olive and carmia

Two of my little cousins came to visit us while we were at the Lake last week, and between swims, I managed a few quick candid pictures. Olive is five months old, and Carmia is two (I think. But she may have had a birthday since I last asked her how old she was. That’s the only question that she typically answers for me—at least in a language I can understand!).

Olive

 

Carmia

Aren’t they adorable?!

the lake

 

We spent five of the most fleeting days of my summer at paradise this last weekend. Swimming, splashing, cookies, hot dogs, a camp fire, rain, sleeping under the stars, swimming some more, running, eating, drinking pop, exclaiming over the brief appearance of blue sky, napping, splashing, swimming… this is my favorite place on earth.

This year I achieved one of my biggest photography triumphs to date. Something I’ve been wanting to do for sooo long… an ancient goal of mine. I finally conquered it.

Lightning pictures.

Ten of them.

Ten pictures that succeeded amid many ten-second exposures that failed. I am so ridiculously excited about these!

And finally, my favorite…

a day at the river

Few things soothe the blazing heat of a Goldendale July like a quick trip to the Columbia…

Brittany, Shelby, Doug, Robbie, Sienna, Dakota and I had a pretty awesome icy-water, Subway-sandwich, flip-flop time. :)

exploring || part two

More pictures from my trip to Olympia…
Day 3—Pike Place/Seattle
What an interesting place. So many people and shops and foods and smells and sights… not the least of which was the famous gum wall. I had one word for this: yuck.

I was pretty darn excited that the weather permitted us to see Mt. Rainier. :)

We ate dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. This was my first taste of pistachio ice cream… yum!!
Day 4—Oma’s
I finally got to taste Sam’s grandma’s (practically) world-famous pork chops. Oh my goodness. Quite possibly the most delicious thing I have ever ever ever eaten. No pictures, sorry… I was too busy eating!
Day 5—Nisqually Reach
The original plan was to hike at Mt. Rainier this day, but we couldn’t quite fit in the four hours roundtrip, so we stayed closer to home and explored the Nisqually Reach boardwalk.

What a wonderful, incredible, unbelievable week.

In conclusion, one last place Sam took me…

:)