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

We went to California to visit my Uncles and Aunt after school got out for summer. We had a terrific time with them and the week flew by fast. First we spent a full day at Disney and early the next day we were bound for Catalina for a long weekend. After our return, we spent a day playing at Laguna Beach. Our final day, we walked around Balboa Island with Uncle Brian and then it was time to head home!

First on the agenda: dinner at Newport Harbor Yacht Club

Watching Uncle Brad, Jonathan, Avery & Kieron bring Galatea over from Bay Island so we could load her for our trip.

Loading the Melonseed

After we returned from Catalina, unloading the Melonseed

On our flight down

With Nelly!

At Laguna Beach

Balboa Bars!

Saying Goodbye

Shortly after we left we found out our flight was delayed a couple hours. All week the boys had been asking if we could go to the exotic car place and we hadn’t had any time to do it. But with the delayed flight and all our bags already packed and loaded, we had just the right amount of time to check out some dream cars and grab a bite to eat!

Here’s Silas with a few of his favorites 

Kieron really wanted to see the Koenigsegg, but we couldn’t even get in there!

And Layla with a couple of her faves

We finally got to go to Catalina on Galatea with my Aunt and Uncles! We spent a long weekend there and had an incredible time! The first day we went to Avalon, where we got ice cream, shopped, and toured the area on a golf cart. I’ve heard many stories about my Dad and his family sailing there over the years and it was so neat to see it in person. After that we were bound for Moonstone Cove, where the Newport Harbor Yacht Club Outstation is. We BBQ’d there, enjoyed a delicious waffle breakfast, and did some sailing, paddle boarding, swimming & hiking. Eventually it was time to head home. A friendly (and large) pod of dolphins swam along with us on the way. Overall, an unforgettable cruise and a great weekend with family!

We’ve arrived!

Relaxing with Uncle Brian

We rented a golf cart so we could tour around Avalon. We saw the Wrigley house and other sites.

The view from up  high

Back at the boat

“Cheers to being together!”

Silas, showing Uncle Brian the Nintendo Switch

Back in Avalon for some shopping and ice cream

Happy campers! Avery & Kieron got the flybridge.

The next morning   

Headed to Moonstone Cove

Avery did some sailing there           

Silas did some more jumping

The water was so clear!

Headed to the outstation to BBQ!

Playing ring toss

Grilling (I wish I’d gotten a picture of the cute little fox that was interested in what we were having!

Layla was obsessed with catching frogs and tadpoles

Beautiful sunset

Yummy waffle breakfast!

Tadpoles!

Hiking Mount Whitney – it ended up being a dramatic hike! Since it was early in the season, the trail was not well worn, nor was it well marked, and we got off course several times. It ended up turning into a long, hot, marriage-testing hike, but we eventually made it back down safely!

Bound for Newport Harbor

Dolphins!

Finally, a few selfies of Layla!