Our latest Adventures....

Logan and Jer on the Christmas Carousel at Seattle Center!

Happy New Year to all Pancreas Watchers!!!

Would you like a few photos from our last month of adventures? SURE you would!

One of our favorite Christmas traditions (started by Jer, Max and myself) is to take a hike either on Christmas day, or the day after. *Somehow* this got put by the wayside when our twins were born, but we dusted it off this year, and it was a blast! One of the great things about Logan and Gray is that they are always up for an adventure... but first, a few shots from Christmas eve and morning:

I think Logan and Gray paid Niah to watch out for Santa all night (since their vigil only lasted 12 minutes..) here she is, looking for Rudolph!

After the boys went to sleep... Santa came and put presents under the tree! (sorry for the blur!)

Logan with his first stack of presents to open!

Gray snuggling with his new poodle! Max got up early to watch the boys open gifts.. but somewhere in the chaos, he fell happily back to sleep.. aww..

So the next day, armed with the christmas gifts of new jammies, chocolate vodka, and walkie talkies- we head to our favorite local getaway- Whidbey Island, on our "secret beach". It's secret because you almost NEVER see another person on this beach, and you have to do a little hike down to it. Plus, I'm not sure if we are supposed to be on it. Hee.

Niah comes too- she loves the beach!

Logan and Gray have a favorite thing to do here, which is called "making a lion cave in the cliffs"
Logan has the camo coat, Gray has the brown coat with fur trim. Both are wearing their extra snuggly Christmas Jammies.. yes, on the beach.

I told Logan that his eyes matched his coat perfectly.. so he gave me a better look-Gray enjoys a cup of hot chocolate that we brought in a thermos..


Daddy has some, too- but with a splash of chocolate vodka in it.. yum! Thank you Uncle Jeff!

Niah takes a few moments to make sure "her" kids are safe on the cliffs..

Then it's hours of the happiest dog we've ever seen.. I don't think her feet touched the ground very often!
Tantalized by the taste of a good beach, the next weekend we decide to go on a bigger adventure- to the Olympic Peninsula! We found a super deal at a brand new hotel right on the beach in La Push.. our deck opened up right onto the ocean!
We tossed our bags in the room and headed straight out onto the beach for some family time. It was dusk, and we were all SO happy to be there! We climbed, ran, splashed, and collected rocks until it got dark.
Mommy and Logan posing on a great climbing tree/driftwood sculpture..

Back in the room, we made dinner (it had a kitchenette) and got cozy. Lego time in the boys room!

I had to get one last shot off the deck of the neat sea-stacks on the beach. The sound of the sea was wonderful.

The next morning, we packed up lunches and headed into the Hoh Rain Forest! Logan and Gray were dwarfed by this huge Sitka Spruce! I think it was 400 years old. WOW.

Then we took a hike on a trail called "The Hall of Mosses".

There were several trees that the kids could have lived in! Hobbit homes, we call them.

A very impressive nurse log...

Can you see the three bald eagles in this tree? (Below)

Then we headed out of the rain forest, and back to the coast. We decided to try a beach called "Ruby Beach" which I had heard about in my 'hiking with kids' book.
This was the view as we walked down through the trees to the beach.

It was one of those moments that takes your breath away.

We needed the getaway so badly, and we were having amazing luck with the weather. It rained while we drove, and as soon as we arrived at each of our destinations, it stopped! Even though we were awestruck by the rainforest.. Ruby Beach took the cake. We kept hugging each other and smiling, as if it was put there JUST for us. Up to now, we have been to a lot of amazing beaches.. but at this time, Ruby beach wins the top spot. It has creeks, rocks, rivers, tidepools, sea stacks, wide sandy beaches, soft sand, smooth rocks, and even CAVES! It doesn't get any better than this, with two 6 year old boys and nature loving parents! More pics from the beach below:

Jer on top of a sea stack..

the sea stars and anemones had gorgeous colors..

Spelunking with Daddy "Don't make that face at me!"

Back at the hotel, we had a great evening, we put on "shows" for each other, Logan and Gray vs. Daddy and Mommy. The boys sang "Bust the Windows out your car" and then Jer and I belted out "Don't stop believin'" by Journey! It was so fun to be jumping around, and laughing-

After we put the boys to bed, we stayed up late and had some long conversations about how to survive, and thrive, with a child who has Type 1 diabetes. We talked a lot about the fact that we don't have "control" of what happens in life, and how that is different from what we expected.

It was a wonderful getaway, and inspired us to bring the boys back in warmer weather and do some hikes along the coast.. watch out Olympic Peninsula.. here we come!

Gray and Niah had a wonderful reunion (we left her home) Look how adorable!

Happy February to all!