In July we headed north to the San Juans for a good ole family vacation on Everlong. Jonathan had to work on this trip, so most days he and I woke up early and got going in time to watch the sunrise underway. When he started meetings I drove to the next harbor. We’d get a slip or buoy during one of his breaks and then I took the kids exploring while he finished up the work day and then we could all play in the evenings.

Day 1 we were bound for Port Townsend

Hanging out on the flybridge while Jonathan was in meetings below.

Watching a boat get lowered back into the water

Playing with kelp.

We took a long walk in Port Townsend

After our walk Avery mentioned to me that a bug bite he’d gotten on his thigh a couple days before was starting to look worse and was hurting. We took a look at it, and there was a big red area stretching the length of his upper leg and the bite did not look good either! We decided to go to Urgent Care, which was only a half mile walk from the marina. The doc said it looked like a staph infection, and that she suspected it could be MRSA, so she wanted us to treat it as if it were until we found out for sure! She took a culture and prescribed antibiotics, an ointment, and instructed us to all shower using medical soap. We spent the next 24 hours Googling, sanitizing and worrying. Fortunately, the call eventually came and yes, it was staph, but no, it was not MRSA. Whew! We could relax a little, and by that time, Avery’s bite was already improving.

The next day we ventured on to Roche Harbor and stayed there for two nights.

We toured a really neat old wooden yacht, Linmar

The boys learned to lasso a cleat like the dock hands at Roche Harbor. A couple of the guys even came over and gave them a proper lesson. They spent hours practicing!

The first evening Jonathan, Layla and I walked to the Mausoleum

Colors ceremony

The kids and I at lunch the next day

Afterward we walked around town and visited all the local spots

We walked to the Mausoleum     

A few years makes a big difference!
     

Ice cream!

Another walk to the mausoleum

  

We made a quick afternoon stop at Friday Harbor and got pizza for dinner. We passed a cool marimba band on the way there.

Next stop: Cypress Island

Skipping rocks

Kieron, Silas & Layla camped on the island while the rest of us stayed on the boat.

Layla and I did an early morning hike to Eagle Cliff
 

Auntie Ashleigh and Uncle Mark flew out at the beginning of July and came up to visit with Nana. We took them to Bainbridge Island one of the days and spent the rest visiting and relaxing. It was great to be together!

Waiting at the locks

With the Kiwi flag

In salt water!

“We want to jump in!”



                  

Taking selfies with my phone

Sunset pics

Coming home

Baking with Nana

Playing ring toss

We spent Fourth of July in Snoqualmie again and did all the traditional things!




     

Phoebe got hot during the parade

We took a break in the afternoon and went to the pool before going to our friend’s BBQ. My girlfriend and I unintentionally twinned in our bathing suits!

At the Hoiting’s 

With Colette, Lawson & their friend from out of town

Fireworks time!

Back at home

Kieron got to go on the 8th Grade trip to DC and Philadelphia in June. They got to see all the things, and it sounds like he had a great time with his friends and teachers! Here’s a desscription of their adventures from one of their teachers, Mr. Burford:

We then made our way to the Amish Farm and to dinner in the town of Bird in Hand.  We had our Ghost tour of Gettysburg.  Some storytellers were better than others.  The hotel was a welcome sight and we all went to sleep pretty quick.  Tour of the Gettysburg battle field is always a little overwhelming due to the scope, size and terrain.  Left Gettysburg for Antietam and walked Bloody Lane and Burnsides bridge.

DC—Rolled in to DC and picked up our program leader. Abe.  We went straight to Air Force Memorial then on to Pentagon 9/11 Memorial.  Dinner was followed by. Jefferson Memorial.  Next day was Mt. Vernon.  We got the last chance to walk through the house before shut down this fall for about 18 months of restoration.  Roy Rodgers did not let us down with lunch.  We then rolled into one of the most impressive museums in DC, The National Museum of African American History. Never ceases to impress anyone who enters.. We finished the day with the Korean War, Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam War Memorials. Oh wait can’t forget the sight of Lighting bugs did not fail to gather new fans.

A very hot, with little wind and high humidity day on Monday saw us visiting Arlington National Cemetery. We visited The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the final resting spots of Justices Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Medgar Evers, Audie Murphy, the Kennedy’s, Eric Ward (from CKMS/Mt. Si) and Burford took two students on a mission to find relatives.  Both were successful.   After lunch we headed to the Holocaust Museum, National Archives and American History Museum.  After a BBQ dinner we went to MLK JR and FDR Memorials.

Departure day had us with a Supreme Court picture stop and Capital Tour.  By the time We hit Ford’s Theatre where the kids and adults were starting to “hit the Wall”. We headed out to Dulles for the return flight, but not without stopping along the way at the best Air and Space Museum in the Country.

Independence Hall

With his roommates, Weston, Owen, and Will

Heading out

Before taking him to the school for his first cross-country trip without parents

Avery gave him a sappy/silly hug goodbye, “I’m gonna miss you so much! Be safe!”

Independence Hall

Liberty Bell 

Antietam

Antietam Burnside Bridge

General Robert E. Lee Monument

Gettysburg

On the Gettysburg Ghost Tour

George Washington’s House

George and Martha Washington’s Grave

Air Force Memorial

Marines Memorial

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Jefferson Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

White House

Ford’s Theatre

Arlington National Cemetery

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Einstein Memorial

Smithsonian

With the best tour guide ever – Abe. He’s been doing our middle school tours for more than a decade!

Pentagon Memorial

National Archives

MLK Memorial

FDR Memorial

US Capital

Washington Monument

Supreme Court

Korean War Memorial

At the Air and Space Museum

Here’s what we were up to in June. Avery played whirly ball at his friend, Logan’s, birthday party.

Silas did a color run with his buddy Ethan

Playing at their friends house

Sleepover with the Ethans

Last Day of School porch pics

We spent Father’s Day on Everlong

His kids know him well!

At Ivar’s Chowderhouse

Spring basketball for Silas

Kieron’s 8th Grade Graduation

Look who’s playing High School Football!

My friend, Laura, and I hiked Mailbox Peak before school got out for the summer. The hike is 9.4mi round trip, with more than 4000 ft of elevation gain, so we needed the whole day. It was a beautiful hike up and we were glad to make it to the summit!

Lots of rocks like these toward the top

Less than a mile down, I took a tumble! I knew I should have brought poles! One look and I knew I needed stitches. Fortunately, Laura had some gauze and tape on hand, so we wrapped it, I took a couple Ibuprofen, and on we hiked. I went straight to Urgent Care and got three stitches. Not quite the way I intended to start summer, but it could have been worse!

Another day on the boat

Layla performed a hip hop routine in her dance recital this year. It was super cute! Video further down.
     

With Luca, Savannah & Ella

At the pool

Funny pic of Suki after a blood draw

We cheered on the graduating Seniors at the Senior Car Parade. Crazy to think Avery will be in it next year! This is Avery’s XC friend, Neal.

Alex

Good running and Boy Scouts buddy, Jake

Another XC buddy, Rowan