Family Beach Weekend

Or as Neil calls it, Forced Family Fun!  Just kidding.  No, really.

Randy, Trey, and I went to the beach with my dad, Sandy, Julie, Tim, Grady, and Case for five days at the beginning of August to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday.  The weather was fantastic, the kids played really well together, and the grownups got to relax...at least a little.  It was a really fun vacation, and I have a ton of pictures that I'm posting because I want them in my blog book.  Watching Trey with his cousins was really special, and I also thought a lot about my mom because we spent a lot of time together at this beach house as a family.

On our first night there, the day was a little cloudy but it was warm enough to be on the beach in a sweatshirt and enjoy a good walk.  I love being out on the deck, pictured below, and looking out at the water.  This place more than anything reminds me of my mom because we spent so much time out there, sitting and drinking coffee, talking, and reading books.

We spent as much time as we could on the beach with the boys, and they had a great time playing together.  It was so fun to just be able to walk to the beach, let the boys run around, and then walk back home.  It was also fun to walk to the beach, sit with my book, and then walk back home.  In general, it was just fabulous.

Case, scoping out the view

Reading my book while the boys played

Buried treasure!

Julie and Grady

Watch out for Spidermen!

On Monday we went to the aquarium in Newport.  The boys had fun but I was a little underwhelmed.  I still think my favorite part of any aquarium is the jellyfish.

Case face down on the floor looking at the fish

The older boys wanted to go into the hurricane machine.  Case wanted to join, of course, but once it got started he quickly changed his mind (as you can see from the pictures).

I could narrate all of these beach pictures, but I think you'll get the idea.  We enjoyed a lot of beach time, beach fires, beers, and bonding time with the boys.  I couldn't ask for anything more!

Case was really interested in doing a series of selfies with Auntie Kristin.  I have twice as many shots than this, but I tried to limit myself to the cutest ones (of him, of course).

Wednesday was my dad's birthday, and while the little boys napped and Trey watched a movie, the grownups enjoyed margaritas on the deck.  It was so good to be together for my dad's birthday and spend some quality time at the beach.

Fun in Port Townsend

At the end of July, we went to Port Townsend to visit Randy's parents and then went to Anacortes for the day to see Grandma Alice (Great Grandma Alice to Trey). We are so glad that Grandma and Grandpa Clark are in driving distance and that we can see them more often!

Doug and Carmen have been hard at work since they retired to build up their garden and yard.  The results are amazing!  These two seriously never stop.

Trey and Grandma exploring the garden

This garden was started from seed!!!

On Saturday we headed up to Anacortes to see Grandma Alice.  We got to ride the ferry over which Trey has yet to be ceased to be amazed by.  

Another thing Trey has yet to ceased to be amazed by is Grandma Alice's bear collection.  Every time we go he goes straight to the bears and plays with them.  I wonder when that will end...

In the morning before we left for Anacortes, Randy caught two salmon in Discovery Bay.  We took them with us to his grandma's house, and his Uncle Duane cooked them up for lunch.  They were delicious!

Grandma Alice collects change in this turtle bank that she has a tradition of giving to her grandkids when it fills up.  This time it was Randy's turn, and he was surprised to go home with a stash of coins.  We have yet to cash it in, but there are guesses on how much Grandma Alice had collected.

Grandpa Doug, Great-Grandma Alice, Randy, and Trey

When we got back to Port Townsend, Randy and I escaped for a quick date night/dinner and found ourselves in a local dive bar.  It got good reviews on Yelp, and the food was decent, but it was kind of a weird spot.

Before we left on Sunday, we explored around Doug and Carmen's property.  The guys also played some frisbee which is a Clark tradition.  The greenhouse is almost done, and I can't wait to see what they grow in it this winter and spring!  Trey also got a tractor ride from his grandpa which may have been one of his highlights of the trip.

While it was a quick trip, it was good to get to Port Townsend this summer and especially great to see Grandma Alice.  I don't think we will be back up there until Christmas, and we look forward to that trip!

Summer Playdates

"Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.

"Pooh!" he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw.  "I just wanted to be sure of you."

A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner

Trey, Randy, and I are all really lucky folks because we all have really great friends.  Summer was awesome because we were able to spend more time with our friends than usual, and Trey had a really great time hanging out with his buddies.  Whether he said so or not, I think it was weird for him not to see his preschool friends every day, and I tried to schedule playdates as much as I could so that he could socialize and see his friends.   We spent a lot of time with Ana, and we also got to see a lot of Camille and a few of his preschool buddies.

About once a week, if not more, we hung out with Ana and Curt, and watching those two together is a thrill.  They really get along well, and we are all so happy that their friendship has blossomed.  Curt, Randy, and I can basically ignore them while they amuse themselves.  It's fantastic.

Hammock time with Ana!

I'm sure when Trey is a little older, he won't want his father interrupting his hammock time with his girlfriends.

We got to introduce Ana to the Children's Museum earlier this summer, and the kids had a great time together.  It was hard to keep up with the two of them, but I did my best.

Chasing each other on stage

One of Trey's favorite guys from preschool is Calvin.  When I told Trey once that two girls or two boys could get married, he said, "Oh good.  I'm going to marry Calvin."  Trey even knows Calvin's schedule at preschool and doesn't want to go on days that Calvin isn't there.

One day Mindy and I took the kids to George Rogers Park.  When we took a walk down to the river, I was surprised to see this stone sculpture that kids can climb on because it used to be at the playground when I was young.

Another Ana and Trey playdate...

Swimming with Garland and Maclyn at SW Community Center Pool.

We met Ardis, Dan, Cadence, and her three kids at the splash pad at Memorial Park in Wilsonville on a very hot day.  The kids loved the water, and the adults loved the shade.

Ardis and Dan

Emmett, Cadence, Kiah, and Madden

Ardis always brings treats for the kids, and this time it was cupcakes.

Another playdate with Ana...the kids had fun with the sprinkler water ball and hid under their umbrellas to protect themselves.

One last summer playdate with Calvin.  We met at Camp Rivendale, and Trey was not a happy camper when it was time to go home.

I look forward to Trey meeting new friends in kindergarten, and I hope he can continue to play with his friends from preschool.  It should be an exciting year with a lot of new people!