Summer Swimming

Since it's raining today, I guess I'll post some swimming pictures. We've had to stay closer to home this summer with 2 new businesses that need running, so we haven't had as many trips out to the beach. Instead, we've found a few favorite "beach" spots inland.

One of our favorites is out on the canal. What is it about Hood Canal?

 

And although you didn't see any "swimming" pictures, there was indeed swimming. I just couldn't move from my spot because I was nursing a sprained ankle. Another story, another time.\

Another favorite spot is right by our house. Let me rephrase that. It's a favorite spot of the kids'. Black Lake has a public swimming dock that I personally don't like going to. It is too small of a park and everyone under the sun that doesn't live on the lake goes there. Brendan and Wyatt have been begging and begging and I keep putting them off. Well, one boring Saturday we woke to cooler temps and gray skies, relatively late in the summer and Rand just happened to be home. I seized the moment and took a gamble that not too many people would be there. I was right! We had the place to ourselves! My introvert self prefers it that way!

 

Easton getting brave! (he doesn't remember his Phoenix swimming pool days)

 

These guys remember. Born to swim!

 

Just us

At the Fountains

Downtown Oly has these great fountains. It's not your ordinary "splash pad". These suckers shoot up with some serious force. It is for this reason, I believe, that only Brendan and Wyatt are soaking wet. Easton and Annabel timidly avoided being blasted by these crazy things!

At the Rodeo

Sadly we sat in the wrong seats. We were too far away from the action and the sun was in our eyes. But we still had fun. The big boys participated in the boot race (they take one of your shoes, make you turn around, then they scatter all the shoes and you race to find your shoe, get it on, and make it back to the fence).

The fair was sad as far as fairs go. I hate to bash on Shelton because I love it, but this was a lame fair.

When we had all had enough of the cowboys we left and all the boys rode the giant slide 3 times and then we made our way home.
Rodeo. Check!

free hats

 

 

I love my Aunt's perspective: "Hair is a great way to be adventurous. It always grows back!"

In The Woods

Wow. Things are crazy with 6 kids. I don't know if it's the number or the specific interesting dynamics we have with the 6 that are here....whatever it is....it's crazy.

Our house is small, but our property is huge. The problem with our property is that our landlords live right across the street, and wow, they keep a close eye on us. It is tiring living like that, I must say, so we have been trying to get out just to avoid the daily emails.

Awesome thing is, we actually have our own property. It's in Shelton. There is a piece of family property (40 acres) that has been split up into four 10 acre lots, one lot for each of us siblings. It is nothing but woods, mostly an overgrown, long forgotten Christmas tree farm. And all of us only have a dream of someday doing something with our lot (it's becoming a more serious dream to me).

Anyway, the other day we decided to go play in our woods. We took Rachel's dog and some hatchets and saws. The big boys cut down some trees and scouted wildlife and we daydreamed about houses (or vacation cabins) in the woods.

I really love it there.

To The Beach!

Rachel and I have been talking about maybe taking the kids to the beach while she is here. Her mother-in-law has a little cabin down in Long Beach and we sort of, kind of, thought about, maybe taking all the children for a couple days. Seriously, taking care of kids is so tiring. We weren't totally sure we were up to the task.

After studying the weather we decided it was do or die if we were indeed going to do it. At our Father's Day lunch with Rand (who couldn't go to the beach but graciously said we should go anyway) and my Dad, we decided we were going and we were dragging my Dad and his trailer with us. Then on the way home to pack we invited my Mom and she decided she was coming too. There was a brief moment of panic when we started packing and counting heads and beds (10 people in a 400sq ft cabin??), but in a few hours we were on the road. We left Sunday evening and arrived at the beach right at sunset. Easton, Annabel and I ran to the beach to see it. It was beautiful!

In the morning (we all slept relatively well) I went to the store with my mom and we went down to the beach after breakfast. It was great weather. Sun, not too much wind, and fairly warm. The big boys played in the water for the most part and the little ones played in the sand. Rachel and my Dad spent a large portion of the day looking for her dog who bolted the second we got to the beach. I mean bolted and was gone. It didn't help that he is the exact same color as the sand. He was eventually found at the Humane Society. Oopsie and phew!
The weather slowly deteriorated throughout the day and was eventually raining by evening. We went back to the beach for just a bit the next morning, but we were tired, and cranky and the weather had turned. Nobody likes their wet cold legs getting pelted with blowing sand and rain.

We hit the road and were back home by yesterday afternoon. It was a crazy (fun) impromptu beach trip!

WE LOVE THE BEACH!

 

He got brave and got in the ocean this year!

 

FREEZING!

 

After tracking Sam for a good couple miles, they returned....with no dog.

 

I love the trek to the beach

 

love

 

She had so much fun walking (dragging) Sammy all around.

 

Sam's back (yes, we have 2 dogs named Sam)

 

And this is why we brought Papa! :)