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Grains of Sand + Camera = Bad News

 

We took Maggie and Sydney on a little bit of a hike today and it was fun to be nearly the only people on the trail because it was a bit rainy and apparently everyone else was busy watching football. On the way  down Maggie was a trooper and was happy to yell orders from the backpack, but eventually she wanted down. On the way back up, she was happy to trudge along and wear Barry’s hat.

Barry was trying to take a few pictures of us and Maggie suddenly became really interested in the camera….so she allowed her to take a few shots. I’d like to think that she was going more for the artistic angle on the one of me above. That’s my girl, right? We eventually made it to the beach and took an awkward family picture with the self-timer.

We went through a tunnel and Sydney did some sprints on the beach….and then the most awful thing in the whole universe happened. (okay, maybe not the universe, but MY universe today)

My camera fell into the sand while the self-timer was on.

This is the final shot: (ignore the double chin, thanks)

I’m pretty sure my camera will survive, but as I told Barry a piece of my heart broke off when it happened. He said he was shocked that I didn’t dive to catch the camera as it fell off the log it was perched on.

He’s right, I should have dove head first as if I were catching a football for a touchdown.

Dang.

Then I could have done a touchdown dance instead of deciding never, ever to take my camera to the beach again.

Double Dang.

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Summertime Fun, Summertime Beach Party

Halleluja! It finally feels like summer!!! I had to bite my tounge this morning on our walk with Sydney because it felt muggy and hot and a complaint was about to slip out. I refuse to complain about sunny days and our little crew getting out and doing things. Barry has finally been able to peel away from work and training to enjoy the great PNW a bit with us. I have looooved having him back with us on our outings and I’m pretty sure Mags is in the same boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The past two weeks we’ve taken every single opportunity to go to the beach and this has left us only wanting more time to dabble in the sand and water. Maggie and I  met up with Caroline and Nicole and took the 3 minute ferry ride to Jetty Island. Once we were all finally settled, Cole and I looked at each other and both wondered why we hadn’t spent majority of our summer on the island. Next year, my friends, I will be living on Jetty Island and if you want to find me, take the free 3 minute ferry. Mmm-kay?  And for the remainder of this summer I plan to hop the ferry whenever the opportunity shows up. Like this Thursday.

NOT the Jetty Island Ferry. Edmonds Ferry, not free either.

Ferry boat rides, beaches, splash parks, and popslicles. Finally. There was a time there that I was worried that we’d skip past all the summer time fun and go straight into Fall.

Like I said: Hallelujah!

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Good Wife, Bad Wife, Happy Wife

BEFORE THE SWIM

Sometimes I feel like a bad wife. For example, last week when I responded to Barry’s comment about a rough day at work by telling him that Mondays are often difficult and was met with silence, I wondered what I’d said wrong.  He paused and gently said that he thought it was Wednesday, which indeed it was.  Good wives probably keep track of the days of the week and don’t blame a long day at the office on Monday of all days.

This past weekend I strapped myself into my newly acquired triathlon wet suit and accompanied Barry on his training swim around Cain Lake. Let me be clear about a few things:

1. I have almost no intention of doing a full triathlon.

2. Although I was in the water for just as long as Barry, he literally swam circles around me.

3. There was a time not too long ago that I could swim almost as fast as Barry. Not so much anymore.

I went with Barry at first because I knew he was more excited for me to try out my wetsuit than I was, but by the time we finished up our swim I was delighted that I’d decided to go. We made it out to the middle part of the lake and it was at that point that I realized that perhaps I’d pushed myself a bit too hard. I opted to do a bit of back stroke and Barry proceeded to swim like a seal. Go figure.

As I found myself floating there, with  my tummy pointed to the sky, I pushed thoughts of fish nibbling my toes out my head and took in the scene around me: trees lining the skyline, cozy homes nesteled into the woods and my amazing husband swimming effortlessly through the water just ahead of me. We left Maggie with Greg and Linda and it was nice to have some time doing something active with Barry without the extra strain of pushing a stroller or hauling a child in a pack.

By the time we got out of the water and headed back to Greg and Linda’s, I thought to myself that perhaps I’d earned some points in the Good Wife Department because I knew the day of the week and I had finally tried out my wet suit. As turns out, I definitely earned some points, but it didn’t have anything to do with days of the week or wetsuits…it was more about the shared experience of floating in the middle of the lake together and truly enjoying it.

Truthfully, there isn’t really such thing as points when it comes to being married, but it is certainly fun to joke about.  I’m just grateful that I’m married to somebody that I appreciate so much and I know it goes both ways.

Good Wife, Bad Wife, Happy Wife.

AFTER THE SWIM