Annual End-of-School Camping Trip

9 years ago, when Thomas was in 1st grade, 5 families at our school - each with a 1st grader - decided to go on a camping trip the first weekend after school ended. The moms all coordinated a trip to Grayland Beach State Park on the Pacific ocean, about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Seattle. We had such a great time that we decided to do it again. The next year, I think we had 8 families. Last year - the 8th annual - we had over 25 families. This year was a little smaller - probably closer to 20 families, but a great time, as always.

Dads and kids, with the 'Happy Fathers Day' banner that the kids made on the 2008 trip!

If you spend 3 consecutive days on the Washington coast in June, you're pretty much guaranteed to experience some inclement weather - rain, wind, cold. Most of our trips have involved battles against the elements (not that they've deterred us from having fun). This year was (as my kids would say) epic, as we had sun and warmth, and NO RAIN, for the entire weekend. It was beautiful and made this special, community-building weekend all the more fun.

We're not talking rustic camping. Grayland is car-camping at its finest, with paved cul-de-sacs and each site with potable water, a firepit, a picnic table, and a couple electrical outlets. And every site is just a short walk (over sand dunes) to the great expanse of a Pacific coast beach. The kids have a ball wearing themselves out on bikes, scooters, skateboards, roller blades, etc., riding through the park and around the neighboring cul-de-sacs, or skimboarding, wave-jumping, sand-castle-building, etc., on the beach.

Matthew giving Jeffrey longboarding tips!

Victoria learning to ride a 2-wheeler on the 2008 trip!

The Lange Family campsite, with Jack keeping watch. Karri and I slept in the 2-person tent we used on our backpacking trip in South America in 1997!

Karri and Thomas proving they can still fit in the kiddie camp chairs we used on the first trip in 2004!

The trip usually falls on Fathers Day weekend and the dads are usually granted a 'hall pass' to head into the fishing town of Westport, at the mouth of Grays Harbor, or Tokeland to the South, on Saturday or Sunday to watch the US Open and enjoy a couple bloody mary's. We usually come back with coolers full of live Dungeness crab that we buy straight off the boat and cook up as part of a community potluck meal. We got shut out on crab this year (our go-to fisherman didn't get back to port until after 7pm), but still had plenty of food for all.

Victoria with friend Elena - holding live crab on their way to the cooking pot - 2012 trip! 

Enjoying this year's potluck

After the potluck, we headed to the beach for a sunset bonfire that the older kids had prepared that afternoon.

Victoria getting a piggy-back from cousin Jeffrey at the bonfire!

Jeffrey, Victoria, Matthew and Jack enjoying the bonfire!

Sun setting over the Pacific

Happy couple!

On the beach at sunset! So great to have Jeffrey with us. His sister Jennifer joined us on this trip 5 years ago!

We love this trip for so many reasons. It signals the start of our summer. It reminds us what a beautiful part of the country we live in. It gives us time to slow down a bit and spend quality time with each other. And it reminds us how blessed we are to have so many wonderful friends in our West Seattle community!

Monday Miscellany

We enjoyed another weekend of nice weather. It was great to be outside enjoying a bit of sun (when not inside watching March Madness). Hard to believe that fresh snow was falling on most of our relatives in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

Conflicting sports schedules meant divide-and-conquer on Saturday. The results: 3 victories, 0 pictures. Sorry.

I took Victoria to her volleyball match in Sammamish - about a 40 minute drive east of our house. We spent more time getting to the gym than the entire match lasted. But it was fun. The girls played really well and won 2-0.

Karri took Matthew to his lacrosse game in Shoreline - about a 30-minute drive north. Sounds like we dominated an undersized team, 13-0 (I think). Matthew got his first goal of the season and really had fun.

Then we met back at the kids' school for Matthew's volleyball match. We missed the first game, but arrived in time for him to play most of the second game. Another 2-0 win.

Thomas has basketball practice on Saturday. Their first tournament isn't for 2 more weeks.

My nephew, Tim, and his wife, Eang, stayed with us last week. They are moving from an apartment to a rental house (both in West Seattle - close to our house) and the timing left them 'on the street' for a week. It was fun to have them here.

Tim got up Sunday morning and ran the Mercer Island half-marathon, got home a little before noon, showered, then headed over to unpack their new place. All this while I was barely on my 2nd cup of coffee! Ahh... youth.

Sunday afternoon, Karri and I took the boys to see 'The Life of Pi' (Victoria went to Tim & Eang's). We had wanted to catch it on a big screen, rather than watch it at home. I'm glad we did. The cinematography was really amazing. I enjoyed the story, though didn't love it. 3.5 stars (out of 5).

I also managed to cut my grass this weekend - 2nd time this year. Our yard looks it's best this time of year - reaping the benefits of all the Spring rain.

Blue sky, green grass

We leave Friday morning to spend Easter in beautiful San Diego with my in-laws. Always fun. We are anxious to see Donna (Mimi) and Bill (Pop-Pop).

Whacky Weather Week

I cut my grass this weekend for the first time this year. It was sunny and warm - definitely felt Spring-like.

Then Mother Nature decided to have some fun with Seattleites.

We had unusually heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday - the kind you hear pounding on your roof and windows. Today (Wednesday) - the first official day of Spring - started out cold and gray, but then turned sunny and started warming up. Next thing I noticed, the wind kicked up, the skies darkened, and torrential rain was falling at a 45 degree angle. Five minutes later, it was sunny again. That happened a few times, with sunshine eventually prevailing by late afternoon.

Around 6pm, I took Jack for a walk through Lincoln Park and down to the beach.

Waterfront path in Lincoln Park

Bright sun!

Now the local weather forecast says we may get SNOW tomorrow morning. I'm not banking on it, but if we do, that will be our first snowfall all year. Crazy. If, by chance, it does snow, it looks like it won't stick around for long. We're forecast to be in the 40's by mid-day.

Of course, the kids are hoping for a blizzard.

Hectic Spring Weekend

Busy start to the weekend...

Friday night, Victoria and I attended the annual Father-Daughter Glow-Bowl hosted by our school at West Seattle Bowl. It's a great event for all grades (K-8).  We take over the entire place (30+ lanes). They turn on the black lighting and turn up the music. The girls wear white and/or sparkly clothing and write on themselves with highlighters so they 'glow' under the black lighting. They really get into the bowling at first, but interest usually wanes after an hour or so - once the pizza is served. After that, it's dancing and general silliness for the girls, while the dads finish off the open bowling frames. It's a great opportunity for the dads to connect too (over pitchers of beer, of course).

This year, we 'adopted' two of Victoria's best friends, Emma and Natalie, whose dads were both out of town for the weekend.

Emma, Victoria and Natalie 

Her Grandpa and Great Uncle Frank (Euclid Elks Bowling legends) would be proud!

Thomas had basketball practice and slept over at a buddy's house. Matthew had volleyball practice and then he and Karri went out to dinner together, came home and watched a movie - a fun mother-son bonding night too.

Saturday has been a whirlwind of kid activities... as usual.  Victoria had a 9am volleyball match (lost in 2 games, but played really well). Thomas had basketball practice, followed by a driving lesson (yes, in the 'Student Driver' car). Matthew had a 2pm volleyball match (won in 2 games!) followed by a 3pm lacrosse game!

This was his team's first official game. They played Lakeside middle school, whom we heard have a really good program. We got there after the game had started (due to the volleyball match) and expected he would have to wait to get in the game. Before Karri and I could get situated on the sideline, he was in the game, had picked up a loose ball off the face-off and was running up the field toward the goal. So much for warming up!  He had a great game - no goals, but was 'in the action' and had a lot of fun. And we won - 8-4!

Waiting for the face-off

On the attack

Each game ends with 'Honor the Game' - both teams meet at midfield and each coach compliments the opposing team, then awards helmet stickers to 2 or 3 opposing players they felt played particularly well or showed outstanding sportsmanship. Very cool.

Post-game player photos

Did you happen to notice Matthew is squinting from the sun?! Not something we expect this time of year in Seattle. It's been a beautiful weekend and is supposed to continue through Sunday. Karri got out for some yard work today. I plan to cut the grass tomorrow. Our cherry tree is starting to blossom, leaves are sprouting on our hydrangeas, and buds are formed on our lilacs. Ready for Spring!

Quick Update

I've struggled to find time to post. Thought I'd give a quick update for those keeping track at home...

Karri and my Mexico adventure ended much too soon! We had a fantastic time with plenty of rest and relaxation. We need to find a way to do that more often. Until we do, I guess the pictures will have to suffice...

Ahhhh!

We jumped right back into the fray upon our return. We got back Thursday night, both of us worked on Friday and then we had a full weekend of activities. Fortunately, Donna/Mimi was able to stay with us for a few extra days. She and Karri got some mother-daughter time Friday night over dinner at Phoenecia - a wonderful restaurant on Alki Beach here in West Seattle. Donna had an early flight out Saturday morning (the same flight Karri and I had taken a week earlier... 6:50am departure!) to San Diego, where Bill/Pop-Pop joined her and they boarded a plane for their own turn at R&R in Puerto Vallarta!

We are so fortunate that Donna was willing and able to come up and stay with the kids. They all had a ball, as usual. 

The rest of the weekend was filled with kid activities: lacrosse practice, volleyball games, basketball practice, ski bus to Crystal (for Thomas), etc. I wasn't very good about taking pictures, but snagged a couple with my phone during Matthew and Victoria's volleyball games.

Middle blocker

Ready for action!

Matthew had his first ever lacrosse game... an intrasquad scrimmage. He really enjoyed it and, I must say, did pretty well considering he's played the game less than 2 months. His coaches appreciated his effort and recognized him after the game for his attitude and hustle - presenting him with a sticker to add to his helmet. Pretty cool.

Saturday night, Karri and I went to a team outing with some of her co-workers. We went to see Cirque de Soleil's 'Amaluna' - a live performance under a 'big top' tent in Redmond (10 minutes east of Seattle), then to a delicious dinner at Koral in Bellevue. Neither of us had been to a Cirque de Soleil performance. We both enjoyed it very much, though both agreed it's not high on our list of things to do again.

We've had chilly, but Spring-like weather in Seattle and have even seen the sun a bit. Monday evening, Karri and I took Jack for a walk through Lincoln Park and got to enjoy a nice sunset.

Snow-capped Olympic Mountains in the distance.

Beautiful sunset!

Happy dog!

That gets me caught up again. Hopefully I'll get back into the habit of posting more frequently!

Spring-like Friday

It was a beautiful day here Friday in Seattle. Clear skies and warmer temperatures. Definitely felt like a Spring day.

The Olympic Mountains were spectacular early in the day. The morning- and early-afternoon sun on the eastern-facing slopes is breathtaking on a clear day this time of year. Of course, I didn't get a photo so you have to take my word for it!

I did get out for a walk with Jack in the afternoon. Karri got home from work early and seized the opportunity to enjoy the nice weather. I still had a bunch of work to do, so stayed home to try to get it done. She took Victoria and a friend and Jack over to Lincoln Park and got in a great walk/run while the kids played. She came home and insisted I get out... which I did. I took Jack for a brisk walk through the park around 5:30pm. Glad I did...

Logs on the beach... Olympics in the distance

Bare tree just before sunset

It was warm enough to be in shorts and a t-shirt. Definitely got me thinking about Spring - and next week...

Karri's had a tough stretch the last several weeks. Work has been crazier than usual and she's been battling a bad cold & sinus infection. About 2 weeks ago, she decided she needed to take matters into her own hands. Long story short... she and I fly to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico a week from today. We'll stay at her parents' condo on the beach, near Mismaloya. My nephew Tim and his wife Eang will stay with the kids on Saturday night. Karri's mom has generously agreed to come up on Sunday and stay with the kids until we return the following Thursday. We are so fortunate to have wonderful, generous family!

Needless to say, we can't wait!

Belated Ski Photo

A beautiful day for skiing!

Karri sent me that picture from her day of skiing with Matthew and Victoria (and friends) at Crystal Mountain on Monday. I couldn't resist posting it.

That's Mount Rainier in the background. An icon of Seattle that we don't often get to see due to cloud cover. It wasn't visible from Seattle on Monday, but sure was from the top of the Rainier Express chair at Crystal!

I mentioned we've had a 'dry' (relative term in Seattle) stretch the last couple weeks. Well the rains returned today. Reports say its snowing in the mountains. May have to get up there again this weekend.

Thomas has his last 2 finals today and then is done for the week - except for basketball practice and an all-school dance tomorrow night. He's been working hard and is looking forward to a break from his studies.

Another Sunny Day on Crystal Mountain

Ethan, Victoria, Matthew & Max... ready for a run!

Karri just sent this from Campell Basin Lodge (elev. 6250') - at the top of the Forest Queens Express chair on Crystal Mountain. Looks like they are in for another beautiful day of skiing.

After record snowfall in December, the local resorts have been experiencing a dry and cold January. No fresh powder in over a week, but lot's of sunny days for groomed-slope skiing.

Quick Weekend Recap

Still struggling to get back in my blogging routine...

A very fun weekend... though went too quickly, as always.  A few highlights...

It was sunny and cold here most of the weekend. Seattle is pretty spectacular when the weather is like this - blue sky reflected off the Sound, snow-covered mountains, etc. I'm not as cold-resilient as I was in my Cleveland youth, but I still enjoy it when the weather gets like this.

I took Thomas to basketball practice Saturday morning and, at Karri's urging, hung around and got some exercise until he was done. I went for a great walk and did some stairs/hills to help me work up a sweat. Then walked along the eastern shore of Lake Union and enjoyed the sun before stopping for breakfast at my newest hangout - Louisa's. It was a gorgeous morning.

Fishing boats on Lake Union - that's the Space Needle off in the distance.

Floating houses on Lake Union (yes - just like from Sleepless in Seattle, just opposite side of the lake)

Thomas and I got back in time to catch most of Matthew's basketball game (a win) while Karri was at Victoria's game (a tie), before we all regrouped at home.  In the afternoon, we took the kids 'indoor skydiving' at iFly in Tukwila, about 20 minutes from downtown Seattle. We had given the boys each a gift certificate (one as a birthday present, the other for Christmas) to go and, at the last minute, succumbed to Victoria's pleas to join them.

The facility has a giant, vertical wind tunnel with a heavy-duty net that serves as the 'floor'. It's glass enclosed, so you can view the jumpers as they basically float on a high-speed stream of forced air.  There's a half-hour training and equipment-fitting session before. Then an instructor guides a small group of jumpers - 1 at a time - through their jumps (the kids each got 3 jumps).

It's tough to describe. If you are curious, check out a link to a video I posted on YouTube of each of the kids' first jump (Matthew first, then Victoria, then Thomas). The kids all had a ball and it looked really fun.

In the evening, Matthew had a babysitting gig, Thomas and Victoria stayed home and watched a movie while Karri and I snuck out for a date night. We had delicious dinner at JaK's, West Seattle's best (and one of Seattle's best) steak house(s).

Sunday was a 'divide and conquer' day....

Thomas has signed up for a ski bus through his school. They go every other Sunday to Crystal Mountain and this was the first weekend. I dropped him at school at 6:50 and 41 kids headed off (on a nice tour bus - not a school bus, as I had expected) for a day of skiing/boarding.

Victoria also wanted to ski, but Matthew wanted to stay home and watch the Seahawks game. So Karri and Victoria headed out (also to Crystal!) and Matthew and I settled in for 'stinky boys' day.

It was a beautiful day for skiing and they all had a great time. Karri sent me this picture before their first run of the day.

Victoria ready for the first run of the day!

Matthew had couple buddies over for the game and to hang out afterward. I spoiled him with brunch before the game and a massive plate of nachos during the game (along with homemade guacamole - my first ever - which Matthew says was nearly as good as mom's!). He was really bummed out that the Seahawks lost but had a great time with his buddies anyway.

Late afternoon, I noticed the sky turning bright orange, so I grabbed Jack's leash and we headed out for a brisk walk through Lincoln Park and down to the beach. I'm glad we did...

Not a bad way to cap off the weekend - sunset over Puget Sound. That's a crescent moon at the top of the picture.

Everyone was home by 6 and we had a nice dinner together while everyone shared highlights from their day. You could tell from the non-stop story-telling that everyone had a fun day. Me too.

Deluge

I'm a pretty heavy sleeper.  A light, steady rain - the kind that is typical here in Seattle - usually helps me sleep more soundly. But not last night (Sunday). It was raining lightly when I went to bed, but really started to pour shortly after midnight.  The rain was so heavy on our roof, skylights and windows that it woke me several times. It lasted through the morning and into the early afternoon.  Weather.com says we had 3.5" of rain in the last 24 hours! That's insane.

To put that in perspective (I had to look this up), 1" of rain is equivalent to about 15" of dry-powder snow.  So if it had been 15 degrees colder, we might have gotten 52" of snow in the last 24hrs.

Speaking of snow... I read today that Crystal Mountain - one of our favorite ski resorts, about 90min from Seattle - is opening on Wednesday. That storm really helped them, as their website says they've gotten more than 4' of snow since Saturday.

Karri spent part of Sunday afternoon getting all the kids ski and snowboard gear sorted out and taking an inventory of what still fits and what needs replacing.  We did our part to boost the economy by shopping online at the REI Winter Sale.

Walk... Overdue

I've been especially busy with work recently and, as a result, have fallen out of the habit of getting out for a walk each (errr... most) day(s).  Karri seized upon my guilt and got me out for a late-afternoon walk today.  As always, I'm glad that she did.

It has been decidedly colder here this week and today was no exception.  It was a clear, crisp day - only reached the mid-forties, despite the sunshine.  Thanks to daylight savings, we missed the sun, but did enjoy a bright, clear sky and the glow of the sun setting over the Olympic Peninsula.  The tide was out and the wind was blowing, making for a small surf (which I noticed mostly because Jack gets freaked out by the sound of waves on the shore).

Lincoln Park beach at low tide.

Vashon Ferry about to set sail

It was another quiet Friday night - perhaps something we should get used to.  All 3 kids were with friends.  We had to do a little shuttling around - pick Thomas up from a friend's house and get him to his evening babysitting gig, then pick Victoria up from a friend's house - but otherwise had some quiet time together at home.  We had a late and delicious steak dinner.  Now Karri and Victoria are in bed and I am waiting up for Thomas to get home (Matthew is sleeping over at a buddy's house).  It's been a long week and I'll be asleep moments after T arrives.

On a sad note, I got word last night that a long-time family friend, Bill Knapp, (aka 'Uncle Bill') passed away Thursday.  He and my dad were roommates during navy training in 1942 and remained friends ever since.  Uncle Bill was a funny guy - always cracking jokes, telling stories, and making people laugh.  He was an eye doctor and I have vivid memories of making our annual trip to his office in Aurora, Ohio for eye exams. He and 'Aunt Jane' were welcome regulars at Lange family events. Uncle Bill was a wonderful person and will be missed.

Fall Sky

I pulled over to take this picture while on my drive home from dropping Matthew at soccer practice.

Taken just up the hill from our house

With the onset of Daylight Savings, I have in my head that it's going to be cold, dark and wet every day for the next 5 months - just deal with it.  Well today was actually pretty nice.  Sunny most of the day, with a thin layer of clouds rolling in later in the day.  It was reasonably warm too.

I took the opportunity to get outside late this afternoon and clear some of the many leaves that have fallen on our drive.  I'm sure it will be covered again by morning.

Changing Weather

I have several mental 'markers' that I use to note the changing of the seasons.  In the Fall, they include: the day I have to close the vents on our skylights (to keep the warm air in and the cold air out), the day I have to re-set our thermostats, and the weekend day that I start wearing long pants instead of shorts. All 3 of those happened this past Sunday.  The cold weather arrived with gusto.

We had such amazing weather this summer that I have no room to complain.  But I sure could have used a few more weeks of sunny and warm.

Thrill of Victory. Agony of Defeat.

I mentioned there were 2 soccer games on Saturday.  Victoria's team is really starting to hit their stride.  They are playing as confidently and aggressively as I've ever seen.  They got another win on Saturday in a great team effort.

Victoria moving the ball up-field.

Raising a cheer to their opponents after the game - with Coach Karri and Coach Patrick

Matthew's team has fallen on a tough stretch.  They played a fast and talented team to a scoreless tie in the 1st  half, then ran out of gas in the 2nd half and ended up losing 2-0.

Matthew taking the kick after an off-side call.

What started as a sunny, warm day turned into a cold, windy and overcast day.  We were freezing by the end of Matthew's game... happy to hustle home, eat some chili and watch a little college football.

Karri decided to try to get some yard work done and I went out to get the leaves off the driveway before the rains came.  I wasn't out there for 10 minutes when the clouds opened up and it started pouring - first rain, then hail.  I took it as a sign from God that I should go back in and watch some more football.

Saturday Morning Walk

Karri and I took Jack for a walk on a chilly, crisp and windy fall Saturday morning.  Lincoln Park is full of color right now but it feels like it won't last much longer. Despite the cold and wind, it was a great walk.  There were some clouds overhead, but sunshine peeking through to the west over the Olympics... suggesting that it might actually be a nice day.

A bench in a leaf-covered, quiet spot in the park.

Jack, as usual, had a ball.

Karri was cold and wind-blown... and not too excited about having her picture taken. But I couldn't resist.

2 soccer games in the afternoon.  I'll post about those later.

Snow!

No... not in Seattle.  But looks like last night's wind and rain storm left a dusting on the Olympics.  Love this picture from the West Seattle Blog this morning.  Does a little more justice to the view from West Seattle shores than my Android phone.

(photo by West Seattle Blog contributing photojournalist Nick Adams)

Reminds me of my mom's old metal 'sifter' that she used to spread powdered sugar.

Early Start. Rainy Day.

It's a fall Saturday which, in our house, means soccer and football games.

We were up at 7 in order to get the boys fed and out the door.  Matthew is odd man out today.  His game is at 9 in Maple Valley - about 40 minutes away.  Due to conflicts with Thomas and Victoria's games, he was catching a ride to/from the game with Coach Dave and I had to drop him at Dave's at 7:45am. Thomas had to be at school at 8:15 for his 10am game.  Victoria had the opportunity to sleep in but, as is her habit on weekends, was wide awake at 7 (if it were a school day, I'd be nagging her to get up).

Matthew missed out on the family fun last night.  He had a junior high dance at one of the neighboring schools.  I picked him and 2 buddies up when the dance ended at 10.  They require parents to go into the gym to claim kids.  It was loud, hot and sweaty in there - all signs of pre-teen fun.  The boys said they had a good time... very few details about the 'dancing' part, other than "yah... we danced".  I believe there were girls involved.

The local Catholic schools take turns hosting these dances and they sound like good fun for the kids.  There's a legend that the chaperons have been known to say "leave room for Jesus!" when a couple dances too close.  Not sure if that really happens (or if my boys have ever been the target of such a statement), but it's a nice addition to the lore of Catholic education.

I usually get an hour or so to myself between dropping Thomas off at school and the start of his game at 10 (too far to drive back home).  In nice weather, I try to get a walk in.  Today, it's overcast with intermittent showers, so I brought my laptop and am enjoying breakfast at Louisa's on Eastlake while writing this post and clearing out some work emails.  Pretty tasty egg sandwich!

Of course, I need to get over the "it's raining - stay inside" mentality. Seattleites don't typically let the rain get in the way of outdoor activities - and neither do I.  But it feels nice to hunker down with a cup of coffee on a gloomy day - especially after our long stretch of nice weather. I'll go for a walk next week...

The Streak is Dead... Long Live the Streak!

It had to come to an end at some point...

Woke this morning to damp ground and a light drizzle.  Not enough to actually call it 'rain' yet, but we're supposed to get that later today and through this weekend.  The Seattle Post-Intelligencer put it well:

All is right with the universe. By 5:52 a.m. Friday, it's was raining in Seattle again. For the first time in 82 days, Seattle will get more than the bare minimum of rain to qualify as a rainy day as a cold front sweeps through the region.

It was one heck of a good run while it lasted.  But I have to say I'm ready for a little rain.  And so is our yard.

The biggest downside of all this is that Karri's dad arrives today from San Diego.  I'm certain he's wondered more than once why we choose to live in Seattle weather (coming from San Diego - who could blame him).  It would have been nice if he could have experienced that beautiful stretch of sunny, warm weather.

Speaking of Karri's dad... He'll be spending a couple days with us - taking in kid activities - before he and Karri head out Sunday for their annual Father-Daughter Getaway.  This is a tradition that started with a ski trip when Karri was in college at UCLA.  They haven't missed a year since.  Awesome.

This trip will be a little more sedentary than the first.  They're heading to Suncadia Lodge, a couple hours east of Seattle in the Cascade Mountains.  If the weather permits (supposed to be wet, windy and cold up there), they will get in a hike or two.  Otherwise, I suspect they will just enjoy the comfy environs of the inside of the lodge.  Either way, a well-deserved break.

Here's some proof that it actually did rain this morning, in case there's any doubt.

Rain on the leaves of our shrubs:

And rain on the back window of my car.  That's Jack inside.  He loves riding along when I take Matthew and Victoria to school.

Our 'Back Yard'

We are blessed to live so close to Lincoln Park - a 135 acre, waterfront park with trails, athletic fields, playgrounds and more.  It's less than 50 yards from our front door - but we don't take advantage of it nearly as much as we should.

Karri and I try to walk Jack there most days.  Sometimes it's just one of us with the dog, but it's especially nice when we can both sneak away.  This is frequently the only time we have alone together the entire day. It's amazing how a 20-minute walk through the park can help ease the stresses of the day.

We've developed a standard loop, starting out walking north along the bluff above the water, then heading down the stairs that wind their way to the water, then following the beautiful waterfront path - looking out over Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains - to the southern end of the park, before heading up the hill and back to the house.  I think its a little over 2 miles altogether.

Here's a shot I took yesterday (with my phone) of the sun setting over the Olympics.  This time of year, the sun is setting much further south on the horizon than it was mid-summer - and much earlier too!  This was taken at 6:38pm.  In late June, the sun doesn't set until 9:15 or so.  You can see how clear the sky is and and how calm the Sound is... although the water is usually pretty calm year-round.  About a minute later, that small wisp of clouds made it look more like a forest fire in the Olympics than a sunset.

And here's a shot of Karri with Jack taken today (again with my phone).  We were up on the bluff, just above the stairs we take down to the beach.  As I mentioned in my last post, the weather has been amazing.  It's definitely cooling off, but I love a clear, crisp fall day.  So does Karri.  And so does Jack!