Cape Flattery/Neah Bay

Fourth of July weekend we packed up and headed for the Northwestern most point of the continental U.S. - Cape Flattery. We stayed at Hobuck Beach on the Makah Indian Reservation with our usual partners in camping, the McA's. We saw some great scenery, but first I will bore you with pictures of my children.


This is Miles' sad hiking face. Before we ever take two steps he always let's me know how much he does NOT like to hike. Or walk. Unfortunately for him, we were going to do a lot of both.


This is after I showed him how ridiculous he looked with his sad face. Avery, always ready to spot wildlife.



You know you are on a Washington beach when it's July and you are wearing a fleece jacket.




The kids don't care though.

Sanddollars like Washington beaches too. And now I will bore you with some pictures of those.

Ben cooking up the best chicken quesadillas ever!

Cape Flattery - This is the view we came for.

Lovely, albeit frigid, Washington beach.

Really great smoked salmon.

Ben and Avery getting skunked, fishing from the bridge.

The men doing their, 'must get to highest point' thing.

Cape Alava

Ben carrying the boys (6.4 miles)

I got the better end of the deal and got to hike with the tie-dye twins. We left everyone in the dust...er..moss.

They didn't want to share germs by using the same water bottle. So they used this Skunk Cabbage leaf to share germs from.

On our way home we identified what could potentially be our next camping adventure: Salt Creek Recreation Area. I've never seen so many mussels in my life. And there were deer on the beach.

This is what I imagine Neverland looks like.

Some miscellaneous photography of Cruz, doing what he does best.

Fathers Day 2011

Still Standing and Delivering

I have been wanting to post about my grandpa Dwight for quite a few months now...since his 85th birthday. He is actually closer to 86 now but as he just gets more remarkable with age, I guess there is no harm in the wait. Plus, as it is Father's Day, there is no better time to feature someone whose fatherhood directly impacts my existence.

Recently, he was featured in the Record Gazette, which highlighted his extensive (and ongoing) teaching career. I have witnessed him in the classroom and found his ability to adapt and connect to today's generation and demographic amazing. He even incorporates Spanglish to get the attention of his students ("ojos -up here").

The article captures the spirit of my gpa as well as a brief article can. It mistakenly lists that he has three daughters (make that granddaughters) and it fails to mention that he does 200 reps each morning with his dumbells (I believe they are 20 lbs each) and that even at 85 he might build a block wall or two, maybe pour a driveway or any other miscellaneous concrete work that he has more years experience in than I have breathing. When he is not working or working out, you might find him in the hot tub, in the kitchen frying up some delicious meat product, studying scripture or watching the Angels play ball...or women's basketball (he may be the only one).

My kids keep laughing that their grandpa (great) is in the newspaper and I love that the interviewing gathered some of his words of wisdom to be passed on to my/his posterity. Miles always says that gpa tells him that he is "full of beans" and the gpa Dwight phrase that I associate most with him is "oh, fudge!", which rings as clearly in my ears as if he were standing in the same room...wearing swim trunks, a ball cap and making "goulash".

85!

(I had to sneak this picture of my mom in b/c I think that she and Cruz look alike)

Special thank you to Sara for photographing our special day!

Lake Diablo

Ben had his first two days in a row off in two months so we decided to get the heck out of town and go camping. We headed to the North Cascades...The North American Alps (I have nothing to compare them too, but they were definately stunning).

I love that on this trip Avery became a reader. "The Puppy Place" was a page turner.

Quick stop at Cascadian Farms for some berry drenched shortcake and ice cream.

We saw at least 18 waterfalls on our drive to the lake.

Look at that water color!

In a completely random, but totally welcome turn of events, we ran into our friends the Thorntons who were in our ward in Hawai'i and also made the move to the Northwest. Of all the campgrounds in Washington...

These two gals share a birthday...and perhaps a love of feather collecting.