Summer 2024 Highlights

Thinking about it and looking back, this was a pretty epic summer. I feel so grateful that we got to do all the fun trips and activities that we did--such fun memories. We definitely can't do a summer like this every year--in fact next year we plan to have a much calmer summer. But with a surprise trip and James turning 50, this year called for an extra special summer.  Here are all the highlights through pictures

Surprise Disneyland Trip

Last year when talking about what kind of family trip we wanted to do this summer, we brainstormed a bunch of ideas but none felt as exciting or desirable to us as going back to Disneyland. So we thought--why not do that again?  But this time let's make it a total surprise to the boys like on the commercials. And somehow we pulled it off! We didn't tell the boys until the morning we were leaving. And they were super surprised! What a wonderful week of reliving all our favorite rides, trying new ones that weren't open last time, eating our way through the park, and just enjoying being in one of our favorite places as a family again. 

Camping with Spauldings and Antis'

The next major highlight was our annual camping trip with Gramma, Grampa, Jacky and Johnathin to Lake Kachess.  This time Ollie got to join us the whole time! He did so great!  He loved being outside so much, getting to explore and swimming in the lake. We had great weather and a really nice campsite to all hang out in with lots of shade. The big bummer though was the lake was really low this year because they had used so much of it for irrigation with the lack of snowpack we got in the winter. It was kind of eerie and weird to hang out by the lake on a part that's normally underwater. But we made the best of it and still had a really fun weekend.

Lake Chelan with the Warners

Another favorite tradition in the summer is the bi-annual Lake Chelan trip with my parents. We stayed in the same Lake Chelan Shores condo we've stayed at for the past 4 trips and it was still so comfy and met all our needs. We did lots of pool time, walked around town, mini golfed, visited our favorite restaurants, celebrated Nana's birthday, took naps, went to Slidewaters, etc.  Faders were in town at the same time as usual and it was so fun to spend time with them and their extended family down by the lake. We had a little bit of smoke from a wildfire to deal with, but overall it was a beautiful and fun week.  Lake Chelan never disappoints!

Trip to Idaho with Friends

And another trip that has become a tradition (how are we so lucky?) is our trip to visit the Stevenson's property on Priest River with the Faders and Ridges. What a glorious weekend of good friends, lots of laughs, yummy food, kids having the time of their life, beautiful location, and enjoying the lake. 

Soccer Tournaments

Sprinkled in amongst all these great trips were 5 soccer tournaments between both boys. 😱😱 So basically we were gone almost every weekend.  And when we weren't gone on a trip, we were at a soccer tournament somewhere in the state. It was quite a busy time. But it was so fun to watch our boys grow in their skills and also to have the chance to get to know their teammates better and for us to get to know parents more. Both boys had a tournament in Burlington (which was right after Disneyland, we were exhausted and stayed in a yucky motel--not our most fun tournament). Both boys had the Cascade Cup tournament which luckily was at our home field.  Cam had a tournament in Snohomish and then Nate had a tournament in Portland the next weekend that I took him to. Both boys are loving soccer so far so we're looking forward to a fun (and busy) year.

James Turns 50!!!!

And probably the biggest deal of our summer was James turned the big 5-0! We had a very special dinner for him at Daniels Broiler with his family. Jacky put together a wonderful slideshow with pictures from his whole life. And of course we enjoyed a fabulous meal. Special night for a very special guy.  I also worked sneakily on the side to reach out to many friends and family to have the submit a video message to James for his birthday that was then put together in one large video for him as a tribute. 

Monterey Car Week

The cherry on the top was I surprised James for his birthday with a very special trip for the 2 of us to go down to Monterey/Carmel for their annual Car Week. Since this is also our 15th wedding anniversary year and we got engaged in Carmel, I also thought it was a perfect location. Monterey Car Week happens every August and it's a full week of car shows, events, auctions, etc. culminating in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. We didn't make it to the culminating event this year because it's $500 per ticket, but we did a couple of car shows and saw A LOT of incredible cars. James was in heaven! It was like we stepped into another world--we've never seen so many amazing cars all in one place!  It was also so meaningful to watch the sunset by the beach near where we got engaged over 16 years ago!

Whew! Wow what an incredible summer. I'm not sure how we fit it all in. It was pretty epic and full of so many amazing memories and fun celebrations. Unfortunately 3 days after our Monterey trip, James and I came down with COVID.  Probably from the airplane ride, but also probably from coming down off a very busy summer. Not a great finale, but that's ok.  I'll take it as thankfully it didn't come earlier and ruin any of our trips or activities. Thank you Summer 2024! We're remember and be grateful for you for a very long time. 

P.S. One other thing I thought of the other day about our summer. This year we decided not to do any summer day camps for the boys. They don't love them and whined about them a lot last year. So I relented and said they didn't have to do any this summer, but that there would still be some structure and some expectations to the days. We definitely had some days where they asked too much for screentime or complained they were bored. But once we settled into summer, this amazing thing happened where they rekindled some of the activities they loved when they were a little younger--Legos, art, other toys, making up games, playing make believe and sports outside, etc. They found their skills again of entertaining themselves and not only relying on screens. I haven't heard "I'm bored" in a really long time. So looking back I'm really glad we didn't end up doing day camps so they could find their creativity and their kid spirts again. :)

Nathan's 12th Birthday

 It is so crazy to me to say that Nathan is now 12 years old! 😱😱😱  How and when did our son get that old?  But what a great kid he is and it's been so fun watching him navigate and transition into the "tween" years. He has almost survived his first year of middle school and is doing relatively great minus the overwhelm of school with 6 classes and trying to keep up with all the social dynamics. All in all that wonderful core of Nathan we just love so much is still so much a part of our lives and we are so grateful for the joy and light he brings to our family. 

Birthday parties are now getting smaller as the boys gets older. This year Nathan wanted to take 3 friends to the Mariners game for his birthday. We went on Cal Raleigh bobblehead night so the boys got an automatic "party favor." :) Nate's friends who attended were Patty, Carsen, and Max. Fun fact about Max is he and Nate were close buddies in preschool, but then went off to different elementary schools.  Now they have been reunited in middle school and they picked up right where they left off which has been so fun!  Another fun birthday gift was we found out that Nate got on his desired select soccer team while we were waiting to get into the game!  So a pretty special and fun day. The boys were so fun and hilarious to watch. And they kept James entertained with lots of yelling and horsing around on the way home. We even got a Mariners win which is a miracle! Super fun celebration for him.

Here are the memorable things about Nathan right now at 12:

• Starting middle school has been fun because it's expanded his friend group. 2 elementary schools merge to go to our middle school so it's been fun for Nathan to develop new friendships and he has a strong group of guy friends that he's having fun with. Those friends include Patty (from elementary) and then Carsen, Max, Bennett, Dustin, Max S., Jayce, etc. He's still trying to figure out how to navigate all the new social dynamics especially with all the texting that now happens. We're trying to figure out how to navigate as well as parents. So far mostly low drama, but there's always something new to navigate it feels like.
• Learning how to manage 6 classes this year has been a bit of a learning curve. Nathan has had to get used to more homework and he hasn't been a fan of that since he didn't have much homework in 5th grade. So we've been working together this year to try and figure out good study habits, what works for him, how I can be support him without being too overbearing, etc. Still learning, but we're so proud of his hard work this year and he came out with all A's for the year! (which of course we always say it's not about the grades, but it was nice for him to see his hard work pay off)
• It was fun to have new kinds of classes this year with middle school.  He had PE the entire year and enjoyed learning how to do weight lifting and just having a regular exercise time. He had a lot of buddies in his PE class which was fun. He also had art, world language and digital media.  So some really unique subjects that he didn't have in elementary school.
• We've started to give Nate some more independence and this year he's been able to go up to the top of the Ridge by himself either riding his bike or us dropping him off. He meets up with friends at the skate park and they hang out, go over to Starbucks or Mod Pizza, walk to each other's houses, etc. He's done great with it and it's been nice to watch him learn how to manage the added independence relatively well.  
• We have not waded into the cell phone world yet.  Currently Nathan just has an Apple Watch and an iPad.  So basically everything but a cell phone. He's still trying to learn healthy habits and abide by expectations with those 2 devices so we don't feel he's ready yet for a phone. He's a pretty naturally distracted kid so we don't feel it's the best decision to add another distraction to his life--probably the worst distraction of all. But we'll see what this new year brings.
• Nathan has gotten into reading these fun historical graphic novels called Nathan Hale that tell about WWI, WWII, Revolutionary War, historical figures, etc. He devours them so it's been nice to find something that he'll read on his own. He's also been enjoying his own subscription to Sports Illustrated.  
• Nate tried out track through school this year! He did it along with Patty and some of his other buddies. They all got to run the medley relay together which was fun. I think he enjoyed it mostly, but long term it's not something he really wants to do. I think he likes team sports more and track feels more like an individual sport.
• Nathan is still in Cascade FC soccer and has really really come to love it. And he's really come into his own with it.  He's an awesome soccer player--really a major contributor and strong player on the team. He's been consistently playing left defense and likes that position. Last year there were 3 teams at his age level and they narrowed down to 2 teams this year and he made the White team (B team)! It's just where he needs to be and we know he'll shine on it. We're so happy he's found a sport that he's really loving and that has helped build his confidence. 
• For interests, Nate still loves to draw, do Legos occasionally, make up fun games with his brother, do trick scootering at the skate park, watch YouTube, play Zelda and Fortnite, and hang out with friends. He also enjoys creating digital art on Canva on the computer. 
• Nate is still our positive, curious, and imaginative kiddo. He has not lost those fun parts of his spirit and we hope he never does.  And he can remember EVERYTHING! He's got a steel trap for a mind. He still loves sports, history, science, and animals. Some of those interests have just shifted a bit as he's now a little more focused on social aspects and figuring out what's "cool." All so normal for this age. But he still exudes just so much positivity and seems ready and willing to take on the day each day even if it seems a bit daunting. 
• We still have our special talks sometimes at night where he'll tell me about what's going on for him, what he's struggling with, all the drama going on at school, etc. and I'm grateful for those special times with him. He's not afraid to be vulnerable when middle school and this age is hard. Hopefully he knows Papa and I totally understand and are always here for him.
• Nathan has definitely become more of a fashionista this year and is much more into clothing brands than even before. He definitely cares about being trendy and in fashion. He mostly wears Nike, Abercrombie & Fitch, and something J Crew for dressier things. It's fun to see him figure out his own style and I'm glad he cares about how he looks even if he ends up caring a little too much sometimes.  But again--all normal for this age. It is a little hard and tricky to keep up with everyone at school because a lot of his friends come from money and always seem to have the cool and popular new thing.  So we have lots of good conversations and good learning around that. But it can be hard. It's been fun for me as a mom because now when we do fall or spring shopping, the boys are totally involved in picking out their stuff.  It takes a lot of the pressure off me and has been a fun bonding activity for me with the boys. 

Looking forward to seeing what this next year brings! Happy Birthday Nate and we love you soo much!

Ollie's 1st Birthday

Ollie has officially turned 1! What an amazing dog he is and such a special part of our family that now we have no idea how we survived without him before.  

He's still doing so great and we can tell he's getting older because he has started to slow down a bit.  Not as high energy as he was--much more chill and snuggly.  Our hard work at training has paid off because he's doing relatively well--understands the routine and our commands and "usually" obeys and follows them.  He is my little shadow and follows me everywhere around the house.

When we were gone in Oahu, Ollie stayed with Lizz and Johnny for the whole time and majorly progressed in being a brave dog. He was out playing with all the big dogs and fully part of the pack. They said he did so well and had such a great time at the farm every day. He's even starting to show new dogs the ropes! :)

To celebrate his birthday, Ollie got a special bullie stick to enjoy all to himself.  We're so grateful for him and can't wait to watch him grow and progress even more in this coming year.  Happy Birthday Ollie!

Oahu 2024

We were fortunate to get to go to Hawaii again this year (2 years in a row)! But this time the trip was with the Spauldings and Antis' for a whole new adventure. The Spauldings generously offered to take everyone on a trip to Oahu for about a week and a half.  We decided on Oahu because a few people had never been there or it had been awhile and we were ready to try a new location.  

We stayed in the Ko'Olina area on the southwest side of the island.  Ko'Olina definitely reminded me of the Kaanapali area in Maui. It is based around these 4 human-made lagoons right along the coast. Each lagoon has about 1-2 resorts on it. The lagoons were amazing! They were very calm without any waves because they were protected by a rock wall. So you could just walk straight in and they were so calming and relaxing to just hang out in. Our boys missed the ocean waves, but also liked the low-key vibe of the lagoons.  Our condo building was the only one on our lagoon which was nice because it was less crowded than the lagoon with the 4 Seasons Hotel and the Aulani Disney Hotel on it.  

We stayed in a condo with Gramma and Grampa and then Jacky & Johnathin stayed a few floors above us. 

Oahu is definitely more populated than the other islands and we were driving on a lot of freeways. It was especially busy by the downtown, but it also had so many beautiful areas as well. I forget how big the island is and has lots of different areas with their own landscape. 

There were some great places and activities that we did and some that were overrated because of the number of people and felt very touristy. We hung out at our hotel pool or the lagoon several days. We also took a day and drove up to North Shore to check out some beaches and have lunch.  One day was spent doing Pearl Harbor because James and the boys had never been there.  And of course we had to do the iconic Waikiki area where we went to a beautiful outdoor mall they have there and had lunch in the city. 

Overall it was a fantastic trip and very fun to make memories in Hawaii with more of our family. We were so grateful for the chance to go. It was really fun exploring a new island, but I still have more of a fondness for Maui. I think I would go back to Oahu sometime, but Maui and Kauai are my favorites.  

Here is more of the trip in photos:

Beautiful lagoon

Our wonderful condo resort

Visit to Hanauma Bay (overrated touristy spot)

Malasadas are yummy!

James and my date night to Michel's on Waikiki Beach

Day at Pearl Harbor which was fascinating and special

We found the plan Grampa used to work on during theVietnam War

James and Johnathin golfed at a magical jungle type golf course

Fun with Aunt Jacky!

Day up at North Shore

Watched a sea turtle come up on the beach!

Boys went to their first Luau with Gramma & Grampa

Went to Punchbowl military cemetery to visit Barb's uncle's grave

Being silly in Waikiki

Finale dinner at Roy's (Grampa & Johnathin weren't feeling great)

View from our condo

It's so fun to go through these photos and remember all the funny moments, laughs, hanging out time, and adventuring we had. So grateful that we got the chance to do this trip. Aloha!