A picture a day, for one year.
Prepare for a week of mostly chicken pictures :)
Our older girls (and by older, I mean that they're 2 years old) are so sweet with her. They've learned that she's gentle, safe and brings treats often.
Showing posts with label hikes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hikes. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Catch the Moment: Week 16
Friday, August 15, 2014
Babywearing Through Mount Rainier
Caution: This post contains a ton of babywearing!
This past weekend we decided to take a family trip up to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park as a last hurrah for my parents taking off for Europe for the next 2 years. I had been wanting to see the gorgeous wildflower fields that are infamous in August and it was the perfect family bonding time that we needed.
We drove up early on a Sunday morning and made it to Paradise, which is the starting point for summiting Mount Rainier and offers the most glorious views of the volcano (that you can drive to). Even though it's at 5,400 ft elevation, it was a HOT afternoon. You never know about the weather when you're that high up, it can change so quickly, but we were blessed with a gorgeous blue sky, albeit hot temperatures and the beautiful variation of wildflowers.
Pretty much everyone took a turn wearing the babes :)
We hiked around Paradise and then headed out for an impromptu hike that took us from Narada Falls down to Long Mire. It was a 4 mile all descent hike - which was easy but let me tell ya, my knees and toes were hurting for the next 2 days!
None of this would have been possible without babywearing! There was no way a stroller would have worked for 5 month old Ruby and a 4 mile hike for 2 year old Penny would have been too long. So naps and nursing happened on the go and we all were happy hikers :)
This past weekend we decided to take a family trip up to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park as a last hurrah for my parents taking off for Europe for the next 2 years. I had been wanting to see the gorgeous wildflower fields that are infamous in August and it was the perfect family bonding time that we needed.
We drove up early on a Sunday morning and made it to Paradise, which is the starting point for summiting Mount Rainier and offers the most glorious views of the volcano (that you can drive to). Even though it's at 5,400 ft elevation, it was a HOT afternoon. You never know about the weather when you're that high up, it can change so quickly, but we were blessed with a gorgeous blue sky, albeit hot temperatures and the beautiful variation of wildflowers.
None of this would have been possible without babywearing! There was no way a stroller would have worked for 5 month old Ruby and a 4 mile hike for 2 year old Penny would have been too long. So naps and nursing happened on the go and we all were happy hikers :)
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Babymoon at Salish Lodge and Spa #seattle
hour massage and delicious food right before bed, falling asleep to the sound of a crackling fire.
EVERY pregnant mama deserves this in her 3rd trimester!
Had an amazing babymoon at Salish Lodge with my handsome hubby"
That was the status update I posted on my personal facebook account after checking out of Salish Lodge and Spa about a week ago. Seriously - blissed out.
We booked our 3rd trimester babymoon at Salish Lodge and Spa because they offer a special package for expectant parents that in my opinion really hits the mark. Having lived in the Seattle area my whole life, I had heard about how amazing this hotel was; I was not prepared for exactly how true this really was.
Let's start from the beginning. As I pulled up into the driveway a valet greeted me, took my bags and parked my car. By the time I reached the lobby (read: waddled), the concierge had my reservation pulled up. I guess the big ole belly gave me away. Minutes later, we were in our room; the bags had beat us there.
We walked into a gorgeous, tastefully Pacific Northwest themed room that had rose petals spread over the king sized bed, French sparkling cider (read: not Martinellis!) chilling with a little stuffie for our impending bundle. The room also featured a balcony, a set of plush robes and slippers, two closets, a real wood fireplace, a Keurig with coffee and tea amenities. This waterbirth mama specifically drooled over the bathroom - a two person jetted tub with a peek through window that allows you to enjoy the fireplace from the tub. Everything felt so luxurious and relaxing, it was honestly very difficult to leave the following morning after resting in this oasis for a night.
After we settled in and marveled over this really well appointed room Adam and I met with Greg Prescott, the Rooms Division Manager for a personalized tour of the hotel. Yes, being a blogger has its perks! :) Greg shared some of the most impressive highlights of the hotel as a business and vacation destination for locals and travelers alike.
The hotel has two restaurants on site. While they are extremely different from each other as far as their ambiance, the quality of service remains the same. Their sit down style restaurant is Falls Terrace, which is quiet and very personal. You will find over a thousand wine labels on their list; not kidding. You can order anything from the standard house wine to the once in a lifetime 1950's Bordeaux. Oh, and then there is the best table in the house - which offers 180 degree views of the waterfalls.
One of the many things I loved that Greg shared with us was exactly how connected Salish Lodge is to the Pacific Northwest community and their commitment to sustainability. They work with many local vendors to bring in the freshest, tastiest ingredients and products to their clients, but they're also doing the legwork on one other important part. In 2011 they began a small apiary with 4 beehives. This year they have brought it up to 12 hives and produce 2,400 pounds of organic honey a year. The honey is used throughout the hotel, from their dinner menu and spa, to their private selection of Salish Honey Ale and Salish Honey flavored Vodka and wine. Sweet deliciousness aside, the bees and their honey serve an important role in our environment - locally and globally.
After our tour we checked into Salish's spa. The babymoon package includes massage treatments for both mama and daddy and I was READY for some relaxation. We first soaked in their two mineral pools - this was the perfect way to start my evening. You mamas know how few and far between quiet, relaxing baths are and this hit the spot. We sipped chocolate orange tea, relaxed to the sound of rushing water from the waterfall (and laughed at just how buoyant I am!) and were gently escorted to our treatment rooms.
I had the Mellow Mama massage (featuring Mama Mio products) and Adam had a relaxing tranquility massage. My therapist propped me and my belly on my side so that I'd be comfortable for the entire hour and got to work immediately. She checked in often to make sure that I was comfortable, but otherwise it was an hour of quiet, deep relaxation and wonderful work on some really tired mama muscles. Lifting and carrying a toddler during your 3rd trimester definitely takes a toll on your body, and it was nice getting those kinks worked out. After our hour apart, we met up in the 'recovery room' with huge, euphoric smiles on our faces. A comment that Adam made was that he was really surprised at how we weren't greasy at all when we came out; our skin had a really easy time absorbing the oils but left us feeling very glowy.
Massages make this mama hungry so our next stop was a late dinner at The Attic - the second restaurant on the property. Here we found a more relaxed, lounge style atmosphere, where you can choose to sit at a table by the window or in any of their comfortable couches. Their claim to fame here is their wood fire pizza oven. Their pizzas are anything but the standard fare (though you can get a cheese or pepperoni pizza if you want!). We started with their baked clams (which featured chorizo in the broth, Adam insists that I now figure out how to make this at home!).
For dinner I ordered a pear and fig pizza (Salish Honey Fig Spread, Caramelized Onions, Prosciutto, Arugula, Bleu Cheese) and Adam ordered a shaved beef sandwich with a glass of the Honey Ale. Both were prepared to perfection - the dough and bread were soft, the pizza toppings and Adam's sandwich were perfectly paired with each other. Great food is always the perfect setting for the best conversations, in my book.
We retired to our room, Adam started a cozy fire in their real fireplace (Salish has over 90 wood burning fireplaces!) and we sipped our sparkling cider. Later, I woke up around midnight to realize that we had probably fallen asleep mid-sentence and the fire was still crackling happily away. Big sigh of contentment.
The next morning I got to do something that I haven't done in years...I sat in their library, sipped tea and read the paper for several hours, in front of yet another fire.
Was this all a dream or did it really happen? Thankfully I have photographic evidence to prove that indeed, it did. If I can be promised a babymoon like this every time I'm pregnant, sign me up for 10 more kids please!
The biggest impression that Adam and I left with when checking out was how Salish Lodge and Spa proactively seeks the continuous improvement of their guests' experience. No, I didn't copy that from their website - that's straight from my genius husband's mouth. In addition to the connection that Salish Lodge has with its community to keep business local and provide sustainability, the guest leaves the hotel feeling like they were truly cared for during their stay. Everything was thought of ahead of time, down to having a screen door on your balcony so that you can sleep with the doors open on a summer night. What hotel thinks of that?
A few tips for you if you plan on staying at the lodge...
Let's start from the beginning. As I pulled up into the driveway a valet greeted me, took my bags and parked my car. By the time I reached the lobby (read: waddled), the concierge had my reservation pulled up. I guess the big ole belly gave me away. Minutes later, we were in our room; the bags had beat us there.
After we settled in and marveled over this really well appointed room Adam and I met with Greg Prescott, the Rooms Division Manager for a personalized tour of the hotel. Yes, being a blogger has its perks! :) Greg shared some of the most impressive highlights of the hotel as a business and vacation destination for locals and travelers alike.
The hotel has two restaurants on site. While they are extremely different from each other as far as their ambiance, the quality of service remains the same. Their sit down style restaurant is Falls Terrace, which is quiet and very personal. You will find over a thousand wine labels on their list; not kidding. You can order anything from the standard house wine to the once in a lifetime 1950's Bordeaux. Oh, and then there is the best table in the house - which offers 180 degree views of the waterfalls.
One of the many things I loved that Greg shared with us was exactly how connected Salish Lodge is to the Pacific Northwest community and their commitment to sustainability. They work with many local vendors to bring in the freshest, tastiest ingredients and products to their clients, but they're also doing the legwork on one other important part. In 2011 they began a small apiary with 4 beehives. This year they have brought it up to 12 hives and produce 2,400 pounds of organic honey a year. The honey is used throughout the hotel, from their dinner menu and spa, to their private selection of Salish Honey Ale and Salish Honey flavored Vodka and wine. Sweet deliciousness aside, the bees and their honey serve an important role in our environment - locally and globally.
After our tour we checked into Salish's spa. The babymoon package includes massage treatments for both mama and daddy and I was READY for some relaxation. We first soaked in their two mineral pools - this was the perfect way to start my evening. You mamas know how few and far between quiet, relaxing baths are and this hit the spot. We sipped chocolate orange tea, relaxed to the sound of rushing water from the waterfall (and laughed at just how buoyant I am!) and were gently escorted to our treatment rooms.
I had the Mellow Mama massage (featuring Mama Mio products) and Adam had a relaxing tranquility massage. My therapist propped me and my belly on my side so that I'd be comfortable for the entire hour and got to work immediately. She checked in often to make sure that I was comfortable, but otherwise it was an hour of quiet, deep relaxation and wonderful work on some really tired mama muscles. Lifting and carrying a toddler during your 3rd trimester definitely takes a toll on your body, and it was nice getting those kinks worked out. After our hour apart, we met up in the 'recovery room' with huge, euphoric smiles on our faces. A comment that Adam made was that he was really surprised at how we weren't greasy at all when we came out; our skin had a really easy time absorbing the oils but left us feeling very glowy.
Massages make this mama hungry so our next stop was a late dinner at The Attic - the second restaurant on the property. Here we found a more relaxed, lounge style atmosphere, where you can choose to sit at a table by the window or in any of their comfortable couches. Their claim to fame here is their wood fire pizza oven. Their pizzas are anything but the standard fare (though you can get a cheese or pepperoni pizza if you want!). We started with their baked clams (which featured chorizo in the broth, Adam insists that I now figure out how to make this at home!).
For dinner I ordered a pear and fig pizza (Salish Honey Fig Spread, Caramelized Onions, Prosciutto, Arugula, Bleu Cheese) and Adam ordered a shaved beef sandwich with a glass of the Honey Ale. Both were prepared to perfection - the dough and bread were soft, the pizza toppings and Adam's sandwich were perfectly paired with each other. Great food is always the perfect setting for the best conversations, in my book.
We retired to our room, Adam started a cozy fire in their real fireplace (Salish has over 90 wood burning fireplaces!) and we sipped our sparkling cider. Later, I woke up around midnight to realize that we had probably fallen asleep mid-sentence and the fire was still crackling happily away. Big sigh of contentment.
The next morning I got to do something that I haven't done in years...I sat in their library, sipped tea and read the paper for several hours, in front of yet another fire.
Was this all a dream or did it really happen? Thankfully I have photographic evidence to prove that indeed, it did. If I can be promised a babymoon like this every time I'm pregnant, sign me up for 10 more kids please!
The biggest impression that Adam and I left with when checking out was how Salish Lodge and Spa proactively seeks the continuous improvement of their guests' experience. No, I didn't copy that from their website - that's straight from my genius husband's mouth. In addition to the connection that Salish Lodge has with its community to keep business local and provide sustainability, the guest leaves the hotel feeling like they were truly cared for during their stay. Everything was thought of ahead of time, down to having a screen door on your balcony so that you can sleep with the doors open on a summer night. What hotel thinks of that?
A few tips for you if you plan on staying at the lodge...
- Purposefully forget your laptop, tablet, whatever at home. They do offer free wifi, but seriously. Check out.
- Bring a camera to see the falls.
- Plan to spend a lot of time in your room. Even if you don't schedule anything in their spa, the rooms come in at a close second for relaxation.
- Visit their Country Store. It's cute, has a ton of their honey products, you can take home a bottle of their Honey Ale beer or signature wine and a good variety of other things.
- Show up for their morning beverage service and afternoon tea and cookies in The Library. The fire will be stoked and ready for you :)
- Come midweek - my biggest tip. We stayed on a Monday night and it felt like we had everything to ourselves. We got to choose the best seats in The Attic and there weren't many tourists at the Falls when I went for a hike the next morning.
- Rose petals, sparkling cider and baby gift
- Special pregnancy pillow for the mother-to-be, to be enjoyed during her stay
- Two 50-minute Salish Signature spa treatments of the couple's choice (I had the Mellow Mama)
- $50 dining credit in The Attic
All in all, Seattle friends, this is one place where you do need to stay at least once - don't mistake this for "just another a tourist retreat!"
Find out more about Salish Lodge and Spa
Disclosure: Thank you, Salish Lodge and Spa for hosting my babymoon through accommodation, meals and massage. All opinions are my own, though I wouldn't share about this amazing hotel if I didn't think you'd love it as much as we did!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Memorial Day Recap Part I
This weekend we took off for a 4 day weekend down Highway 20 in Northern Washington and ended up at the Colonial Creek campground in the Northern Cascades. We were a little worried about holiday traffic and crowed campgrounds, but incidentally the bridge collapse in Burlington and the wet weather report must have scared most of the travelers away.
We drove up the scenic highway, found our camp ground and quickly set up camp.
So.. we jokingly call our tent "The Condo." Because it is really big. It's 15 x 17 ft. Adam has had it for about 8 years and we've definitely gotten our use out of it. It's large enough to fit a queen sized air mattress, ample space for our 2 dogs to sleep and all of our gear (and this time we even brought the pack n play in case). Plus.. it has a freaking foyer. Not kidding. This tent is probably bigger than my college dorm room was!
The funny part is that in the roughly two dozen times we've set it up together, this weekend was the first time that we got to set up camp in daylight AND no rain! There have been several camping trips where we show up after dark, because we left after work, or it's dumping rain. So we were really pleased that getting everything in camp set up took under an hour - even with a little kid running around!
Speaking of my little kid, gotta say.. Super proud of her. Even though she's been walking for well over 6 months, this was one of the very few times she's walked on rough terrain without having our assistance each step of the way. I got her these cute Oshkosh shoes and she was so capable of maneuvering through roots, through rocky patches, over logs and up and down steep slopes. Even when she did fall down, she quickly picked herself up and went on to whatever she was up to. Then there's times at home where she trips over a rug or gets knocked over by a dog and she waaaaaails like there's no tomorrow. LOL! I suppose the saying "everything is different at camp" applies to toddler falls too.
We explored around our camp grounds and found that the Thunder Knob hiking trail starts by the walk in sites. We were still waiting on our friends to show up so we decided to just take a quick look over the creek beds and then went back to camp to have dinner. This night's dinner was not up to the level of quality that I had intended on - we just had some turkey chili and chicken apple sausages.
The following morning, our friends met up with us and we took a hike up Thunder Knob. It was a 3.8 mile round trip, easy ~630 ft elevation gain hike. Even with our 2nd trimester pregnant friend we made it up quickly and enjoyed the beautiful view laid out before us. The first part of the hike has you cross a couple babbling creeks and takes you through lichen-y forest which gets a little sparser as you get to the top.
Our brother and sister in law with their son Jack showed up one evening for a few hours, and we also took a day trip to Winthrop to escape the rain. We only went through the main street area, but took advantage of some yummy ice cream, mini golf and a picnic lunch down by the water.
We ended the weekend with a visit to the Diablo Dam for some birthday cake in my honor :)
PS: Don't judge Penny because she's wearing such a frumpy little outfit. It's comfy for driving long distances in! ;)
So.. stay tuned for 2 more posts regarding this weekend! One about our new family rig and another with a taste bud achingly delicious recipe.
We drove up the scenic highway, found our camp ground and quickly set up camp.
So.. we jokingly call our tent "The Condo." Because it is really big. It's 15 x 17 ft. Adam has had it for about 8 years and we've definitely gotten our use out of it. It's large enough to fit a queen sized air mattress, ample space for our 2 dogs to sleep and all of our gear (and this time we even brought the pack n play in case). Plus.. it has a freaking foyer. Not kidding. This tent is probably bigger than my college dorm room was!
The funny part is that in the roughly two dozen times we've set it up together, this weekend was the first time that we got to set up camp in daylight AND no rain! There have been several camping trips where we show up after dark, because we left after work, or it's dumping rain. So we were really pleased that getting everything in camp set up took under an hour - even with a little kid running around!
Speaking of my little kid, gotta say.. Super proud of her. Even though she's been walking for well over 6 months, this was one of the very few times she's walked on rough terrain without having our assistance each step of the way. I got her these cute Oshkosh shoes and she was so capable of maneuvering through roots, through rocky patches, over logs and up and down steep slopes. Even when she did fall down, she quickly picked herself up and went on to whatever she was up to. Then there's times at home where she trips over a rug or gets knocked over by a dog and she waaaaaails like there's no tomorrow. LOL! I suppose the saying "everything is different at camp" applies to toddler falls too.
We explored around our camp grounds and found that the Thunder Knob hiking trail starts by the walk in sites. We were still waiting on our friends to show up so we decided to just take a quick look over the creek beds and then went back to camp to have dinner. This night's dinner was not up to the level of quality that I had intended on - we just had some turkey chili and chicken apple sausages.
The following morning, our friends met up with us and we took a hike up Thunder Knob. It was a 3.8 mile round trip, easy ~630 ft elevation gain hike. Even with our 2nd trimester pregnant friend we made it up quickly and enjoyed the beautiful view laid out before us. The first part of the hike has you cross a couple babbling creeks and takes you through lichen-y forest which gets a little sparser as you get to the top.
So.. stay tuned for 2 more posts regarding this weekend! One about our new family rig and another with a taste bud achingly delicious recipe.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Memorial Day Weekend Camping Menu
Typical Bianca. Instead of actually packing and preparing for the impending camping trip that we are leaving tomorrow for, I'm at the computer writing about it. My husband is so right that I'm a procrastinator incarnate.
But I'm going to justify that this is a way for me to organize myself ;)
Tomorrow morning we are taking off for a 4 day camping trip. It'll be our first one with Penelope, but at 15 months I think everything will go just fine. Naps might be a little tough, but if she doesn't want to lay down in the tent we can always put her in the Ergo and go for a hike or snuggle up in the Maya wrap at the campsite and bop around until she lulls herself to sleep. I'm flexible.
Now I'm going to preface that when I say we're going camping, it may not mean the same thing to everyone. To some people, that means packing a backpack and heading out into the woods. To others, that means loading up the camper - complete with DVD player, oven, and shower. For us, camping is sort of in the middle. We "car camp," as many might say. We go to campsites that definitely have running water, preferably showers, allow dogs and I use a Coleman propane cooktop to prepare most of our food. This time around, I am bringing my Lodge cast iron dutch oven and am planning on putting it to good use! I feel really legit now! ;)
We're camping with another couple and are splitting the meal responsibility, but I am excited to share what I am planning on bringing for us.
Tales of A Mountain Mama's Dutch Oven Stew
Amelia, thank you so much for posting this on such short notice for my benefit :)
Home made pasta salad
Dirty Gourmet's Campfire Breakfast Potatoes
Mommy's Kitchen's S'mores Trail Mix (and regular S'mores too!)
Martha's Turkey Sloppy Joes
Moms and Munchkins' Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
But I'm going to justify that this is a way for me to organize myself ;)
Tomorrow morning we are taking off for a 4 day camping trip. It'll be our first one with Penelope, but at 15 months I think everything will go just fine. Naps might be a little tough, but if she doesn't want to lay down in the tent we can always put her in the Ergo and go for a hike or snuggle up in the Maya wrap at the campsite and bop around until she lulls herself to sleep. I'm flexible.
Now I'm going to preface that when I say we're going camping, it may not mean the same thing to everyone. To some people, that means packing a backpack and heading out into the woods. To others, that means loading up the camper - complete with DVD player, oven, and shower. For us, camping is sort of in the middle. We "car camp," as many might say. We go to campsites that definitely have running water, preferably showers, allow dogs and I use a Coleman propane cooktop to prepare most of our food. This time around, I am bringing my Lodge cast iron dutch oven and am planning on putting it to good use! I feel really legit now! ;)
We're camping with another couple and are splitting the meal responsibility, but I am excited to share what I am planning on bringing for us.
Tales of A Mountain Mama's Dutch Oven Stew
Amelia, thank you so much for posting this on such short notice for my benefit :)
Home made pasta salad
Dirty Gourmet's Campfire Breakfast Potatoes
Mommy's Kitchen's S'mores Trail Mix (and regular S'mores too!)
Martha's Turkey Sloppy Joes
Moms and Munchkins' Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
I haven't made any of these recipes before - but I'm sure they'll be a hit!
What are your camping favorites?
Monday, May 6, 2013
Squirt earns his keep
Yesterday we visited our favorite local hike, Wallace Falls, to take advantage of the gorgeous pretty-much-summer weather. It was 90 degrees. In Washington. In May.
The last time we did this hike we (in February) did about 1/3 of the total trip. It was a good day for a hike (considering), but still a little cool and muddy. This time around we did the whole thing. With baby in tow.
Two of our main goals as parents is to keep doing what we loved to do before having a baby (within reason - no ATVing is in our immediate future) and to share our love and appreciation for the outdoors with our children. Which means until Penny is old enough to get herself up that mountain, mama and daddy are going to schlep her up ourselves. Luckily she looooves to be worn and is not that heavy (at 14 months she weighs in just under 20 lbs...).
One of the ways we made it easier on ourselves was to give everyone a "job." Penny's job - if you can really call it that - was to be cute and happy in her Ergo. Nailed it.
Mama's job (to start with) was to be the water carrier. I pulled out my CamelBak that I've had since college, which alleviated carrying around a water bottle and opened up both of my hands to either tend to Squirty or Penny.
Daddy's job was to carry Penny. He had her on his back 90% of the way up to the top, but we ended up switching off because Penny got over being covered in Dad's sweat and needed some Mama time :) So Adam took over carrying the water.
Finally, Squirt's job. Our backs were full - which left no where to pack our lunch. And thus, the best invention known to hiking-kind. The dog pack!
Squirt is wearing a Ruffwear Approach pack. We're in the process of running this pack through it's paces (keep an eye out for a full review soon!) but so far we are really pleased with it. It has two large pockets plus two small ones, with several high quality bells and whistles to boot. We packed our snacks, lunch, Squirt's food and a few miscellaneous items for Penny and he carried it all comfortably without needing to readjust the pack during the 4 hour hike.
Yesterday's weather will probably be one of the top 5 most beautiful days in Washington this year. Even though this hike is an extremely popular one (the parking lot was full by 10a), the trail itself was not terribly crowded. The viewpoints and lunching area were clogged up, but we bypassed most of them and opted to view them on the way back.
There were so many great photo opportunities and it's a shame that the noon day sun was right above us (for the non-photographers out there that means pretty much everything gets washed out in all the brightness!). But you didn't just hear this Washington girl complain about there being too much sun. Nope, not me.
The last time we did this hike we (in February) did about 1/3 of the total trip. It was a good day for a hike (considering), but still a little cool and muddy. This time around we did the whole thing. With baby in tow.
Two of our main goals as parents is to keep doing what we loved to do before having a baby (within reason - no ATVing is in our immediate future) and to share our love and appreciation for the outdoors with our children. Which means until Penny is old enough to get herself up that mountain, mama and daddy are going to schlep her up ourselves. Luckily she looooves to be worn and is not that heavy (at 14 months she weighs in just under 20 lbs...).
One of the ways we made it easier on ourselves was to give everyone a "job." Penny's job - if you can really call it that - was to be cute and happy in her Ergo. Nailed it.
Mama's job (to start with) was to be the water carrier. I pulled out my CamelBak that I've had since college, which alleviated carrying around a water bottle and opened up both of my hands to either tend to Squirty or Penny.
Daddy's job was to carry Penny. He had her on his back 90% of the way up to the top, but we ended up switching off because Penny got over being covered in Dad's sweat and needed some Mama time :) So Adam took over carrying the water.
Finally, Squirt's job. Our backs were full - which left no where to pack our lunch. And thus, the best invention known to hiking-kind. The dog pack!
Squirt is wearing a Ruffwear Approach pack. We're in the process of running this pack through it's paces (keep an eye out for a full review soon!) but so far we are really pleased with it. It has two large pockets plus two small ones, with several high quality bells and whistles to boot. We packed our snacks, lunch, Squirt's food and a few miscellaneous items for Penny and he carried it all comfortably without needing to readjust the pack during the 4 hour hike.
Yesterday's weather will probably be one of the top 5 most beautiful days in Washington this year. Even though this hike is an extremely popular one (the parking lot was full by 10a), the trail itself was not terribly crowded. The viewpoints and lunching area were clogged up, but we bypassed most of them and opted to view them on the way back.
There were so many great photo opportunities and it's a shame that the noon day sun was right above us (for the non-photographers out there that means pretty much everything gets washed out in all the brightness!). But you didn't just hear this Washington girl complain about there being too much sun. Nope, not me.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Happy 4th Birthday, Squirty McWigglebottom :)
Today marks 2 years since we adopted our second dog, a mini-Australian shepherd, whom we dubbed "Squirt."
We decided on the name after wanting to call him something along the lines of "little brother" to our older dog, Romeo. I had suggested the name Braciszek ("bra-chi-shek," which means "little brother" in Polish)... but as you can guess, that was shot down. Eventually we settled on Squirt, which is really fitting for him anyways.
And the McWigglebottom part? Well, Squirt doesn't have a tail. Australian Shepherds are known for their naturally bobbed tails, but Squirt was born without one at all..however, when he gets really excited, his entire butt shakes.
2 years ago we had decided that Romeo was in need of a buddy. My office was dog friendly, but I didn't always want to bring him with me but we thought he might be lonely during the day. He was getting older and we hoped that a younger dog would pep him up a little bit and in turn he would help mature a younger dog too. We were about half way through our renovation and I was most likely subconsciously dealing with baby fever (3 of my sister in laws were due between May and September). So we decided to get a second dog. The funny part is that I was pregnant about 2 months later anyways....
I am pretty familiar with dog breeds (for some reason) and we decided that a Mini-Aussie would be a good fit for our family. Energetic, smart, loyal and trainable. After months of searching the good old list of Craig's and various pet adoption websites, I came across a listing for a 2 year old male on CL and texted in about him. Throughout the rest of the day I exchanged sporatic texts with a 19 year old girl who was juggling community college courses, a busy lifestyle and a energetic (to say the least) dog that was cooped up in her small apartment :( I felt bad because I remember being in that stage of life.. I'm sure she loved that dog very much, but it just wasn't a good mix. I'm thankful that she decided to give him to a good home and move on.
We picked him up that night and were greeted with this ball of furry silvery energy that immediately loved on us (and wiggled his bottom to no end). His main goal in life is to please those around him, just like any good dog does.
What a blessing it has been to have Squirt in our family and watch Penelope grow to love him.
We decided on the name after wanting to call him something along the lines of "little brother" to our older dog, Romeo. I had suggested the name Braciszek ("bra-chi-shek," which means "little brother" in Polish)... but as you can guess, that was shot down. Eventually we settled on Squirt, which is really fitting for him anyways.
And the McWigglebottom part? Well, Squirt doesn't have a tail. Australian Shepherds are known for their naturally bobbed tails, but Squirt was born without one at all..however, when he gets really excited, his entire butt shakes.
2 years ago we had decided that Romeo was in need of a buddy. My office was dog friendly, but I didn't always want to bring him with me but we thought he might be lonely during the day. He was getting older and we hoped that a younger dog would pep him up a little bit and in turn he would help mature a younger dog too. We were about half way through our renovation and I was most likely subconsciously dealing with baby fever (3 of my sister in laws were due between May and September). So we decided to get a second dog. The funny part is that I was pregnant about 2 months later anyways....
I am pretty familiar with dog breeds (for some reason) and we decided that a Mini-Aussie would be a good fit for our family. Energetic, smart, loyal and trainable. After months of searching the good old list of Craig's and various pet adoption websites, I came across a listing for a 2 year old male on CL and texted in about him. Throughout the rest of the day I exchanged sporatic texts with a 19 year old girl who was juggling community college courses, a busy lifestyle and a energetic (to say the least) dog that was cooped up in her small apartment :( I felt bad because I remember being in that stage of life.. I'm sure she loved that dog very much, but it just wasn't a good mix. I'm thankful that she decided to give him to a good home and move on.
We picked him up that night and were greeted with this ball of furry silvery energy that immediately loved on us (and wiggled his bottom to no end). His main goal in life is to please those around him, just like any good dog does.
What a blessing it has been to have Squirt in our family and watch Penelope grow to love him.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Family Hike
This weekend we embarked on our first hike of the year!
While we lived in Washougal, our favorite hike nearby was Beacon Rock - the core of a dead volcano that was ~20 minutes from us. We loved that hike because it was close, had great views and a good work out during the week. So naturally when we moved, I set out to find our next family hiking area.
Wallace Falls has some of the best reviews for hikes in our county so I set it aside and waited for a good weekend to come up for us to venture out. We were a little worried at first because we heard that it might still have some snow - so we bundled everyone up.
Once we arrived we found the parking lot FULL of hiking groups - at least 2 large groups of high schoolers, several families and couples. So we knew that the terrain wouldn't be too bad.
The entire hike is 11 miles round trip with 1,200 ft in elevation gain to visit the lower and upper falls, but we decided only to make it up to the lower falls. which made it about a 5 mile round trip. We definitely could have made it all the way but wanted to have some relaxing time when we got home.
A few minutes into the hike we realized that this would be our new family hike that we could hit several times during the month. It starts along a power line trail and gently amps up the incline over a mile or so. You hike along a river and through misty old growth. Even though it was a busy day with lots of hikers and dogs, the sounds of the forest weren't overpowered. The river, birds and occasional small woodland creature could be heard scurrying through the pine needles.
Oh, and Squirt accompanied us as well. Several times throughout the hike we stopped at a spring or along the river to let him have a drink. His response? Running full force into the water.. and I was reminded that in his heart he is a river dog. We used to go to the river by our old house almost every afternoon, and he loved diving for rocks.
BTW: Our two favorite outdoor accessories: the Ergo carrier and our Keen shoes. I've had a pair of Keen sandals that I've worn for the last 5+ years, and this winter I scored these sweet Hoodoo boots on sale. They're supposed to be primarily for the snow, but worked perfectly for our muddy hike. No break in period either. *Love*
While we lived in Washougal, our favorite hike nearby was Beacon Rock - the core of a dead volcano that was ~20 minutes from us. We loved that hike because it was close, had great views and a good work out during the week. So naturally when we moved, I set out to find our next family hiking area.
Wallace Falls has some of the best reviews for hikes in our county so I set it aside and waited for a good weekend to come up for us to venture out. We were a little worried at first because we heard that it might still have some snow - so we bundled everyone up.
Once we arrived we found the parking lot FULL of hiking groups - at least 2 large groups of high schoolers, several families and couples. So we knew that the terrain wouldn't be too bad.
The entire hike is 11 miles round trip with 1,200 ft in elevation gain to visit the lower and upper falls, but we decided only to make it up to the lower falls. which made it about a 5 mile round trip. We definitely could have made it all the way but wanted to have some relaxing time when we got home.
A few minutes into the hike we realized that this would be our new family hike that we could hit several times during the month. It starts along a power line trail and gently amps up the incline over a mile or so. You hike along a river and through misty old growth. Even though it was a busy day with lots of hikers and dogs, the sounds of the forest weren't overpowered. The river, birds and occasional small woodland creature could be heard scurrying through the pine needles.
Oh, and Squirt accompanied us as well. Several times throughout the hike we stopped at a spring or along the river to let him have a drink. His response? Running full force into the water.. and I was reminded that in his heart he is a river dog. We used to go to the river by our old house almost every afternoon, and he loved diving for rocks.
BTW: Our two favorite outdoor accessories: the Ergo carrier and our Keen shoes. I've had a pair of Keen sandals that I've worn for the last 5+ years, and this winter I scored these sweet Hoodoo boots on sale. They're supposed to be primarily for the snow, but worked perfectly for our muddy hike. No break in period either. *Love*
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