little black journal

There’s quite the random smattering in here – June was good, full of small simple pleasures and slightly grander getaways.

We wrapped up May and kicked off June with a visit from my parents – Isaac served up heaping helpings of his homemade broccoli stew to Grandma while Juliette played the part of the card shark with Grandpa.  So fun to have some new playmates in the house!

Sunday morning snaps…

And more playtime!  Plus a free haircut.

My parents are diligent about doing their morning exercises and Isaac was eager to join their routine.  Work those muscles, Bud.

We spent most of Memorial Day weekend in the backyard – almost felt like summer!  Juliette found an old football and learned how to run a handful of plays under the tutelage of Shane and my dad.  Her joie de sports is unending.

We celebrated the high-70’s weather with Isaac’s first Fudgesicle.

He was a fan.

Kudos to Juliette for devouring hers without a trace of chocolate left on her face.  My girl is growing up…

We romped around Lincoln Park for a bit on a sunny evening…

And gave my parents a West Seattle culinary experience when we picked up Pecos bbq to pair with our beer from Ounces.

A water balloon toss with Grandpa…

Followed by another round of Fudgesicles (I bought the big box!).

We had one last dinner al fresco before my parents packed it up early the next morning to hit the road.  It was such a lovely, light few days with them.  We stayed close to home, but loved folding them into our day-to-day.  It was nice to have extra hands on-deck to coax Isaac out of his evening crankies with a silly game of catch or a couple of books.  There were evenings we all just sat around the living room and chuckled over his myriad of facial expressions and admired the way that Juliette sisters him with such grace.  Seattle is beautiful in the Spring, but those kiddos were definitely the main attraction.

I wish I could remember the context of these few photos of Juliette, but no matter…they’re such a good semblance of her striking beauty and delight in life.

We saw softball season come to a close in mid-June, which was bittersweet – I loved watching Juliette on the field, loved sitting on the sidelines with Isaac (when he’d actually sit), but napping on the go has its challenges…

Such focus!  I think he actually spotted a dog in the distance, but we’ll pretend he’s watching his sister warm up in the bullpen.

That’s a wrap!  Proud of you, West Seattle Storm!

In other miscellaneous goings-on, we finished Book 7 of Harry Potter last month, hitting a major milestone in Juliette’s Hogwarts journey.  I initially felt a little sad as we heard the narrator of the audio book utter those final sentences, but this wasn’t the end – the magic lives on as we talk about the books and their characters all the time (like…all the time).  It’s fun to see your kid so immersed in something so magical.

Isaac still helps me water…

And has mastered the art of drying off.

I had a solo Saturday afternoon with the kids while Shane took a pickle ball lesson and we found ourselves at Lincoln Park.  The weather had cooled that weekend, but it was still more than adequate for rock-throwing and crab-hunting.

And snacking.  Boy loves him some freeze-dried mangos.

Soccer season ended a week after softball season and I was left with the same mix of disappointment and relief.

Definitely sad to see this season end – Juliette’s confidence on the field and the communication among her teammates skyrocketed these past couple of months.  We just signed up for Fall league!

Isaac is convinced he’s part of the team.

Shane also found his footing as assistant coach this season, though you can see some kids are more keen than others to study the lineup!

The final game ended up being a zero-zero tie, but we called it a win.  Defense like I’ve never seen from these girls before!

(Coach Dan is THE BEST.)

More backyard meals…

Look at those matching grins!

In farther-from-home goings-on, we spent Father’s Day weekend on Marrowstone Island with the Chens.  When Jack asked how early we could arrive on Saturday, we said we could easily make the 6:45 am ferry.  Very occasionally pays to have an early riser in the family…

We pulled up to the house by 8:30, breakfasted, and then headed out for a walk along the beach.  It was chilly that weekend, but these PNW kids know how to beach in any weather.

Shane found himself on a little island and though he could jump to the rocky bank without getting his feet wet.  Want to take a guess at how that went?

Made for some good laughs, at least.

As in soccer, Isaac had no clue he was on the sidelines while the big kids did their thing.

His oblivion is charming.

Though Juliette is awfully good about bringing him into the fold.

We lunched at Finnriver Cidery, slurping ramen noodles and wolfing down hot slices of pizza while Isaac napped in the stroller.  Such a treat!

 

Cornhole:  Dads vs. Kids.

(Buddy’s awake!)

The grounds at this place are perfect for roaming.

Make a wish, Juliette!

I don’t know who came up with this game, but it’s funny every time.

We spent the afternoon cozied up inside, playing video games and chasing Isaac around the house.

When baby boy really started bouncing off the walls, we ventured out for a pre-dinner walk.

Isaac loves the sound of birds and becomes very surprised/excited when he actually spots one in a tree.  It’s the little things with this kid.

Isaac was up with the sun on Sunday, so I put him in the car, picked up a coffee, and we cruised around the island.  You know we got an early start when Buddy is grabbing his first nap before 8am…

Once he was awake, we pulled up to a nearby beach for an early romp while the crew back at the house rubbed the sleep from their eyes.

He had that puddle-jumping look in his eyes, so I stripped off his socks and shoes before they could get too soggy.

Cold, schmold!

Back at the house, I made chilaquiles for breakfast while the guys opened their Father’s Day cards from the kiddos.  Juliette’s card said “Happy Baller’s Day”.  She’s got Shane pegged, for sure.

One more woodsy walk…

And a porch pic of the Dads of the Day.

It started to rain as we were about to head to lunch, so we instead called it a trip and high-tailed it to the ferry (where the sun came back out, of course!).

Father’s Day afternoon was cozy and quiet, with couch naps and golf-watching and takeout burgers for dinner.  These are few of Shane’s favorite things…

June Part II (HELLO SUMMER!) coming up next…

The annual Schnell family snow-cation!  It’s a favorite.  I initially made resos at a hotel in dreamy Winthrop, but as the date drew closer and Isaac’s patience for being strapped into his carseat drew shorter, we changed course and opted to stick a little closer to home with a long weekend in Suncadia.  Shane and Juliette took the ski-bus on Friday morning to Snoqualmie to get their downhill fix while Isaac and I followed with the car later in the afternoon to scoop them up on our way to the resort.

We checked into our room with our piles and piles of stuff (snow-tripping with two kids is no joke!) and then took a short walk to dinner.  Since Shane and I had lugged all of our bags into the lodge, Juliette offered to lug the baby to the restaurant.

Cozy vibes…

And the glowing-est ice skating rink!  This place is a madhouse during opening hours, but when it’s closed, it’s the perfect place to perch by the fire for a quick warm-up.

We all slept well Friday night, but sweet Jesus, baby boy was up early on Saturday.  I took him down to the lobby at 6:00 am to burn off some steam while Shane and Juliette grabbed some extra Z’s.  Thank goodness for hallways to roam in and fireplaces to sit by.  A staff person walked by as I was chasing down Isaac and said, “You know there’s fresh coffee by the front desk, right?”  I about hugged her.  To the front desk, Isaac!

We headed back up the room around 7:30, having covered what felt like every square inch of the ground floor, and the kids caught up on some business while I prepped breakfast in our small kitchenette.

Cinnamon rolls were devoured and Isaac was climbing the walls again by 8:00, so we jetted back out to hit the sledding hill.  It was misty and quiet out there, because who eats breakfast and gets dressed and leaves their room by 8:00 on a winter vacation?  We do, friends.  WE DO.

He makes me awfully tired, but dang, he’s awfully cute in his puffy gray snowsuit.

Isaac didn’t love the fast runs down the hill, but a nice gentle tow by big sister was definitely his jam.

Faster, Daddy, faster!

Biggest trooper award goes to the guy who forgot his snow boots but still dragged his kids up an icy hill several times over.

Funny how watching your dad haul you around poops you out, huh, Jules?

We walked back to the lodge after awhile to grab some hot chocolate and a late morning nap.  All in a morning’s work…

We snoozed, ate some lunch, and then piled into the car to check out the Nordic trails at Salmon le Sac.

It was pretty icy out there, but a good time was had by all.

I sure do love skiing with this girl.

High five, Buddy!  You nailed it.

We lazed around in the afternoon and grabbed a second nap (myself included), then drove into Roslyn for dinner.  More cozy vibes!

And a very long wait for our food, but the kids were good sports about it.

…and to all a good night.

Sunday!  Rise and shine!  At least this time I knew right where to head for the free coffee.

Juliette woke up as Isaac and I were putting on our shoes and begged to come along on our obnoxiously early hallway shenanigans.  Knock yourself out, Girlie.

…and more early sledding!  We discovered that this hill is packed by 10am, so I guess there are some advantages to not sleeping in.  Some.

“You’re not going to send me down the hill by myself, are you?!”

You’re safe with me, Kiddo.

The skiing and sledding were fun, but the kiddos seemed to especially love the leisurely strolls around the grounds of the lodge, stopping to make a quick snowball or see how deep they could burrow their footprints.

Pure joy, I tell you.

Juliette requested a little break from Brother and we let her fire up the iPad and put on the headphones, but Isaac kept wandering over and putting one hand gently on her leg while waving with his other arm and exclaiming, “HI!”.  She couldn’t resist.

Napped and happy.

To lunch!  We drove back into Roslyn to check out the Mexican food scene there.  Again, the food took awhile, so Isaac and I wandered while Shane and Juliette ate their weight in tortilla chips.

The salted caramel chocolate from the corner candy store got an enthusiastic thumbs-up from Juliette; I gave my latte from Basecamp Coffee a solid 4 stars out of 5.

We gave up on the idea of more skiing due to the crusty snow and instead opted to romp around a nearby playground.

Juliette stock-piled ammo for a family snowball fight…

But Shane had her laughing so hard with his antics that she had a hard time nailing him.

Afternoon lazing…

And an evening walk through the twinkly woods.

Monday was check-out day, but we were in no great hurry to hit the road, so we spent the morning at the lodge, sipping coffee and reading in cozy chairs by big windows.  Isaac seemed sleepy, so I tucked him into the Ergo while I walked the halls.  It’s not too often anymore that this boy naps on the move, but sometimes it works.  And it’s so sweet when it does.

He’s up!  I let him borrow my Kindle so he could be just like Big Sis.

We piled our stuff back into the car and said goodbye our cozy-though-confined room.  One last stop before booking it to Seattle, though…

Three cheers for Juliette!

And a lot of laughing at Shane, who took that last little sled jump none-too-gracefully…

We maxed out our mileage on our trusty red sled and then headed to the playground for swing-time and sculpture-carving.

He has the best hat hair.

Whew!  That was…exhausting.  But packed with good memories.

For years now, every time we pass Centralia on our way to Portland, Juliette sees the hotel just east of I-5 with waterslide tubes swooping out the side of it and asks…”What IS that?!”  Welp, it’s the Great Wolf Lodge, Baby, and we’re going.

Shane booked us a couple of nights there on a bit of a whim, when an online deal popped up just as he was feeling particularly grateful for how Juliette has rolled with the ways life has changed since Isaac entered the scene.  We wouldn’t call the baby a party pooper, per se, but he definitely keeps us closer to home.  Time for Sister to have an adventure!

If you haven’t been to Great Wolf, imagine Vegas for kids.  An arcade and a candy shop and an indoor water park and a lobby that’s meant to pass as a winter wonderland.  All the things.  Juliette was in her swimsuit within minutes of us checking into our room and we all followed her lead and geared up, minus the sunscreen, to make our way down to the water park.  Slides and a wave pool and a ropes course and a high-up bucket the size of a small hot tub that would fill with water that came splashing down every 15 minutes.  All the things.

Shane and Juliette hit the slides while Isaac tried to make sense of the wave pool.

Shane booked this trip so that Juliette could do the big-kid things, but really, she was just as thrilled to splash around in 12 inches of water with her brother.  That’s how she rolls.

We traded in our swimsuits for cozy clothes late afternoon and settled in to watch some soccer and lounge in our king-sized bed.  These were actually some of my most favorite weekend moments.

We ate pizza in our room and wandered around the hotel in the evening, a little dazed by the flurry of activity around each corner.  It felt good to turn in early that night.

Isaac broke the curse of horrible hotel sleep on this trip (sensory overload will do that to you!) and both kids snoozed like champs.  Still though, we were up early enough to beat the 8am Starbucks rush.

Morning soccer…

And mid-morning story hour in the lobby.

Story time was a little goofy, but when soap bubble snow started to fall from the ceiling as Christmas tunes blared over the speakers, I gave in.  Give me all the kitsch!

Back to the room…

But then, back to the pool!

Isaac had a little more fun in the water the second time around, though he was also content to just sit in my lap and watch all the commotion.  Looks like kind of a surfer dude, doesn’t he?

Play hard, rest hard.

And wake up happy.

Juliette couldn’t resist the lure of the wand shop and bought her own wand so that she could take part in MagiQuest, a magic-themed scavenger hunt that had kids running all over the hotel, opening treasure chests and activating crystals so that they could become Master Magi.  It sounds very confusing, I know, but Juliette got very into it and we all got our steps in, zipping from floor to floor as we followed her on her quests.

We ended the day with lobby lawn games and cake pops.  I don’t know that I’ve ever been so tired after a day with zero time outdoors.

Monday was checkout day, and we took our time getting going.  We agreed not to try to squeeze in any more waterslide runs, so we sipped coffee and read books instead.  Seemed like a decent trade!

Remember what I said earlier about kitsch?  Juliette’s bed was in a “tree house”!

Juliette gained her Master Magi status just as Shane finished packing the car.  Well done, kiddo.

Whew, the things you do for your kids!  Honestly, though, it was a sweet little getaway and filled our adventure-bucket as we headed home for a very low-key Thanksgiving.  Play hard, rest hard.

Hood River has been on my PNW bucket list for a few years now, but I somehow always fizzle when planning the trip.  Too far, too many other things to do, too many excuses…  This year, though, I tossed out the idea to the Rusts, as they’re Hood River regulars, and then our friend Jordan wanted to join to celebrate his birthday and soon this getaway had taken on a life of its own.  The text thread grew and calendars aligned and soon a whole gaggle of us had booked a few nights down there in mid-August.  Best Western or Bust!  We settled into our hotel room on a Wednesday afternoon and Juliette spent several minutes pretending that the phone was ringing, then picking it up and saying, “Hello there!  Juliette Schnell speaking!”  Corded phones…the novelty.

But when I offered to take her to the pool, the phone was quickly tossed aside.  And look who we found there!

We laid low in the evening, eating at the hotel and then taking a soft serve sunset stroll.

More of our buddies trickled in late Wednesday night – we’ve missed these girls like crazy since they moved to Colorado a couple of years ago and it was so good to be reunited over Thursday breakfast!

Want to guess how Isaac slept that first night?!  Naptime couldn’t come soon enough.

We settled into vacation mode with pool time and park time.

And then afternoon nap / hotel bed shenanigans.

Everyone convened at the river before dinner for a paddle and a swim.

Our crew took over this little cove and goodness, it made me happy to see us all together again.

Isaac, Mama needs a canned wine sometimes!  You stop with that judgey look.

We picnicked at the nearby park for dinner, doing more catch-up while the kids frolicked on the playground.

The first baby of the group (who just turned FOURTEEN!) and the last baby of the group make for some very cute bookends.

I walked Isaac back to the hotel for bedtime and while I would have loved to hang out for ice cream with the gang, I did cherish this riverfront stroll with my boy.

Friday!  Group breakfast…

More pool time…

And an afternoon hike to Tamanawas Falls with the little mountain goats.

These kids were such good sports – I didn’t have to bust out the gummy worms until we were over two miles in!

I hear water…

Made it!  And so worth the trek.

We made record time heading back – these girls were pooped, but still smiling.

We all met at Ferment that night for hard-earned beers and burgers.

THE BOYS!  The best of the best dads and sons.

It was back to the playground after dinner, as it proved to be a great place for the adults to chat while the kids roamed freely.  Though let’s be honest, some kids (one kid) needed a bit more supervision than the others…

Isaac won’t ever have a biological big bro, but I gotta say, Gryff and Isaiah are the sweetest surrogates.

 

I took the morning shift on Saturday and Isaac and I got out for a sunrise stroll.  We walked along the river for a bit and then decided to head into town in search of coffee.

Found it!

Post-breakfast pool time…

And then a jaunt out to the Gorge White House for berry picking, cider, and a stroll among the dahlias.

This kid definitely isn’t a great nighttime sleeper when we’re not home, but bless his heart for still being able to nap on the go.

Jack and La Verne invited me to tag along for their 2pm wine tasting, and while I initially declined, saying I should really hang back with Isaac, Juliette nearly pushed me into their car, saying “Go, Mama!  You need a break!”  I mean, if she says so…

We spent another evening at the river, doing all the water things.

How many kids can you fit on a single paddle board?  A lot.

These kids have literally been hanging out since birth and are all of the age now that they want to/get to choose their own friends, but they still get along so splendidly.

Uncle Jordan won “Most Fun Adult” that evening, for sure.

We drove over the bridge to While Salmon for another picnic dinner.  The kids rabble-roused…

Gryff played airplane with Isaac while Nance did backup…

And we just…hung, in that easy-going, fun-loving way we have of being together.  We met these people in 2007, when we were all relatively new to Seattle and looking for community.  None of us had family in the Seattle area and we quickly became each other’s support system, holding each other close through highs and lows and lots of kids.  I still remember the night that Jason showed up at our small group wearing a sweater vest, looking extra mature as he shared the news with all us childless 20-somethings that Nance was pregnant.  We were having a baby!  And now that baby is a teenager and it feels like some of our other littles are well on their way…  And yet, the adults haven’t aged a bit.  😉

I took another morning shift on Sunday, wanting to soak in one more walk along the river.  I tucked Isaac into the Ergo and he fell asleep steps from the hotel.  We walked for miles, his face nuzzled into my chest; I watched the sun come up and highlight his wispy blonde hair and sheesh, traveling with a baby is hard but sometimes so, so good.

Buddy slept all through breakfast.  Making up for lost time, I guess…

He’s up!

We squeezed in one last pool session before hitting the road.

We kept saying, “We should go.  We should really go.”  But dang it, good byes are hard!  Such a special group of people in such a special place.  There’s comfort in knowing we can always pick up right where we left off, though.  Also comfort in knowing how fun we still are!  Some things never change.

August and early September were chock-full of trips and bustle as we squeezed every last drop of playtime out of summer 2022 (though let’s be honest – traveling anywhere with a baby is equal parts work and play, if you’re lucky).  Our bonanza started small, with a weekend on Bainbridge Island to watch Shane and the Rusts compete in another pickle ball tournament.  I mean, since Shane was playing both mixed doubles and mens doubles and since pickle ball was founded on Bainbridge, and since I found the sweetest little AirBnB on an idyllic farm, I felt like the kids and I should tag along and make a getaway out of it.

Isaac and Juliette liked watching the ferry pull away from the dock, but the real excitement came when Juliette realized Nancy was on the same boat as us.

It was a quick float to Southworth and an hour drive to Bainbridge and then we drove along the prettiest little lane to land at what would be our front yard for the weekend.

We explored the grounds and met the animals and had a picnic dinner on the grass.

This place felt too good to be true when Shane discovered a pickle ball net in the garage to go with the striping that was on the parking pad out front.  He and Nance were able to get a little practice in, though having to maneuver around Casey, the resident dog, complicated the game a bit.

Saturday was game day for mixed doubles; the kids and I joined the gaggle of West Seattle ballers to cheer on Shane and Nance.  There were a couple of handy wins, a couple of defeats, and a couple of hard-fought victories.  They unfortunately landed just a couple of points shy of the medal round, but I was impressed by how much improvement I saw in their game since I last watched them play in June.

Isaac was mosly just impressed by the adjacent playground.

Until he wasn’t impressed at all.

I spent the afternoon back at the AirBnB  with the kids while Shane and Nancy cheered on some of their buddies at the tournament.  Isaac and I both took a much-needed nap (true to form, he took vacation as a cue to party / fuss all night), and then after waking we played a rousing game of How long can we keep Issac in bed?

Not long…

We bopped around the farm before grabbing pizza and ice cream in Winslow.

The owners of the AirBnb were super-friendly and gave Juliette a bunch of carrots to feed the horses.  She loved how popular she immediately became!

But she didn’t love the horse drool.

I had Isaac bathed and jammied by 6 pm, but he was still pretty bright-eyed, so we took another stroll around the farm.  He loved watching the chickens strut around their coop and once he got past the initial surprise of the rooster’s high-pitched crow, he smiled wide at each cock-a-doodle-doo.

Juliette came out to join us and snuggled up with Dusty, the resident cat.  We played a few lawn games and turned in early, while Shane played pickle ball out front with the owners.  He’s insatiable.

Shane got an early start on Sunday to meet up with Jason at the courts for mixed doubles while I took my time getting going with the kids.  Isaac had another hum-dinger of a night, but didn’t seem too sorry about it.

Sleepless nights aside, I was reluctant to leave this place.  The dahlias!  The farm-fresh eggs in our fridge!  The animals…we loved those animals.  Juliette spent a good 20 minutes saying goodbye to the horses, stroking Rose and Willow on their noses while murmuring, “You’re such a sweet girl…”.  No, Juliette – YOU’RE such a sweet girl.

She tried very hard to make sure each horse got equal amounts of love.

Meanwhile, Isaac really liked those chickens…

We arrived at the courts mid-morning to find Shane and J on a roll.  They won a handful of games, were immediately humbled when a couple of 60-something guys clobbered them, but ultimately made it to the medal round.

Silver!  Congrats, guys.

Once the medal pics were snapped, we were ready to jet home.  That much pickle ball is exhausting, partly for Shane, who was on the courts for all those hours, but also for me, who ran point on crowd control / baby patrol – Isaac has yet to learn the true art of spectating.  Still, though, so worth the trip, to see Shane play a game he loves with people we love.  And…horses!  Juliette and I are still thinking about those horses.

Since Isaac entered the scene, life has been a delicate dance of getting out just-enough but not-too-much.  While the weather and the pandemic and the baby’s four naps per day give us ample reason to just hole up and stay home, we want to make sure Juliette gets out and about – she’s a girl that loves to be on the move.  Shoot – I love to be on the move and have been teetering on the brink of stir-craziness for the past several weeks. And so we decided we’d roll the dice and plough ahead with our annual ski trip to Winthrop, extra baggage in tow.  Shane found an infant insert for our ski trailer, I bought the puffiest little snow suit I could find, and we were off!

We wisely broke up the drive there between two days and spent Thursday night in Wenatchee.  It was a modest room at a Garden Inn, but Juliette still oohed and ahhed over every detail (the beside reading lamps were a hit) and immediately asked if we could see if the TV played American Ninja Warrior.  Our home’s charm has definitely worn off a bit these past two years, so anything new and novel blows her mind.  Isaac was also vibing on the change of scenery.

We slept great, Isaac tucked into bed with me and Juliette over with Shane, and then we grabbed our caffeine and carbs from the nearby market early Friday before hitting the road to Sun Mountain Lodge.

All-star car snoozer!

It was a quick two hours to Winthrop, and then I got that familiar giddy feeling I get every time we start our final ascent up the mountain. Juliette and I wondered aloud how Floyd, the resident stuffed bison, was doing and we started planning which hot tub we’d dip into first and which ski trails we’d do which days.

We settled into our room in the Gardner cabins, which only took about 14 trips to and from the car, and then Isaac got comfy and extra-cute while Shane and Juliette headed to the lodge to rent her skis.

We bundled up and made the short drive to the Chickadee trailhead to ski the Beaver Pond loop.  This is such a zen, easy-going trail.  It was foggy that afternoon and while I missed the sun, the woods felt mystical and extra serene.

Isaac neither loved nor hated the ski trailer.  He just kind of zoned out, with a look on his face like, “Welp, I guess Mom is going to make me wear this ridiculous marshmallow suit after all…”.

Juliette is as fast as I am now on her skis, zipping across the flats and living for any little downhill slopes.

(Are we having fun yet, Buddy?!)

We ate dinner back in our room and then Juliette and I darted through the snow to the hot tub while Shane hung back with Isaac.

Books, baby snugs, bedtime…  Being in one room together meant that quiet time started at 7pm, but I didn’t mind.  I got so much reading done that weekend!

We did our best to stick to our typical nighttime routine, but letting a baby cry it out is hard to do when you’re sharing walls with strangers.  And the crib provided by the lodge was extra-deep and hard to get him in and out of, so I freed him from baby jail when he woke up to eat and he spent the rest of the night(s) in bed with Shane and me.  Sleep training, schmeep training…I knew we’d pay later (we did!), but I loved having him close those few nights, his chubby fist wrapped around my finger.

Shane was up and out the door early on Saturday to do some solo skiing.  We made plans to meet up in a couple of hours for a family ski; in the meantime, the kids and I did some wandering around the grounds to enjoy the morning sun on the mountains.

We found Shane down by the MCT and did a couple of hours of skiing along the river and through the open fields.  Isaac dozed for a bit, Juliette perfected her shuffle, shuffle, glide, and I started planning our early retirement (one can dream!).

Fog had settled in the valley again and there were stretches of the trail that felt almost spooky.

Another great ski in the books!

We reserved a dome on the back patio at Schoolhouse Brewery for lunch and cozied up inside with burgers and beer (and kombucha) apres-ski.  CHEERS!

We relaxed back in the room for awhile after lunch and then bundled up again for our 3 pm sleigh ride.

We did this ride at our first trip to Sun Mountain three years ago and were thrilled to see Daisy and Gregory still at the helm.

So nice to be above the fog!

We were the only ones on the sleigh that afternoon and so Juliette got to spend extra time loving on the horses while Red, our host, made us hot chocolate in the tent.

It was a fast dip back down the mountain and Juliette loved picking up the extra speed.  Isaac was pretty chill about the whole thing and mostly just wanted to chomp on Shane’s finger (this was the weekend before his teeth broke through).

Juliette and I wrapped up the day with a little ski practice on the slope in front of our cabin (she wanted to give me a few pointers), then we soaked our tired legs in the hot tub.

This place is such a dream…

We didn’t have anything officially on the books for Sunday, so we took our time drinking our coffee and hot chocolate, played a little pool in the game room, and then treaded through the fog (more fog!) over to the sledding hill.

Isaac crashed hard for his mid-day nap and needed a little coaxing for our afternoon adventure.  Time to ski, kiddo!

The fog was doing a reverse trick that day, as it was thick up on the mountain, but bright and clear down in the valley at Mazama.  This was a new stretch of trail for us and we loved it.  Plenty of mountain views, quiet wooded stretches, and peeks at the river.

We hopped out of our skis at Jack’s Pizza Hut, grabbed an early dinner, and headed back up the mountain.

Isaac got his second wind right around bedtime, of course.

He eventually settled, though, and Juliette and I snuck away for one last hot tub run.  I don’t get a lot of one-on-one time with my best little bud anymore, so these soaks together felt extra special.

Monday was go-day and super-frosty.  We grabbed our morning beverages and decided to cap off the trip with a couple more sled runs.

Oh, Isaac – you’re such a good sport.

Sled runs done and selfies snapped, we deflated the inner tube and did the reverse 14 trips to load up the car.  What a gorgeous, fun-filled, completely exhausting few days….  Snow-cationing with a baby is no joke – as I wandered the empty halls of the lodge with him at 6am one morning, wanting to save Juliette from her squawking brother so she could get another hour of rest, I thought about the days when the three of us would sleep in, without our human alarm clock in tow.  When we could ski for hours without fear of a baby meltdown.  There was one year that we stayed up past 10 pm to head outside and gaze at the super moon.  Things felt…free and easy.  Now they feel…full and hard?  But I hope, hope, hope we’re planting seeds of mountain wonder in Isaac’s little heart, showing him early that there’s so much beauty and joy to be found in the PNW.  I’m convinced it’s worth the effort.  And to my crew, in case they need the pep talk: Isaac, this place worth the five hours in your car seat!  Shane, it’s worth the endless schlepping of stuff (I appreciate your schlepping skills SO VERY MUCH).  Juliette, it’s worth having to share a room with your restless, squawky brother.  It’s all worth it.  See you next year, Floyd.

The past two months of summer have been a blur of remodel chaos, but the date stamp on these photos tells me that we enjoyed a few mellow days down at the Oregon Coast right after school let out.  Juliette had been counting down the days till this trip for weeks and begged could we please stop in Portland and pick up Morgan for the rest of the rest of the drive to Neskowin?

Thank goodness for backseat buddies.

Our car was the first to arrive at my brother’s beach house and we wasted no time making our way down to the ocean.

I’m so happy these girls haven’t outgrown the thrill of playing at the water’s edge.

SO HAPPY.

Juliette’s stamina for beach runs is unmatched, so Shane took a shift when Morgan pooped out.

Sunday was Father’s Day and Mitch gifted himself some solo fishing time down at the beach in the morning.  Shane and I walked down to the corner store to grab some coffee and then popped by to see if he’d caught anything (he hadn’t, but he sure looked content in his element!).

Morning snuggles, cards, and gifts…

Shane asked for this 1900-piece Lego set for Father’s Day, not so much for the space shuttle, but for the promise of more quality time with his little buddy.  Because he truly is one of the most devoted dads on the face of the planet.

We spent the afternoon back down at the beach.

I know this is a silly amount of pictures of Juliette, but I can’t help it – this kid’s joy over being with family is too good to not share.

Uncle Mitch might very well be the funniest man alive.

Sealing this afternoon of simple, silly family time away in the memory bank…

Mitch had packed a crowbar and some work gloves in the beach bag and their use became clear when the tide receded enough to expose a treasure trove of mussels locked to the base of Proposal Rock.

We dined on pasta with steamed mussels for dinner on Sunday and got a slow start on Monday.  I sipped coffee while the girls giggled over who-knows-what.

Shane and Kathryn both worked on Monday, so Mitch and I took Juliette and Morgan for a late-morning hike while Elise slept in.

The woods were packed with mosquitos that morning, so we quickly changed course and opted for the wide-open beach.

A mama, a daughter, and a newfound pet ladybug…

Though I suspect Juliette would take a chihuahua over a ladybug any day.

Shane has recently taken up pickle ball and Kathryn is a certified pickle ball champion, so we spent Monday evening down at the courts getting a few pointers.

Get it, Jules!

…but I think you may be holding your paddle wrong?

When the kids tired of the courts, I took them down the street to the arcade, which was a total blast from the past.

The Jarrells all headed back to Portland early Tuesday and Shane holed up in the guest room for another day of work, so that left Juliette and I free to find our own adventures.  Or not…

I could have read books and drank tea all day, but the call of the Coast is strong, so we left the house before lunch for a hike at Cape Lookout.

Pals.

Cape Lookout is a fitting name, huh?

And…back to the car!  I don’t have Shane’s talent for a detailed retelling of Lord of the Rings, so instead Juliette spent the hike back telling me everything (every. thing.) about the characters on Miraculous, her latest favorite Netflix series.

We lazed in the afternoon and then headed back toward Pacific City once Shane was done with work, making good on our ritual of climbing the giant sand dune every time we’re in the neighborhood.

It never gets easier…

And Juliette never fails to be first to the top.

But also, the views never disappoint…

Juliette ran most the way down the hill, then climbed back up to do it again, just for fun.  Lord, I wish I could bottle that pizazz and take a shot of it each morning.

Wednesday was go-day, but Juliette and I had a couple of hours in the morning to play in the sun while Shane worked.  Hot chocolate and bare feet for the win.

And…leisure tank filled!

With three days left till Summer Break, a quick look-back to Spring Break, where we lived large for a weekend at Semiahmoo Resort up near the Canadian border.  It was a quick trip – just a couple of nights – but it felt like the perfect way to tip-toe out of pandemic mode and celebrate our vaccinated status.  It helped that it was 70 degrees in Blaine that weekend and this place had a pool.  A POOL!  I forget how much Juliette loves the water until I see her in it.

And I can’t get her out.

The resort also had a rack full of bikes out front free for the borrowing, so we did a pre-dinner cruise along the spit.

We grabbed dinner to-go and ate on the lawn near the water.  Then, rock-skipping.

Lots of rock-skipping.

Some campfire s’mores…

And good night, sun.

Saturday morning was misty and mellow, with blues where there were oranges 12 hours earlier.

Juliette asked to hit the swimming pool at 8am, but we coaxed her into settling for a game of billiards in the common room.

We walked for awhile along the beach, Juliette looking very incognito-celebrity in her sunglasses and hoodie.

Ah, there’s my girl!

We explored the northern tip of the spit, with its old docks and decaying boat.

And then finally hit the pool.

Juliette made a friend and spent an hour jumping into the pool with her again and again and again.

And then pre-dinner recreation back out on the lawn, gaming to our hearts’ content.

Pizza with a view…

Juliette’s cheeks got sun-burned that day and she went to bed whimpering over how hot her face felt.  I kicked myself for not packing sunscreen, but…there’s are worse things than a little too much Vitamin D.

I woke up early on Sunday and took a quiet solo walk while Shane and Juliette snoozed.

I felt like I had the spit and the bay all to myself.

I spotted a seal and watched him cut back and forth through the glassy water for awhile before heading back to check on the sleepy-heads.

Juliette and I grabbed a latte and a vanilla steamer and sat on a log while the sun finished rising, savoring the last of the morning’s quiet.

We squeezed in one last game-packed hour before check-out.

And then it was time to pack it up.  What a perfect balance of playing hard and resting hard.

Last on our weekend to-do list was hiking hard – we pulled off Chuckanut Drive and set out for a trek up to Fragrance Lake.

Ah…that first glimpse of water on these destination-lake hikes!

And that perfect log to settle into for a snack…

We’ve missed traveling this past year, but gosh, what a weekend getaway can do for a family’s soul.

Last snow post of the (already-long-gone) season!  We had such a good time in Leavenworth that I couldn’t resist booking us a February weekend near Winthrop.  Our cabin was in the small town of Brewster and overlooked the snow-covered vineyards at Lone Point Cellars.  I’d love to see this view in the summertime, preferably with a crisp Sauv Blanc in hand.

We awoke to cloudy skies on Friday, but when Juliette and I wrapped ourselves in blankets to step out and take in the view from the porch, we saw blue skies in the distance.

Juliette and Shane have become a couple of downhill junkies this winter, so we agreed we’d do one ski day on the slopes and one ski day on the flats.  We spent Friday at Loup Loup, a little gem of a resort tucked into the mountains between Okanagan and Twisp.  I suited up with my rental skis and hopped on the mini-lift right behind Juliette, inspired by her confidence.

“You can do it, Mama!”

We got in a few good family runs on the lower slopes and then Shane and Juliette hopped on the big-kids lift for a looooong run down the mountain.  I was feeling good on my skis but not that good, so I stayed behind and sipped my thermos of tea.

20 minutes later, Juliette came barreling down the mountain with her arms raised in victory, Shane on her heels.  Such a little champ.

We did a few more family runs, checked out a couple of detours, and then Shane and Juliette were back on the lift while I happily unbuckled my heavy boots and called it day.

I decidedly can’t keep up with these two, but trying was awfully fun.

We ate dinner back at our cabin, played a couple of rounds of Rummy, and then piled into the king-sized bed for a movie.  We slept hard that night.

Saturday was cross-country day, so after carrot cake and cinnamon rolls from our beloved Rocking Horse bakery, we hit the Methow Community Trail for a few hours of skiing in the slow lane.

THIS PLACE.  Gets me every time.  Get ready to scroll…

The downhills on this stretch of the MCT were just right – fast enough for a minor rush, but not so steep that I crashed and burned.

We covered quite a bit of ground before trudging through knee-deep powder to take a snack break under a tree.

And, back to it!

Cross-country skiing with Juliette certainly takes more coaxing than a day at the lifts, but still, this girl’s got stamina.  Plus, I keep a pocket full of gummy worms.

Rallying for the final stretch back to the car – get it, Jules!

We made it back to the car and then Juliette asked if we could do just a little of the downhill run the other direction.  But of course!

We did ten minutes of an uphill shuffle and then turned around for the payoff.  It was a long and steady run back down, but this girl kept knees bent, head up, body in control.  Another skier watched her fly past and then said to me, “Looks like she’s a little Olympian!”

Her freckles sure shine on a bluebird day!

We had late lunch reservations at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, which offered “private heated domes” on their back patio, each with their own HEPA filter.  We were intrigued.

It was a pretty sweet little setup, though I can tell you that a layer of plastic and a tiny space heater hardly keep you toasty in the midst freezing temps.  BUT, hot fries and a burger are so freaking good after a full day of skiing.

Back at the cabin, after some icicle shenanigans, we cozied in for the night with more cards and the rest of our movie.

Sunday morning was lazy as we milked our 11am checkout time…

And then put another idyllic snow-cation in the books.  Now bring on Spring!

And, before the cherry blossoms fully burst forth, more snow pics!  We spent a long weekend in Leavenworth back in January, logging some serious miles on our cross-country skis.  The Sleeping Lady Lodge is such a dreamy winter retreat…

…even if COVID forces you to eat your pizza out on the patio in 30-degree temps.

We were up and at ’em early on Saturday to hit the nordic trails at Stevens.

It was a bit of a slow start with a lot of uphill in the beginning, but we eventually found our groove.

Juliette took a couple of tumbles that momentarily shook her confidence, but she always managed to muster the will to get up and go on.

Snack break!

That early-on uphill I mentioned made for some pretty fast downhill on the way back, which Juliette and I conquered with mixed degrees of success.

She’s got the downhill form down pat.

And…she sticks the landing!

Meanwhile, as I was skidding to a stop on my butt, a well-intentioned man that was passing by said, “You know, there’s no shame in walking down some of these hills!”.  Thanks, dude.

We spent the afternoon back in our cozy room, reading and napping.

And then headed back out before dinner for some sledding.

I’m telling you, this girl’s got a serious need for speed.

We traipsed around the playground for a bit, Juliette found a snow-baby she could rock in her arms and feed with an icicle bottle, and then we called it a day.

We stayed closer to “home” on Sunday and decided to carry our skis over to the trail right near our cabin.

It’s been awhile since we’ve wintered in Leavenworth and I forgot how beautiful the Icicle River Trail is on a bluebird day.

I could follow in the tracks of these two all day long.  Such a happy sort of zen.

We found an idyllic little spot near the river to sit on our jackets and eat our lunch.  I mean, I just don’t know how winter gets any better than this.

Fueled by beef jerky and gummy worms, we trekked back to our cabin with record speed.

We spent another lazy afternoon in our room and then went for a short hike before dinner to stretch our legs and toss some snowballs.

The Christmas lights were still up in town and were kitschy as all get-out, but worth a nighttime stroll.

And then, one more game of Rummy (we’re a bunch of card sharks now!) to close out a stellar day.

We begrudgingly checked out of our cabin on Monday morning, but decided to have one last go on our skis at Wenatchee State Park before heading west.  The three of us camped here a couple of summers ago and I was curious to see what it looked like with a blanket of snow.

We off-trailed a bit (without our skis) to get down to the lake – last time we were here, these mountains were hidden behind a veil of forest fire smoke.  I much prefer this view.

Back in the grooves…

Oh, ski bunny.  I LOVE YOU.

Our legs were feeling rubbery after a couple of miles, so we tossed our skis in the trunk and then walked over to the mondo sledding hill to get our final snow fix.

Soak it in, Juliette.  These perfect winter weekends don’t come around too often (unless Mama catches ski fever and promptly books a February trip to Winthrop – that’s up next!).