Washington

As if our summer travels hadn't covered enough territory already, we squeezed in one more state before school started... a trip to Washington.  We flew out the day after Athena's birthday (but don't tell the airlines... managed to get her one last free plane ride), and Nanny and Papa picked us up at the airport and drove us up the coast to Mulkiteo, where we took a ferry onto Whidbey Island...

and then drove up to Ty and Sara's new house!  We spent one night with them and then went up to Bellingham to Nanny and Papa's.  Papa gave both of the girls nice short haircuts!

The next day we enjoyed some time at co-housing, took a quick sail...

and then squeezed in a too-quick visit with my dear childhood friend Steph and her son Paul...

on our way down to Uncle Riley and Aunt Tara's new house in Bothel, where we met up with Wes, Carlyn, Eaton, and Emi, and Ahya and Uncle Logan (who flew in from CO and Montreal the day before).  We had a great dinner and the kids got to bust open a pinata Papa made for Athena's birthday.

We spent the next morning playing at Riley's, and then Mom, Logan, the kids and I drove south to Chehalis to see MORE family... Great Grandma Dorothy, Great Aunt Lola, Great Aunt Lorna, Great Uncle Carl, cousin Jill, and many others!  We spent the night at Lola's, and in the morning Riley and Wes's crew came down and met us and we went out the the family farm for an awesome day of adventures... climbing trees, playing in the creek, a treasure hunt AND a scavenger hunt, a hike, a game of "Sardines," lummi sticks, and racing around on Great Grandma's motorized cart!

The next day we drove back north to Ty and Sara's, taking the westerly route up the Olympic Peninsula and across the ferry at Port Townsend.  We met up with Nanny and Papa, had a nice lunch on the water in Coupeville...

visited the Captain Whidbey Inn (Tyler and Sara's new employer/project), and enjoyed one last evening of fun and games.  The next morning we went to Fort Casey (adjacent to Camp Casey, where I went to a school sleep-away camp in 6th grade)...

and then the girls and I drove the rental car back down to the airport and flew home!  It was a great trip filled with great family fun!