I Went to the Animal Fair

This sheep was pretty friendly.

Some cute chicks.

Loving his first Elephant Ear.

Helping himself to the dipping sauces.
(Grandpa Coffee, you might be to blame for this new skill.)

We checked out the fair last year, but Ezekiel wasn't very interested. This time it was a whole different story. We enjoyed some classic fair treats and spent most of the time looking at the 4-H animals.

Ezekiel Photo of the Day

Two today, because Uncle Jo was babysitting and captured some funny photos.

(Sorta) New Friends

It's crazy when your extended family is so big that you actually have cousins you've never met. Some of the Kacks where in town for the day and Ezekiel got to meet some great cousins. We look forward to seeing them again soon.

Parting Shots

Ezekiel makes friends with Maddox.

To be honest, there was alot of this during the weekend.

Our grimy little boy, only minutes after leaving camp.

It is always nice to head home to the promise of a warm shower and a cozy bed, but this weekend was hard to say goodbye to. We had such an enjoyable time, I hope we can do it again sometime.

I'm on a Boat! (Lost Lake Edition)

Our trusty oarsmen.
("Paddlers" just doesn't have the same ring to it.)

The Blumenbergs.

After a quick lunch it was time to get down to the business of lake exploration. Robb and Matt got the raft pumped up and ready to go and we trussed up the wee ones in life jackets. (Ezekiel is NOT a fan.) We seemed to have a steady headwind both ways and some faulty paddles that kept us going in circles no matter what we did. No, seriously, I don't think rafts are meant for lake excursions.

By much valiant effort, we finally made it to the dock at the other side of the lake and did a little (a very little) bit of swimming. Robb caught a salamander for the kids and Ezekiel was content to stay in the water as long as we would let him.

Breakfast and a Walk Around the Lake

Testing out the hammock capabilities. Or something.

Check out these awesome shots from Trevor.
Those darn iPhones are just too cool...

We took it pretty easy this morning. A leisurely breakfast and then a stroll around the lake. We stopped half way around to test the water. It was, of course, wonderful.

The trail was just a little over two miles and a bit bumpy for the strollers. The people we met kept telling us that we would probably not be able to make it. I guess that only made Matt and Robb more determined. The little stroller passengers slept for the last twenty minutes of the walk.

Sleeping in a Tent

A shot from last night—cuddled up in our sleeping bags.

Good morning world!

So, this was our major concern about camping. We knew that Zeke would have fun in nature (dirt), would enjoy the company of friends, would like eating camping food and taking walks and even maybe going out on the lake. But we were not sure how he would do sleeping in a tent with Mommy and Daddy right next to him. In fact, we were pretty sure we might be up most of the night.

Surprise! He was so tired that after we put him in his little sleeping bag and turned off the headlamps, he was out.

Now, lest you imagine that all was perfection, I should point out that I didn't move an inch all night for fear of waking him and he woke up at the break of dawn and crawled in circles around the tent stepping on our faces and giggling and scratching on the tent walls. Robb finally gave him a croissant, which did buy us another fifteen minutes of snoozing, but resulted in a fine residue of flaky bread all over everything in the tent.

Lost Lake

Unsuspecting Daddy is about to be attacked by
THE GRASSHOPPER OF DOOM!

Camping cuties.

The boys enjoying the hammock.

Glow sticks that Joanie brought along for the kiddos.

We got to venture out for a camping adventure this weekend. If you have never been to Lost Lake, it is beautiful and so much fun. The campgrounds are in a fantastic old-growth forest with an undergrowth of rhododendrons and blueberry/huckleberry thickets.

Since it was a pretty good drive to get there, Ezekiel had time to invent new games like Attack of the Plastic Grasshopper. Since daddy played along, he thought that it was endlessly funny.

We arrived to find good friends (the Blumenbergs, Setons and Terrys) and a campsite that had already been set up. Perfect way to end a long week!

Good Times With Grandpa

Helping Grandpa pack.

Since grandpa had to head home today, he and Ezekiel spent as much time as possible together. After packing up, they headed outside for an adventure that included watching bugs, crossing the park to the playground and exploring the swings and slides together. (Grandpa—Thanks for sharing your photos with us!)

Grandpa just took off and I know that Ezekiel already misses him.

Front Yard Waterpark

By this afternoon it was super hot in College Place and again, we had plans that didn't turn out. First, we attempted to go to the WWU pool for some swimming, but found that it was closed today. Then, we drove over to the Milton water park and discovered that we were too late for the first session and too early for the last session. We gave up and came home.

And then the redneck water park was born. Matt and Robb moved Zeke's slide over and filled the raft with warm water from the washing machine line. So there were five adults and two kids sitting in this thing at one time. Classy, right?

Blueberry Breakfast

Grandpa taught him this little trick.

We had some good intentions of getting up early and going blueberry picking. Instead, we stayed up late the night before and ended up going to Clarette's for blueberry waffles and pancakes instead. They were delicious. (Ezekiel ate half a plate of blueberry pancakes all by himself!)

Jubilee Lake

Kennedi is shocked by Ezekiel's new hairstyle.

The boys take to the water.

Beautiful lake photography by Grandpa.

Tickles from Julie!

We spent a most enjoyable afternoon at the lake. First, a scrumptious picnic lunch, then some rafting. The kiddos tested the water a little bit and found it a tad cool. Then on to a walk around the lake. It was wonderful to get out of the swelter down in the valley and spend some quality time with family and friends.