Olympic National Park Backpacking Trip

We took advantage of the sunshine to get away to Olympic National Park for two nights: one along the Hoh River trail and one at Second Beach on the Pacific Ocean. Both kids thought their new gear worked well, although it didn't eliminate all the whining (despite <5 miles total backpacking in 2.5 days). In the rain forest we saw elk, deer, salmon frye (we think), slugs, and lots of moss. Our campsite was right on the river and the main attraction was building "boats" to float. At the beach we saw a sea lion, sea stacks, and interesting rocks and shells. The kids love playing in the water, climbing the massive sea stack, climbing the logs, and building a fire. The sunset was fantastic. We tried not to think about tsunamis too much. What an beautiful spot!

Alex and Julia learn to ride bikes

Both kids learned to ride bikes with no training wheels this week! Both spent hours out front trying to figure it out, and they each succeeded within 24 hours of each other. Competition can be very motivating. Way to go A&J!

Easter 2016

We had a low key easter this year. Kids decorated eggs. Julia and John went to the Father/Daughter Dance. Kids hunted for eggs in our house.