Birthdays and School!

 Joanna turned 45, Julia turned 11, the kids started school, Joanna got an expanded job, and we got a new puppy all in the last 2 weeks. It's been a whirlwind. Since the pandemic still rages, birthdays were low key - celebration at home, mostly clothes as presents, homemade dumplings for Julia's dinner. School seems more engaging and rigorous than in the spring. While it is entirely online, they're required to be on video calls for a lot of the day. They have great teachers - Alex in particular got Ms. Paulson as advisor and she seems amazing. The most exciting news is that Alex finally got his first haircut in 6 months.

Maeby!

We got a puppy! She was adopted from Del Rio, TX via Doggone Seattle. We think she was born around June 1 and she came home to us Sep 6. Originally we were told she was a Anatolian Shepherd / Lab mix but the rescue agency said her brother had a DNA test that showed 40% Great Pyrenees, 10% other shepherd, 21% terrier, and 29% other. Maybe we'll get her her own test but for now we'll say she's a shepherd/terrier mix. The vet doesn't think she'll be more than 45 lbs (she was 20 lbs when we got her) so there must not be too much Great Pyrenees. She loves belly rubs and can be very affectionate. So far she's quite shy around other dogs and people but we're trying to get her acclimated. She didn't have much interaction until we got her. She's a good puppy - only a few accidents, minor chewing, good in her crate, mostly knows 'sit' and 'off'. Sometimes she likes to go outside and sometimes she doesn't. Julia is her main caretaker and she's been really responsible. She even started an Instagram for her (maebybaby2020). We really struggled with her name - Jessy, Lily, Bailey, Molly, Sydney, and Foudy were all candidates. We went with Maeby because it's from one of our favorite shows (Arrested Development), it's a little different, it sounds nice, and it fits her (maybe she'll go for a walk, maybe she won't). 

Pratt Lake Backpacking, Whidbey, End of Summer

We ended summer with a backpacking trip to Pratt Lake (minus Alex) and then a trip to see the Gills on Whidbey. The backpacking was more distance and elevation than we counted on, but the serenity at the lake was worth it. On the trail we played 'would you rather' and 20 questions and talked about stuff. 

On Whidbey, we stayed in the boat house right on the water. The sunrise was spectacular. We got a bit of kayaking in, a bonfire, a visit to fort casey, some cornhole, and nice catching up with Marie, Aaron, Kaye, and Lila. 

Finally, as a las hurrah to summer, we went jet skiing and paddle boarding as a family. The girls preferred paddle boarding and swimming, the boys preferred jet skiing (reportedly getting to 50 mph). What a blast!