We Came, We Camped, We Conquered.

Because I was a bit overzealous with the photos on this post, I will keep the wordage to a minimum.

What you need to know is that we went camping.

It was our belated summer vacation, and our first time camping as a family of four. We went to our favorite place - the Olympic Peninsula.

Yes indeed - we did camp with a 2 year old, and a newborn.

We came, we camped, and we conquered when everyone else was sure we would fail. I won't say it was a total breeze, but it was definitely fun,

Definitely beautiful,

and definitely worth it.

So here are some of the photos of our trip, as well as a video at the very end.

~ Car Time ~

Probably the hardest thing on the kiddos was the car time. We drove around the peninsula to get there (as in through Tacoma, Auberdeen, and out to the coast). It was about 7-8 hours, not including the fact that we had to stop several times to change diapers, feed kids, buy food.

There was a lot of squwaking.

Funny - we stopped in Auberdeen to buy some food for camping. We changed 2 poopy diapers there in the grocery store parking lot. Not even 10 minutes later and we had to pull over again because Taylor had another poopy diaper. And then again, 5 minutes after that another poopy.

Newborns poop. Often.

~Ruby Beach ~

No, we didn't take the above photo. But my Dad did. He has taken some of the most beautiful shots (like above) from Ruby Beach.

It's a beautiful beach with a lot of huge rocks. It is about 30 miles southwest from Forks, Wa.

This hole in rock right here - enabled a HUGE wave to come through and completely soak Preston. He was pretty scared and was crying. Thankfully it didn't completey wash away his love of the beach.

~ Our Campground ~

Kalaloch Campground - a very cool place with tangly trees. And a beach.

~ Lake Quinault Lodge ~

A while back, I came across a blog of a friend of a friend of a friend...who wrote about staying at the Lake Quinault Lodge. He said he was on a business trip and stayed there for the night, and worked away on his laptop from his room most of the night.

He posted several entries that night on their family blog, and called his wife several times as well to document what he heard. Strange noises coming from his ceiling, it sounded like the people in the room next door were going-at-it all night long, and he heard change drop to the floor in his room.

The next morning as he was checking out, he told the front desk that the people next door to his room were very loud all night long. The employee told him that there was no one staying in the room next door to him, and he was on the top floor and so there was no one above him either.

I had long forgotten the blog that I read, until we happened to drive by the lodge while over on the peninsula. Lake Quinault Lodge...why does that sound familiar? Hey...isn't that the old haunted lodge?

Will told me it was, and that the crew from Ghost Hunters had come there to check it out as well, and confirmed it was quite "active".

To find out the story behind some of the ghostly rumors, you can read this:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=51713684&blogId=533921734

I have to admit, there was an eery feeling while there. The place looked like it probably did over a hundred years ago. There were old pictures on the wall of local indian chiefs, an old player piano (the only thing that survived the original fire, which I played a few notes on, later to learn guests have heard it being mysteriously played in the middle of the night).

The "Grand Staircase", where guests have said to of seen a woman in a white gown hang around, then vanish.

Despite all the ghost stories, I have to say the landscaping in the back of the lodge was one of the most beautiful I'd seen. It was right on the lake with this huge lawn, and a white gazeebo. The mist and fog on the water did add the perfect touch to the eeriness though.

~ Hoh Rainforest ~

One of two rainforests on the peninsula. Huge trees. That's all I have to say.

~ Preston Adventures ~

Preston had a lot of fun discovering things while in the great outdoors.

And yeah, believe it or not, our tent has a doggy door.

I was trying to get a photo of his super long thick eyelashes, but he kept moving so fast.

~ Sol Duc ~

Also spelled SoleDuck, was inside the Hoh Rainforest. Will and Preston went on their own little hike, and Will took photos all from Preston's level.

~ On the Ferry ~

Back to Seattle...

Until next time beautiful coast...

A video collage...

R.I.P. Fishies

What once was a beautiful 60 gallon salt water fish tank...

...is no more.

This is what happens when:

- You are new to having 2 kids and you find yourself playing tagteam with your spouse just to get things done so your fish tank gets neglected.

- It takes 6-7 hours to clean said fish tank and you wonder where the heck you will find the time to do it. Not to mention, it's Will's tank and he cleans it. So we don't share in this chore. Only one person can do it.

- Your filters get clogged, just like on Finding Nemo, and the fish are now swimming in their poo.

- You go away on a 5 day camping trip and don't feed the fish.

Poor fishies :(

Rest in peace. It's been a great 3 and 1/2 years.