Seattle Aquarium Day

On my Monday's off with the boys I try to have a fun adventure day at least once a month. This day was one of those great adventures. The boys sure love the aquarium! 

Priest Lake, Idaho 2013

The boys and I took a solo vacation in the summer of 2013 to Spokane and Priest Lake, Idaho to relax and play with tons of family. These are photos from our time at Elkins Resort. Funny that I didn't get many photos outside of the kids that week. 

We went to the bar several evenings to watch karaoke. The kids loved this time! I even got up there a few times to sing with Maddy and Ella.

 Gabe was my early morning companion. He woke up super early and we went outside to drink coffee and steamers. This way we didn't wake up everyone else.

 Aunt Erin had fun with these kids before she had to leave back to Yakima.

 Uncle Matt and Gabe took advantage of the warm shade and napped together.

 Our surfer dude!

 Charlie loved playing with his cousin, Levi. I took them on an adventure walk which showed a new surprise at every turn.

Spokane 2013 vacation

Bathtime fun

Gabe Starts at Creative Steps

In July 2013 Gabe started attending Creative Steps Montessori Daycare. These are photos from the first few days at school. Although there were plenty of tears when we dropped him off, he obviously enjoyed most of the first days. He continues to enjoy his "school". 

The Great Wheel

The Wagner family headed to Seattle to take Grandma on the Great Wheel for a sunny view of  Seattle and the Sound. Luckily we didn't have anyone scared of heights! 

Long Beach July 2013

Grandma Wagner came to visit us this summer. We made a trip to Long Beach for a fun adventure. Our hotel was only a few short blocks from the beach. They had a play area just outside our door, which the kids loved playing in. This wagon was also lots of fun. 

I guess Tom was one of the only ones who knew I was taking a picture at this moment. This is a favorite Wagner family treat - ice cream!

 Gabe had fun sitting down in the puddles this day. He loved getting wet and running around!

 Kite flying on the beach is something that Tom and Charlie are building up lots of practice doing.

 Although the beach was very fun, it was extremely windy. Lucky for us they had these wind structures for us to hang out in. However, it was a rather cold day, so we weren't out for long.

 There are a couple places where you can rent horses for a ride out on the beach. Charlie really wanted to do this adventure. So, as Tom had rode the bumper cars with Charlie, it was my turn for an adventure with Charlie. I lucked out on this one! Charlie is feeding a horse a carrot as a thank you.

 It was a bit too windy to take a picture on the beach. However, our guide took this on our walk back to the shelter. This outing was a hit. He LOVED riding the horse. Trotting was his favorite. He liked the fast pace. I on the other hand was not as comfortable. It was a challenge trying to not squish him as we were sharing a saddle.

 One of the fun stops on this trip was Cape Disappointment. This is the furthest point of the state on the SouthWest corner. We looked across the river and could see Oregon. This picture is at the Lewis and Clark learning center. We didn't get to go in as we were there too early, but were able to see the view.

 We found a small beach that didn't have a strong riptide for some swimming. Grandma was a trooper watching the water swimming the whole time.

 On our way home we stopped at one of Tom's favorite BBQ restaurants. The food was yummy, but our wait way too long with two small kids.