Summer 2020

With Covid raging, summer 2020 was both far from typical and not that much different, all at the same time. There were no parties, no warm summer nights at the pool, no concerts in the park, but the weeks still felt full. The cadence was steady but lacked the quiniatcential craze that usually accompinies the desire to squeeze every last morsel out of the sunny days. 

We traveled a fair amount including camping at Deception Pass, a weekend in the mountains for family photos, and a kid free weekend in Canon Beach for our anniversary. Chris and Kari bought a vacation home in Eastern Washington and spending time at "The Cove" was the highlight of our summer. Having a safe space to get away and be with family is everything we could have hoped for. We checked it out for a long weekend in May, spent a week there in July and ended the summer with Kari's 40th birthday celebration weekend. The kids are obsessed with boating and Owen wake surfed (on his first try!) with Uncle Chris. 

We embraced exploring locally and visited all the WWII Military Forts- Warden, Flagler, Sea Salt and Casey. We discovered that we love Port Townsend and frequented the candy shop there on the way in and out of town. The kids continued to roam the neighborhood unattended and we learned the pros and cons of being close friends with neighbors. We did privates swim lessons on Fox Island. We got together with a small group of friends often. 

With the pandemic it's hard to know what the right thing to do is. Which activities are safe, which people should we be around, etc. Ultimately, it comes down to priorities. You won't find me in a large group setting and I can live without indoor play places for the kids, but being with family and friends is the nectar of life and, to us, a small community is absolutely necessary.

By this time I'm usually craving the coziness and routine that accompanies fall. This year the changing season is ripe with uncertainty. I'm tempted to look ahead and fear being quarantined indoors during the dreary PNW winter, but have vowed to take things one day and week at a time. At the end of this atypical summer, I'm happy to report we made the best of it. I'm thankful for our health, steady jobs, cousins, adventures and a safe home to return to.