little black journal

Isaac is five and my firstborn is THIRTEEN.  Little Juliette Grace, a teenager…  In some ways I wonder how this happened so fast, but on the other hand, given how mature and responsible and insightful she is, I feel like she’s been on the threshold of teen-hood for a long time and her age is finally just now catching up to her personality.  Regardless, it’s official and we celebrated down at Lowman Beach on a Saturday afternoon with several of her best buddies (and a little brother that insisted on being right in the mix).

I brought some games and planned some activities to break the ice among these different circles of friends, but at the end of the day, kids just want to hang.  I stood back while they found their own pockets of fun.

Happy birthday to youuuuuuuu.

Juliette picked out her cake and this one was so very her.  Elegant and sophsticated, with a few glazed berries in lieu of sprinkles or colored frosting.  Fancy hits different at thirteen than it did at five or six…

The opening of gifts was the main event, with so many oooohs and ahhhhs at each scented body wash or gold necklace.

She’s in her koala era…

And her soccer era, of course.

When the birthday card contains a poop joke not meant for little brother’s eyes…

But he reads it anyway.

Body lotion and lip gloss and shower gel, oh my…  Her self-care routine is more on point than it’s ever been!

What a beautiful mashup of Juliette’s beloveds…  Girls she’s played with since kindergarten, soccer teammates she’s known only for a year or two, and her oldest and dearest friend N, who was such a good sport about being the only boy (other than Isaac) on in the invite list.

THIRTEEN.

Juliette’s actual birthday fell on a Monday and we dined at a local joint before doing gifts and cake at home.

Isaac cried about not getting any presents of his own and just about rained on the whole parade, but eventually snapped out of his funk and snuggled up to his sister.   Our sweet, selfish boy…

The item at the top of Juliette’s wish list (other than a puppy and a phone, both of which were vetoed by yours truly) was a White Fox hoodie.  Sweats for the girl that used to don twirly tutus and unicorn headbands.  Times, they are a-changing…

My girl, all growed up.  I’m a little sad about it.  But also, the fact that she still runs to give me a hug when I walk in the door at the end of the day.  The long talks we share, about boys or clothes or dreams for the future.  The friendship we have.  I saw something on Instagram a few weeks ago about how when your kids are little, it can feel impossible to find space for yourself as they constantly orbit around you, asking for help or attention or stuff.  And they they turn into young adults and they need their own space and you find yourself oribiting them, playing it cool but hoping with all your heart they’ll reach for your hand or ask for advice.  This kid and I, though?  Firmly in each other’s immediate orbits.  I couldn’t be more thankful.  Happy Birthday, Boo.

Our best boy turned five last month.  FIVE.  And still brimming with goof…

‘Chill’ is not in his repetoire (our home is a constant chorus of “Watch me!  Play with me!  LOOK AT ME!”) but this desire for connection also manifests in the most effusive bouts of affection.  I can’t leave the house without three kisses from him (one on each cheek and a third on lips for good measure), and then he shouts down the stairs as I head to the garage, “I love you the MOST!”.  He really does know how to make a mama feel like a million bucks.  And the snugggles!  Gosh, we’re both suckers for a good snuggle.

I don’t necessarily love his frequent 2am requests that I come lay with him just for a little bit, but the mornings that he stumbles into our room at 6am (anything earlier and I send him back to his bed; I have boundaries!), then tucks in next to me for a dozey hour or two are pure bliss.

He loves vanilla steamers:

His trusty scooter:

Dancing (Heeeeyyyyy Macarena…):

Gymnastics:

Superheros:

Puzzzles:

And time with BUDDIES more than anything.

Sometimes he looks so little…

And sometimes so stinking big, like on his last day of school back in June.  He walked up on stage to receive his certificate, all pride, and when his teacher asked him in front of all the smiling parents what he wanted to be when he grew up, he was so confident in his response:  “Martin, from Wild Kratts”.  Dream big, Bud.

We kept his birthday celebrations relatively low-key this year – we had played hard all summer and some backyard family time felt like the right way to ring in five.

Burgers and gifts and cake with the Rusts on his Birthday Eve Eve…

And a casual playground hang with his buds the next day.

We did Isaac’s last gifts at home that afternoon before Shane headed out for a work trip.  At the top of his wish list was a koala stuffy, just like sister’s.  Juliette delivered.

We’re at the tail end of his car era, but I’m going to ride that wave until it breaks.  Lighting McQueen still brings a jolt of joy.

To five…

And beyond!  Happy Birthday, sweet boy.

Summer Camp Part 2 took place at Camano Island – I’ve booked a site at this campground for the past three years, but have cancelled in prior years due to weather or soccer or packing fatigue (camp trip prep loses is luster come end of August…).  But this was the year!  We loaded up our Forester the day after school got out and made the relatively quick drive up to the island.  Isaac and I got right to exploring the “amenities” while Shane and Juliette set up the tent.  Isaac always makes quick work of figuring out the fastest route to the nearest bathroom and water spigot.

We ate our tried-and-true first night tacos and then bee-lined down to the beach, as the mosquitos were thick at our site.

The beach, though!  Not a bug in sight.  Just rocks, surf, sun.

Prime PNW!

Isaac will enter any driftwood fort without a single thought to stability.  Juliette, though, likes to give the roofline a good look before she settles in.

All clear.

We lingered for awhile, none-too-eager to return to the bugs up the hill.

Eventually, though, s’mores were requested, so we headed back for dessert and fireside books.  The skeeters were still at it, so we zipped ourselves into our tent before nightfall.  I don’t mind an early turn-in!

We breakfasted at our site the next morning, but then we set up second camp at the beach, partly because of the bugs, but also because…beauty.

We tossed rocks and hunted for crabs and colored on shells.  We largely had the place to ourselves.

This is the kind of magic that happens when the iPads are left at home…

Eventually we packed it up and headed into town to look for a place to watch the US-Australia World Cup game.  The rule about no-screens-on-camp-trips has its exceptions…

We did a little more exploring on the island after the game and then went back to our tent for an afternoon siesta.

The concept of “quiet time” is still very hard for Isaac, but Juliette is usually up for playing along with his tent shenanigans.

Once it became clear that the walls of our tent could no longer contain this kid’s boundless energy…to the beach!

Again, we set up second camp near the water, and again felt like we had this piece of paradise to ourselves.

Beach bits tic-tac-toe…Juliette really upped the ante on resourcefulness!

We snapped a family pic to memorialize our perfect evening and as we loaded our cooler in the car to head back to the site, Shane asked, “What if…we just packed it all up and drove home tonight?”  I resisted at first, as I’m not in the business of camp trip single-nighters, but when we considered the fact that there was zero traffic on the route home at 9 pm and that we could enjoy our breakfast the morning sans moquitoes, the deal was sealed.

Let’s get outta here.

Clean sheets and a sleep-in, still with a collection of solid gold beachside memories?  Nailed it.

Summer!  Slipping through our fingers way too fast, like every year, but I’m facing the end of my favorite season with the comforting sense that we relished the heck out of these last couple of months.  We swam and we played and we camped.  Oh, we camped.  Summer Camp 2026 started with a June weekend at Deception Pass.  It was just me and Isaac again, as Juliette had a soccer tournament that overlapped with our Deception Pass reso (three years running) and I leaned into the sweetness of what’s become our annual mama-son weekend in the woods.

I picked up Isaac a little early from preschool and we rolled up to our site on a sunny Friday afternoon.  He scoped out the local fauna and worked on his Junior Ranger packet while I unloaded the car.

We made quick work of setting up camp…

And then, to the beach!

We knew the water would be cold, but still, we had to dip our toes in for an official confirmation.

We’ve figured out all the best places to scramble and climb at this little stretch where West Beach meets North Beach.

Take a load off, Buddy…

We scooted back to camp for tacos and s’mores.

Isaac needs less supervision year by year, but I still stayed real close while he “helped” chop wood.

He loves a good mallow…

But can’t stand the sticky fingers.

We finished eating and cleanup just in time to catch the sunset.  To the beach!

We zipped ourselves into our tent, wiggled into our sleeping bags, read a couple of books, and then it was lights OUT.

Saturday started with a game of hopscotch on the way to the bathroom…

Roadside salmon berries…

And muffins with hot chocolate.

Then, you know it…TO THE BEACH.

We took the long, slow route back to camp because this trail along North Beach is magic during the morning golden hour.

Back on the sand, we scouted the crabs and anemones and mussels.  Isaac was enamoured with each little creature, exclaiming “Mama!  We’re finding such cool stuffs!”  We sure were, Buddy.

This kid, grinning back at me over his shoulder with one foot on his scooter, challenging me to a race.  Freeze framing in my mind forever.

Back at camp, Isaac got cute while I made our second breakfast.

Full belly, big smiles.  I wish I could remember what was so funny…

We eventually traded our pajamas for real clothes and drove over to Bowman Bay for a hike.  Isaac was sidetracked by the playground and so I took a seat on a sunny bench and let him play.  He was determined to make it from one end of this climbing structure to the other without touching the ground, but slipped off this last log time and time again.

On the tenth try, though, he nailed it.

Unfettered pride.

Playground conquered, we set out on our hike.

The Lighthouse Point Trail is a perfect mix of beach, woods, and overlooks.  Isaac trekked the 2.5 miles like a little mountain goat.

Quick goldfish break…

And then the final dash back to the car.  We made great time, because…

ICE CREAM.  This boy earned his scoop from Lopez Island Creamery.

Little rascal ate most of his ice cream and then decided he really wanted to trade his huckleberry cone for my guava one.  I’m a sucker.

Isaac fell asleep on the way back to camp and slumped onto my shoulder when I lifted him out of the car.  We settled in for an epic afternoon tent nap.

And then happy hour at the beach, because there’s no better place to rub the sleep from your eyes.

Cheers, Zig Zag.

Juice box, cars, warm sand, sun…life is so, so good.

We popped by the amphitheatre on our way back to camp to say high to the Ranger and make a salmon hat.

We ate dinner and while I would have been thrilled to hit the hay, Isaac was still buzzing with the energy imbued from his long nap.  We headed out for one more scoot…  We hadn’t yet explored the trail near Cranberry Lake, but the long, paved stretch looked like prime scootering territory.

It delivered.

We decided on a beach detour for sunset (and an intricate game of pretend in which I was Bowser and Isaac was Mario).

Isaac (Mario) put me in jail several times over, wielding a stick sword when I threatened to escape.  I played along despite my desire to just sit quietly on a log and watch the sunset, because…how many more years do I have to play in his imaginary world?  Not enough.

One last scoot…

With a handful of stops along the way to watch the sky change colors.  Summer rocks.

I was pooped by nightfall, but Isaac most certainly was not (still riding that nap wave!), so I gave him the lantern and a coloring book, closed my eyes, and woke 30 minutes later to the sound of him putting his papers away, because finally he was ready for bed.  I thanked him profusely for letting me get a head start on my Z’s.

We were eager on Sunday morning to get back to Shane and Juliette, but that Cranberry Lake trail felt worthy of one last pass.

A little more driftwood jail time…

He really looks like he’s surveying his domain here.  King of West Beach.

And back to camp for a record speed pack-up.  Time to head home.  Mission: Kick-Off-Summer accomplished, with flying colors.

It was a three-hour drive from Antelope Canyon to our AirBNB in Sedona, and we boogied, eager to kick back for a bit at our new digs before beginning Part II of our Arizona vacation.

We freshened up and then settled into a beautiful table at Broome and Orchard, reserved courtesy of Shane.

The drinks were tasty, the food was exceptional, and the company couldn’t be beat.  We’d logged so many hours in the car that day, but spirits were high as three days in a new town stretched out in front of us.

We slept like logs on Wednesday and awoke on Thursday ready to carpe diem.  Our explorations started at Indian Gardens Market, where we wolfed down french toast and chilaquiles on their charming patio.

From Indian Gardens, it was a short drive to Slide Rock at Oak Creek Canyon.

This place was like a natural water park, with small pools and rock slides and a lazy river…  It was a bit too chilly to get in the water that day, but Juliette and I did some exploring and rock-hopping.

Shane and Isaac would love this place…we’ll be back.

After Slide Rock, we strolled downtown Sedona, iced chai and iced coffee in hand.  We picked up a little toy for Isaac and Juliette bought an opalite charm at a rock shop.  Good vibes!

We vegged at our condo in the afternoon and then set out for a short hike at Bell Rock before dinner.  The trailhead was just a few minutes from where we were staying and it seemed worth a wander…

Unlike a lot of the forested lake hikes we do in the PNW where the destination is hidden from view until you’re upon it, at this place it was always abundantly clear where we were headed.

Always chatting, us two.

Getting closer…

We made it to this perch and decided it was the perfect place to stop and hydrate.  A gaggle of more adventurous teenage boys scrambled past us and further up the rock, but this sunny seat felt just right for us.

Rather than retrace our steps back to the car, we rounded Bell Rock toward Courthouse Rock to stretch out our finish.

One of those “Is this real life?!” kind of landscapes.  I’ve never been anyplace like it.

We made good time getting back, eager to make our dinner reso.  We stopped for a minute when we spotted a couple of coyotes eyeing us from a distance, but they didn’t bother us and we didn’t bother them.

Beautiful hike.  Highly recommend!

We had dinner at the Mesa Grill, again reaping the benefits of Shane’s good restaurant scouting, and then went back to the condo for a dip in the hot tub before calling it a night.  We had a early trailhead date the next morning!

I spent a long time reading trail reviews, trying to find us a just-hard-enough Friday hike, and settled on Cathedral Rock via Baldwin Trail.  I’d read that the parking lot is often full, so we rallied early, grabbed coffee and muffins from a nearby bakery, and set out from the trailhead at 8am.

Long dusty trails led us into the woods and then near the river, where we stopped for a bit to rest before starting the elevation gain in earnest.

We climbed switchbacks and rock steps, huffing and puffing a bit as the sun rose higher and the day got warmer.

Still, though, she smiled.

A moment to hydrate before the final ascent:

It was a scramble to the top in some places, where we crawled on our hands and knees over sheer, sloping rocks, but WE DID IT.

Well done, Juliette!

We rested in the shade for awhile, reveling in the chance to cool off and catch our breath while taking in the view.

And back to it!

When in doubt, descend on your butt…

Quite the five-miler!  Proud of us for conquering the rock.

We slurped Diet Cokes and wolfed down burritos from a Mexican restaurant across the street from the condo, Facetimed back home to find that brother was goofy as ever, and then lounged poolside for the afternoon.  We’d earned it.

We made a short stop at Chapel of the Holy Cross before dinner, taking in the austere architecture and sunny plaza.

And then pizza and cards at Oak Creek Brewery in Tlaquepaque Village.

The shopping center was beautiful, with gardens and fountains and Spanish-style plazas.  We wandered around and window-shopped for awhile.  I made note of a pottery boutique that was was closed for the day but likely worth a return trip the next morning.

Gosh, what a top day with my top girl.

Saturday was our travel day home, but our afternoon flight left us enough time for breakfast at the Pump House back at Tlaquepaque.

Plus a pop into the pottery shop…

And a creekside sit for reading and Sudoko…

I was eager to get home to our guys, but also reluctant to leave this slice of magic behind.  I fell hard for Sedona, with its dramatic scenery and chill vibes.  I can’t wait to go back.

Now, back to our boys!

It was an easy flight home and we were greeted curbside at the Seattle airport with the biggest of hugs.  Juliette had been such a rockstar travel buddy.  Isaac was healthy and happy.  And SHANE.  Shane had pivoted and swapped his Arizona Spring Break for a staycation with Isaac, complete with trips to the arcade and movie theater and multiple playgrounds.  He administered the middle-of-the-night inhaler treatments and nursed our son back to health.  Total hero, that guy.  It was good to be home.

Always a season behind here, but hey!  Spring Break 2026!  But before I get to the roll of pics featuring me and Juliette gallavanting around Arizona, a note on why Shane and Isaac are not featured in said pics…  Isaac came down with a light cough two days before we were all meant to leave, but I largely set it aside and figured it was nothing worth changing plans over.  We’ve seen so many coughs come and go in our house.  And then the day before our flight, I noticed how rapid his breathing was as he napped on the couch.  This was…different.  It seemed worth heading to Urgent Care, just in case we needed to scoop up an antibiotic prescription before our trip.  An hour after walking through the doors of our neighborhood Urgent Care, we were being rushed to the Emergency Room at Seattle Children’s by ambulance.

Honestly, the call for the ambulance may have been overly cautious on the part of the clinic doctor, but still, Isaac’s breathing was labored and he needed more help than they were primed to offer.  Buddy was incredibly brave (braver than me!) through a barrage of breathing treatments and chest x-rays and vitals checks.

It was a long, long night, but he improved with each passing hour, eventually giggling over his ET-like oxygen sensor while using his bed controls to fake-phone his friends.  We were discharged shortly after midnight with a diagnosis of pre-pneumonia.  He was stable, but in no shape to board a plane in several hours.

So…what to do?  Gosh, I wanted this trip.  I felt like I needed this trip.  Work had been running me ragged and I missed hanging with my kids and I was counting on that sun-break.  Shane wanted this trip, too, but more than that, he wanted me to take a break, and so as we pulled into our driveway at nearly 1:00 am, Isaac snoozing in the backseat, he urged me to go. Take Juliette and GO.

So we did.  Early the next morning, with just a couple of tears, we said goodbye to our guys and got on a plane to Phoenix.

Upon landing, first things first.

We settled into our cutie AirBNB in Tempe and then grabbed dinner in Old Town Scottsdale.

The evening was warm, the sky was brilliant, word from home was that Isaac was in good spirits, and Juliette and I were officially on vay-cay.

We caught up over tacos and margaritas (Jarritos for Juliette) and while this wasn’t the vacation we’d pictured, we both agreed we were going to make the most of it.

Making the most of a Mama-Jules trip meant binge-watching This Is Us late into the night and then sleeping in.  It was nearly lunchtime by the time we’d breakfasted and dressed on Monday.  Shane and I had planned this first leg of our Arizona trip as a total lay-low, where we’d enjoy the pool at the house, kick back, and eat in.  Juliette and I carried forth with that plan, but with a little bonus shopping and a nice meal at The Canal Club.

Tuesday was similarly lazy – I finished my book, we worked on our tans and streamed Gilmore Girls on the patio TV.  I took a nap.  It was glorious.

Still though, I was antsy by mid-afternoon, so we put on real clothes and headed into Phoenix for coffee and pizza.

And then we drove over to the Desert Botanical Garden for an evening stroll among the cacti.

This place was beautiful – local flora at its finest.

Late night hangs with my girl back at the house…

But not TOO late, because we were getting an early start on Wednesday!  This was the point in the trip at which “making the most of it just being the two of us” transitioned from vegging to adventuring.  I’ve been wanting to visit the Antelope Slot Canyons for years but figured it wasn’t in the cards for us, given the four-hour drive time from Tempe.  Then again, if it was just me and my best co-pilot…I booked us an 11am tour.  We were doing it.

We made great time on the long drive north and stopped by Horseshoe Canyon on the way to Antelope.  The path from the parking lot was flat and dusty and I wondered if we were in the right place, but then you get a little closer…

…and see this:

Turns out Arizona has a few tricks up her sleeves!

We hopped back in the car for a short drive through more lifeless landscapes…

Followed our guide down another flat, dusty trail…

And then began our descent into a magical underworld of flowing red rocks.

I cannot overstate how surreal this place was, sculpted by the natural forces of wind and water.  I’ve never seen anything like it.

We stuck with our group but had plenty of time throughout to stop to ooh and ahh.

While I’d seen plenty of pictures of the slot canyons (they inspired my architectural thesis project!), Juliette had no context for what to expect, so it was fun to watch her discover it with completely fresh eyes.

Core memory.

Eventually we emerged from below with the sense that we’d just traversed an alternate universe.  Totally worth the trip.  Next stop: Sedona!

Wednesday in Maui dawned with lazy snuggles before a walk to the market for spam musubi and malasadas.

Isaac’s breakfast came with a side of monster truck.  Lucky boy…

We staked out a couple of chairs at our hotel’s beach that morning and checked out a volleyball from the pool desk.  I settled in with my book while the kids played.

We walked back up to the market for lunch and matcha – we traverse this beach path several times a day, every day, but I don’t mind the back and forth in the least.  There’s no better place to travel by foot…

Swing detour…

And always, the quick photo op.

We debated getting in the car and trying someplace new for dinner, but at the end of day, the poolside picnic won.

Our last full day in Maui!  Rise and shine, Isaac.

Thursday found us back at Makena Beach, this time with lilikoi croissants from Momona Bakery (thanks, Shane!).  Deeeeeeeelicious.

Isaac and I hunted for crabs and minnows while the sun fully rose.  Beachcombing is the perfect way to work up a sweat.

And then, into the water!  Both kids loved swimming in the ocean more this year than they ever have in the past.

The water was extra calm that morning, but Juliette played up the drama of even the smallest approaching waves.  Isaac ate it up.

Tuckered.

From the beach to the pool!

The world is basically his runway.

We made a reservation at one of the hotel restaurants and gussied up just a little for dinner – sometimes it’s nice to eat someplace where shirts and shoes are required.

The kids slurped pasta while Shane and I feasted on fresh fish.  The sun set in the distance, the breeze was warm, I was feeling just a tad blue at the thought of leaving…but more than anything, I was so thankful for those few days in paradise.

Heart rock!

Good night, Maui.

Friday was go-day.  Soak in that morning view, kiddos.

Thankfully, we had time for one last market stroll…

One last spam musubi…

(With a side of acai…)

One last ocean dip…

And one last cannonball.

The wet-haired boy wrapped in a beach towel, worn out and content, is an image I’m freeze-framing in my mind forever.

Juliette made her annual departing wish at the fountain and then we loaded up our bags and said our mahalo’s.

A little tired.  A little sun-kissed.  A lot happy.  Until next year, Maui!

 

Wailea!  We made it!  We couldn’t have been happier to be back at our old stomping grounds, healthy and 100% waterslide-ready.

We ate dinner poolside, because the thought of trading our swimsuits for real clothes felt entirely unappealing.  In this current phase of life, making the most of Maui time means spending as much time as possible in or directly adjacent to water.

On that note, to the beach!

We played a raucous game of tag and splashed in the surf.  I just finished reading a memoir written by a woman who talks about the joy she gets from watching her pack of dogs run unleashed in the wide open desert as they all live into the wildest, most free versions of themselves, and I am definitely not comparing my son to a dog, but I mean…

Run, family, run!

Juliette and Shane worked up a sweat in trying to keep up with Isaac, so they dipped in the ocean for a cooldown.

Buddy and I hung back on the shore.

Gosh, he was amped up.

Can we talk about how this place always rolls out the red carpet for us upon arrival?  This was the best sunset we saw all week.

We watched the last streaks of pink fade to gray from our favorite hot tub, perched above the pools, and then we called it a day.  We’d swam our damn hearts out.

Monday morning started with a stroll through the resort and along the beach path to Island Vintage for coffee and acai.

No one makes a prettier breakfast bowl.

We took our time moseying on back, stopping for some sidewalk air guitar, a few requisite snaps at the Aloha sign, and a quick round of corn hole on the Mariott’s lawn.

And then to the beach, because our daily Wailea ritual goes: breakfast -> beach -> lunch -> pool -> dinner -> beach, and if it ain’t broke, we don’t fix it.  We made the short drive down to Po’olenalena and scored a shady spot with plenty of tree coverage to keep us cool through the morning.  Money.

From one body of water to the next…

We walked up to Island Market for a simple picnic dinner and I wondered for a moment as Isaac asked for a carry if he’d make until sunset.  Buddy was wiped.

Woop!  He’s up!

A top notch treat from Honolulu Cookie Company to cap off a top notch day.

And because the beach always seems to be “on the way” back to the room…

Tuesday dawned with an action figure patio duel.

And a vanilla steamer from the hotel cafe.

The beach du jour was Makena Beach, just a couple of miles south of us.  This is Shane’s seafront of choice, as we’re always able to land a shady spot and there’s a nice mix of rocky zones for exploring and open zones for swimming.

Isaac spent most of the morning digging a giant hole, scooping and tossing and scooping and tossing.

Then jumping!

When this boy puts his mind to something…this crater was large.  I stretched out comfortably at the bottom of it while the kids took turns jumping over me.

Chill, Bud.  You earned it.

We lunched at Maui Brewing and then it was straight to Ululani’s for our most treastured island treat.  Green tea + passion fruit + guava for me, just like every year.  And perfectly sweet + tart + smooth, just like every year.

And then on with the regularly scheduled programming…

We picnicked and sun-setted at Makena Cove and I’m aware of how many times I use the word “favorite” when speaking of Maui, but truly, this tiny little stretch of beach at golden hour is IT.

The kids spun in the sand, arms stretched wide, until they toppled over, dizzy and giggling.  Eventually I joined them and we all landed together in one sandy pile of limbs and laughter.   It was all so unabashedly delightful…I wanted to bottle it up so I could sip from it later.  And maybe I did in fact bring some of that joy back to the mainland; just flipping through these photos now gives me all the warm feels.

Pooped, arms still outstretched…  (Also, Buddy, scoot over!).

Maui recap!  Three months ago we boarded a plane for our favorite island…

That special touchdown kind of feeling – vibes were high.

This year we mixed it up just a tad and booked three nights up in Ka’anapali prior to our requisite stay down in Wailea.  After a quick stop at Costco for the essentials (sparkling water, trail mix, Pocky), we checked into our hotel, quickly traded our travel clothes for swimsuits, then hit the pool, white bellies and all.

And then the beach beckoned.

We laid out our towels on the sand, grabbed poke and chicken strips from a nearby beach cafe, and settled in for a golden hour picnic.

Cheers, Buddy.

I love going to bed our first night in Maui, knowing the long day of travel is behind us and we have several days of sun stretched out before us.  The promise of it all!  But dang it if Shane didn’t wake me up at midnight, asking if I’d packed any Iboprofen, because he felt awful.  Fever and chills and aches all over – Isaac’s cold bug from earlier in the week had found another victim.

SO, on Friday morning while Shane stayed in bed and tried to sleep off his sickness, I took the kids to the beach for a swim.

But first, ACAI.

Napili Bay was gorgeous – soft sand and aqua water and gentle waves.  Our family has a particular allegiance to the beaches at Wailea, but this place was turning out to do juuuuust fine.

Ready, set…

Jump!

We spent the full morning strolling up and down the beach, dipping deeper and deeper as the sun rose higher and higher.

The beach has a way of bringing out the very best in their relationship.  Silly…

And so stinking sweet.

We eventually shook the sand from our towels and headed back to the car.  We made a run into town for cold meds for Shane.  And a black robot for Isaac, because his Spiderman action figure needed someone to duel against.

Post-lunch pool…

And then a drive up to the north shore of the island to check out the Nakalele Blowhole.  It was a rockier trek than I expected to get down to where the water crashed on the rocks, but the kids scampered the terrain like champs.

We sat for awhile on a pair of rocks to watch the spray, but kept our proper distance.

Honestly, this was one of those attractions where the journey to and from was better than the destination.  No complaints!

We all felt like we’d earned a treat after our mini-hike, so I made a hard left when I saw a sign for shave ice.  It was close to dinnertime and I recommended that we be responsible and share rather than overindulge, but…

This thing could have fed a family of six.

Dig in, kids!

Shane was feeling the tiniest bit better that evening and joined us for a walk over the food trucks for dinner, but then it was early to bed for all of us.  We needed to be up early the next morning.

Early as in, rise and shine at 2:30am, kids!  Every year that we go to Maui, we debate making the drive up to Haleakala for sunrise, and every year we decide that we just can’t swing the middle-of-the-night wakeup that it requires.  But since we had an extra day on the island for this trip, and since Shane had snagged a last-minute Saturday morning reservation that granted us access to the mountaintop, we decided this was our year.  Carpe diem.

We ushered the kids from their beds into the car, pajamas and all, and mapped our route.  Isaac slept through most of our two hour drive; we arrived at the top of the mountain by 5am with time to spare.  We put on every bit of warm clothing I’d packed (sweatshirts and the handful of beanies I’d grabbed on our way out the door in Seattle), wrapped ourselves in our hotel blankets, and settled in to wait for the show.  And shortly before 6:00, the sky lightened from black to navy, with the boldest streak of orange right at the horizon.

Unreal.  Totally worth the obscenely early wake-up and the cold-temp shivers.

The kids were such good sports.  Isaac whined a bit about the cold but hung in there with the rest of us. Juliette was supremely validating with her exclamations of, “Wow…wow…WOW” as the sky changed color.

Super troopers.

Now let’s crank up the seat warmers!

We reached the bottom of mountain as the island’s cafes and bakeries were just opening their doors.  We stopped in the charming town of Makawao for coffee and guava-filled malasadas.

While I would have happily napped the afternoon away, the kids had other plans.  Pool time!

And then a trip up to Whaler’s Village for burgers and lemonade.

I was eager to show Shane the turquoise water at Napili Bay, so we hightailed it over the beach for sunset.

So happy to have him back in the land of the living.

Rain showers drove us back to the car before the sun fully set, but Isaac enjoyed watching daylight wane from our patio, all while jamming out to the live band playing 70’s rock covers from the bar below.

On Sunday we packed up our things and said goodbye to Ka’anapali.  We’d had a fun little stint there, minus Shane’s bug, but we were eager to get down to Wailea.

That said, we had several hours until check-in at our next digs, so we took our time heading south, stopping first at Baby Beach for swimming and sand play.

The water here is remains shallow way off-shore.  Isaac kicked around in his floaties and then joined Shane for castle-building while Juliette and I walked out to see just how far the shallows extended.

We moseyed on out and then a turtle swam by, not ten feet in front of us!  Another checkmark on the Maui magic list.

We decided to grab lunch in Paia but then I saw the sign for Leoda’s Pie Shop on the way and figured we shoud probably check it out…reviews raved about their key lime pie and both Juliette and I love a good, tart dessert.

Followed by a Mopsy pizza at Paia Flatbread.  Every time we visit this place I wonder if we should try something new, but that pulled pork pizza is just so good.  The heart wants what it wants…

And then our hearts were set on Wailea.  Next up!

Winter is OVER.  We did it!  We made it through the darkest, coldest months of the year.  With a heap of happy memories, no less.  December, January and February held plenty of sweet, cozy moments indoors.  Couch snuggles:

The joy of new Christmas toys:

The joy of old toys rediscovered:

Lots of hot chocolate:

LEGOS:

And a bit of baking – Juliette’s buttermilk biscuits were a staple during soup season:

We got outside when the weather allowed, for swings:

And pickleball:

Piggy-back rides:

And time with buddies:

Isaac and I upped our coffee shop game and made a point of getting out for a latte and a cocoa most weekends while Juliette was out at soccer or with friends.  To sit across the table from this kid while he chatters and sips is pure joy.

We ventured outside of West Seattle for the occaional mini-adventure.  This water taxi ride to downtown Seattle was the perfect way to pass a few hours on an otherwise lazy weekend.

The new playground near the aquarium was a hit with both kids.  Lots of challenging climbs, even for Juliette.  I do not take for granted that she still loves a fast slide.

Warm piroshy’s post-playground:

A pop into the prettiest home goods store for Juliette’s 2026 calendar:

And a round of drinks at Zeitgeist, my favorite Pioneer Square coffee shop:

(Yes, twinning, and yes, on purpose!)

City kids…I love this series of them strolling Pioneer Square:

Pooped.  Such a good day.

We spent a sunny afternoon out in Kirkland at Juanita Bay Playground and again, found something for everyone.  This two-person swing was the favorite:

And for me?  A waterside stroll.

Pure mischief, this boy.

He looks like he just might push her in.  (He didn’t.)

Reeling in a big one!

Take One:

Take Two:

Take Three.  Nailed it.

What else?  We cruised:

And crafted:

Ate yummy things:

And visited grandparents:

We huddled together under the umbrella for a couple of particulalry wet soccer games, but felt ok about it because Juliette and her team are THRIVING and it’s a blast to watch them click:

It randomly snowed on a day in March and we built a scrappy little snowman:

And then Juliette played soccer on a field that was more white than green:

Isaac and I discovered the “new playground” at Lincoln Park, which is actually a couple years old, but we somehow have missed it as we’ve always boogied to the “old playground”.  He is at peak climbing age and the ropes course was just his speed.

The Lincoln Park beach on a sunny Winter late afternoon is the perfect way to summon Spring vibes.

So long to bare limbs and 4:30 sunsets.  Happy April.