The Summer of 2010

With Jane

We had a lovely summer weekend playing with the Goldsberrys in Vic.

Playing with Jane and Megan in Bellingham.

Why is Savannah always the one crying in group photos?

Blowing bubbles.

With her cousins. This is one of my all-time favourite photos. Could life be any more beautiful?

Withrow Annual Family Beach Trip 2010- Long Beach

Well after last year's camping in 107 degrees, we went back to renting a house at the beach! This year's location..... Long Beach, WA. We had a LOVELY time with our family. Very yummy food (as always), wonderful children, ping pong tournament, a bit of reading, beach walks, sand castles and all of the like. The below photos do not reflect the week very well. We somehow only have photos of Savannah and/or geologic features!!! How silly! Here they are anyway!

Savannah at Ruby Beach in the Olympic National Park. We took HWY 101 to meet up with our family and came across this beach. One of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to! The beach consisted of these fantastic flat cobbles that were washed out from the surrounding glacial deposit. AMAZING.

Ruby Beach


Ruby Beach.... could have stayed all day.

Dada and Toots colouring while we wait for lunch (her first crayon/restaurant experience) at Kalaloch Lodge in the Olympic National Park. The lodge overlooked the ocean. Gorgeous view.

Toots diggin the sands of Long Beach. SHE LOVED THIS.

Our cousin Dan and his daughter Emma and Dada and Toots hit the waves.




We have both always admired Savannah because she is very brave. We definitely enjoyed watching her plow right into the cold Pacific without hesitation. She would sign for more if you started to pul her out. She loved it, so we did too.

The week we were there happened to be the same week as Long Beach's international kite festival. Amazing. Synchronized kites, people flying 3 at once and coordinating their movement etc.

On our way home.... One thing I love about parenting young children, is that you have to take life slower. Alas numerous car breaks! Here is one of them at Beach 3 back in the Olympic National Park. Toots LOVES throwing rocks into the water. I tell her that is very manly of her, but she loves, loves, loves it and would do it all day and night if we let her.

Beautiful wave-polished, dipping sedimentary beds (at Beach 3). Toots was all over them... literally.

As my dear geology prof Dr. Schermer would say, "World's Best Disconformity." Amazing. Seriously some of the best I have ever seen. I wish I had this photo when I was teaching. The bottom layer with the honeycomb weathering is some sort of sandstone. The top layer some conglomerate (possibly glacial... should have taken more notes when we were there). Beautiful. I was seriously so into this.... still drooling now as I write about it months later.

The Fourth of July in the Farmin Town of Quincy

We had a great time visiting Katie's family for the Fourth of July weekend. Everyone was able to gather from her family for some great summer adventures. Savannah had one of the best weekends of her life. She LOVED Laura and Andrew's dogs and cat, went on a boat and a jetski (is that safe for toddlers?), was in a race in George, WA, saw a parade and we even woke her up for the fireworks (which she loved, loved, loved). Here are some pics of those moments...

Toots soaking in the sun at Billy Clapp Lake.


Andy and Oliver


Laura, Mike and Katie hit the lake together. This was a very fun moment for me. We are so rarely together just us three. Laura was trying to give us a real wild ride. I seriously giggled the ENTIRE ride. She finally flipped us at the very end. This is moments before. The next photo is moments after.

LAURA!!!!

Oliver "jetskiing."

We took Toots on this tiny ride. Laura was much better behaved, but I do think she is trying really hard to be the Wild Fun Aunt Laura (and succeeding of course).

The race. Toots slept. Naomi won in her age/gender division. Yay Naomi! It was so great. There was seriously kids passing us... rude. Part of it was through a gravel road with agricultural land on each side... ahhh.... loved that.

Seed onion field right next to my parents house. So beautiful.

Aunt Laura and Uncle Mike being all crazy.

Toots holding a sparkler that Aunt Laura bought her.

Kissing Cousins

She REALLY likes cats. That is her cat sound.

Spring 2010... Favourites

She loves goats. Savan had only been walking for 2 weeks here. She was very wobbly amoung the spry goat kids.

Easter morning.

We get lots of hugs. We are so lucky.

Toots!

We celebrated Earth Day by enjoying one of Victoria's beautiful beaches.

She likes rocks like her mama.

Looking at the marine life with Dad.

We stumbled on this salmon awareness rally/protest/march to the Parliament building. Very fun. She loved it.

Savannah and Dolly are such activists!

She picked me a flower on this day. So sweet. She LOVES smelling flowers. She stops quite often on walks to take in the aromas.

She is so sweet. I love her so much.