opted for Suncadia again this year, but mixed it up a bit by staying in a house rather than at the lodge.  And the house turned out to be a veritable party pad, complete with a ping pong table and a hot tub and a post-holiday Christmas tree, to boot.

We didn’t get the fresh powder we always hope for, but still, waking up to any version of snow on the ground on Saturday morning was a thrill for the kids.

But before sledding, gaming.

And then the outdoors called.  Our house was right on the golf course with easy access to several sled-ready hills.

Giddy up, Isaac!

The snowball situation was dicey, as each ‘snowball’ Isaac picked up was actually a loose chunk of packed-hard ice, but I told him very gentle tosses were ok.

Did he listen?  Kind of.

Best to stick to sledding.

And tag.

We visit this little pond every year and every year Shane terrifies Juliette by stepping out onto the ice, which was of particularly questionable thickness this time around.

Isaac was also wary.

But Papa couldn’t resist.

Juliette really can’t stand her dad’s shenanigans sometimes.  She was convinced he’d crash through the ice like Amy March in Little Women and she couldn’t bear to even look at him.

Clearly, he felt terrible about it.

Amends were made.

We made it to the lodge for coffee and smoothies and cozied up on the window seat while Shane walked back to the house to get the car and pick us up.

We spent the afternoon reading and napping.  My favorite part of vacation.

Plus, HOT TUB.

This picture might be more Isaac than any photo I’ve ever taken.

Isaac rose bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on Sunday morning and played cars while I blearily sipped my coffee in the overstuffed chair.  Shane, Juliette and I had stayed up too late the night before watching the final episode of Stranger Things, and then I had Vecna dreams to boot…  But this boy was all sunshine.

We ate a slow breakfast and then headed out for our daily round of snow play.  Juliette carved her classic heart-shaped snowball in the 10 minutes it took me to wrangle Isaac into his snowpants and boots and gloves.

Ready!

Conditions were truly not great – the snow was hard and icy and patchy and I bummed out for a minute about not getting the fresh, fluffy white blanket I wanted, but these photos are a reminder of my family’s ability to find big joy regardless.

The kids ended up in a bush or two…

Isaac scavenged for golf balls…

And then we went to our other favorite pond, where we tossed snowballs and watched them skitter across the glassy ice.

Can’t stop, won’t stop.

Juliette sat on a big rock for awhile, intent on a craft project.  When I peeked over her shoulder, I spied this…  Sweet kid.

We went into Roslyn for lunch and after sandwiches at Base Camp, hit up the new arcade in town.

Sadly, the Roslyn Cafe has closed, but the mural lives on.

Back at the lodge, we decided to brave the outdoor pool.  We never know what version of the pool we’re going to get, as some years it’s too cold to enjoy, but this year was perfect.

We had a 10:30 am check-out on Monday but managed to squeeze in several rounds of ping pong and another visit to the pool before packing up.

And then a pop by the playground on our way out of town for a couple of final sled runs.

Isaac ate a lot of snow.  Old snow.  It was white at least?

 

Cheers, Suncadia!  You always manage to be just what our family needs in the middle of what feels like the longest month of the year.

Christmas 2025!  We kicked off our annual visit to Portland with much fanfare in the form of a ride on Santa’s own Polar Express.  Kathryn bought tickets for the kids to ride this Christmas-themed locomotive on the evening of our arrival, and festive vibes were high.

We settled into our seats and the kids cousin-ed around as the train left the station.  We soon heard excited murmers from the back of our car…”Santa is coming!”  Isaac turned around excitedly:

And then nerves got the best of him.  This photo cracks me up.

But candy canes were distributed and Christmas wishes were shared and Isaac decided this guy is actually alright.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

Wednesday, Christmas Eve, was maybe less adventurous, but decidedly more cozy.  We lounged around the house in the morning, reading and doing puzzles and sipping warm drinks.

But because Isaac short-circuits if he doesn’t leave the house before noon, we set out late morning for pastries and a walk in Lake Oswego.

Turns out he short-circuited anyway, but we rolled with it.

We lunched back at the house and then the ladies headed out for some shopping at Bridgeport Village.  I picked up one final gift for Shane at Vuori while Juliette and her cousins perused Brandy Melville.  We all convened at Barnes and Noble, because…books are apparently the middle ground between crop-top baby tees and luxury athletic wear.

Isaac hung back with Bina.  These two have a funny kind of affection for each other built on an unspoken agreement that neither should get too close to the other without plenty of fair warning.

We squeezed in a round of cookie decorating before dinner.

Isaac got caught sampling the merchandise several times over.

And then, after a taco feast with the full fam, jammies were donned for the main Christmas Eve event…

Our viewing of The Polar Express by the fire is essential.  Not to be missed.

Finally, finally, after the movie was finished and cookies were set our for Santa and Christmas Mouse was read aloud, the youngest kiddo was tucked in for the night.  Juliette lingered on the couch past 10pm, at which point I shooed her to bed.  The Santa jig is obviously up with this girl, but still, it just doesn’t feel right to let her see me hang the stockings and set out gifts labeled “From Santa”.  There’s something to be said for still pretending.

Christmas morning dawned with excitement from kids and grandparents alike.

We had established 8:30 am as official stocking-opening time and Isaac and Juliette started right on time.

Isaac was mildly perplexed by the Lightning McQueen underwear in his stocking, but I reminded him that Santa knows not just what he wants, but also what he needs.

An apron from Grandma and Grandpa…

And a new truck from Mom and Dad.  Happy kids.

Santa came through with the Paw Patrol Zuma car…

And Morgan was stoked when she unwrapped Ariana Grande’s new fragrance.  I love these glimpses into what’s hot with the teens these days.

Isaac’s reaction was lackluster when he unwrapped the platypus Squishmallow Juliette had picked out for him, and yet…he’s insisted on sleeping with it every night since.  Sometimes gratitude takes him a minute.

Guess who’s headed to college next year with a fancy new laptop?!

Footwear was a theme this year.

New shoes for everyone!

I love the post-gift quiet, when we flip through the pages of our new books and nibble on treats from the kids’ stockings.

While Luke Skywalker takes a ride on the semi truck.

Charcuterie time…

Snuggle time…

OUT OF THE HOUSE time.  Let’s go for a walk!

(Turns out Starbucks is open on Christmas.)

Christmas afternoon was a fog of board games, floor puzzles, and couch naps.

Juliette served as sous-chef to Morgan for the cheddar biscuits and homemade mac and cheese.

They made a great team.

We savored our traditional country ham for dinner, watched National Lampoons while polishing off the rest of the sugar cookies, and called it a day.  Merry, Merry Christmas, family.

December…I always find that this is the hardest calendar page to turn, as on New Years Eve I’m left wanting more.  More twinkle, more time with friends, more sweet traditions, more cozy.  But also, I’m so thankful.  Last month was rich with celebrations and beauty, indoors and out.

We spent the day after Thanksgiving (November was rich, too!) walking through the misty woods at Old Robe Canyon in Snohomish.  It was hard for me to forfeit our annual trek to the North Bend tree farm when we bought our fake Christmas tree a couple of years ago, but we’ve instituted a winter hike in its place and this trail was perfect.  Not too steep, not too long, a scenic place to rest mid-way for a snack…it checked all the family-friendly boxes.

Braver souls might have forded this section of trail that was standing in a couple of inches of water, but we decided it was just the right place to turn around.

In case I haven’t said it in awhile…northwest is best.

Snack break!

We spent a couple of hours post-hike in the town of Snohomish, checking out the diner and bookshop scenes.  Pancakes: huge.  Bookstore: charming.

The main street has flags at each intersection that people can carry across for pedestrian safety.  Isaac temporarily declared himself the town crossing guard and took his job very seriously.

Also, Christmas decor at the shops on First Avenue is on point.

And for a real holiday decor bonanza, we met up with my mom and dad at Watsons Nursery in Puyallup to sip hot cocoa and peruse their Christmas wares.  I walked out with only a pair of bow-shaped earrings and a small houseplant, but it took restraint.

Everything just feels cozier in December…Isaac and I grabbed an extra-special soda and plate of fries at a neighborhood brewpub while Juliette was at her piano lesson one evening.

And the holiday performances!  Juliette is in the middle school choir this year and I loved every minute of their winter concert.  Walking in the Air from The Snowman?  So dreamy.

Isaac had his first go at the stage for his preschool concert and while he offered scant details beforehand on what he would be singing or wearing (on the way to the event, he told me, “Hmmm…I think I’ll be a red fox…”), he proved to be a pro in his angel outfit.  His class’s rendition of Go Tell it on the Mountain was more enthusiastic than any I’ve scene before.

My mom and dad came up for Juliette’s winter piano recital and I grabbed a couple of festive pics before we all headed out.

Nailed it!

We had a party-per-weekend in December and Juliette’s soccer team potluck won the award for most kids packed into a single living room.  These girls and their families have become such a lovely part of our community.  Kudos to the coaches for building something real, real special here.

Isaac was invited to a birthday party in which the main event was a cuddle-sesh with bunnies and guinea pigs and chinchillas and oh, my boy…while all the other boys squealed with delight, he wasn’t sure what to make of this furball being plopped on his lap.

Eventually, though, he warmed up.

And then the snakes and lizards came out and he got real into it.

No thank you.

Our small group Christmas potluck is the only event that garners 100% attendance each year – it’s kind of mandatory, as in it’s too good to be missed, and it’s always packed with good food and lots of laughs and a raucous white elephant gift exchange.

Isaac scored this penguin stuffy that evening – it was almost swiped by one of the older boys, but then Isaac’s lip quivered and his eyes watered and mercy was eventually shown.  He has named it Kevin, after Kevin McCallister, and he won’t go anywhere without it.

And perhaps the warmest and coziest of all gatherings is our annual brunch with the Rusts and Chens, where we eat and give gifts and remember that sometimes family can be chosen.

Juliette’s Gilmore Girls-themed sweatshirt was proof that Nance knows my daugther through and through.

Spicy chips and Mod Pizza gift cards for the big kids, because as much as I love these boys, hell if I know what to buy a teenage guy these days!

And finally, cue the Christmas sights, like Santa at our neighborhood gift shop.  This guy is wonderful – warm and easy-going and there’s never a line to see him.  Isaac hopped right into his lap and declared that he would like a Paw Patrol Zuma car for Christmas.  Santa took notes (I listened in).

But then…Isaac decided he really really wanted a pair of red Nike tennis shoes for Christmas, so he asked if we could go back a couple of weeks later so that he could let Santa know.  We were in the neighborhood for a pastry run, anyway, so I said sure.  Santa took notes and I listened in, again, for backup of course.

It’s possible that Isaac loves seeing Santa for the free candy canes?

The Christmas Ship with its cast of carolers docked near Alki Beach one evening and Juliette and I headed down to sip our hot chocolate and listen to the songs.

The twinkle-meter was high that night.

And the beloved Menashe house…kitcshy and joyful as ever.

We cozied in a lot last month, particularly due to the unending rainfall, but we found our indoor fun the form of gingerbread houses and Christmas movies and board games.

Isaac watched part of Home Alone from behind the bookshelf, unable to face all of the booby traps head on.

Juliette and I made a dried orange garland and it became my favorite fireplace accessory.

Speaking of which, the power went out one evening and our fireplace came in clutch.  Max cozy.

And then the annual Mama-Jules slumber party by the Christmas tree to celebrate the first day of winter break.  Two full weeks of no work and no school on the horizon!  Peak merry and bright.  Christmas is (was!) right around the corner.

Today marks the last official day of fall, so it feels like a good night to get November booked and blogged!

It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago we were raking leaves and putting our patio furniture away for the year.  Currently our backyard is soggier than ever, with not a single leaf to be found on any of our deciduous trees or shrubs.  I forgot for a minute – we used to have a lot of fun out here!

Our family spent an afternoon at Volunteer Park in early November and I took some of my favorite photos of the season.  Sunshine and golden leaves and the kids running wild.  I love this place in autumn.

Isaac made a game of throwing a chestnut as far as he could and then immediately going on a hunt for it, kicking leaves left and right to find where it landed.  Fetch for one.  I got to sit back and just watch.

And then the age-old game of “stick as fishing pole” – he poked me in the back a lot with this small branch, pretending he was hooking me.  I would have been irritated if not for this goofy grin.

He’s got a keeper on the line!

Sticks, rocks, and nuts make the best playthings, but slides and swings are cool, too.

We cozied in a lot last month, with leisurely weekend mornings spent coloring and eating TJ’s chocolate croissants (our go-to breakfast treat).

This kid loves a good homework assignment…

We started decking the halls in late November; I made my own Christmas wreath for the first time ever and might never go store-bought again.

When setting up the Christmas tree, egg nog is essential.

Opening up our Christmas bins is some kind of wonderful – the number of times Isaac literally jumped for joy over a beloved-but-temporarily-forgotten book or ornament…

Halls decked!

These damn, fragile strings of C9 bulbs that tangle and shatter each time we pull them out of the box…it’s a shame they’re the ones that give off my favorite hues of light!  Worth the effort once they’re strung.  And Juliette is such a great little elf.

Shane’s mom came to visit the week of Thanksgiving and we loved having her here, as always.  She and Juliette baked and watched Wicked and caught up like old friends.

Isaac loved having an extra reason to go out for treats.  Grandma won’t say no to Molly Moon’s ice cream!

Thanksgiving day was comfy and chill.  We spent the morning enjoying the tree and the Macy’s parade – I’m a believer in a slow, slow start to the holiday.  Our menu is always planned around a desire not to spend the full day stressing in the kitchen.

That said, if Juliette wants to make the cranberry sauce while still in her pajamas, by all means!

Isaac was overjoyed by the number of familiar faces he spotted on the parade floats.

I mean…Paw Patrol?  Super-sized?  Mind blown.

The final touches…

And dinner is served.

And this pic says it all.  Make a spread of your favorite foods, set it in front of your kid, and he’ll frown and ask for a hamburger.  Isaac is still learning the art of gratitude.

That sparkling cider, though – he had no notes on beverages…

Three pies for seven people?  Too much?  Nah…

Juliette joined me and Isaac in his bed for books that night and Lordy, THANKSgiving hardly begins to capture it.  I couldn’t be more grateful for these kiddos.

And yes, that’s a black eye – Isaac slipped and fell on the playground at school earlier in the week and earned himself one heck of a shiner.

Tank filled.  On with the business of December!

We’re deep into autumn and barrelling toward winter, it seems.  The day after Halloween Isaac asked, “Is it Christmas yet, Mama?”.  The aisles of Target would make us think so!

But I’m hanging onto fall vibes for at least a couple weeks longer, as this past season has been particulalry good and we seem to have found a particular groove.  The kids have settled into their schools with grace and positivity.  Isaac started at a new preschool in September and is digging his big-kid classroom with weekly visits to gym and chapel on the larger church campus.  Plus, a Spiderman water bottle?  Psshhhh…

Juliette is a Middle Schooler and made quick work of learning how to navigate her new world, complete with class changes and locker combos and homework.

Isaac brings home a letter worksheet and some coloring pages a couple of times a week and feels so self-important when he declares that he has to do his homework.  Sister lends a hand when he’s stumped.

He’s got ‘X’ down pat.  And Buddy writes his name now!

Fall is also for soccer and we’ve been watching lots of it.  Juliette plays on both her club team and the school team, so she’s on the field for four practices and two games per week.  She’s a more confident, skilled player with each passing month and I’m her biggest fan.

I mean, we wouldn’t spend a Saturday afternoon sitting in the rain for just anyone…

We’ve also become big fans of the Seattle Reign and took Isaac to his first big-time sporting event last month.  He liked the action on the soccer field, but loved the Red Vines and Sprite.  When at Century Link…

Shane’s and my birthdays come right on the heels of our kids’ and while I celebrated my big day in NYC with my best girl, Shane was happy with a lower-key hurrah.  Drinks and pizza at Mioposto, some wiffle ball at Hiawatha, apple pie at home.  It was just his style.

Isaac has baseball fever and asks every hour on the hour if Shane will throw the ball around with him.  On a sunny fall day, it’s an easy yes.

Time to head home for dessert…

Happy birthday, Shane!  You’re so damn good at loving us.  We love you back.

We’ve play-grounded hard this season.  We spent a Saturday afternoon romping on no less than three separate playgrounds near my mom and dad’s house.

And Isaac and I made the most of the October golden hours by getting outside while Juliette was at piano or soccer.  This stretch of Beacon Avenue near Jefferson Park on sunny fall evening is magic.

And Camp Long with a chai and a vanilla steamer at 4pm on a Friday, when you have the full weekend ahead of you?  SO GOOD.

I love that a game of uber-obvious hide-and-seek still brings him so much joy.

To be able to walk and talk with my boy now!  I mean, it’s a lot of chatter about Paw Patrol and Spiderman, but he’s got stuff to SAY and I’m here for it.

Isaac and I paid a visit to our most favorite tree at Lincoln Park on one of the last pre-time-change evenings.

Buddy loves the zip line these days.  Faster, Mama, FASTER!

And then, of course, there were all things pumpkin.  We spent a sunny afternoon down at Carpinito Farms picking our perfect pumpkins.

I told Isaac he could get whatever pumpkin he wanted, as long as he could carry it to the wheelbarrow himself.  Challenge accepted.

I’m trying to pull out my big camera more often these days, but it gets sideswiped by my budding photographer.

We carved our pumpkins the weekend before Halloween and Isaac got a huge kick out of scooping out the gooey guts.

It’s so satisfying when your spoon comes out of there with a big ol’ heap of mush.

Isaac asked me to carve the face of his favorite Paw Patrol character and I admit, it came out a bit more…abstract…than I anticipated.

Juliette kept it simple and sweet.

Isaac has had his Halloween costume locked down since September (Costco starts stocking them early!) and was thrilled when his classroom Halloween party rolled around.  It was a Wednesday and he and I had a playground date that evening, so he got extra mileage out of his racecar uniform by wearing it to zip through Mount Baker Park.

We hunted for chestnuts and then spent 20 minutes sending said chestnuts down the playground slide, to see whose was faster.  My nut had a flat spot and lost every single time, but Isaac encouraged me to just keep trying.  Mr. Positivity, this kid.

And Juliette Grace!  We bought this dress at a garage sale a couple of years ago on a whim because it was beautiful and only five dollars.  On Halloween we finally made good use of it.

Halloween evening was rainy as all get-out, but we still took the kids around the block for some trick-or-treating.  Isaac was tentative at the first couple of houses, quietly mumbling, “trick or treeeeeeating…” when neighbors opened their doors.

But Sister showed him the ropes and his confidence grew with each house; at one point he happily helped himself to two full-size candy bars when a kind lady held out a tray full of Snickers bars and M&M’s.  Juliette was mortified.

THIS RAIN.  Time to head home and sort the bounty.

Finally, October was for cozying in.  Yes, we got out a lot, but we also spent a lot of time racing Hotwheels across the coffee table and reading books under a pile of blankets.

Saturday mornings are my favorite time of the week.  Coffee, fire, a day of soccer and and playtime ahead of us.

Isaac and I are always the first ones up and we like our Mama-Buddy time, but it’s a treat when Juliette rolls out of bed.

He is almost legit at Jenga now and needs very few hints on which pieces are non-structural.

Also, when he does knock it over, he laughs rather than cries.  Which means we all win.

Play hard, rest well.  Words to live by.

Halloween pics coming in hot, but first, our final summer snaps.  For posterity.  For the Grandmas!

And speaking of grandmas (and this blog’s most faithful readers), Shane’s mom came to visit in June for Juliette’s fifth grade graduation. For bonus fun, we squeezed in plenty of park visits and a quick trip to Vashon Island.

To the isand!

I love how my kids so eagerly lean into their ferry faves – Juliette bee-lines for the puzzle table and Isaac heads right for the deck.

Vashon was charming as ever.  We discovered a perfectly packed used bookshop connected to the Coffee Roasterie.

And then said hello to the Vashon Troll.  This guy’s name is Oscar the Bird King and he’s lovely.

Isaac spent half an hour in his driftwood fort burying his beloved Sonic action figure and then frantically digging it up.  There was a moment when we thought we’d lost him, but crisis averted.

We capped off our visit at Dragon’s Head Cidery for the requisite picnic lunch, hammocking, and cold beverages.

Fourth of July found us back on the ferry, this time headed toward Marrowstone Island for a holiday with our buddies.

We settled into Jack and La Verne’s place, pulled out the whiffle ball and bat, and let the festivities begin.

A quick romp through the woods / beach…

And then an evening on the lawn at Marrowstone Winery, for food and drink and music and laughs.

Happy Fourth!

These wide-open roads were made for morning scootering…

Juliette has become obsessed with the card game Piles and builds her fan base wherever she goes.

In other random highlights, our family spent a morning at an alpaca farm in Duvall, petting bunnies and feeding (then being chased) by a variety of barnyard animals.

This is her Can We Get A Rabbit? face…

These creatures…  Goofy-looking as all get-out.

But those eyes!  I love them.

Juliette did not love the slobber factor.  Put out a handful of feed and these alpacas get EXCITED.

Thanks to Shane for humoring me.  This trip was not on his summer bucket list, but I had a blast.

Plus, Lake Sammamish was conveniently located on the way home.  Beach day!

With some Rusts, to boot!

Felt so good…

But time to pack it up.

Juliette spent a few nights away from home at summer camp on Vashon Island.  I took her to the drop-off point via the water taxi and the goodbye to Brother and Dad was tough.

I connected her with her buddies and we hugged goodbye and we both cried a lot, but I was excited for her upcoming adventure.

And then Juliette was gone and our house felt not-quite-right without her.  Our reunion on Vashon Island several days later was awfully sweet.

SO SWEET.

Finally, there was plenty of joy found right at home.  The Jarrells came to visit for a weekend and the kids reveled in cousin and grandparent time.

On the weekends we weren’t camping or island-hopping, we were cycling through our West Seattle favorites.  Good Society, Coleman Pool, Alki Beach, rinse and repeat.

(A special shout-out for sunset walks down to the water with my girl – this is when we have our best chats…)

Our summer home base continues to be our backyard, for reading and water balloons and sprinklers.

Shane thinks he looks like Johnny from the Karate Kid.  I think he looks like utter delight.

I was gardening one evening and noticed a rustle in the ground where I’d just pulled out a scraggly rosemary bush.  I gently nudged aside a clump of dried grass and discovered a nest of several baby bunnies!  Juliette got her wish!

Shane set up a bunny cam as I’d seen no sign of mama and feared I’d scared her away with my poking around.  But early the next morning we got a motion notification and there she was!  Giving them breakfast and then tucking them back in.

I got a little obsessed with these dang rabbits, trying to get a peek every few hours but not wanting to scare them away.  I’d lay awake at night worrying about raccoons, googling home-rigged predator protection strategies.  A few days later, as I was showing Nance our sweet little nest, a bunny darted out of the hole and across the street.  He was tired of my meddling, I guess.  An hour later, the other two were gone.  Ah well, it was fun while it lasted!  And to be honest, I needed my life back.

Summer’s final blackberries…

Perfect to the very last drop.

 

Tuesday in Minnesota dawned sunny and warm.  Isaac hit the ground running, as per usual, begging for a game of dodgeball while we sipped our morning coffee and chai.  We made a game of standing on the porch and trying to peg him with a foam ball while he darted back and forth across the (quiet) street.

Juliette loved this game almost as much as Isaac – a rare chance to throw something full-force at her little bro!

More porch play…

And then the grownups rallied and we all hopped in the car to check out Itasca State Park.  We went for a short trail walk and then waded in the water.  THE headwaters of the Mississippi River, to be clear.  The kids were unimpressed by the geographical significance of this, but Shane was pretty pumped.

We decided to see how far the shallows went.

(The shallows went on for awhile!)

Admittedly, it got a little deeper than we expected in some places, but Isaac’s shorts were quick-dry!

The waters eventually got deeper and the mosquitos got thicker, so we bailed in search of lunch.  It was a fun little adventure, though.

We grabbed a bite at the WoodShed in La Porte and then the kids asked if they could play a quick game of tag out front before getting back in the car.  When on vacation…

These goofballs probably criss-crossed this lawn 25 times, then they made a game of rolling down the edge of the ditch as quickly as possible, laughing all the way.  I tell you, THIS IS THE STUFF.

For the record, these two very often drive each other crazy, but I haven’t got the photos to prove it.  Just believe me.  But also believe they love each other a whole whole lot:

Afternoon pool time…

And then a golf cart ride to the clubhouse for ice cream, which turned out to be a bust as the clubhouse was closed, but Isaac took it in stride.  He still got a golf cart ride out of it.

Shane kicked off Wednesday on the golf course.  Again, Isaac and I waited for him at the last hole with bated breath.

They’re back!

Juliette got in a few good swings as well.  Three cheers for cheap, casual golf.

We packed a lunch late morning and headed over to Walker City Park to spread out some blankets and maybe play in the water.  I say maybe, but Isaac’s mind was made up the moment he saw the dock.  This spot was made for jumping!

Again…

And again.  And again.

I finally wrestled Buddy out of his floaty so that we could chill and eat our sandwiches in the shade, but the quiet time was short-lived.  To the playground!

This girl, though.  She is quickly learning the art of beach towel lazing.

If you want Isaac to sit still, you have to pin him down.  Literally.

I told Isaac he could play in the shallow water and he found a spot to sit and gently splash around with his new Sonic toy.

Then sitting and splashing turned to running and splashing, and I said, when on vacation...

I’ve never seen six inches of water look this fun.  Way to bring the party, kiddo.

We went back to the camper in the afternoon and I took a solo walk.  While the day had been chock-full of highlights already, watching my boy run up the street toward me as I rounded the bend home was probably top three.  I was only gone 30 minutes, but he turned our little reunion into an all-out hug-fest.  I ate it up.

Evening golf!  Shane was in the groove!

And then evening cards on the deck.

Whatever Shane’s bluff was, Juliette wasn’t buying it.

Isaac and I took one last walk down to the lake, this time with his high-tech “moon-finder”.

Those pink cheeks!  The sign of a top-notch lake day.

I know I go on and on about reveling in the chance to go slow and follow my kids’ leads, so I’ll give it a rest and just say I’m so thankful for these few days by the water.  Thankful for dandelions…

For paper telescopes…

For pastel skies…

For screened-in porches and family members that make us feel so at home so far from home.

Until next summer, Minnesota…

 

A Minnesota Summer!  We made it happen!  Let’s go back in time a couple of months…

Shane, Isaac, I boarded our plane with even more anticipation than usual, as Juliette had traveled to Minnesota a few days earlier to spend some extra time with Shane’s mom and we were eager to see our girl.  Let’s GO!

Together again and it felt so good.

Plus, this sweet boy!  Little Brexton, Hayden’s baby, was so much bigger than when we’d seen him in March.  Juliette had spent the full day prior snuggling him to pieces and he was attached to her hip.

THE SWEETEST!

Isaac was mildly curious about the baby…

But was fully enamored with the golf cart.  That’s my boy!

Shane spent our first morning of vacation out on the golf course with Jason.  It’s been years since he swung a club, but he quickly got his groove back.

It helped that he had the very best caddy.

Isaac was obviously a bit young for golf, but we made the most of waiting at the final hole for Dad, Sister, and Uncle to appear.

The anticipation!

The rest of the day was spent bouncing from Pat’s porch to Tiff’s porch, right across the street.  It’s rare that all the Minnesota and Seattle cousins are in one place, so we made the most of just catching up.

I remember when this guy was just a little babe, even smaller than Brexton.  And now he’s taller than Shane!  Time…

One of the chillest, happiest little guys I’ve ever met.  He was so content to be passed from one lap to the next.

That said, at some point Isaac was like, “Enough with the baby already!”  Let’s go play!

We laughed a lot that day…

And we realized upon unpacking that we’d left Isaac’s goggles at home, so we made an emergency run into town for backups, knowing the pool would eventually beckon.  Isaac picked out a pair from the sporting goods store and insisted on wearing them the whole way home.

These are some of the best moments of vacation, just running errands without any rush.  Time to be goofy, to wander off-route.  To pop over to Dairy Queen for pre-dinner Blizzards.

We ate dinner on the porch, courtesy of Chef Tiff, the Hostess with the Mostess, and then Isaac and I took a walk down to the docks to get his final wiggles out before bedtime.

Hunting for hot dog plants became an evening ritual.  Like I said, it’s the simple, silly things.

Let the games begin (again)…

Monday dawned a little gray and misty, but Isaac warmed his tush by the fire and all was well.

One last photo with the littles before Hayden and fam hit the road…

The sun broke through in the late afternoon, so we threw snacks and towels in bags and boarded Tiff and Jason’s pontoon for a family cruise.  The lake was calling!

This little sand bar is one of my favorite places in all of Minnesota.  I have memories here of Shane catching frogs, Juliette and her cousins jousting on a floating raft, Denny and Pat watching it all with total delight.  This is Leech Lake…

The boat ride back was sweet, the kids sun-kissed and damp-haired, content to sit back and listen to the country tunes piping through the radio.

We showered and ate and took our sunset stroll.  You know, golden hour and all…

We played a game of tag in the grass near the docks, because, well, ISAAC.

This kid is a tornado…

But then there’s the calm after the storm.  Rest well, Bud.  There’s more playing to be done tomorrow…

It’s time for an ode to Isaac, as my favorite little guy turned FOUR a few weeks ago.  Isaac, Isaac, Isaac…Smily and silly and charming as all get-out.

The kid’s got charisma.  I mean, pulling in the garbage bins on a Monday evening shirtless and shoeless, still looking this good?

And he makes us laugh an awful, awful lot.

Isaac has become and increasingly picky eater as of late, but of course, he’s always up for a treat.  Very occasionally we’ll make a run to Top Pot before school to grab a window seat and watch the cars go by while ploughing through a pair of lemon-filled powdered donuts.  Between mouthfuls, he narrates the traffic situation:  Struction worker! (any kind of work truck.)  Zoomie car!  (Tesla.)  And sometimes his very favorite vehicle, to all our chagrin, CYBER TRUCK!

Donuts are for mornings.  Scoops from Molly Moon’s are for evenings.

I recently pushed our post-dinner walk to the ice cream shop a little too close to bedtime and Buddy fell asleep in the stroller on the way home.  I moved him carefully to his bed and he slept the whole night through – it reminded me that he’s still got so much growing up to do.  Play hard, crash hard, little one.

Still so little, right?

We celebrated Isaac’s big fourth in phases, as Shane was traveling for work on August 24th.  On his Birthday Eve Eve, we did a small family celebration, with backyard decorations and presents and cake.

I work hard to make my kids feel special.  I mean, ideally year-round, but extra-much on their birthdays.

He took his usual birthday throne for gift-opening, with Juliette at his side to help with any tricky bows or taped-up boxes.

This age!  Such joy over each and every surprise.

We’re firmly in the era of Spiderman and Sonic the Hedgehog.  The four year old heart wants what it wants…

And then preparations began for the next day’s festivities with Isaac’s buddies.  This is the first year we’ve thrown him a kid-party and so we went a little big.  Bring on the bounce house!

Isaac’s Birthday Eve dawned sunny and full of excitement.  He discovered the cache of party favors as I was chopping strawberries and quickly claimed his own mask and cape.

This gave him ample time to get into character before his friends arrived.

And now, let the mayhem begin!

It was a great party.  Bouncing and donuts and so much utter delight.

Juliette and Isaac made good use of every last minute of the bounce house rental.

Pooped.

Even after bathtime that evening, our Energizer Bunny insisted on donning his costume for an evening scoot.  He had a theory that the cape would make him go extra-fast.

He was right!

Finally, finally, his energy waned.  We did our books in the gray glider and then I swung Isaac’s legs over the arm of the chair and tucked his head in the crook of my arm.  I rocked him and we talked about what a special day it had been and his eyelids grew heavy and I let him drift off in my lap.  It’s silly, I know – he’s such a big boy.  But if the lap fits…

Sunday was Isaac’s actual birthday, but we kept things relatively chill.  My parents came over and there was backyard basketball, some sprinkler running, leftover cake.  It was nice to sit back and watch our boy bring his next-level joy to even the simple things.

Happy Fourth to my favorite superhero.

One last camp trip to blog on this last day of summer.  I won’t let myself be blue about the changing of seasons – we seized the heck out of Summer 2025.

This ended up being another Mama-Isaac trip, as Juliette had a soccer tournament and I couldn’t bear to let go of the Salt Creek site I’d booked back at midnight sharp on New Years Night.  It was a trek to get out there, more than three hours on the road, so Isaac bounded out of the car begging to scoot as soon as we rolled into camp.  Tent setup could wait.

We scouted the full series of overlooks and eyed the beaches we’d explore once the tide receded.

TO THE PLAYGROUND!

Eventually, we landed back at our site for setup and dinner.  Isaac laid claim to the tent stakes, which he insists on using to ward off incoming monsters.

They’re maybe not the wisest toy for for a three year old, but I mean…that face.

I bought a new pair of walkie talkies and spent several minutes trying to teach Isaac how to hold down the button and talk, then let up on the button to listen.

He could not get the hang of it at all, but had plenty of fun trying.

We scooted a bit more after dinner and sat for awhile on what would become our favorite rock.

And then, as we were heading to the bathroom with our toothbrushes, deer!

Isaac tried to follow close behind them, but he’s not really the kind of kid that can sneak up on a wild animal.

Yes, yes, bedtime, but…beach!  We’d walk past a staircase and Isaac would ask, “Can we go look?”.  Absolutely.

We cozied in after dark and Isaac did his typical first-night somersaults for about 30 minutes, but then we both conked.

Friday!  Up and at ’em!

The tide was extra-low that morning, so we took our coffee and hot chocolate down to the beach to explore this whole new world that had been hiding under high tide the evening before.

Kelp bubbles are called “pops” and Isaac can’t walk by one without stopping to give it a squish.

This was meant just to be a quick scouting mission before breakfast, but it turned into quite the expedition.

Sweet boy:

Scary boy:

He really is the worst at hide and seek, but I can’t break it to him.

We went back to camp for breakfast, but then Isaac asked if we could go find more crabs and I said I’d love nothing better.  First though, POPS.

Score!

He loved scampering over the rocks and more than once I asked could I please help him get down from a particularly sharp, barnacle-covered boulder, but he assured me that he could do it.  Turns out, HE COULD.

Two thumbs up for Salt Creek thus far.  This place was magic.

The tide started rising mid-day, so we traded the tide pools for a visit to the general store.

Isaac spent several minutes at the toy table when I told him he could pick just one thing to buy.  The agony of decision-making!

Surprise!  He picked a car.  I could have saved him seven minutes and handed him that out of the gate.

From Joyce, we drove over to Lake Crescent to check out the Devil’s Punchbowl hike.  I’d heard the terrain was easy and I had a fanny pack stocked with Mike&Ikes to coax Isaac along the two and a half mile route.

After making our way through the tunnel, we headed to the shoreline to find a place to sit and wowsers.  The colors of this water!  Incredible.

I got a text from Shane that Juliette had scored two goals during her game that afternoon and I was thrilled for her, but also, I really really missed them in this moment.  They would love this lake.

The last half mile back to the car was a slog – Isaac rode piggy back for awhile and then we made up a song to pass the steps and finally we arrived.

He earned his noodles.

Back to our favorite rock for post-dinner Teddy Grahams and a little sun-gazing.

This scooter covered all kinds of terrain it was never meant to cover.

Saturday dawned with our usual scoot to the bathroom, followed by the long loop back to see if the little boy Isaac had been eyeing as prime friend material was at his campsite.  He was there and shy hello’s were exchanged, and then we went back to our site for pancakes and sausage.

That fifty-cent general store car was money.

It was another ultra-low tide morning.  To the beach!

We explored the tide pools for awhile, but found we were much happier and much more sure-footed on the sand.

We really let ourselves just go where the wind blew us.  It was perfect.

I wish I could personally thank whoever built this driftwood fort.  Isaac played in here for a good 30 minutes, serving me pretend breakfast from his makeshift tabletop.

Time to tidy up…

Bedtime!

We each had our own bedroom and I got in trouble for not keeping my eyes closed.

Back to camp…

I loved Lake Crescent so much that we jetted back over there mid-day to spread out a blanket for a picnic lunch and an afternoon of water-gazing.

 

Isaac ran his cars up and down this log while I read my book and for a hot minute I thought, “Look at me, relaxing on a camp trip with my three year old!”

We packed up our things and then walked a couple of the nearby forest trails before hitting the road.

What started as a walking stick soon turned into a monster-poker.  Whatever keeps him moving…

One last sit.  I had a hard time wanting to leave this place.

Eventually, though, dinnertime called.  We stopped at a little diner on the road back, scarfed down our burgers, and then ordered up a couple of heavily-sprinkled soft serve cones from the ice cream counter.

We savored our last Salt Creek sunset that evening from the rocks, then played tag on the grass.

We were both pooped and got ready for bed before the sun officially dipped, but again, Isaac asked to head down the stairs on our way back from the bathroom, and again, I stuck our toothbrushes in my pocket and said “When at camp…”  It was windy that evening, so I wrapped us up in the towel we were carrying and we watched the sun go down, down, down.  I’m so thankful for these chances to follow his lead.

I wanted to head home relatively early on Sunday to spend the afternoon with Shane and Juliette, but also, Isaac awoke all smiles and I couldn’t pass on some extra morning cuddles.

Isaac did a couple of scoot loops with his new camp buddy, I tossed everything in the car, and then it was time to head home.

Were there moments during the weekend when Isaac whined or didn’t listen and I lost my patience with him?  Of course.  On Saturday morning, when I wouldn’t fetch his cars because I was focused on keeping the pancakes from burning, and then he threw a fit, did I put him in the car for a timeout?  I sure did.  And then did the pancakes burn, anyway?  They sure did!  But there were so many more smiles than tears that weekend.  Joy won out.  By a landslide.