One Year Older

Emily recently had a birthday, and she's getting into the ages with double digits! Here's a collection of photos that show some of things Emily appreciates.

Puppies! This is PJ, our neighbor's new puppy

Reading! All the time...

Purses! Totes of all kinds to carry things around...

Make-believe! Dressing up and being with friends...

Flowers! And beauty in God's little creations...

Family! Here with Aunt Marta and little sister, Tess...

 Happy Birthday, Emily!

Last Camping Trip of the Summer

Robbie has been asking me for some time to go camping. Earlier this year we went on a church Fathers and Sons activity, where we pitched a tent in a grassy park.  We had a great time, especially seeing friends we hadn't seen recently, but Robbie demanded that this time we go "somewhere with trees."  I had been sick earlier in the week and wasn't sure if the outing would happen, but we threw things together and had a great time. We ended up finding a great spot north of Packwood, Washington, near Mt. Rainier  It met Robbie's requirement and also had a creek with a pool for fishing, lots of places to explore, and a great spot for a campfire (we were in Pierce County, so we actually could have a fire!).

On Saturday morning we ended up going on the Owyhigh Lakes trail in Mt. Rainier National Park and then came home via Chinook Pass, stopping at Tipsoo Lake and hiking on the Naches Peak Loop trail for a bit.

One of the great blessings of living in the Northwest is being near these beautiful places and being able to enjoy them often.  I always feel reenergized after being in the outdoors and love being with my boys.

All Together at Seaside

 

Our first destination when we arrived at Seaside and every morning after was the beach. The mornings were typical Oregon beach hazy, but by late morning the sun shone and the layers of fleece coats and long pants were replaced with shorts, tees, and swim suits.

We had fun searching for shells and little treasures (Robbie had his metal detector), building sandcastles, running from waves, trying out the boogie boards, biking, playing games, visiting the downtowns of Seaside and Cannon Beach, trying out different flavors of salt water taffy, gathering for family dinners and roasting marshmallows by the fire.

Adam and I most enjoyed sharing the time with our kids and my parents, brothers, sisters, and their families. It was such a blessing; It has been a while since we've all been together for a few days to just have fun!

Our Cottage by the Seaside

Our extended Richardson family got together at Seaside, Oregon, for a reunion this summer. It was a welcome chance to have some fun together for a few days. We stayed in a row of cabins at a place called Tides by The Sea. We had the whole row of five cottages to ourselves, which included a fenced in area where we could store our bikes, set up a badminton net, and really settle in for the few days we were there. It was just a short walk to the beach.

I so enjoyed the cottage we stayed in; I wanted to take some pictures to remember the way it was charmingly decorated. Of course, with a busy home life, who wouldn't enjoy staying in a cottage where there are so few distractions?