Looking over the past few months on my calendar, in an attempt to summarize what's been happening in our lives, is dizzying. So much has happened since I last wrote in February. We went from Hudson doing virtual school and the others doing homeschool, to pulling Hudson out of school and having him join the homeschoolers, to me starting back up again at CNM (to work towards an RN degree), to the kids starting summer break! Whew!
On March 8th, I withdrew Hudson from APS. Hudson had been feeling very isolated and sad. I felt it was in his best interest, emotionally, to finish off the school year with me and the other kiddos. We worked hard for a good two months, then I decided to finish off the school year early and end with a bang by taking the kids on an out-of-state field trip! I knew I'd be starting school in two weeks (and will be in school continuously for the next three years!), so I thought we needed to end the crazy school year with some major fun and adventure!
I found cheap flights to Seattle and away we went! We had a fabulous time in Washington. The Dunlaps picked us up (we got in super late), and we stayed at their home for the evening. The girls LOVED being at "Red Grandma's" house. They took all of her stuffed animals out and had so much fun playing. Papa Dunlap accompanied us the next morning on a ferry to Port Ludlow for a weekend getaway on the Olympic Peninsula. My good friend Mandy invited us to stay at her childhood home. Mandy's mother, D. Ann, loaned us her van and hosted us in her beautiful Victorian home! It was such a magical place surrounded by flowers, greenery, and ocean views! D. Ann and her husband Rick (and mother Gigi) were amazing hosts. They filled the trunk with necessities each day (treats, waters, sunscreen, towels, beach toys, etc.) and made everyone feel at home. D. Ann picked up maps for us and marked them with routes and destinations we that might be of interest to use. She also took out Legos and Lincoln logs for the boys and a tea set and stuffies for the girls. She showed us her candy drawer and her toy closet. It was a real treat. She even hosted a tea party for us one morning and made a delicious spaghetti dinner with warm buttered bread one evening. They really were so kind and accommodating. What wonderful people - no wonder Mandy is so special and amazing!
Our time on the peninsula was super fun. The first day, we got ice cream cones and sushi (for Hudson!) then visited a place called Fort Worden Historical State Park. It was really cool. We hiked around spooky, dark bunkers with flashlights and saw a light house. That evening, we had dinner at a Thai restaurant.
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| (4/28/2021) Getting onto the ferry |
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| A ferry ride with Grandpa |
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| Enjoying sandwiches and cute coin purses from Grandma |
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| A view from the top |
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| The bunkers at Fort Worden |
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| Special Grandpa time! |
The next day was my favorite. We woke up early (D. Ann spoiled us with delicious sticky buns and pie for breakfast!) and headed to the Olympic Game Park in Sequim. It used to be owned by Disney, but was now a reserve for lots of different animals. We got to feed the animals loaves of bread from our car. There were llama, yaks, elk, buffalo, a hawk, bears, zebra, deer, and more. It was SO fun! The animals were super friendly and came right into the windows! We picked up lunch at Wendy's and headed to Salt Creek tide pools. We explored the tide pools and found lots of oyster shells, clam shells, a sea urchin, lots of tiny crabs, and sea anemone. We didn't have too much time there because the tide was coming in, so next we headed to the Spruce Railroad Trail (which runs near Crescent Lake). The woods were so beautiful and soft looking, everything covered in moss. The kids were pretty pooped at that point, so we headed back home and made it just before dark. D. Ann had a delicious dinner waiting for us!
Our last morning on the peninsula, we had a tea party then breakfast (egg mcmuffins made by D. Ann and Rick). Then we hiked to a local waterfall (Ludlow Falls) and visited a cute little town called Port Gamble. We visited the seashell museum and gift shop and bought lots of fun souvenirs. We had a picnic lunch outside the shop then headed to a beach for some stinky, muddy fun! The beach smelled like ocean vomit! We ran into a clam digger who taught us a little about gooey ducks and other beachy things! After saying our goodbyes to the Butchart's, we took a ferry back home. Later that night, we picked Sebastian up from the airport and the fun just continued!
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| (4/30/202!) The Butchart's home was beautiful and such a fun stay! |
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| Breakfast tea party! |
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| Love Grandpa's hat! |
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| I enjoyed getting to know Grandma Gigi (my friend Mandy's grandmother) |
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| Hiking towards Ludlow Falls |
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| Hannah found a big snail and named her "Shelly" |
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| We bought souvenirs and had lunch in Port Gamble |
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| Peanut butter and dandelion jelly! |
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| Look at that huge, slimy creature! |
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| What's this gunk? |
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| This big beach was very smelly! |
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| Digging for clams! |
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| Grandpa reels Hannah back in! She goes so far! |
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| Saying goodbye to our beautiful "bed and breakfast" |
While Seb was in town, we did the aquarium; a roundtrip ferry ride complete with Mama Dunlap's famous "thick cheese" sandwiches; the waterfront carousel and ice cream cones; Pike's Place Market; a date night to Dough Zone and a bar with Resh and his new wife Sabina (and Jake); a visit to Casey's new home; the Woodland Park Zoo; Red Robin; a Mariner's Game; playing with Langley; badminton; movie nights squished together in the t.v. room; Countryside doughnuts; Pagaliacci's pizza; Tulip Town; and more! It was power packed!!! I'm so grateful for the opportunities my kids have to spend with their grandparents and to spend getting to know their daddy by visiting his childhood home. There is such a spirit of love and humility there. I LOVE my in-laws!
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| Pooped after a busy day! |
1 comment:
Whoa, how fun was that trip?? You did an amazing amount of things in a short time. So glad Seb could join you too!
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