Vacation, All I Ever Wanted. Vacation, Had to Get Away.

July was a month full of ups and downs. On the up side, we took a wonderful vacation with some good friends. Bonnie and Joe traveled to the west coast with their adorable 1-year old son, Oliver, and you all know our friends Amy, Byron, and Wyatt. Bonnie, Amy, and I went to law school together, and Byron, Joe, and Ryan were original members of the "Beer and Ideas Club."

Now we all have kids, and it was great to catch up, exchange stories and ideas, and see our little ones play together. Although we wanted great weather to get outside as much as possible, Mother Nature didn't get the memo. We had a very strange 24-36 hour long thunderstorm and some cloudy and misty weather. In my opinion, the less than ideal weather actually helped me rest, recharge, and enjoy as much time as possible with our friends. 

Lots of photos are below!

Ryan is a master at loading up the car with enough gear for the dog, kid, and 2 adults. 

I'm talking mad skills. 

On the ferry to the Olympic Peninsula!

Oliver checking out the view from the ferry. 

Home Sweet Home

Arlo couldn't stop saying, "Woostah. Cock a doodle do!"

Wandering around the Purple Haze Lavender Farm. 

 Byron and Wyatt hide in a field of lavender. 

Wyatt is a boy who knows how to strike a pose. 

Friends!

Wyatt was very interested in Bonnie's work. He really wanted to help. Such a sweet guy!

Weird thundershowers = beautiful sunsets. 

You know you've reached a certain phase in life when you and your son start wearing matching hats on accident. 

During a sunny break in the weather, we went to the beach for a morning.  

Beautiful! 

Having lots of fun! 

Cut from the same cloth.  

Joe found a staff to live out his Gandalf fantasies.

And Joe helped Arlo find his inner Gandalf too. 

One Happy Family

Another Happy Family

The former site of the Lower Elwha Dam (one of two dam removals on the Elwha river that make up the country's largest dam removal ever)

 Smile!

Wyatt decided to go for a swim in some pretty cold sea water. Brrr! 

Connecting with my inner child by making bulldozer noises while playing in the sand. 

Oliver is another water loving baby!

Hi!

 The boys. 

Lots and lots of reading on this trip. 

Lots of eating too! 

Stealing a kiss and not spilling a drop of coffee. So smooth! 

 Byron and Wyatt on the beach. 

Practicing walking on a bench. Good for motor skills and burning energy. 

The Nonericks!

Rain and silliness on top of Hurricane Ridge. 

The beautiful drive up to Hurricane Ridge. 

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Every now and then, life gets a little stressful and it's easy to get overwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, we have a lot to be thankful for and life is generally great, but nothing reminds us of this fact more than Arlo. He has a great sense of humor and a contagious laugh. We hope these bits of silliness help brighten your day in the same way they've brightened ours.

Harmonicas and goofy dancing = belly laughs and the cutest video ever

The future's so bright...

 D'oh!

Father's Day River Trip 2012

Every year, we go on a river trip with my work colleagues, and, every year, we look forward to some time on the river to help us return to normal. This year, we enjoyed the John Day River in north/central Oregon. It was great but a lot of work. 

The river trip was our first overnight river and camping trip with Arlo, and he was so good! He was patient, good natured, and generally easy going. I think this is the start of something wonderful!

Ryan owning the oars! 

Naptime setup:  Papa on the edge of the boat, Arlo in his carseat rigged in the boat. 

The costume night theme was "Ode to the Olympics." It was a good time to break out the Messi jersey (thank you Hannah and company!). 

Sunset at camp

Early morning view at one of the camps 

Hooray! 

(What he was celebrating is unclear. Perhaps a goal?) 

Papa was a swimmer (yes, a Speedo was involved). Arlo liked the goggles. 

Nose kisses... awww... 

We also celebrated Ryan's second Father's Day on the river. He is such a wonderful father -- beyond what I could have ever imagined or dreamed of. We are one lucky family! Love you, Ry!

A Breath of Fresh Air

Between the hustle and bustle of daily life, we sometimes need to escape and enjoy a breath of fresh air. This weekend, we were lucky to have a visit from my brother, Mike. Arlo was a little wary of Mike a few weeks ago, but by the end of this weekend, he was following him around the house. 

Mike recently graduated from basic training in the Army and was stationed at Fort Lewis, about an hour south of Seattle. We are thrilled to have his home base so close, but we are sad to report that he immediately got deployment orders to Afghanistan. He leaves in a couple of weeks, so we are trying to enjoy as much time with him as possible. Fortunately, he was game for joining us on our hike to Bridal Veil Falls. 

 The nearby mountain peaks occasionally emerge from the low clouds.

Enjoying the view. 

Ooohh... Ahhh... 

Bridal Veil Falls was spectacular. This photo does not do it justice. 

We were all sprayed by the rushing water and awestruck by the incredible drop and thunderous roar of the falls.  

Sharing some laughs near the end of the hike. 

More laughs and maybe some slight delirium. That's what fresh air does to you.

We are sending Mike off with lots of love and well wishes for a quick and safe return. We have lots of fun outings to enjoy together when you come home!