Here and There

Well hello there! It's been a long time since I've really written a decent post... and I have to confess, they're still going to be few and far between. The reason for the most recent hiatus however, is that I've been away, without internet, on family vacation for a week and a half! And I have to say, I'm very thankful for the break from technology and everyday life. Being forced into close quarters with my family was a blessing... to be able to relax and laugh together and really talk.

 Aren't these little mosses and lichens just the cutest? :)

It was lovely to be by the ocean again, 

even though it was pretty cold most of the time.

My dad and brother made this wood stove out of an old propane tank...

it worked great to keep us warm, and we even cooked on it a little bit!

So now you know what I've been up to!

I'll have some more posts up soon, so stay tuned! ;)

Family Vacation Part 3 - Seaside

 

Port Townsend...

 A seaside tourist town...

shopping

antiques

mexican food

old buildings

To the lighthouse and fort at Dungeness Point later that afternoon.

So beautiful there...

A goofy game of golf in the evening...

last day...

hiking along the bluffs

at the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge

 the ocean below

gnawing at the base of the cliffs

barely visible through the fog

 the sandy grasses

like brave sentinels

piercing the salty air

a beautiful conclusion

to a refreshing holiday

Family Vacation Part 2 - Travel and Olympic National Park

On Tuesday morning we left Ferndale and took a ferry to the Olympic Peninsula.  The fresh sea air was so refreshing. On our first day in Sequim, we decided to do some exploring, and made our way up to Olympic National Park for some hiking.  The air was so clear and refreshing up there, with breathtaking views.

This deer was right beside the path outside the visitor center.  They seem quite used to people.  Such beautiful and graceful creatures!

wildflower meadows...

We decided to take a different path on the way back, but right when we were almost in view of the parking lot, we hit a danger zone.  It was slippery and steep, but we survived. :P It was neat to be hiking in snow in the middle of August.

I feel so blessed to have been able to have that time up on the mountains, looking at things so delicate as wildflowers and butterflies and fauns, at the mighty mountains and the vast ocean in the distance.  "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." (Rom 1:20)

Family Vacation Part 1 - Food and the Fair

I just returned with my family on Saturday from a week-long camping trip in Washington.  I suppose some would say it's not truly camping because we borrowed my grandparents fifth-wheel trailer, but what's wrong with luxury camping once in a while? ;)  Our first two nights were in Ferndale, and we took in the North West Washington Fair on Monday. Before we went to the fair, we stopped at a beautiful park in Lyndon to eat our picnic lunch.

I'd have to say the highlight of the fair was the food... although we by no means went crazy with it.
Our family motto is "all things taste better shared".  So we bought two plates of Pofferjes to share, four 50cent cartons of milk, and one moo-wich.

It was interesting trying to share that, but apparently you can cut things with spoon handles.  Just for the record, it did taste better shared... ;)

Besides waiting in endless concession lines, we wandered around the various booths and exhibits, lego collections, painted masterpieces by 9-year-old Picassos... that sort of thing.  We were hoping for a free show (I was hoping horse), but being Monday there wasn't much going on.  Still, it was fun to absorb the carnival atmosphere.

We did have a campfire that night - sadly, our only one of the trip, but with wood costing $5 a bundle and us all being so tired at the end of the day, we didn't feel like we missed out too badly.

So that is a summary of our first couple days of family vacation! More to come tomorrow. :)