Home at the Ranch

So, I didn't go to Seattle just to go to Forks. I'm not that crazy. But all of a sudden, they had cheap flights, so Max, Ivy and I hopped on the airplane. There's nothing like being at home, even though home isn't the same home that I lived in growing up. It's nice to just be where your mom and dad are, you know? and my home was good enough for my kids, too...they were in Heaven! We could have stayed weeks and been just fine.

I took more pictures than I've ever taken in a week, so I had to sift through them and this is what I'm left with.

So, for those who don't know, my parents sold the house that I grew up in and bought 10 acres out in a little town called Sultan (aka middle of the sticks). They built a barn with a 2 bedroom apartment on the top of it, and are now about to begin the construction of their house. So, they have 7 llamas or something crazy that my dad uses as pack animals (so fun) and a dog and a cat...and will soon add more to the menagerie after the house is built. So, we got to play at Sky Valley Ranch with the local wildlife....and Mar Mar, Paw Paw and Boo Boo. The best!

my mom and grandma laughing...one of my favorite sounds. :) I loved this picture

Ivy loves her some dogs. Loves. Both kids love to pretend to be doggies...This is Ivy being Willow. She LOVES that dog, and says her name sooo cute!

One day, the kids played in the kiddie pool in the pasture with Willow. I think everyone involved enjoyed themselves.

We went to the dollar store for something and while we were there, BooBoo (my grandma) bought Max this helmet and sheild...Max loves to play dress up, so he was immediately deemed "sir max" for the rest of the week, and was cruising around slaying dragons while we picked blackberries, etc. Later that night, while Paw Paw was mowing the pasture, he found a stake in the ground, and he and Max sawed and drilled until the stake becaime a knights sword. Such a cute idea, and so fun to watch my Dad and Max interact. PawPaw's the coolest guy in the world. If the tractor hadn't yet done it, the sword won Max over. :)

We talked to the llamas endlessly...This is Bandita sniffing Max. You are supposed to blow on their nose gently so they can catch your sent...

We had lots of cousin time with Syd, Sam and Carson. Syd has gotten so big since I saw her last. The three older kids had fun together. They each caught caterpillars...

Syd kept finding more and more. We let Ivy have a turn to hold one. I put it on her arm, and she shook it off laughing. She looks scared, but she thought it was funny.

We got to meet baby Carson for the first time. Ivy wanted to eat him, as she does most babies. he had his couple of squeezes where I feared for his life. For some reason, though for this picture, she wouldn't go close to him. He is SUCH a yummy baby!

Ivy loves her Mar Mar...I felt bad for Mom's arms, but she didn't really want me to hold her the whole time we were there. Only MarMar.

Paw Paw and Mar Mar have a wicked pile of top soil in with the llamas...perfect for monster trucks to jam down. dang, we only brought one! but it was enough.

Chaddy and Ivy (my brother) All kids adore him. I've always felt lucky to have him as my brother.

up close and personal. Don't you want to come visit my parents, too?

More cousin time...our favorite! Max, Sam and Syd

Riding in the back of the truck.

All Max wanted to do while we were there was ride on Paw Paws tractor. So, every day while Paw Paw was at work, Max sat on it and pretended to be Paw Paw. I couldn't call him Max, I had to call him Paw Paw. When we'd hear Dad's car (unmistakable sound) coming up the road, he'd run down the driveway to him. One day Dad came home with the top off of his car. Max asked him for a ride, so Dad drove down the road with him with the top off, and then let me have a turn driving it...it's a pea-green porche that I used to love to drive (I won't spill any of my teenage secrets involving the prohibited driving of that car for another 10 years at least). Anyway, I asked Max if he Looooved to ride in Paw Paw's car. he said: Mom, that's the coolest car I've ever seen. (and that's saying something!)

One of the things on our list of things to do was to camp out. I've been reading about my siblings camping out on my parents property, and have been green with envy. Sooo, we had a campfire dinner, put Ivy to bed in the house with Mar Mar, roasted Marshmallows, set up tents...

and went for our first camping trip. He was so excited all he could say in the tent before he fell asleep was: Mom, I love you, you're my favorite mom." over and over again.

Sam, Syd, Chad and my Dad all slept in the other tent. Here's our sleeping quarters.

We woke up booty early in the morning, saddled up the llamas and went for a hike, just like I used to do with my dad in the mountains. LOVED IT!

don't judge, I told you it was booty early in the morning...and I slept in a tent. This is us taking a breakfast break.

we just followed an old logging trail up to a beaver dam, and the kids were doing good, so we kept going to the lookout. It was beautiful, and right in my parent's back yard.

Classic Chad. heehee

Max climbing up to the "summit" of the lookout. (oops, this day he was being Pedro, not Max)

the kids at the summit! We tried to yell "Mar Mar" loud enough for her to hear us...didn't work.

On the way down, the two 4-year olds got to take turns riding Dolly. We won't talk about why, they were both happy as can be.

Another day, Max caught himself a grasshopper...

and a Gardner Snake (is that what they're called? Guarder, Garter...whatever, it's a snake)

they played endlessly with Willow and Boonie

We got to go to the Reptile Zoo in Monroe. We saw a two-headed turtle, a couple crocodiles, tortoises, Spiders, lizards, turtles, Snakes times 17...amazing...gross. Max got to hold this ball snake and a hissing cockroach...sick!

The huge tortoises in the back yard of the zoo were my favorite. We fed them dandelions. so awesome!

More Bush-hogging with Paw Paw in the lower pasture. Max could have sat there with Dad for hours.

Max after a long ride. Can you tell he was in Heaven? He looks like Maria from the sound of music. 'the hills are alive...."

We got to go to the Evergreen State Fair with Chad, Katie, and the kids. We were there for sooo long! There were tons of fun animals, lots of free things to take home and do. An old museum where the kids could touch everything and push buttons. Old tractors to see and then mini ones to ride. weird roosters, a cute petting zoo, tons of cows, pigs, goats, sheep.

We got to watch the barrel racing in the arena while we stayed out of the rain for a while

...and we ate Elephant Ears. MY FAVORITE FAIR TREAT! (sigh)

The last full day we were there was the day we went to Forks. We got to take a Ferry Ride. (Ivy's first, other than the teeny little weenie one to Balboa Island...which is still totally fun, don't get me wrong, this is just waaay different)

we loved the wind on the boat.

I enjoyed the large map with Forks on it.. random. Why was Forks on the map? This certainly wasn't put up after Twilight books were out.

Ugh, I want to go back already! We had such a fun, fun time.

We didn't quite stay long enough for me!

Thanks again, mom and dad and Gram for such a great time. we love you so much!