May Birthdays / Covid

John and Alex's birthdays were marred by Covid. Joanna likely got it on her UT trip and tested positive Friday May 20. Then John came down with it on his birthday. And then Alex got it 4 days later on his birthday. So far, Julia has avoided it. Our symptoms are mild but Joanna has been totally wiped out for 10 days now (and still testing positive). John is faring better, perhaps because he was eligible for the 2nd booster whereas Joanna was not. Alex is hoping to pull through in time for finals later this week. Needless to say, birthdays were at home outside and brief. John got a peloton guide and some weights. Alex got some clothes and stock. Our backpacking trip to the Enchanted Valley also got cancelled but only Joanna seems sad about that. Hopefully this means we will have a healthy and fun summer.

Joanna and Jen go hiking in Utah

 I met up with b-school friend Jen Beedon for a few days of hiking in SW Utah. We visited Kolob Canyon (part of Zion), Bryce Canyon where we hiked Queen's and Navajo Loop, Zion, and Snow Canyon State Park where we saw petrified Sand Dunes and lava tubes. In Zion, the canyon overlook trail was closed due to rockfall, but we climbed Angel's Landing (so scary!) and hiked about 4 miles up the Narrows in the water. It was the perfect time to be in Zion with temps in the high 70s and crowds not too ridiculous. What a great trip!

Mother's Day

G&G came over for a few hours on Mother's Day. We went for a walk and hung out. Julia introduced us all to Crumbl Cookies so now we understand the hype.

Julia excels in middle school track

 We don't have the official times or placements but Julia had an excellent track season. In the last meet, she won the shot-put, the 400, and the 800. She competes against 5-8 graders. You can really see her determination out there. Her favorite is the 400. Way to go!

Spring Hiking and Biking

John successfully completed the Belgian Waffle Ride outside of San Diego. What an accomplishment! It took him nearly til 9pm and entailed 11k feet of climbing but he prevailed to earn 1 beer. 

Joanna and Maeby have been doing a lot of hiking. Recent feats included Lake Serene where we only heard the avalanches but couldn't see them, Teneriffe Falls, and Little Si. 

Alex and Joanna also did a fun e-bike ride to EPS for conferences with a stop at Molly Moon's on the return. Highly recommend! Alex now has over 850 miles on his e-bike in just 9 months or so.

Finally, Joanna and Alex watched the Sounders win the Concacaf Championships, the first MLS team to do so. It was such a high energy game.

Alex's Fast and Furious Trip to DC

 For EBC week, Alex got to go to Washington DC with about 30 other 8th and 9th graders. What an amazing experience. The trip was dubbed "Fast and Furious" based on the amount of walking they did and number of sites they saw. 

Bend and Portland, OR

For the first time, Alex and Julia didn't have the same spring break. We made the most of it with Julia, Joanna, and Maeby doing a road trip down to Bend, stopping in Portland and the Gorge. Then Alex and John flew down to Bend and we spent 3 days together. Then, Alex and Joanna skiied Mount Bachelor and then drove all the way back while John and Julia flew. 

Julia and Joanna had some great meals in Portland - Thai, mediterranean, donuts, churros. And we hit up some great thrift stores in the Hawthorne neighborhood. For a huge adventure we attempted to hike Dog Mountain. We made it to the lookout but stopped about 0.3 miles short of the summit due to waist-high snow that was burying Maeby with every step. She wasn't scared.

In Bend, we had more snow and Maeby had the greatest time at the snow-covered dog park. We had a great rental home right by the Newport Market. We climbed Misery Ridge in Smith Rock State Park and visited an Alpaca Farm. We walked around Main Street and went to a fun brewery in the west end. We did our annual Easter egg hunt in the rental. What a cool town! Skiing was a little cold and snowy, so we will return in fairer conditions.