Tish, Morgan, Melina, and Elliott: Summer

Hi Friends and family! We blinked and suddenly it was Fall - I guess we were too busy to slow down and download the camera! Our summer started with marching in the Olympia Pride Parade, and then a few days later, we had a visit from the cousins, Auntie Claire and T-Ma!! We had a great time, and tested out our new kites at the coast. It was lovely. Then, we hopped on an airplane for a wedding in California (Congratulations Joe and Vy!) and got to catch up with Tish's wonderful high school friends and their kiddos. We were staying just a few blocks from Disneyland... so we took a deep breath and decided to take the kids there. Thanks to some expert advice from our more experienced friends in these matters, we maximized our time well and survived and even enjoyed (!) Disneyland without going crazy. Then, we headed south to visit with Morgan's Aunt Brenda, Uncle Jim, Cousin Britt and Grandpa Bill and Fay. We splashed in the warm ocean and it was so so good to see everyone. We had a bumper crop of beets this summer and the kids had a blast harvesting them. We had a visit from Devon, Louise and Fiona and went on a hike to the Skokomish River! With Fiona's mentoring, Melina was a great hiker. Hopefully this bodes well for hikes to come! Then we went back out to the ocean with Auntie Hallie and Joanie! With the end of the summer, had more excitement. Morgan headed back to the Lake Iliamna field camp to help with the fish sampling there. It's such a special place and we took Melina there several years ago. While he was gone, we had a visit from Bubbie, which was wonderful and very helpful! And, Melina started Kindergarten. She is just loving it.

Getting ready for Pride.

Marching and supporting our friend, Scott Clifthorne, who is running for School Board!

Misha watches suspiciously.

He loves mowing the lawn.

Isn't having a sibling great?

Yay for cousins!!!!

Biggest cousin (Will) and littlest (Elliott).

Kite flying at the beach!

Learning from the best.

Family photo! We missed you Mark and Uncle Tony.

Goofballs!

On our way to California!

Be still my heart! YS friends 2nd generation.

Disneyland!

Oh where the water is warm!

Cousin Braedon!

Auntie/Grandma Brenda knows all the tricks!

And Uncle Jim was the kiddo-whisperer at the beach.

Sweet baby Asher

We love spinning at the beach.

It was so very special to see Morgan's grandpa rocket.

Melina drew Grandpa Rocket a rocket picture... and she wore her rocket dress for the occasion!

Such a lovely visit!

We came home to a fantastic beet harvest in our garden!

"I'm a worker man!"

Sitting a fire truck at the Lake Fair parade!

Devon, Louise, Fiona and Jonathon came to visit just in time for the festivities.

Hiking at the Skokomish River with the help of big kid Fiona.

Eating watermelon and hanging out with our PEPS friends!

Rob being a chicken to elicit some big kid smiles.

On the ferry!

Visiting with cousin Lisa, Chop, Tori and Storm.

Boat ride around the Sound!

Playing at the beach out on the coast!

Lighthouse at the mouth of the Columbia.

Family selfie with Auntie.

This is a very common sight at our house.

We harvested our (very early ripening) apples and made apple sauce!

Our neighbor helped us and brought an apple strudel.

Slip 'n slide at Gabe and Henley's!

We love these Robin Zimmerman T-Shirts (Thank you Papa!)

Having fun at the neighborhood block party.

We really wish we had made it south to Oregon to see the eclipse at Aunt Barb's house, but watching it at our house was better than nothing, and our neighbors came out to enjoy the spectacle.