Leavenworth Marathon

This weekend we went to the east side of the Cascades so Merrick could run in the Leavenworth Marathon.  His goal is to run at least one a year for as long as he can.

This particular one had a uncertain start - he forgot his running shoes and only realized it at the motel in Cashmere 8:30 pm the night before the marathon.  He jumped in the car and got to a sporting goods store 15 minutes before it closed and bought the least painful pair (there wasn't a great selection), and ran the whole 26.2 miles the following day with no more than the usual scars.

Beth and Tiger Lily toured Wenatchee while Merrick was running and still had time to cheer him on at Leavenworth riverfront park and meet him at the finish line (he's not very fast ;)  ).

On the way home we stopped at Smallwood's Orchard outside Leavenworth which has just about every healthy outdoor diversion you could possibly imagine for a little kid.  A fantastic petting zoo, teepees, tractor rides, pumpkin cannon, orchard prop maze and on and on. We also picked up a box of fantastic apples and pears there. A perfect fall day.

On the west side of Tumwater Canyon we took a side road to look for Blue Elderberries.  Beth picked a bagful and made Elderberry syrup when we got home. Yum! Click here to see all 28 at once or the picture for a slide show.

Armbrust Family Reunion - Seattle

We had the great pleasure of seeing George, Louisa and Mike all at the same time here in Seattle.  Great times were had at Discovery Park, the Aquarium and visiting Louisa's friend who have recently moved to Seattle, Clare and Steve! Click here to see all 68 pictures at once or the picture below to see a slide show.

Mount Rainier Backpacking Trip with the Toft Family

Our 2nd annual backpacking trip to Sunrise Camp at Mount Rainier with the Toft family to celebrate Beth's birthday. Considerably more of a challenge then last year.  Tiger Lily and Rosie were of course a year older and significantly heavier.  Last year we got to the campsite in one trip - this time took two.  And Jodie, rock star that she is, did the whole thing 9+ months pregnant this year! Wow! We had a super fun time as we always do with the Tofts. Click here to see all 35 pictures at once or click the picture for a slideshow.

RSVP A 200+ Mile Bike Ride!

Beth and Merrick went on the Cascade Bicycle Club's annual Ride Seattle to Vancouver and Party ride with their friends Andy and Milo.  It's a 2 day ride; Seattle to Bellingham the first day, then Bellingham to Vancouver the second. Great weather and company.  And we love Vancouver! Granny Janny and Papa came up from Eugene to watch Tiger Lily and they had fun too.  Milo came in first on the second day of the ride!  He's a monster, that one. Click here to see 15 photos all at once or the picture below for a slide show.

Hike on the Pacific Crest Trail and Hunt for Tiger Lilies

This year we went looking for Tiger Lily's namesake on the Pacific Crest Trail at Snoqualmie Pass. It was our first time on this part of the trail.  Very beautiful and not nearly as busy as we expected. We'll be coming back here for sure! Click here to see them all at once or the picture below for a slide show.

August visit fro Meema!

Beth's mother Cecilia visited in August. The weather was beautiful and Tiger Lily was was able to give her a grand tour of all Seattle has to offer in the summer.  We look forward to seeing Cecilia and Trobe again in October!  All pictures at once here, or click the picture for a slideshow.

Olympic National Park Bike Ride - "Ride the Hurricane"

Merrick went to Port Angeles on August 4th to ride in an annual event up the road to Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park on the 5th.  The weather was beautiful and the wildflowers were in full bloom.  The ride is almost entirely uphill to the top which was slow an sweaty but quite enjoyable. The ride downhill was fast! Click here to see them all at once or on the picture for a slide show.