Summer 2025

Following recent parenting research suggesting we overprotect our children in the real world while under-protecting them online, we embraced a 90s-style summer, granting our kids greater independence and freedom. The approach proved remarkably successful—the crew got along better than usual and thrived with their newfound autonomy.

We launched the season with a festive and busy Fourth of July weekend, but shortly afterward, I was sidelined by one of the most severe cases of strep throat I've ever experienced. For two days, I was completely out of commission. During this time, the kids rose to the occasion in remarkable ways. They asked if they could bike to McDonald's together—and I said yes. Later that day, I awoke from a nap to discover them hosting their own "field day" games in the backyard.

This independence flourished throughout the summer. They spent hours cutting down a dead tree at Ty's request and operated their lemonade stands entirely on their own initiative. Owen would scooter to Target for supplies, they'd transport their stand to their chosen location, and handle cleanup largely themselves.

When our neighbors moved, everyone was sad to lose Hannah and Christopher as playmates, though they made the most of their remaining time together in late June and early July. Meanwhile, Wes discovered the joy of neighborhood scootering, spending afternoons with Kingston or the Varier family on Brackenfern Drive.

We've worked steadily to establish cleaning routines, and this summer they finally clicked. While still a work in progress, we raised expectations by adding daily chores for everyone—vacuuming, dishes, or folding laundry. The boys have also taken over yard mowing. Seeing their growing sense of responsibility has been rewarding and has genuinely helped with my daily tasks. Combined with being able to leave them home alone for errands, I felt much less overwhelmed than in previous years.

The boys showed brief enthusiasm for tennis before switching to pickleball, then moving on to other pursuits. Aside from a three-morning lacrosse camp, we maintained a deliberately camp-free summer schedule. Owen spent many afternoons securing complimentary snacks around the golf course and clubhouse.

On my work days, the children spent time with their cherished nanny Lizzy or with Benson, both of whom they adore. Lizzy's family home on Fox Island became their preferred destination, where they delighted in riding the gator, hitting golf balls into the water, and playing pool. When Benson supervised, they often congregated at his house—a children's paradise complete with a full music studio, craft stations, trampoline, and rock wall.

We enjoyed two boating weekends between repair trips to Olympia and embraced swimming at Rosedale. Our outdoor adventures included hiking and swimming at both Dickerson Falls and Devil's Punchbowl. We spent a wonderful weekend in Eatonville at the Hights' new homestead, Owen enjoyed several days in Seattle with the Magnolia Rallos, and Hazel joined Grandmy and Grandpapa's beach excursion with Olivia, Lily, and Lizzie. Owen barely touched his phone and shifted his focus from friends back to family for the summer.

Hazel welcomed guinea pigs, Raff and Mocha, into our family, learning to care for them quite independently, including cage maintenance.

Our summer travels featured an epic two-week road trip through Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming (detailed separately). After a two-week break at home, we ventured to Bellingham for Mt. Baker hiking to celebrate my 40th birthday—fulfilling my dream of beginning a new decade in the mountains. I also celebrated with a delightful Chelan weekend with my sisters and girlfriends, though Rachel's absence due to a devastating loss was deeply felt.

The persistent boat issue—a backordered part unavailable until October—resulted in several disappointing days when water activities fell through. Despite my efforts, none of the children read as much as I'd hoped, and we indulged in more movie nights than I care to admit.

The week preceding my birthday brought an unexpected health scare when stroke-like symptoms necessitated a 48-hour hospital stay. Fortunately, after comprehensive testing, I was diagnosed with a complicated migraine rather than something more serious.

Despite these minor setbacks, it was a lovely summer. Ty took substantial time off work, providing more family time than usual, and we spent countless hours exploring the outdoors together. This season reinforced for all of us the value of independence, responsibility, and the simple joy of unstructured summer days.

Yellowstone 2025

Our trip to Namibia last summer proved that we are capable of traveling anywhere as a family. The kids are incredible travelers and at the perfect age for adventures. This realization prompted me to reflect on what other trips are most important to us in the limited time we have left to travel with them. It's hard to wrap my brain around the fact that Owen only has seven years remaining before he leaves for college.

So we made a list of the places we dream about visiting during that precious window. Yellowstone was high on our list, and since it's the closest and most accessible option, we decided this was the perfect summer to make it happen. The fact that the kids got to experience Africa was such a life-changing experience, and I'm deeply grateful for that opportunity. At the same time, I want them to appreciate the amazing natural wonders close to where we live and understand that adventure doesn't always require crossing oceans.

With that in mind, we set off for a two week road trip. There were four legs to our adventure: Spokane/Coeur d'Alene/Bozeman, Yellowstone, the Tetons, and the Wilderness Club Resort in northern Montana.

The highlights of our first stop included a lovely dinner at Wooden City in Spokane, an evening swim and bridge jumping in Coeur d'Alene, and an all-day adventure at Silverwood Theme Park. In Bozeman, we stayed in a bouqie hotel, enjoyed a beautiful sunset hike, and had a late night family swim in the rooftop pool.

We stayed in a different hotel each night in Yellowstone because I wanted to experience morning and evening in each section of the park. While the constant packing, unpacking, and waiting for rooms was exhausting, it was totally worth it. Each area of the park feels so distinctly different that I was grateful to spend time in each unique environment.

We had considered canceling this trip after the election and the heartbreaking cuts to the National Park Service, so I was pleasantly surprised by the manageable crowds, available ranger programs, and overall cleanliness of the park. Everything operated smoothly, and with the exception of Old Faithful, we had space to appreciate the natural beauty in relative solitude.

Our Yellowstone highlights included an amazing sunset drive on our first night, scoring last-minute dinner reservations, observing a herd of elk from our hotel patio in Mammoth, hiking Artist Point and watching the sunset at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, encountering a massive bison herd roadside, hanging around Fishing Bridge hoping to spot bears, hiking the Storm Point Loop, relaxing at Lake Yellowstone's beach, visiting gift shops/visitor centers, an iPhone tripod that aided in the most family photos we've ever gotten on a vacation, watching Old Faithful erupt, playing the license plate game, and learning about the park's unique geological features. 

The lowlights were my strep throat infection, fewer animal sightings than hoped, and one terrible meal at Lake Yellowstone Lodge.

From Yellowstone, we continued south to Grand Teton National Park, staying at Colter Bay Village. The two-night reservation felt like a real treat after our nomadic Yellowstone experience. Above all, I love mountains and was happy to be in their majestic presence. Here we did more hiking, swimming, and unsuccessful animal scouting.

We drove down to Jackson to explore the town, and the breathtaking drive gave us a chance to see the mountains from multiple angles. We enjoyed one of our favorite meals of the trip in Jackson and ended the day with the evening swim we'd promised Wes.

From the Tetons, we faced our longest travel day—nine hours north to Eureka, Montana, home to the Montana Wilderness Club Resort. A friend had posted photos from there a few years ago that looked incredible, so I'd added it to my wishlist. Since it was pretty far out of the way, I didn't think we'd be able to include it on this trip.

It turned out that Ty had taken more time off work than I'd originally planned, giving us three extra days at the end of our week. When the Wilderness Club sent out a promotional discount, we decided to spend the extended days of our journey there. Its proximity to Glacier National Park made it even more appealing—I thought we could explore that park as well.

While we never made it into Glacier, we were thrilled with our decision to add this final leg. The resort featured an amazing pool and water slide that kept the kids entertained for three straight days. We rented a golf cart and embraced this time to relax and recharge before heading home.

We covered 2500 miles and accomplished our goals of spending time outdoors, exploring nature, instilling a love for the National Parks in the kids, and adding precious memories to our family history.