Rockaway Beach-- First Trip of the Summer

One of the things we look forward to most when we're suffering through winter in rural Alaska is going to the beach to visit my grandparents.  It's about a two hour drive from our "home town" in Washington, and a journey we enjoy.

This time when we went, our car battery died when we stopped to get gas on our way out of town.  So with some help from Josh's mom (thank you, Grandma!) we limped over to get a new battery and hit the road!

Less than two hours later, we arrived at Grandma's house.

And took the boys to lunch at the Cow Bell, our favorite restaurant in Rockaway.

Taking the boys down to play on the beach used to be the part of the trip I dreaded most.  The twins would run in opposite directions, wearing Josh and myself out.  Now it is, hands down, the easiest, most relaxing part of our trip.

They love to dig in the sand, build sand castles & bury each other.

They also love to play frisbee & get their toes wet in the ocean.

After playing on the beach for what felt like an eternity, Grandma met us down there and we all walked to get ice cream together.

{The twins & my grandparents}

After ice cream, we headed back up to Grandma & Grandpa's house and let the boys ride their bikes up & down grandma's street.  It was such an awesome trip.  I was so happy to see my grandparents again after so long apart, and I was happy to make such great memories with our boys.

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The River- one last time!

A blue crawdad!

Me & my sister

We found a dead salmon in the river...

Which the boys couldn't just leave alone!  It had to be held, photographed and "petted"... Boys!!!

I just can't leave any pictures from summer out. I know this post looks like so many others I've put up from this summer, but seriously, we spent so much time at the river, and every time felt like magic. So here's yet another trip.  Good weather, great company & awesome memories.

Branstetter Reunion // Summer 2015

Every summer my mom's cousin Amy comes to visit from her home in Hawaii.  It's a perfect excuse to get that side of the family together.  Among us, there are 8 boys and only two girls.  So it's a bit of a little-boy-palooza!

This time we met up on the Columbia River and the boys had so much fun swimming and playing in the sand.  The twins still talk about it.

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River with my mom & sister

Dead mans float... Pretty convincing!

My nephew Fishy swimming like a fish!

It's strange to me when the last of something comes and you don't know it's the last.  I remember feeling that way (really intensely) when I no longer picked up & carried the twins.  A few months later when a picture of me with four-year-old Logan on my hip surfaced, I was overjoyed.  I had captured the last of his being-carried days after all.  

Well, going back through our summer photos to get caught up from our whirlwind of adventures, I came to the realization that this trip to the river was our last for the summer.  That last one is always so bittersweet.  There are leaves floating in the water, the trees are looking more yellow than green, and the kids are even slower to come out of the water as if they know somehow that these days are numbered.

I think I am especially sad that the boys got to be SUCH good swimmers this summer, and with fall setting in, I know they'll have less opportunities to practice. 

Endings are hard for me.  But hard endings also mean that good things have happened. And that's kind of awesome.