Sometimes, when all we see are the beautiful photos, I think we forget that everyone else’s life is lived out between glorious moments of beauty and all those random tantrums and sulks. This was such a lovely hike, full of real life arguing and grumping, recovery, mud, joy, and splendid splashes.

Princess Leia is rushing out to check on her boys as they construct “Stupidopolis.” Yes, they carefully measured the distance to the water hoping that they would have plenty of time to construct an imposing structure, but not so much time that the tide would not destroy it before we had to leave the shore and head back to camp.

What do you call the act of stuffing three sons and a 105 pound dog into a vehicle, then traveling

In preparation for their upcoming Father Son Expedition, Sweet Boy#1 and our family got together with his school buddy (whose

Many many years ago, local tribes used to travel up to the meadow where we live to dig camas root.

Yes, the oldest two hit the trail barefoot. We are not sure why, but they were desperate to try and you know … natural consequences? This caused quite a few other hikers to grimace and gasp and say things like “My feet hurt just looking at them.” But nonetheless they carried their shoes and socks in their backpacks and hiked almost all of the four miles barefoot.

It’s hard to believe, but our youngest is ten years old! As many of you know, when our boys turn ten, they get to go on a weekend long adventure, just them and Dad!

They played “King of the Kingsize,” which involved much wrestling, pushing, shouting, roaring, and general havoc. We sat behind this family with three girls at church the other day and the girls were gently giving each other back rubs during the service. I think this is the boy version of back rubs. Strangling … gentle attacks and strangling.

At some point before I confiscated both perfumes, Sweet Boy#2 decided to play a “trick” upon both me and the Hunky Hubby by spraying my seat in the car liberally with cologne and also spraying the dog, leaving both the seat and the dog surrounded by a noxious cloud.