Goodbye Summer

We said so long to summer in the same fashion as last year. We spent part of Labor Day weekend at the lake, soaking up our last days at the beach. And then we returned to town Monday in time to enjoy the Comstock concert at the park with some friends. We picnicked while half listening to symphony music and chasing around our kids. It was a great finale to a wonderful summer.

This weekend marked the ninth straight weekend away for our family. I know. It's slightly ridiculous. About this time every year we are looking back on some wonderful memories and simultaneously longing for some relaxation at home. We are most certainly ready for the routines of fall. Yet it is always bittersweet. There is much to be thankful for. And much to anticipate :).

Leaping into Grampy's arms just one last time

Experiencing the last of the lake monster

Cuddling with Grammy on the hammack

Enjoying the Comstock picnic with Mr. Benj

Eight day old Miss Lauren at the concert!

Sullivan Lake

For something like ten years we camped at Sullivan Lake during my childhood. We usually went over the 4th of July weekend - and camped in the group site with four other families. Besides Priest Lake they are some of my best memories. We'd bike the trails for hours, jump off rope swings and the bridge, swim to the floating dock, create passwords to our secret hiding places, crush rocks to make natural "make-up"paint to rub all over our arms and legs (totally normal, right?!), and play silly card games around the campfire that were usually funny MASH (you know, mansion, apartment, shack, house)-type variations.

So I'm not exactly sure why I hadn't been back in almost ten years. It's just two hours away, after all.

This past weekend we broke the Sullivan Lake-less streak and convinced our friends to try Sullivan instead of Farragut this year. Mostly it was my trying to convince them, which actually wasn't all that hard. They were totally game for trying a new space. It was me who was just a bit nervous. The place was almost larger than life to me as a kid. I didn't want to be disappointed - or for anyone else to think it was lame. ;)

The good news is that it was far from lame. It was actually every bit as awesome as I remember. We did many of the same things I did growing up (minus the make-up paint & MASH games).

Another perk to Sullivan is the fact that it lies far beyond cell range. There is just something wonderful that happens when you are forced to shut down all electronic devices for 60-ish hours. We all decompressed. Our kids collapsed into bed at night and slept soundly. We spent lots of time around the campfire, barely staying awake to 10pm each night. And I swear to you the stars shine brighter up there - only ten miles from Canada ;). Here's how we filled our days at Sullivan...

The Lake (again)

We spent a weekend at Priest with my parents in mid-August and I just had to post a few of these pictures because they are some of my favorites. The weather this weekend was perfect. Hot during the day and cool at night. I love that about the lake. We spent pretty much the entire two days at the beach and in the water. I don't remember a year with warmer lake water than this summer. It's been fabulous! I will come back and look at this post sometime between January and May when I feel like summer will never come - and remind myself that these few months of summer making living in the northwest totally worth it!! 

The queen of the sand castle

The view from the water

The view from the chairs

Campground bike ride with Grammy

Relaxing with the Claranator

Mr. Chubs loves the water too

Last year Clara SCREAMED when Grampy wore his clay mask. This year she wanted to join him in painting her whole body!

Grammy & Caleb time

More sandcastles!

The Coast

In early August we joined our dear friends the Randalls, Harts & Allens at Salishan beach in Oregon for a long weekend of loveliness. We relaxed, ate good food, adventured a fair bit and enjoyed the beach. Is there anything more wonderful than the ocean?! Okay, maybe the sand for Miss Clarabelle (she rolled in it far more than she splashed in the waves - which makes total sense, right?!). But as far as I am concerned, the beach is pretty much as good as it gets!

It was a long trip with little ones, but our leave late in the afternoon strategy paid off and Clara and Caleb both passed out for most of the car ride down. Coming home, we enjoyed breakfast with my brother & his family in Portland before taking our time back to the Kan. I'm not going to lie, 9+ hours was kind of an intimidating undertaking. Thankfully, it went way better than anticipated.

Time at the beach was certainly a highlight...

As was the campfire (it always is!)

And the trip down to Newport to visit Rogue Brewery.

 And the hike through the sweet Oregon forest to the falls!

Mostly though, just hanging out around the kitchen table (looking out over the ocean - not too shabby) was where we spent a fair bit of time. And it was so nice to just relax and spend time together.

And I didn't document it well with pictures, but Clara literally played the entire time with Tayler, Olivia, Amelia and Hollyn (and the boys occasionally too ;)). She never even stopped to need us, I swear. We'd find her tucked in a corner with a make-shift "cast" on her arm, playing doctor with her friends- or playing "house" out on the deck. The change to independent play has been a gradual one, I know, but all of the sudden that weekend, Jonathan and I looked at each other and commented on how strange it is to feel like she doesn't even know we're there. Hurrah!!!! And noooo!! The simultaneous shouts of parents everywhere, right?! Our little three year old girl is growing up so fast.

And the finale of the trip? Getting a short overnight stay with the Portland Vaughns. We're so excited to spend some more quality time with them in a few weeks :). This is little Miss Harper in all her glory!