Bonus Vacation | Port Angeles

My updates are filled with pictures of grand adventures and charming kids—but they tend to leave out the low points: the whining, arguing, hitting, dragging of feet, crying, moping, teasing, making demands, copying, etc. It's almost guaranteed these reactions show up right before we leave the house or as soon as we return. I know kids struggle with transitions, but in the words of Scarlett O'Hara, "God's nightgown!"—does it have to feel so constant? 

Half the reason I post these blogs is to remind myself of the sweet, fun moments that make up for the noise, mess, and friction of daily life. It’s just so much more uplifting to capture this:

[photo of beaming woman carrying tray of delicious homemade blackberry ice cream with summery wildflowers in the background]

than this:
[photo of three hot, sweaty, and tired children, desperate to find shade, none too happy to be picking blackberries alongside the road in the blazing heat.]

But both are true. And both (I think) are worth remembering. The sweetness almost always comes with a bit of struggle. 

In the middle of a packed and stressful workweek, squeezing in a trip to the Olympic Peninsula didn’t make sense for our family. We were already stretched thin recovering from our previous trip, and timing a ferry and packing the whole house never bodes well for my nervous system. But a road trip out of the city alongside friends was exactly what we needed. I'm so glad we prioritized the change of scenery and time away. It didn't erase the hard parts of parenting—but it gave it acres of fresh air, breathing room, and extra sets of hands. 

Highlights:
- our friend’s beautiful five-bedroom childhood home outside of Port Angeles, featuring an idyllic yard and magnificent garden...peas! raspberries! lettuces! cherries!
- homemade pizza
- camping in the front yard
- cocktail hour with fizzy drinks + hot tub
- trying new water sports at Lake Crescent
- tide pooling at Salt Creek Recreation Area
- community pool day and jumping off the diving board :)
- watching kids on their bikes on the pump track
- kids playing with kids (pure magic)

We even got to spend the morning of our 13th wedding anniversary on top of Hurricane Ridge at Olympic National Park. Mr. Fleece just had to see a marmot! And we did!

If only we could learn to pack the day before we leave, 

-SJW

Missouri Vacation | June 2025

Our time in Missouri was a blast and a half! Spending lazy days at the farm will forever be one of my favorite things and I'm so thankful to share the experience with my children. Hiking the creek and playing on the sandrocks is the epitome of summer for me. This trip also included an adults-only overnight getaway to St. Louis and a few family-centric days in Kansas City. As my mother would say, "a little bit of country mouse and city mouse." 

St. Louis Highlights:

- drinks and dinner with K&C
- going to a movie and visiting the Pulitzer Museum 
- lunch with my boss
- meeting up with some of my coworkers

Kansas City Highlights: 

- Zoo & aquarium...and the kids picking out new stuffies :) 

- the Rabbit Hole museum...so creative and fun!
- the cowboy pool and arcade games at our airbnb
- dinner with my cousin and his fiance at their new house

- catching up with my dear friend MM

This entire vacation made possible by proud sponsors Mirma and Poppa -- who prepared every meal and washed every dish -- Thank you thank you thank you!! <3

So much bigger than two years ago!