We are enjoying our first ever stay-cation this year. We had some plans to go away, but the timing fell through so we decided to make the most of it and enjoy the beautiful area we live in. Seriously, I cannot describe how incredible summer is on the west coast. If you don't like heat, you don't have to worry because the ocean keeps everything breezy and beautiful. If you haven't been, you just have to check it out sometime.
Since having kids (and twins, at that!) "vacation" took on a whole new meaning. There is no more lying by the beach, sipping peacefully on a drink, staying out late gazing at stars, and sleeping in to enjoy a lazy late morning coffee. Our vacations so far have been a bit disappointing, so this year we decided to try to capitalize on family time and understand that the vacation is more about giving our boys fun experiences and coming along for the ride. The downside to a home stay-cation is that the days can feel just like normal life, and it is hard to break out of that routine. It's also tempting to spend all the time tackling the never-ending to-do list. But we put the lists aside (mostly) and made an effort to get out every day to do something fun in the area, and spend time with friends and family. We really have felt relaxed and have had great fun with our kids. Our evenings have been spent relaxing by the TV or with books, or on the deck with a drink and friends. It has been pretty good so far, and we are only halfway through!
Here are some pictures of what we have been up to (photo credit mostly goes to my husband for all the shots of the kids).
Down the road from our house is a little park with a petting zoo. The boys have been asking for months to go and it finally opened a few weeks ago, so that was first on the list.
Some good friends of ours just got a boat, so they invited us out to the lake. It was our kids' first time on a speed boat, and they were a little terrified, but did great! We even stopped in the middle of the lake for a dip and they came in, life jackets and all. It was so much fun.
These cheeks are just the BEST!
We also checked out a local glacier fed lake. It was windy that day and too cold to swim, but we had fun throwing rocks and sticks into the water.
We went for a short "hike" at a local trail near some pretty neat shipwrecks on the ocean. We picked flowers and a few just ripe blackberries, and then combed the beach for crabs (as we always do).
We visited a super awesome kids park and splash pad on the beach and had a picnic lunch. The boys loved pretending to be firefighters (their most favorite thing to play). They were so tuckered out after the big play that they were asleep within a few minutes on the car ride home.
Of course, we also spent time with friends at some local favorite beach spots. Nothing better than sand castles and crabs.
I'm also really making an effort to enjoy some "me" time and hobbies during this time. I went raspberry picking with a friend and spent some time doing some baking and making jam. I just love preserving local produce.
And of course, there is still lots of playtime at home. Here's a shot of the action during the part of the day where the boys are awake. Never a dull or clean moment...
And that is all within just about a week! I'll be excited to share how the next week goes too. There is still more fun to be had!
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