Camping part 1

The weekend after we got back from Idaho, we joined our good friends Joey and Brianne on a little camping trip.  This was something new for Daniel and I.  In the five years we've been together (our 4th wedding anniversary is coming up in a couple weeks) we'd never gone camping.  I actually didn't think we'd ever go camping, as Daniel is the kind of guy that really prefers being comfortable to being outside sleeping on an air mattress. 

Anyway, we couldn't turn down the invitation to try camping with our friends, and it worked out to be a really great time.  I was hesitant about camping at 25 weeks, seeing as I usually have a couple trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night and at a State Park, you never know how close to the bathroom you'll be, or ow scary/sanitary the bathrooms are.

We ended up camping at Sequim Bay State Park, and had a site that was almost right across from a surprisingly clean restroom.  It worked out perfectly, and I had no complaints. 

I'd never been to Sequim before but I'd heard it was the driest spot in all of Washington.  When we got there, it looked more like we were in California, and it was perfectly sunny and warm without a cloud in the sky.  I can definitely see going back there maybe in the winter, for a break from all the rain we get!  Here are some pictures from the first part of our adventure!

The view along Hwy 101 on the way up the Peninsula

Apparently Sequim is known for its lavender fields.  This was a lavender farm we stopped at.

Yes, we tried Lavender Ice Cream...it tasted good going down, but burping lavender essence hours later wasn't so great.

There was a wedding going on at the farm.  It was such a nice day and a beautiful backdrop.

I don't have anything to say about this picture, except I was camping...not my most glamorous moment (and still feeling frumpy)!

Daniel was putting his Eagle Scout skills to use monitoring the fire...ha!

Camping part 2, our excursion to visit the Dungeness Spit coming soon!

"Celebrate Summer - Sun drenched days and starlit nights..."

As is usually the case during the summer, I had a fabulous weekend with family and friends. On Friday, Daniel and I crashed Mike and Cindy's vacation at my uncle's houses on Mason Lake. It was fun to get outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather. I took Friday afternoon off, and it was the perfect day to not be stuck inside a stuffy, old brick building. Friday night we watched Toy Story 2 under the stars. I loved looking up in the middle of the movie to see a sky full of stars. We were out in the middle of nowhere, so the stars were extra bright. I'm still sore from tubing on Saturday, but it's a fun kind of sore. It just means we played hard. I love summer, and spending time at the lake is one of my favorite activities. Sadly, I didn't pull out my camera once, so hopefully my pictures from Sunday make up for it.

On Sunday we went to Nathan's missionary homecoming talk. My parents ward meets at 9:00, which felt really early, but left us with a wonderfully long afternoon. Instead of going to 6 hours of church, we got a substitute for our primary class, and after morning church, spent the afternoon having lunch with family. That evening I got together with two of my best friends from high school since one was here from Utah. We met up at Priest Point Park, and walked down to the water. It was fun to catch up and enjoy a relaxing evening. Thanks Emily and Liz for an evening remembering why I love you guys!

I love Olympia in the summer. I love life in the summer, it fills me with so much hope and gratitude. Some of my favorite summer things as of late are:

Waking up to daylight, even if it's early
Crisp morning air
The stars at night
Playing in my parents pool
Summer skirts
Summer fruit
Popsicles
Spending time outside
Exercising outdoors
Spending time with family
Sunshine!