camping in the dungeness rec area (July)

A beautiful and eventful camping trip with our friends the Ebys... We "stayed" at a Clallum County Park, Dungeness Recreation Area (a beautiful and well-maintained campground), but we didn't exactly stay there... Here the kids are all taking a break in the Olympic National Forest near Sol Duc Hotsprings. We were about to go swimming, but first had to explore a little.

Below- trying to wake up the kids in the trailer. Puffy little camping faces!

On Saturday we all piled into the Eby's moterhome and headed to Olympic Game Farm- where "wild" animals are held captive in makeshift pens and turned into docile, slightly pathetic creatures who shamelessly beg for Wonderbread handed out by gawking tourists (like us). It's slightly disturbing, but it is still cool to feel a buffalo's tongue and an elk's velvet, all in the comfort of your vehicle.

In the petting zoo area, Naomi spent the entire time with this fellow. I told her it was time to leave, and she wanted a few minutes to say goodbye. She said they had become friends because she notice that he took "a very long time to eat," just like she does.

Naomi and her buddy Bria, who went around loudly calling each other "Girl-fren!" the entire time. Notice the bling around Bria's neck? Well when I asked her about it's origins, she told me solemnly that it was the "key to Lost Angeles." (Sort of a mix-up of LA and Atlantis) And Naomi and Josiah loyally believed along. A few weeks later, while in Home Depot, Josiah spotted something hanging on the wall- "Mom! It's Bria's key to Lost Angeles! FOR SALE!!" He was shocked and horrified that someone would STEAL her key and SELL IT- as a paint can opener, of all things!! Is nothing sacred?

The view from the high bluff, looking down towards the Dungeness Spit- at seven miles out, it is said to be the longest sand spit in the U.S. We only ventured down a bit- not all the way down to the lighthouse near the end.

It was surprisingly chilly for July- the winds from the Straights blew constantly.Eva loved the waves, and would have jumped in had we been any closer to a warm change of clothes for after.

Josiah doing his Great Horned Owl impression, as usual.

Naomi making pizza in her "sand kitchen."

Jason was studying the rules and regs intently to figure out if he could take crabs or oysters from even a little sliver of the beach, but no luck.

Josiah tried to be a gentleman and pull Karen up the hill when she mentioned it was steep.

Bo was delighted to have a buddy along- he and Copper played / fought the entire time. In fact, they stirred up so much dust in the campsite it was a constant coating on everything.

Naomi- proving that you CAN have it all- playing badminton while eating s'mores.

In the sugar zone...

Josiah and his buddy Levi.

Gorgeous sunsets are the glory of this place.

Got a flat on the trailer about two miles from home... Fortunately Jason is handy and quick, and we were back on the road in no time. I watched, so I just might know how to change a tire now... But I still have that roadside assistance number handy just in case.

There are so many beautiful places in Washington alone to explore- we could move on to a new place each time... But Dungeness is too appealing to visit just once. We'll be back.

dozens of pictures and a few jokes

Since the kids don't go to school, I try to do some "official-ish" shots of them individually each year- usually on their birthdays. This year Grammy wanted some framables, so we had a few (painfully goofy) photo sessions. The results are as follows, with some funnies thrown in. The human face is so interesting- the possibilities for expression are endless!

Eva was all dressed up to go to the space needle with Auntie Sarena and Anika. She was so joyful and excited, I think that helped in making the pictures turn out so lovely.

Love, love love that one. (above)

Eva decided yesterday that Bo needed to be more helpful, and she was going to train him to be a guide dog. After a 1/2 hour session of cutting and coloring, a paper vest was produced with the label "Guide Dog" and a graphic of a person in a wheelchair. She called the pup-o-sixty-pounds into the living room, and proceeded to attempt to cape him- twenty minutes of wrestling resulting in failure later, she walked into the kitchen muttering something like... "He's never gonna be a guide dog, that...." -rumpled paper dragging behind. Bo trotting in a little later, looking quite carefree, and still unemployed.

Nomes- a total goofball at heart. :)

This was where she wanted to sit for her photos, but the sun was too bright to turn towards me...

We don't like to waste things in our family, and the kids are always good about re-purposing... Yesterday Naomi was touching a watermelon I was about to slice for her, and she asked me quite sincerely, "Mom, can I hollow this out and use it as my bicycle helmet?"

Bubs isn't fond of photo sessions- we had to tell some pretty gross jokes to keep him around and smiling for these. The "truest" smile is the last, where he's snuggling his beloved Bo-dog.

We were in the car the other day and Bubby said, "Mom, I was thinking, and I thought of a question... Why don't Grammy and Gramps have any kids?!"

(He did figure this out correctly on his own- thankfully.)

The next question was- "Why on earth do we get mail on rainy days?"

And then today, when we got the mail together, he said- "Yay!!"

"What do you mean, 'yay'," I said, "It's just junk!"

"I know! I mean 'Yay', I can burn it!"