Our Recent Whidbey Weekend

 Last weekend, we celebrated Eric's mom's birthday WITH HER! (Thanks, COVID vaccines!!) 

We got up bright and early Saturday morning (much to Annika's chagrin) and headed north to the ferry terminal. Lo and behold - the ferry dock moved and there was a new terminal. What the what???? Obviously, it has been quite some time since we've been to Whidbey! (Side note - the new terminal is beautiful. Lots of lumber and a lovely incorporation of Native American artwork.)

We didn't make the original ferry we aimed for, but there are worse things in the world. Fortunately, the ferries run every 30 minutes and we easily got on the next one.

Soon after arriving, Eric's dad and Conor headed out to play golf and soak up a bit of sun together. They played 5 holes and came back with a few great stories about their time on the course together. Apparently Conor's first ball on the 1st tee went rogue. As did the second ball... however it followed the first rogue ball's path, so there was consistency there! A few tees later, from what we were told Conor hit a couple of nice shots that were worthy of praise and mentioning to the rest of us back at the house. (Way to go, Conor!)

Annika is one who enjoys organizing and seeing the results of those efforts. While we were on Whidbey, she decided it was time to clean Bestemor's birdbath. She grabbed a scrub brush and bucket full of water and went to work. By time she was done, she was exhausted and the bird bath looked almost new again. (Nicely done, Annika!)

Often, we celebrate extended family birthdays in the general timeframe of the birthday, but not necessarily ON the actual birthday. Fortunately for us, the stars (and days of the week) aligned, so we were able to celebrate Karen's birthday on her actual birthday. Win! Jack made amazing lamb chops on the grill for dinner. I mean A-MAZ-ING. I could have eaten twice as many as I did ... if I wasn't being kind and sharing with everyone else. For dessert, we made a strawberry/rhubarb crisp. Nom nom nom.

We gave Karen two photo-themed gifts for her birthday. The first is a digital frame that we can add photos to from afar. It's kind of perfect for a family that is scattered all over the country, if you ask me! We also gave Karen a canvas print of our recent "in the box photography" project. (She had asked for an updated family photo, so I took the idea and ran with it.)

Bestemor looking at her gift

Her gift!

Speaking of running, Finn decided to take a jaunt through the forest when a door was accidentally left open. That dog can RUN when he wants to. Of course, he thought it was all fun and games. The rest of us were in a panic that he'd get lost or hurt. Fortunately, we were able to wrangle him with the help of some bribery (aka dog treats). Unfortunately, our path to getting him back on a leash went straight through stinging nettles (SURPRISE!). Side note: Stinging nettles are no joke!

On Sunday, Jack took both of the kids fishing (1 at a time) on Lone Lake. It is a catch-and-release lake, so no fish came home, but there were definitely lots of nibbles on their hooks. Jack and Conor headed out first (so Annika could sleep in) and were on the water shortly after 7 AM. Karen and I took Annika to the lake around 9:00 for her turn on the lake with Bestefar and to retrieve Conor. Lone Lake is truly gorgeous! 

Conor and Bestefar on Lone Lake

Annika and Besefar on Lone Lake

In addition to birthday celebration fun, fishing, and golfing, we also played a new card games and even learned a new one called Rook. Talk about a fun weekend!!

A special thanks to Eric's parents for hosting us. Being able to spend time together again is truly wonderful. We can't wait to see you again (hopefully) soon!.

2018 Summer Getaway on Whidbey

Last night, a bit after 7 PM, the kids and I rolled up to the house after our 5-day stay on Whidbey. We were tired beyond belief, but due to having had so much fun and lots of activities the entire time. 

All four of us (five, including Buca), drove up to the island Saturday morning and got ourselves moved in for our short-term stay. By the looks of the amount of stuff in our cars, you'd probably think we planned on staying from now until the end of time, but alas, twas not the case. 

On Saturday, we hung around the house and generally kicked back. We played lots of games, threw a ball for the dogs countless times, rode bikes, and caught up with each other. Eric, his mom, and I also got a head start on Conor's class project for the school auction, ta da!! Eric's dad was off fishing when we arrived, but his absence meant he got to bring home an insanely gorgeous salmon (some of which is now in our freezer, soon to become dinner)! Conor and I also spent a little time walking up and down the driveway picking blackberries that were turned into freezer jam (yum!) for us to take home at the end of our stay. And if all of THAT wasn't enough, after Jack got home from fishing, he took Eric, the kids, and me to the rifle range to get in some target shooting. I'd like to point out (brag alert!) that I hit the bullseye multiple times.... and two of my hits were right on top of each other. The kids did a great job, both with respecting the safety rules and with their rifle skills. We wrapped up the day with a mini birthday celebration for Annika, knowing that Eric's parents wouldn't be able to join us the following weekend, when we will have family over to celebrate. 

In PJs on the ferry ... our kids' to-Whidbey tradition

Painting party

Eric working on his ombre technique

Conor with Bestefar and the 20-lb salmon

Annika modeling Bestefar's salmon

Conor, the berry-picking master

Buca "helping" us pick berries

Our blackberry haul

Safety first at the rifle range

Eric taking aim

Conor receiving instructions from Bestefar

Annika getting ready to take her shot

Why, yes, I DID hit the bullseye multiple times

On Sunday, Eric's dad and I got up before the crack of dawn to go fishing at mid-channel between Keystone (Whidbey Island) and Pt. Townsend. The sunrise was truly picturesque. While we didn't have any luck snagging salmon (a few ate our bait, so we were close to catching some!), we did catch a number of dogfish (boo!), a flounder, and 5 rocks (I caught 4 of them!). Even though we returned to shore with an empty bucket, it was still an incredible day. I got to spend 1:1 time with my amazing father-in-law. It's rare that we get time like that, and he taught me so much about fishing. By the end, I was able to tie a hook on my line, put 2 hooks in a herring, and find the bottom of the Sound (hence, all of the rocks!!). After we pulled out of the water at the end of our fishing excursion, our fun came to an abrupt halt when another driver hit the boat's motor (ugh!!). Come to find out, the witness to the accident was an off-duty Sheriff's Deputy (woot!). It was a hassle that included the at-fault driver not having his drivers license and his insurance card was newly out of date, which resulted in us having to call the police (both the Sheriff and State Patrol responded - wow!!) who took care of getting everything sorted out. While we were still on the water, Eric had to head back to Seattle so he could go to work the next day, leaving Eric's mom on kid patrol for most of the day. (Best Bestemor Award winner right there!!) 

Sunrise

Heading out to mid-channel

My 4th rock of the day

Boat snack!!

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were all about golf, golf, golf. OK, there were also swimming, a park trip, and a little hike in there, too. On Monday and Tuesday before golf camp, the kids opted to swim in the club's pool. Monday was a hot day, so cooling off in the pool was a big deal. On Tuesday, it was a bit cooler, but the kids still had fun. By the time Wednesday rolled around, it was downright cool and the kids opted (with some nudging from yours truly) to visit a local park instead. Our visit to the park was a little sad for me because I realized our kids are outgrowing the play structure there.... it is the end of an era. After some time at the play area, we decided to check out a hiking train in hopes that we might see the mama deer and her fawn that we saw about a half hour before (no luck, but we did see a bunny!). 

Our little fish

Conor practicing his driving

Annika at the driving range

On a hike with Bestemor

Reading chair carved out of wood, complete with book and cat (under the chair)

As soon as the golf camp wrapped up, the kids enjoyed a little BBQ meal with their golf buddies before being whisked back to the house so we could gather up Buca and the last of our un-packed belongings (mainly things in the fridge/freezer and the kids' bikes) and we high-tailed it to the ferry terminal. We missed the boat we were aiming for by about 10 cars (bummer), but in the big scheme of things, it wasn't a big deal. We still got our annual "heading home from golf camp ice cream" on the ferry (I even worked a little magic and procured some ice cream for the CKS auction thanks to the fact the ice cream company's guy was in line behind us... bonus!)

On the ferry.... we're on our way home, Daddy!

A HUGE thanks to Eric's parents for hosting our crazy group for such a long time. We are eternally grateful for your hospitality and generosity. 

Weekend on Whidbey

The Olson Four did something we don't typically do on a 3-day weekend ... we traveled.

Before you compliment us for being brave souls (or shake your head for us being fools), know that we mitigated as much travel pain as possible by staying home on Friday and heading to the island fairly early Saturday morning. That said, it wasn't quite early enough, because we wound up missing the ferry we hoped to catch, but just barely. So, we waited for the next one, not the end of the world. It just let us know other people shared our "NO WAY am I going on a ferry Friday night" mentality. 

Eventually, we made it to the island and could feel ourselves switch gears almost immediately. There's just something about going to Eric's parents' house. It's just calmer there. It's quiet. We can let the kids just play outside and not worry about speeding cars zooming by. 

After we got settled and breathed deeply a few times, we decided to do our belated birthday celebrations. When we were on the island for the March birthdays, the plan was for Eric's sister and brother-in-law to be there for the fun. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans and dumped snow on Snoqualmie Pass, making it too dangerous for Kajsa and Jeff to make the trek. They came over the following weekend and left gifts for Eric and Conor on the island. On top of that, Eric's mom's b-day was a couple of weeks ago and we had gifts for her. 

"Pokemon cards! COOOOL!!!"

Eric modeling his new UW shirt

By Saturday afternoon, Conor was getting antsy, so he and I went for a walk while Annika slept off her allergy meds. As we headed up the driveway, Conor's "I'm gonna scooter all the way to the top!" zeal faded and we wound up hoofing it up the hill the old fashioned way. At the top of the driveway, we spotted a deer nibbling on the grass, so we stopped to watch it for a bit. It watched us, too, but because we were pretty quiet and slow moving, it mostly ignored us. Conor and I eventually headed to the meadow to see if we could spot more deer (nope) and so he could ride his scooter around the adjacent paved loop. I never get tired of the view from the top of the driveway/meadow. Even on a cloudy day, it still takes my breath away.

Scooter Boy

What a view!

Conor enjoying the calm of the meadow

Calm done ... time to scale rocks

"Mama, will you please take a picture of me sitting right here?"

The rest of the day was just as mellow. After dinner (both nights!), we pulled out decks of cards and played Deuces Wild, Hearts, and Gin Rummy; dice to play Greed; and  Dixit, a board game we gave to Conor for his birthday in March. Game nights on the island have evolved from "the kids are asleep, let's play a game" to "the kids can be on my team" to "the kids can play" events. Watching Annika and Conor grow into being self-sufficient players has been a really neat evolution to observe. They employ strategy, math skills, and an understanding of rules to now be part of the bigger game-loving group that is our family. (#ParentingWin)

Bestemor and Annika deep in conversation

Conor mastering the wooden block puzzle

Annika learning how to play Deuces Wild

Eric and Bestemor working on her new KenKen math puzzle pages

Deuces Wild
(hands 1-4 deal 10 cards, hands 5-7 deal 12 cards, run = 4 cards in same suit, set = 3 matching cards) 

For weeks, the kids had been hoping that Bestefar would take them fishing soon. Well, first it was winter, not exactly trout fishing season. Then, they had to wait for the lake to be stocked. FINALLY, the planets aligned and Bestefar could take the kids to Deer Lake to do some trout fishing. Bestefar is a real trooper; first he spent a couple of hours rowing Conor around the lake, then he spent a couple more hours rowing Annika around the lake. Both kids had success, which is always a plus. Apparently, Conor had a huge trout get away and learned the lesson of waiting for someone to net the fish instead of trying to hoist the fish out of the water. (Lessons learned!) 

Deer Lake

Conor and Bestefar

Conor's haul

Annika ready to go!

Annika's catch

Bestefar helping her untangle the fish 

To give Bestemor and Bestefar a little break and to give the kids a chance to burn off some energy, Eric and I took the kids to Possession Beach, which is a stone's throw from the house. It offers great views of the ferries sailing between Mukilteo and Whidbey, as well as the Cascades (ahhh, Mt. Rainier), and Everett. The sun was out and the sky was blue. We spent most of our time perfecting our rock skipping skills. The beauty of this beach is it rarely very busy. Yes, we'll cross paths with people now and then, but it isn't like the Seattle beaches on a sunny day. I think more people go there to use the boat launch than to lounge around on the beach.

In order to avoid a long wait in the ferry line on our way home, we opted to (again) hit the road fairly early on Monday. Bestefar took Conor back out to Deer Lake for another round of fishing (Annika opted to stay home citing sleeping in was preferred to waking up early) and brought home  a couple more trout for us. Thanks, guys!!

Conor's day 2 catch

Eric teaching Annika how to clean fish. 

Trout Fishing with Bestefar

Last weekend, Eric's folks were kind enough to (once again) open their doors to our crew for the weekend. The reason for this particular trip was so Eric's dad (aka Bestefar) could take the kids fishing on a lake near their house. He even bought little row boat for the occasion. (Someone needs to get ready to polish his "Grandfather of the Year - 2017" award!!)

Conor posing on the Tilacum

Ferry selfie

Due to Annika's crazy schedule on Saturday (she had 3 places to be at the same time that morning... HELLO!), Conor and I went up to the island early morning while Eric and Annika went to Microsoft for a robotics event her team attended; later, they took a Lyft car to Mukilteo, walked on the next ferry, and Eric's dad picked them up at the Whidbey ferry terminal. Nice!

While Eric and Annika were in Redmond, Eric's dad took Conor out on the lake to try their hands (rods?) at catching trout. We've gone fishing (for salmon) in the Sound for the past few years in Bestefar's outboard boat, but have yet to actually catch any salmon. I was nervous about how successful the kids would be fishing for trout .... boy, was I a fool!! Conor caught two trout and had a few more that got away. Bestefar and Conor had a blast out on the water together; I think they were on the lake for about 2 hours when a speedboat put an end to their fishing excursion.

Conor sporting his fishing rod

The dogs kept putting their ball in the boat so Conor could throw it for them

Bestefar and Conor ... all ready to go!

Rowing, rowing, just keep rowing

Fish on!!

Conor and his trout buddies

Almost as soon as the guys were back at the house, were their haul in the pan and quickly becoming lunch for us! Much to Bestefar's shock, Conor most liked trout with a little mustard to dip it in. (The rest of us opted for plain!) Bestemor quickly pointed out that with our kids now knowing how to catch trout, I'd better learn how to prepare it.... so true!!! (I've been researching trout recipes ever since.)

Between fishing outings, Bestefar went into town for more fishing lures and to pick up Eric and Annika at the ferry. While he was shopping for lures, Eric's dad very sweetly looked for a lure he thought Annika would like... he found a pink one with glitter on it. Shazam!!

By early afternoon, our robotics duo had arrived and it was Annika's turn to go out on the boat. She had barely dropped her bag in the house before she and Bestefar were lakeward bound! Again, I feared she wouldn't catch anything (those elusive salmon have scarred me, apparently) and knowing Conor caught two fish earlier in the day, I was even more nervous. Again, FOOL!! Annika wound up catching three trout!! (The lesson? Never doubt Norwegians determined to catch fish while using a glittery lure!) Annika and Bestefar spent a good three hours on the lake and she would have stayed longer had it been earlier in the day AND had Bestefar not spent the better part of five hours rowing around the lake! (I'm fairly certain his arms felt like wet noodle by the time he was done!)

What a fun (and trout)-filled day!!

The rest of the weekend was filled with playing card and dice games (I'm still working on my Hearts strategy, but seem to be improving with practice and help from Eric and his mom), reading, knitting (Bestemor and me! I was very focused on getting the socks I've been knitting done before my upcoming carpal tunnel release surgery!), and watching the UW football game (Go Dawgs!).

We are incredibly glad the kids had this opportunity to go fishing this weekend! What cherished memories they are creating ... and they're bringing home food. BONUS!!!