Alta Lake Camping Trip

Garrett and I had so much fun camping with Kaelen and his dad, Mike, at Alta Lake State Park last June, that we decided to make it a family trip this year. We left Friday afternoon and got to the campground about 6pm. The Simpson's had arrived about an hour earlier and found a spot for us. After getting unpacked and set up, we had a nice relaxing evening.

Saturday morning after breakfast, we went for a hike to the top of the ridge overlooking the campground just like we did last year. This year it was a little warmer. After the hike we went to the swimming beach to cool off and keep cool in the afternoon with the daytime temperature approaching 100 degrees. While at the beach, I recognized someone that was a grade behind me in middle and high school that I haven't seen in over 10 years. After spending the afternoon at the beach we had a nice dinner and relaxing evening.

Sunday morning we packed up after breakfast. The Simpson's were going to stop and watch a movie in Leavenworth and we decided to take a different way home. We took Hwy 153 to Hwy 20, the North Cascades Highway. It was a beautiful drive through an area we had never been before. We saw lots of great sites that makes us eager to return and explore more. It was another fun camping trip with friends. Click on the picture below to see more pictures.

Alta Lake, June 2008

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Listening to: LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great
via FoxyTunes

Skater Dude

Garrett finished a 5 day skate board "camp" at the YMCA in Mukilteo. He was in a beginner's camp, so he learned the basics. He attended camp for 3 hours a day. For as "poor" of a board as he has, he got pretty good by the end of the week. The Mukilteo YMCA has a very nice skate park and the camp counselors were great. Garrett had a blast and now skates with confidence.

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Listening to: Van Morrison - Dweller On The Threshold
via FoxyTunes

Baseball Saturday

Our Saturday, May 17th was filled with baseball. Garrett played his Little League game in the morning. He got to pitch for the first time in a game. He pitched well, but needs to work on his speed. After his game, we told him we were going someplace and that it was a surprise. We went to Seattle and met Kelly's sister Tracey and her husband Jeff. The kids were happy to see their aunt and uncle. We walked to the Seattle waterfront, ate lunch, and looked at shops. When we got back to our cars, Tracey and Jeff gave Garrett his birthday present. He opened up a present which he loved, then he opened a birthday card and read that we were all going to the Mariner game that night. He could hardly contain his excitement. This weekend was Little League weekend at Safeco Field. Kelly, Garrett, Drew, and I waited in line and got to walk in a parade around the baseball field with other Little Leaguers and their families. The game was exciting and the Mariner's won. It was a very nice evening since the high temperature for the day was about 85 degrees. Below are some pictures from our day. At the bottom is a video of Garrett playing baseball.

Kelly and the boys on the parade around Safeco Field

The boys with the Mariner Moose

View from our seats

Global Warming?

Or is it "climate change"? The pictures below were taken yesterday, April 18th. Yes, April. We have had more days with snow over this winter season than I can ever remember. Yesterday, I saw the largest snowflakes I have ever seen falling near the I5/I405 interchange. Some areas around here were hit hard and others only got a trace. I spent yesterday evening in Mukilteo where the snow accumulated at least 6 inches, in mid-April, in Seattle.

Catching snowflakes

Drew and Oscar in our front yard

Easter Weekend

We took the boys to an Easter egg hunt at a local grocery store Saturday morning. It was a beautiful day. In the evening, the boys colored eggs. Sunday, the boys had fun looking for all the eggs the Easter bunny hid around the house. I think they found them all before they went to bed that night.

A successful hunt

Dyeing eggs

Basketball Season

Garrett played basketball through the local Boys and Girls Club again this winter. He had lots of fun. What a difference a year makes.

He shoots...

Looking to pass

Driving down the court

Christmas 2007

We had a good Christmas holiday or should I say three Christmas celebrations. We celebrated with the Kraxberger family on Saturday, the Smith family on Christmas Eve, and Kelly's family on Christmas Day . We even had snow fall on Christmas Day. Christmas morning the boys found that Santa had left them Star Wars toys. Later they unwrapped a "family" gift of a Nintendo Wii and Super Mario Galaxy game. Below is a picture of the boys modeling the football pajamas they got. Hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday too.

NFL Pajamas!!!