Our twelfth week at The Lodge was one filled with activity and adventure. There was hiking and trail running, sprinklers and projects galore. Each day we’re realizing just how much we can do without getting into a car.
That said, mid-last week I did pile the kids in the car and we headed into Leavenworth to go for a very kid-friendly hike at Leavenworth Ski Hill.
The wildflowers were abundant and both kids were so excited to be out on a hike. It was a very special memory.
I took the kids on a big running excursion early in the week. There was a road marked on Google Maps as a road but I ended up finding out that it was a private driveway. Nonetheless, we made it almost to the top of that ridge and had the most breathtaking views.
Are the views better when you’ve worked really hard for them? Ben and I were both disappointed when we came across the property owners and had to turn around, not far from the top. I worked SO hard to push that dang stroller up the gravel road and it was a big letdown not to have been able to complete our mission.
The rest of the week we had to make up for it so we continued to scout out new adventures. Memorial Day weekend brought us two family hikes, a bike ride for Alex and the kids, and a run/hike combo for me!
Together as a family we tried to hike up the ridge that our house overlooks, but we failed to find the trail. The hike ended up becoming a long walk with hiking backpacks on.
The next day we hiked up Beaver Hill, which was a quick and steep jaunt. Ben was a walker and loved every minute.
Alex got clearance from his doctor last week for bike riding after his knee injury {he dislocated his knee in early March} so he finally brought his bike out from Seattle and has been loving getting back into cycling. On Monday he took the kids on a bike ride near our house and they had a blast. He took zero pictures.
While Alex was riding his bike with the kids I went for a run/hike with my friend Joanna. She took me up the ridge that overlooks the Wenatchee River and our house and the valley we live in.
The hike up the ridge was brutal. It was a game trail and it felt like we were going straight up a cliff. It was so steep and overgrown and it was not what I had expected at all.
The view from the top of the ridge was absolutely breathtaking. Once we found ourselves at the summit of the first ridge we were able to run up to the top of the next ridge. From there, we ended up winding our way down the other side of the ridge and running home on the road. It became quite an adventure!
In other news, we accomplished a few small projects in the yard over the course of the week. Alex helped me put up the tomato cages and now that I have a good grasp of where everything is planted I traded out my little craft sticks for some cuter plant markers. We have a few vegetable starts in the garden, which are fun to look at, and quite a few little sprouts popping up.
We also planted 38 dahlia tubers and I can hardly contain my excitement for when they start growing. I just hope our dog doesn’t dig them all up first……
Our irrigation water got turned on last week so we’ve been able to run the sprinklers again. Alex spread a bunch of grass seed to over-seed the lawn and fill in some gopher holes and has been having fun driving his lawn tractor.
We completed the tiniest little project I can imagine, but sometimes those are the projects that end up making a really big impact. We have a little spigot out on the corner of the swing set that is perfect for filling up our watering cans, as it’s adjacent to the gardens. The trouble was that it would turn into a muddy puddle every time you turned the water on. The kids helped us collect some rocks and we put an extra patio paver down and voila! We worked together on a small project with huge results.
Hannah is the proud new owner of this fun tricycle, an early birthday gift from her grandparents. It’s a hotly contested item in our toddler household, but oh my goodness, she loves it.
In food-related news, I’ve been baking bread every day. It is such a siple pleasure I’m getting so much joy from. Also last week I made our first watermelon, feta salad with mint from our garden. Ben said “Mama that salad looks SO delicious!” It was.
One of the biggest, most special highlights from the week was the absolutely incredible rainbow we saw. It was the most perfect rainbow I think I have ever seen. We sat out on the deck just staring at it.
We’re starting this week out with all four of us home together! Alex took the week off of work, a MUCH needed break for both of us. We are so looking forward to spending more time just the four of us and get out for a few mid-week outings. Also this week, we will be celebrating Ben’s fourth birthday on Sunday!