Washington (6): Please can this be my life.

Please can this be my life.

That's the phrase I kept saying to myself over and over again the entire time we were hanging out on Fidalgo & Whidbey Islands.

(Midwest folks - I know this whole Pacific Northwest thing is totally foreign to you. It was to me until very recently. So, picture if you will being in the state of Washington then driving a couple of hours northwest - almost to Canada - until you run out of land and hit a string of islands. That's where all this magic happened.)

As great fortune would have it, a dear friend of ours grew up on Fidalgo Island and has family that still lives there. A "wouldn't it be cool if?" turned into a "there's a cabin on the water where you could stay" and VOILA we had the perfect little PNW island retreat laid out before us.  No wi-fi, no TV, no frills. Just the scenery, the salty air, and the Four Schneiders.  Bliss.  Bliss.

It's the kind of place where in only a few minutes you feel your shoulders begin to relax. You realize you're breathing more deeply. Time starts to slow down. Quiet takes over. Then, crazy crazy crazy things happen like you look outside and there are TWO BALD EAGLES just chilling in a giant tree overlooking the cabin.

It's the kind of place that a girl like me from Xenia, Ohio knows exists but can hardly believe her eyes when she's standing there.

Under Deception Pass Bridge

The Bridge from the Beach

The kind of place where you're living in what feels like someone else's photo album because it's just a little too surreal that you're the one standing there with your family.

This whole state looks like the movie "Fern Gully" from my youth.

And, on this evening, in our first couple of hours on the islands that house Deception Pass State Park - it was the place where we all got a glimpse into what the next few days would hold.  Experiences none of had every experienced before. New sounds, new sights, new tastes. And lots and lots and lots of new memories.

This guy.

I'm sorry to say that the final fantastic dip of this day's light into the water was not captured on film. Instead, I put down the camera and took my spot right there on the log next to my three favorite people in the universe.

(Bald eages ya'll.  Bald eagles!)

Washington (5): Half-time

(And now back to your regularly scheduled blog programming....Washington.)

The half-way point through our trip to Washington was the end of our time with my co-workers that made the whole trip possible.  The last night of our staff retreat week was a big family dinner with amazing food, super tasty drinks (marshmallow vodka?  honey whiskey? where have you been all my life?) and more desserts than you've even seen on one kitchen countertop! The girls were a little emotional about their time with the pups winding down so there were many extra puppy cuddles in order.  The highlight of the evening was definitely our sunset walk down to the beach which was absolutely breath-taking. 

Here are the highlights of Day 5.

Meet the Pups...

Phoebe

Boyd

And Jade

PNW sand is the best!

So, five days in & we could have headed home right then and it would've been the perfect summer trip. The first half of the week involved visits with friends, wild adventures, mountain climbing and confirmation that I have the best job on the planet.  Crazy thing is, this was only the beginning...

Quick Quotes: Three From Bea

A few good ones for the memory book!

This weekend:

Lou: "Bea, do you want to wear a skirt or these jeans?"

Bea: "I wear the skirt. The jeans hurt my feelings." (Too tight shoes also hurt her feelings by the way.)

*

Quite often: 

"I love you, too."

(Made extra adorable by the fact that she does not wait to be told that we love her. Unprompted she just comes up and says "I love you, too.")

*

All day, every day:

"Somebody...!!"

(Bea doesn't care who comes to her call as long as "somebody" does & "somebody" starts almost every sentence.)

"Somebody help me go potty."

"Somebody take me to swing."

"Somebody read a book with me."

And, most often, "Somebody get me some chetchy!"

Birthdays, Beatles & The Beast

This Labor Day weekend served several important purposes. First things first, it was the annual August birthday celebration, since we have FOUR family birthdays in August. That's right -  Josie, Jack, Tia & DD all turn another year at the end of the summer! And this year was extra special for DD who turned the big 6-5!   This weekend was also a great opportunity to re-do our super soggy 4th of July weekend that the rain tried to ruin.  We were REALLY happy that despite rain chances all weekend, not a single sunny plan was spoiled.

We spent Saturday at the pool! It was the PERFECT pool day!

Then, we celebrated the big birthdays - Beatles style!!!

On Sunday, we headed to Kings Island. It was our gift to my dad - a "you're only as old as you feel" day to celebrate his 65th birthday. A day to go back to the days when he was the daddy and not the grand-daddy. The days when Amanda & I were the daughters, and not the mamas. So, with the help of my sister's marketing crew, we gave dad personalized tickets to KI, coupons for funnel cakes and hotdogs, and tickets to ride his favorites with us. Daddy-o got a day to ride roller coasters with his be-bops.

It was AWESOME.  This proves it:

We had a blast remembering and recreating family memories (like the time we had to put napkins in Manda's shoes so she'd be tall enough to ride The Beast for the first time).

It was all just how we remembered it - the signs, the sounds, the smell of the wood....

We rode the front car, because why wouldn't we!!?!

Then, a new first - The Diamondback. That one is FUN!!!

We also rode "The Windseeker." They should rename it "The Panic Attack." As it turns out, 300 feet is about 275 feet too high to ride in a giant swing! Not. Fun. At. All. (All 3 of us hated it.)

Even though it was mostly DD's day, everyone had a great time! Grandma kept the kids happy in Snoopy Land while the rest of us rotated in and out. (Thanks Grandma!)  The Littles took turns conquering their own fears. We sure do have a brave bunch. Here are some more highlights.

Josie added "The Beastie" and "Backlot Stunt Coaster" to her list of roller coasters!

Sweet Lyla wasn't sure about a few things, but really conquered some fears. GO LYLA!

As the sunset and the day wound down, we played some games, fed the kids cotton candy & funnel cakes for dinner, then headed home and delivered three passed out kids to bed. (Little Jack, who snagged a KI stroller nap, still had some party left in him.)

All in all, it was the PERFECT weekend. Great family times. Kids growing up, others of us staying young. Good stuff. Just really really good stuff.