I've made my bucket list for the summer and they have my usual things such as favorite hikes, backyard projects, and finding new favorite food trucks. Yet the idea of listing 5 new things to experience intrigued me.  They needed to be attainable because lets face it, I probably will not be able to experience ziplining in Costa Rica this summer, if that was what I even wanted to do.  Not that I would mind it but it isn't realistic for this summer.  So they have to be realistic and fit into our already packed summer of soccer.  They also need to be free or close to it.  After brainstorming and looking at my summer bucket list I put pen to paper and wrote 5 things I would like to experience this summer.

1. Sleep in a Yurt.  Yep, it's a glorified tent.  A friend of ours would load up his four kids into backpacks and sleds then he and his wife would ski into a yurt for 3 to 5 days.  I've always wanted to do something similar with our family.  This summer Lona has a soccer tournament and wanting to save a little money I started looking at Air B&B's instead of hotels.  When a yurt was listed I decided to book it.  We will have to see if the experience actually lives up to expectation.

2. The Freemont Farmer's Market. It looks intriguing. I've experienced farmer's markets before but it is always fun to tryout a new one in a different place.  There are crafts, food, vintage stuff, and music.  This market is open every Sunday, all year round, from 9 am to 4pm and is in it's 27th year.  Maybe a date with my husband some Sunday? When we have a free Sunday. That is going to be the key.


3. Photographing the stars.  I've only done this once before but I haven't photographed the milky way and then there is light painting where you light up the foreground with the stars in the background.  Maybe Oyster Dome or Sumas Mountain with Baker in the background.  A thermos of hot cocoa or coffee, blankets in the back of the truck or headlights and hammocks.  It should be an experience hiking in or driving in and the view should be amazing. Stars always are.






4. Driving my car with the top down as much as possible.  This is my first summer with a convertible and I want to experience every nice day that I can.  I love being able to do that.





5. Kayaking the creeks that empty into the Sound.  The key is to start when the tide is coming in to land and it will make paddling easier. Then when the tide turns, you ride the current back down the creek.  I just need to wait until the days are warmer and so is the water.





These are 5 things, some small, some bigger. Some take planning and some can be more spur of the moment things. I am excited to take on this challenge of tackling these new experiences and whatever comes with them this summer.

Really you never know what you will find at Value Village.  This time we found a telescope and it was only $10.  I mean you can't pass that up. We had passed up a $50 telescope a couple of years ago but this was practically free.  So we came home with a telescope.  John thought that was part of having kids. We as adults would think cool but walk on by, but a kid says cool and gets it.  By the time we got home Job knew how it worked using mirrors and lenses, how to set it up and focus it and why the object is upside down.  He set it up and looked at the trees beyond our subdivision.  You could see the leaves move!  John, Job and I headed down to the soccer fields to look at Mount Baker which unfortunately was covered with clouds.  Undeterred we went home only to have him look up various things online about viewing the moon. He was hoping to be able to view the moon tonight but maybe he will try for the international space station or Jupiter.  We will see where this new "hobby" takes him.

 As is typical in the spring we get out into the yard and work. Usually our big project is setting up the swimming pool but this year is different. We sold our pool. I thought we would have the pool until all of the kids had graduated from high school but it wasn't used last year much and filling it up is pricy.  Then we took a look at the calendar and realized that one of two things had to go 1) the pool or 2) the boat.  We couldn't do both and rarely did either.  I love the boat since everytime I'm on it, I feel as though I'm on a vacation.  But it is pricey and takes time each year to get it ready.  I also can not put the boat in the water or take it out.  That hopefully will change this summer, though I fear it will be the last summer with the boat as well.  Since we sold the pool though, we are faced with a large 18 foot diameter circle of sand.  During the winter the trampoline usually goes where the pool is but we took the trampoline down and sent most of it to the dump.  It was rusted so badly that I feared it would be a danger if anyone jumped on it.  So two large items left our yard this year.  I feel like the yard is so much bigger but what to do with the sand circle in the yard.  We have decided to keep part of it as sand and ring it with interlocking bricks and reseed the rest with grass.  I truly thought that the grass would sprout in a week but it has taken longer that than.  The key is to keep the dog out of the grass seeded area while still allowing his access to dig in the non grass area, which is no easy task.  We are waiting for next month to purchase the bricks.  We may decide to go a different direction. I would have to say this is a milestone in our kids' lives to get rid of both the pool and the trampoline all at once.  They've provided a lot of entertainment and memories but we are looking to create different memories with a firepit and patio lights and having dinners and lunches out on the patio.

I had noticed this trail a week or so ago when we hiked Rock Trail.  We decided to take Job this time since he missed out and we were going to hike into Lost Lake from Rock Trail but Cyrus Gate was closed and so was Lost Lake from that access. We could hike into Fragrance Lake but it seems like we do that every year only from the bottom. So turning the car around we drove back to Lower Ridge Trail. This trail is another connector trail.  It allows a hiker, runner, biker to go to Dan's Traverse which connects to Cleator Road below and Cleator Road via along the Chuckanut Ridge.  It cuts in in the middle which means for runners that want to do a loop they have the option of doing a shorter or longer loop this way.  It's a pretty trail with lush ferns all along the way.  It isn't steep which makes for a pleasant walk.  At one point towards the beginning of the trail there is an overlook of the San Juan Islands that is breath taking.  Once you hook on to the trail leading to Dan's Traverse there are other overlooks to the opposite direction, where you can see I5, Sehome High School and part of WWU.


We ate lunch on a ledge looking north and east. Eagles sailed the currents high above our heads as we enjoyed a little time in the sun. When you switch up the dynamics of kids, taking them out individually it changes the conversation and topics. We were able to ask Job all kinds of questions and get his views on school, finances, life.  This is such a new season in our life as we are getting these kids to sprout wings and fly on their own. They're favorite phrase is "I know" but they they don't really know.  They only think and most times reality will be a version of what they know but they won't really know.  To be honest, neither do we. We do know this kid who could do college just isn't cut out for it.  He needs something different and we want to help him explore his options: a trade school or a gap year or a mission year.  Whatever that is, we want him to know that what he decides now doesn't have to be forever.  He can go one direction now and then later decide to do something else.  A trade school is a great start for that.  We had told him about being an electrician and so now that's his plan but we really would like him to look at all the ways to be an electrician.  What path will give him the most options for work and a career. 
We asked him what his views were towards finances and savings. We encouraged him to set aside money and start saving now for his future.  The importance of not spending every dime but to prioritize.
We asked him about his relationships and his friends and all sorts of things.  It wasn't lecturing, it more of a time of discovery.  We listened and commented when there was place to comment.
The time of influence is coming to an end and we would love it if they come to us for advice but only on their terms.  We are negotiating new waters with adult and almost adult children and teenage children as well.

A few years ago I banned celebrating Mother's day at our house.  I was tired of having expectations and being disappointed.  Really, the expectations were my fault.  I would see on facebook all these wonderful posts and I would get angry.  Why because my kids didn't live up to my unrealistic expectations. The expectations of a day where everyone wants to be with me, give me gifts, say nice things, pick up after themselves and no fighting with each other. Seriously that is so unrealistic.  There will never be a pinterest  worthy mother's day celebration with brunch and flowers and a clean house here.  That isn't who we are so why would I expect that? But I would and so to release myself and my family for unrealistic expectations, I banned any sort of Mother's Day at our house and we have been much happier. There is no trolling for compliments, gifts or attitudes.  We are free to do our own thing and for Mother's Day, it is kids going different directions and doing regular life.  It's me taking time to read a book or play solitaire or eat croissants for three meals.  This year though I did want one thing.  I just wanted to take some family photos.  It took about 30 minutes at an empty lot across the street from Costco.  Once done we happily returned home and did our own thing again.  It was perfect and maybe just maybe we will start a trend to take family photos around the same time each year until we actually go our separate ways.  I am not sure how many more "family" photos we can take until they move out and/or move away.

Seventeen years of hiking in this county and you would have thought we would have hike all the trails this county has to offer but we haven't. We haven't even come close to hiking all of them.  We were gifted a book called "Hiking Whatcom County" and the pages are dog eared, water logged, warped, and written on.  Even then, we haven't even hiked 50 percent in that book. We have come to love our favorites and with hiking relegated to Saturdays only we touch a few hikes each year.  The spring and early summer months have us hiking the lowland trail and late summer and early fall we venture into the Mount Baker Wilderness. We thought we had heard of most of the the lowland trail especially in the Chuckanuts but were surprised by a hike we hadn't heard of: Rock Trail Hike.  Apparently it is quite new, being built in the last 4 years and connects to other trails in the area.  We just had to check it out. It started at the Cyrus Gate Overlook. We were rewarded with amazing views of the San Juan islands as the day was clear.  The trail wound down the mountain and we descended over 200 stairs that we had to make our way up on the return. About 20 minutes into the hike, my camera battery died and I was left with my cell phone. This is one thing I have not mastered, the art of the cell phone photo. I am also the slowest of our hiking family since I stop often to take photos, admire a flower, step around a boulder to see the view from the other side.  So imagine my surprise as I came around the bend and saw only two of my family staring at a rock wall with small "holes" in it.  As I came closer I realized that Lona was in one of the holes and very happy with herself.  We continued on looking for more little "caves" and finding some but not quite a neat. At the bottom there is the option to hook onto the Lost Lake Trail but we were on a little of a time schedule so turning around we went back.  Isaac took off and I didn't see him again until I arrived at the trail head. I think he had been there for about 20 minutes before I arrived.  Although I had to try the little cave myself.  I wish Lona would have filmed me getting out because I'm sure it was quite comical,  It was for me doing it.  I almost got stuck, short legs that don't have the flexibility of a 15 year old.