Our 6th wedding anniversary and we can't dance because foot problems

But we made the best of it.  Fondue on the back deck

and gifts, of course

Vicky had a growth removed from a toe, and I, will I had my on-going chronic foot problem. 









Six years.  They have flown by. 

Marina and Stella get all the ribbons at the County Fair

Marina and Stella entered all the things they had made at our home this spring and summer in the county fair.  They were very excited to go to the fair on opening day to see how they had done.

The Whidbey Island Fair has always been the third week of August and this year it was scheduled in July.  We hadn’t known this and had planned our Mt. Baker trip with Jules, Jessica, Ian, and Adam for the same week as the fair.

Since we wouldn’t be going to the fair, Marina and Stella agreed to come over to our home when we got home and tell us all about the fair.  They brought all their entries, ribbons, and awards.






The judges awarded Marina grand prize for her sewing project.  The project was also voted by the fair goers, “Peoples Choice”.  In addition to grand prize ribbons, she was given packages of fabrics by the local merchants.

 


Both girls got so many of the ribbons that Grandpa and I wondered if there were enough ribbons left over for the other kids.

I have been teaching them how to knit this summer, so they brought over their knitting.

The Happy Knitters:

More photos of the 2017 STP

Cascade bicycle club stations photographers along the route.  They think that if they do this, the club can make money because people will purchase photos.  Boy, they must really think we are desperate.

Not us!  No sireeeeee!

OK.  Us, too.  We're shameless............and kinda proud.

Here are the photos we purchased, along with a couple that we took.  Notice the sparkly skirts (on Vicky, not me).  They are always a big hit with the other riders.  Cool!

Our annual ritual:  Eating a Creamsickle in Centralia, the 100 mile mark.

Staying with Mindy and Wayne in Napavine.  Something to look forward to at the end of our 120-mile first day.  Eight years ago they were people who provided us a place to stay for the night.  Now?  They are friends who we look forward to seeing every year.

Day 2:

Last and Next to last camping trips with Ian and Adam; Bayview State Park, The Logs, Sun Lakes State Park

We did this for so many years.  So many terrific memories with these fun little boys.

Our final camping trip was in August, 2017, but we are including the next to the last one in this blog entry also (because we forgot to put it in the correct place when we had the 2016 book made).

This turned out to be the final time we took the two boys out together camping.  We didn't know it at the time.  

Everybody eating Vicky's granola, which everybody eats whenever possible!

 

After leaving BayView State Park, we went to The Logs, which is a set of cabins near Mount Baker.  We had been there multiple times, and Vicky had been going there for years before that.

Jessica met us there.   And we all took a hike.

The next day Jules arrived, and we took another hike.

What's hiking without ice cream?



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Sun Lakes:  A HOT HOT camping trip, August 2016

It was hot, like really hot.  Actually too hot to be able to do a lot of things, except hang around in the lake.   But we all did our best.  Took a couple of short hikes, but because it was so HOT, they had to be short.

We had fun.  

 

Adam holding a small deer in his hand:

and boy did the ice cream every afternoon help!