Old friends

We went to the zoo yesterday with a family we've been friends with since Jack's birth. I met Jo when we were both pregnant. A mutual friend introduced us and we agreed to call each other after our babies were born. We had our first date when the wee ones were 6 weeks old.

In a blink, here they are at 6 years

First family camping trip

Last weekend, we camped at Lakedale resort on San Juan Island. We were invited by friends who had reserved the campsite months ago. We'd been camping once for a night when Jack was 2 but this time, we camped for 3 nights. There was no internet access, we cooked our food over a fire or on a camp stove, and the kids ran around freely as there were few cars. The "resort" had three lakes and our site was on one of them. We played in the water. The kids did lots of running while the adults even got to do a little sitting. Pretty exciting. The hit of the weekend was our hammock. I loved being outside and the kids had fun too. Ryan, however, was not thrilled. He reported that he didn't like being dirty.  Since the kids are older now, it's easier for me to take them on trips like this.. so next year, I'll likely be solo.

We went on a beach walk on the south side of san juan island. A great fishing spot due to currents around the island ..  the beach also has a lot of driftwood

My friend Dana and her youngest who is Sonia's age. We have been friends for almost 20 years

The beloved hammock

Fun on the lake

We visited Roche Harbor. Lovely and fancy but seemed out of place on this rural island

The whole group

Big step

This summer, we have gone through a big transition. Sonia and Jack now play outside without vigilant supervision. They often play with our neighbors and they run and play around our block. It's really cool to hear all the imaginative play that takes place. They can play for hours and protest when it's dinner time. We go out occasionally to check on them but since the windows are open, we can generally hear them. They also cycle between our house and the neighbor's house. It's good old-fashioned summer fun.

This picture doesn't match the story however, it's a rare shot of Sonia and Jack helping each other. They know the dock is a play to be careful, and they work together to stay safe.