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Nothing on the Calendar

Without really trying, our weekend decided to get awesome. It all started on Thursday night when Maggie and Sydney were invited to have a sleepover at Camp Janet and we decided to go to dinner and a movie. Things got better when I got to do a quick trip to Anacortes, because you know I love goin’ to A-Town and seein’ some of my peeps. Phil and Genevieve came out to my parents house and we swapped stories around the table.

Things took a turn down Awesome Lane when Jeff called us on Saturday to see if  Barry, Mags and I wanted to come over and help to eat some salmon that he and Kurt had caught that morning.

Umm…..let us think about it.

Yes. Of course. Without a doubt we’ll be there.

When Jeff called, we were on the brink of making some final decisions about what the rest of our night would entail, none of the options included our great friends and fresh caught salmon. We’re glad he called. Maggie enjoyed entertaining Allison, Bahl, Kurt and Debbie, and did a pretty good job of pushing every single button on Jeff’s remote and entertainment station. Thankfully he thought it was as funny as the rest of us.

A date with Barry and fresh caught salmon with our friends was all good, but the true icing on the cake for me was when we went to Richmond Beach as the sun was setting Sunday evening. We’d started a miniture home improvement/art project and were literally waiting for the stain to dry. Richmond Beach is only about a 10 minute drive from our house and we go through phases of picking it as our destination. Based on the frequency of recent trips, I’d say we’re on a big Richmond Beach kick right now. Maggie likes to wear her boots in the waves, Sydney likes to get off leash and Barry and I like to be near the water. It all works out.

I love weekends full of spontaneity, especially when everybody’s happy. Things just sank into place this weekend. It doesn’t always happen this way, and when it does I can’t help but be amazed. Barry and I both got to work out, we each had special time with Maggie and we got tons of time all together. Sydney also got plenty of attention; however, I think she felt the bath after she got home from the beach was a bit undeserved.

Sometimes not having a plan is what makes the best plans fall into place, right? I’m going with that line of thinking right now because not having a plan led me to a weekend that I’d do over again and again.

*Photo credit goes to Maggie
* Photo credit goes to Maggie Mae

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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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Sydney on Vacation and Chubby Babies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sydney is on vacation from HBHQ for the week and visiting Camp Janet and we sure do miss her around here. Maggie keeps trying to drop bits of food from her high chair and looks around waiting for Sydney to come charging out with her tongue out. The two are the very best of friends, but I’m sure it is nice for Syd to get a break from Maggie’s powerful pinches and kisses Last I heard, she was basking in the sun on the front stoop letting Sparky do his own version of relaxing, which really means digging in the field next to my parent’s house.

Last week while we were up in A-Town both Erin and Suzanna brought their kids out to my parent’s place to play for a few hours and it was so much fun. Suzanna’s son, Daxten, has the most edible legs right now and he was right at home rolling on the grass and munching on some treats. I could seriously take a bite out of him right now…

Erin and her family have FINALLY moved back to WA and it has been so much fun to get to know her little guys beyond the quick visits that we’ve become accustomed to over the years. Gavin is roughly Maggie’s age and has the exact opposite hair-do of Maggie, which is pretty funny.

The MagSTAR is up from her nap and so this is the….end!