A Journey Through June

We kicked June off by celebrating my birthday with a beautiful family hike at Twin Falls with my best friend Di and her family. It was a nice cool morning and the trail had amazing view points. We enjoyed taking in sights and sounds of nature while we enjoyed eating our lunches on a bench near a waterfall. Issac loves to go hiking and runs up the hills in full force without ever reducing his speed to enjoy the scenery.  However, Josie is still a little young and needed to be carried almost the entire two miles back down the trail to the cars.  After a nap, we attended a friend’s daughter’s birthday party before coming home to enjoy dinner and cake made by Tyler.

The next weekend we stayed close to home but Issac asked to go on a hike.  We took the kids to Flaming Geyser Park.  There is currently some construction and the main hiking path is closed.  However, we adventured the path less taken and enjoyed a quiet hike through the brush along the hillside before having lunch near the playground.

 

I spent the majority of the week leading up to Father’s Day potty training Josie and fighting back tears.  At two and a half she is down to a diaper a night and only has a accident every few days and usually when I am busy an miss the signals that she needs to go. Josie was ready to be potty trained, she had begun to tell us when she was going in her diaper and wanting a new diaper each time she soiled herself.  And as much as I want more children the possibility that I was potty training our last baby was a reality that the kids are growing up fast and reaching miles stones every week. 

 

The 14^th would have been my Brother Shawn’s 22^nd birthday.  Becoming a parent and losing my Grandma has made me yearn for the type of relationship that can only be shared between two siblings.  Then as Father’s Day approached I was hit head on with the emotions I am going through as I search for my biological father, pondering the possibility of half siblings.  Unless you don’t know your biological parents then you really can’t begin to understand the emotional state of not knowing “where you come from”.  I was able to shake my emotions after a deep discussion with Tyler Friday night after the kids went to bed; just in time to enjoy the weekend.

Father’s Day weekend we traveled north to Marysville. We spent Saturday enjoying the Strawberry festival and playing at the park before watching Di’s daughter Maddison and her prep cheer squad in the evening parade.  Sunday morning we woke up and enjoyed a delicious Father’s Day brunch at Tyler’s Mom’s house with her husband and Tyler’s two step brothers.  We then traveled to Everett’s Howarth Park for an afternoon of family pictures (a separate post). The kids both slept the way home Sunday and we finished off Father’s day with some steak and shrimp kabobs on the barbeque.

Above- Issac, little miss cheer Maddison, Haley and Josie.

 Above & Bellow- the kids watch the parade on Dad's shoulders.

The 22^nd we received a visit from Grandma Melanie.  She had bought Issac a scoter for his birthday and Josie has been in envy ever since so my mom brought Josie down a princess scoter of her very own.  It has taken some practice but she has quickly shaped her scoter skill and has begun to enjoy the activity.  Saturday we took a trip to the Des Moines water front.  The children enjoyed searching for sea creatures such as crabs and snails and splashing around in the water.  After dinner, my Mom & I were joined by my cousin Erin for some bingo at the Muckleshoot.  We didn’t win but we had a nice time.  Sunday we went to the park and then had dinner before my Mom headed home to Ferndale. 

 

We ended the month of June with a weekend full of fun in the summer sun!  The kids love anything to do with the water so with temperatures in the Seattle area reaching over 90 degrees we needed to cool down.  I think a bug misconception people have is that to enjoy time with your children you need so spend money.  Tyler & I don’t believe that to be true and especially in the summer time we take advantage of all the freebies our metropolitan area has to offer. We spent Saturday the 29^th at the Tukwila Community Center splash park.  Then Saturday we packed up some lunches and spent the day at Five Mile Lake.  The kids enjoyed making a sand castle with Tyler, playing on the playground, exploring the trails and of course swimming in the water.

Above & Bellow- at the splash park.

 Above & bellow- at Five Mile Lake.

 I love the month of June.  Everything is green and it is always nice enough to head outside. We sure took advantage and made a lot of memories.  I hope you enjoyed.  Until next post-  XOXO