Early Anniversary Present

Anyone that REALLY knows Jared and Kristina knows that if anyone uses a grill a lot...it is them!  They use their grill ALL YEAR ROUND!  And that being the case, their grills in the past have only lasted about 3 years at the most, so they finally decided to go out and buy a Weber.

The cheaper models at Home Depot and Lowe's just wear out -- and if you try and buy new parts for them, you are out of luck (since the cheaper model grills are discontinued), or you spend a bunch of time and money trying to make something work that won't ever work. Since their wedding anniversary is coming up in October, they decided to the the logical thing and skip traditional anniversary gifts and just go with a new grill.  It sure is a nice grill -- and very nice to cook with indeed!  It has the side burner as well -- Kristina loves it so that she can gook bacon outside.

It is a nice copper color and should last for quite some time -- or at least it better!

Are you ready for Football Season?

Kristina has been burning the candle at both ends when it comes to work.  SonoSite is getting ready to ship a new product and it has been tough working through everything as of late.  However, she was given an extra little reward for working with another Electrical Engineer to figure out a problem -- which happened to be a mechanical problem.  Have you ever heard that saying, "Guilty until proven innocent!".  :)

Anyway, she and her co-worker were both given a pair of tickets to the SonoSite Club Level Suite at CenturyLink Field for the Seahawks' final preseason game!  Traffic was horrible that night, so we were unable to make it for kickoff -- but we made it nonetheless.  It was a perfect night for a game and we had a good ending -- Seahawks won over the Oakland Raiders 22-6.  Yeah!

And as usual, it is always a treat to be in the SonoSite Club Level Suite -- talk about posh!

Another New Adventure -- Kayaking!

Kristina bought Jared a kayak for Christmas back in 2010, but the kayak still hasn't been used.  While that continues to be true today, at least Jared and Kristina got out and took a kayak lesson.  Kayaking is something that is very popular around the area considering all of the water. But, it is the old saying, "too many things to do, not enough time!".  Well time was made today!

Kristina started out by finding a rockstar of a deal for the class using Groupon back in July.  It was basically 1/2 price, so even if it turned out bad, it wasn't that much of an investment.  The bad thing was that the people that give the lessons were booked up until today.  However, better late than never.  Jared and Kristina had a great time -- even though they were exhausted when they finished.

Kayaks are more unstable than you would think they are, but luckily we both managed to stay in the kayak and not end up in Lake Washington or Mercer Slough.  The class had about 10 people in it, along with an instructor.  Most of the class was good and learned quickly.  It was 3 hrs total.  The class starts out at Entai Beach Park in Bellevue. Once everyone is "in" Lake Washington and we all figure out some of the basics, everyone carefully kayaks over to the Mercer Slough.  Most of the instruction was given once we were in the slough -- it was calmer and much easier to navigate and learn.

Unfortunately since there was a high probability of one or both of us tipping the kayaks over, no pictures for this adventure...maybe next time!  

Time to Head Home

Everyone was pretty tired after running all week, so we laid low on Friday.  We stayed around the house, got some laundry done, and played some badminton and ladder ball!  It was a great week, and it was great to see Jeff, Tonya, Wyatt, and Tina!  We all had a good time, and perhaps we'll get to do it again sometime!

 

Mount Rainier!

Kristina was able to take Thursday and Friday off, and she wanted to go on the Mount Rainier trip, so today was the day!  We got up and had some breakfast, and then got out the door as soon as possible so we could get up there before the bulk of the crowds.

However, on the drive out of town (we only made it into Redmond a little ways) Tina started feeling ill.  We didn't know if it was breakfast or the motion of the car or what, but she did not feel well at all.  So, we stopped at a Rite Aid to get her some medicine for her belly.  We won't go into the details, but she felt much better after her visit to the store!  So, we were still on for making it to the mountain!

 

It's about a three hour drive to Mount Rainier National Park, at least the south entrance where we were headed.  We wanted to head up to Paradise on the south side of the mountain because it is at abotu 5000ft elevation which gives you a good jump on hiking up the mountain.  Also, it's called Paradise for a reason!

 

We arrived at our destination and had some lunch.  We had to park down the hill a little ways due to all the cars, so Jeff and Jared hauled the cooler up the hill to a picnic area where everyone else was waiting and holding down a picnic table.  We enjoyed the sunny 70 degree weather as we munched on our lunch and looked up at the mountain.  After lunch, it was time to hit the trail!  All uphill!

 

Tina took off like a shot, and Kristina managed to keep pace.  Here they are taking a short break.

Eventually we all got together and stopped for a rest just before we crowned the first little hill.

 

A little further, we crossed a little creek and the trail meandered through the meadows of wildflowers on up towards the mountain.

 

The view of the wildflowers was truly amazing, and also wonderfully fragrant!

Here's a look back behind us... you can't see them in this shot, but Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens are back that way.

Once we got up to some snow drifts, it was time for Jeff to show Wyatt how to "ski" down the mountain in your hiking shoes...

And, how to crash gracefully...

Here's Tina and Wyatt scaling the mountain.  This shot makes them look like they aren't far from the summit!

But, in fact, we are a looong ways from the summit!  Here you can see the Nisqually Glacier.  Most of it is covered in rocks, so it looks like snow in the rocks, when in fact it is rocks in the snow!

With all the great views, it was time to head back down.  No summiting the mountain this day!  Kristina and the kids bolted down the mountain, and I can around the corner to find them sitting and waiting.

We ran into this little friend on the way back down.  He's a Hoary Marmot, and was very friendly.  That shadow on the ground is Tina's!

 Lots of little streams running through the meadows... and, man, was that water cold!

It was a perfect day!  We always love visiting the Mountain!

A Day in the City

On Wednesday, we decided to mix it up a bit and head into Seattle!  We all jumped into the Juke and headed accross the 520 bridge into Seattle.  Driving is always an adventure in Seattle, but we finally managed to find a parking spot down near the waterfront.

Then, we proceeded back up the hill behind to Pike Place Market.  You can't come to Seattle without visiting the market!  On our way, we stopped at Victor Steinbrueck Park to check out the views and the huge totem pole!

Next we hiked up Pike Place and checked out the shops along the Market as well as all the people... there are ALWAYS lots of people!

After wandering around the Market and even checking out Post Alley, we stopped to pick up a few t-shirts and then it was about time for lunch.  We headed back down the hill towards the waterfront and decided to stop at Cafe 56 to get some lunch.  There was a great view off the pier towards the port.

After lunch we headed up the street a little ways and into the Seattle Aquarium.  We had a great time in the Aquarium, especially the touch pond where we could all touch the various creatures that inhabit the ocean just outside.  We had a great day!

Time to Hit the Beach!

The kids were very anxious to get to the beach to do some exploring and get their feet wet.  So, we packed up a big lunch in the cooler, and headed out the door.  Our first destination was to the north... Deception Pass State Park.  Deception Pass is the state's most visited State Park, and arguably the most beautiful.  However, it is actually fairly easy to have the place nearly to yourself during the week if you know where to go.

 

The sky was totally clear when we left, and stayed that way right up until we reached the ocean... at which point there was a thick fog rolling in off the water and sticking on the nearby hills.

 

 

However, that didn't affect our ability to do any beachcombing!  The weather was still relatively warm, and the sun was busily trying to burn through the fog.  The tide was pretty low (-0.2) and we found lots of little animals skittering about.

 

Tina became very comfortable with the little crabs, and she packed a couple back over to the sandy beach to let them run.  After they ran a bit and we got some pictures, she carefully carried them back over to the protective rocks to let them go.

 

After searching through the rocks, it was time to wade around and enjoy the sandy beach.  Surprisingly, the water was quite warm from sitting rather still in the shallow area.  Wyatt and Tina had a great time enjoying the sand and the warmth of the sun that was now starting to peak through.

 

After we were done on the sand, we grabbed a great picnic table on the beach and had some lunch!  The sun was out fairly strong now, but only from straight above.  It was still pretty foggy out towards the water.  We were going to take a hike out around the point to get some good ocean views, but due to the fog, we decided to head out and stop at Coopville instead.

 

 

Coopville is a small, scenic, old town right on the water on Whidbey Island.  It has some cool little shops and also a pier that you can walk out on and look at the water and any boats that happened to be moored.  Today there was a cool sail ship that looked like an old vessel from the 1800s.  However, it was just a replica, but still really neat to look at all the ropes and pullies necessary to make it sail.

After Coopville, we headed to Fort Casey.  Fort Casey is a World War II military base that is now decommissioned.  It was built to help guard Puget Sound against naval invasion by Japan.  The sun was definitely out now, and all the fog had dissipated!  What a nice day!

Wyatt and Tina enjoyed looking at the old base, and Wyatt had a good time staring down the business end of the guns.

After checking out the base above, we headed down to the beach again to enjoy some waves and the nice salt air.  Wyatt and Tina once again enjoyed wading around and looking for rocks and sticks.

 

After our walk on the beach, it was getting late!  So, we loaded up, and drove south to the tip of Whidbey Island where we boarded the Ferry to get back to mainland.  It was Wyatt and Tina's first ferry ride, so they had a great time watching how it all works.

 

 

Another great day!  Could it getting any better?  Well, maybe, we still have a couple more days!

 

A Picnic and Hike to Lake 22

Monday morning, we woke up, had some breakfast, and headed north and then east towards the North Cascades.  It was a beautiful day, with hardly a cloud in the sky.

We stopped at a day use area right near the trailhead for lunch.  It sits right on the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River.  The river was quite clear, but had a slight milky-blue tinge to it indicating it was running glacial runoff.  We unpacked the coolers, and the kids headed down to the river for some fun.

While the kids were rock hopping and wading, Jeff and Tonya took pictures and video.  After a little time running about, we sat down at the picnic table and had our lunch!  We had some great sandwiches and Kristina's pasta salad!

After lunch, we drove back across the road and to the trailhead.  With our bellies full, we headed up the trail.  Lots of pictures were taken as we began snaking through the virgin forest of giant Red Cedar.

We hiked and hiked, and made it all the way to the top!  Tina pretty much led the way... a real hiking machine.  Everyone else trailed behind, but we all made it!  And, we were rewarded with the amazing view!  The lake was super clear and the sun was brightly shining on the water.  Everyone kicked of their shoes and waded around a bit and then relaxed for a little while. 

All good things must come to an end, however, and it was getting late.  So, we began our trek back down the mountain.  On the way down, the kids had learned about raising your legs above your body to allow the lactic acid to drain out of tired muscles (which helps to relieve soreness later on).  They were very good students and promptly propped their legs up at every stop!

After reaching the bottom, we headed home for some dinner and relaxation out in the backyard.  We needed to rest up to prepare for more adventures ahead!

Becoming Acclimated to the Area

On Sunday, we had breakfast, and then decided to take a short, nearby, trip to see a few sights. Kristina stayed home and prepared some delicious food while the rest of us loaded up in the Juke and headed for Snoqualmie Falls.

It was VERY busy at the falls, with tons of tourists running about, but once we got to the lookout you could see why... the falls were really gorgeous under the shimmering sunlight!

Next, we headed to the town of Snoqualmie to check out their old train yard.  The kids had a great time running around looking at the old trains and cars, and we all learned a bit about their history.

Finally, on our way home, we stopped and hiked the suspension bridge at the Tolt-MacDonald Park. The bridge spans the Snoqualmie River and leads over to a nice camping and day use area that has Yurts for rent.

 

By this time, it was getting a little late, so we headed home to have some dinner and relax to prepare for a longer day of hiking the next day.

 

The Pocatello Harps Arrive!

Jeff, Tonya, Wyatt, and Tina came over to stay with us for a week!  They got in Saturday evening, so we just had time to show them around the place, have some dinner, and chat a bit before heading to bed to prepare for a week of fun!

July Rain

We have experienced 4 July months in Western Washington and let's just say that this past July was by far the driest (and warmest) that we have experienced.  We measured 0.05" of rain on two separate occasions for a total of 0.1" for the month.  It has been a nice, warm month.  The days have been clear, dry, and sunny! Hopefully, the trend continues -- the clear and sunny part, we don't mind if it rains here and there.  By the way, SEATAC measured no rain and it was only the 6th July on record to ever to do that!