Lewiston

 Someday, perhaps, my  husband will be sent on business trips to Hawaii or NYC or somewhere exotic and abroad. But we don't mind even the small town trips. We are happy to go wherever we are sent. And last week, Cam was sent to Lewiston, ID. If you know me at all, you know that I love geeky things like history, Lewis and Clark and their amazing Corps of Discovery. I was actually pretty stinkin' jazzed.

 Did I mention we drove there? From our house? Like from the opposite end of the state! But we had a blast. My kids were made for travelin'. We rented Ramona the Pest on CD and that was one of my moments of brilliance this summer. Clem loved listening to the girl her own age, starting Kindergarten just as she will in a few weeks. We all chuckled along as we drove.

Cam knew, but I didn't, that Lewiston as at the bottom of a very steep drive. As we got closer, there were many look outs and we snapped some pictures of town at the convergence of Snake and Clearwater River.

 The kids were thrilled to finally get to the hotel after 8 hours in the car. (We stopped about every 2 hours for a break, snacks, bathroom.)

 Clem was especially thrilled to discover that our hotel had cable (our poor deprived girl doesn't have real TV at home)!

 And beds to jump on!

 Dutch was thrilled to discover that there were new things to climb in,

and onto. (Yes, he immediately got a black eye after discovering the bedframe's corner a little too quickly. You can see it in the drawer pic! Poor baby! Did it slow him down one bit?? Absolutely not!)

 The view from our hotel room was incredibly beautiful. We had a view of the river which was a good thing because the next day Cam took the car and got to work. We were left at the hotel. Clem didn't mind because there was cable. But after awhile looking at the window lost it's magic.

So we built forts, took a walk (it was WELL over 100 degrees outside our hotel. Our walk was short lived and included milk shakes for my shaggy girl and I), went swimming and had a giggly afternoon.

Later, we did go to Hell's Gate park. Why didn't I take pictures you ask? I have no idea. We did go there though. And we had a blast checking out this new place.

Our Not Bummer Summer

 This "spontaneity" thing I'm trying on for size this summer is turning out to be a blast! We never seem to have snacks or sunscreen at the appointed times, but who gives? (yeah, I'm breaking "who gives?" back, so?)

I subscribe to 8 billion things here in Whatcom County on Facebook. Birch Bay newsletter, Bellingham Children's Library...you get the idea. So when I get their updates with fun things to do in the morning, I throw my kids in the minivan and we hightail to wherever the action is.

 On this day: Blaine Jazz Festival. A five day extravaganza (FREE!) down on the harbor at lunch. Some people brought picnic lunches (i'm sure the other moms remembered sunscreen) but I was not all that put together. Who gives? We survived pinkish skin and growling bellies.

 The kids LOVED the live music.

 Then we took a walk, discovering a new (to us) park.

 Another day: Whatcom Transit Authority was sponsoring an art extravaganza at the downtown library. Art? Yes please.
Clem got to participate by creating whatever kind of design she would like while sitting on an actual bus! (She was thrilled!) She drew a submarine. (Someone's art from this day will be randomly chosen to be blown up and hung on the side of the city bus.)

 Then she rolled,

 and rolled in the grassy hill.

 Dutch watched her from the shade, happily.

 Another day: cloud dough (which Clementine renamed Smurf Dough because it was so very very blue).

 Another day: My baby boy was somehow replaced by this moose of a little boy. He's adorable, long legged and chunky thighed. I love him.

 Bellingham Children's Library sent me a Facebook update that couldn't have been more our style if it had screamed CLEMENTINE!! COME TO THIS!

 Recycled cardboard, building materials, sculpture making on the front lawn. Yes, please.

 We were road wary from the drive back from Idaho the previous night but that didn't slow us down one bit.

Clem had her heart set on making a unicorn out of recycled materials and that's precisely what this little builder did. Daddy helped get the nuts/bolts through and helped with scale. 

When she was completed with her own sculpture, this sweet young man asked Clementine to come  help design his family's teepee. Clem was thrilled. 

Meanwhile, Dutch and Cameron meandered the rolling grassy hills. 

And when it was time to go, Clem gave one last glance to her cardboard unicorn. As our stomachs were audibly growling and our skin beginning to sizzle in the noonday sun, we hit the road. One more adventure for the books. 

Leavenworth (anniversary trip)

 This summer, I am trying out this new thing I've heard of called "spontaneity." (no i'm not) It's hard for me to let things go, I like to plan, plan, plan--usually driving myself and my adoring husband nuts. So, when we decided to go away for a little jaunt to Leavenworth, I had to really resist my natural instincts to plan every  minute of the trip. If I do say so myself, I did pretty damn well!

 We hit the road on Saturday morning with a picnic basket and all our gear for the four of us. (Typically, the planning would begin here, I would have already picked a destination to stop and picnic, but NAY, I resisted). We stopped when we got hungry (!!) in a little town called Skykomish. By little, I mean teensy. We saw two stores and a gas station in this town. But they had the perfect picnic bench for this family. Clem was excited because the day before, at the grocery store, I had let her pick out a treat for our picnic. She chose Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle snack treats. She is gushing in both of the above pictures.

 This was Dutchy's first picnic. It was pretty exciting. Only, this boy was less interested in eating and more so in stretching out his chubby little legs.

 Skykomish was warm, sunny and lovely and when it was time to hit the road, Dutch hitched a ride on Daddy's shoulders.

 We drove the rest of the way to Leavenworth where I had read about the Nutcracker museum and souvenir shop. We parked and hit up the shop because our girl LOVES Nutcrackers (you probably recall that Clem has asked Santa Claus for a nutcracker every Christmas). We bought not a thing, but had a blast looking around at all the crazy nutcrackers.

 Down the way, we got ice cream (except Dutch, who is not amused).

It was VERY hot and VERY crowded in downtown Leavenworth at midday so we decided to go check out the house we had rented for the weekend. Boy, did we hit the jackpot on this one. We rented a house in the middle of a pear orchard just a few miles out of Leavenworth. It was pretty much paradise. Cam was happy because there was A/C in the house, I was happy because it was baby proof and Clem was happy because it had cable.

 Seriously, this was our view. We rented a two bedroom house that came with a full kitchen a BBQ and we were totally immersed in pear country. It was incredible.

 Later that night, we headed back into Leavenworth to check out the public pool. Clem loved it as it was just the right depth for her and had a waterslide just her size!! Dutch even got in on the action and LOVED it!

 The next morning we got up and got ready to check out. Check out was at 10:00 and I was truly sad to have to leave this place. We loved it. Seriously. This was our view out of our bedroom windows. Pear trees as far as we could see!

 Before hitting the road, we hit up the petting zoo where each of us took turns feeding llamas! It was so much fun. At this point in the vacation my camera died BUT imagine this picture with goats, cows, rabbit, etc. in place of the llama.

We had an absolute plan free, great time. I think I could get used to this "let it happen naturally" thing (no i can't).