Going Losting XIII

This past weekend we had wonderful plans that we were looking forward to SO MUCH. We were going to head down to Portland and go to a party for some good friends who are having a baby. But, on Friday it became apparent as the day wore on that we were going to be going NOWHERE that weekend. As the day wore on, I got a cold, and Debris started throwing up, and Frank pulled a muscle in his neck and couldn't even turn his head, and basically, a whole bunch of life just happened. So, we ended up staying home, and Kiki got sick Saturday morning, so we were pretty much in rotten shape all day Saturday. It should be noted that my children are the most talkative sick people ever, which is both annoying and hilarious. Before I proceed with this post, I feel I must record here the things that were yelled while hanging over the toilet, in the midst of puking.

I HATE BEING SICK!! (both)
THIS IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE!!! (Debris)
MY MOUTH FEELS VERY WICKED-EY!!! (Kiki)
YOU SHOULD CHECK ME FOR TICKS!!! (Kiki)

Just to name a few... It's good to have a little humor to brighten your day while these things are happening.

Anyway, by Sunday afternoon we were all feeling "much more better" and had about enough Spongebob and Discovery channel... so, we decided to mobilize our Germ Unit (Rovey) and do a little going losting just to get us out of the house, but not out among other people.... there are several wildfires in the area, so we thought we might be able to get a view of some of them, but ended up not being able to... oh well.

The view of Wenatchee from Blue Grade. It should be noted that this was mid-day, sunshiney, and hot. However, this smoke is not from our wildfires here, but from the ones up in British Columbia. Apparently a good portion of that Province is on fire, and the smoke from them funnels right down and settles into the Wenatchee Valley. Oh Joy!
Cleaning the Earf. I've learned to take extra bags and hand sanitizer along with us in Rovey so Kiki can clean up after everyone wherever we go. It's incredibly sweet, I only wish she would clean her room with such gusto.

Gratuitous Rovey Shot.

Miles of brown... until you get close to it, and you realize there are textures, shades of tan/brown/yellow/sage/green, flowers and vibrance speckled throughout, and it is so lovely.

Spotting places we know...

After that we headed up to Leavenworth, and took the circuitous route around it back to Icicle Creek. Icicle Creek is SO lovely... I especially love it on a Wednesday, in the Dead of Winter when it is not lined with ridiculous amounts of people-I love the Leavenworth area, I just wish everyone from the other side didn't love it quite so much as well--although the tourist money is important, and visiting during the week is lovely... just gotta avoid it on the weekends. Perhaps I shall have to visit it on a Wednesday, in the Dead of this Winter, and take some pictures for ya'll. Meanwhile, here are just a few summer pictures...

Due to the smoke, everything had a lovely orange hue.

Hope you're having a lovely week!

The New Year's Weekend

New Year's Weekend brought The Adventurer and Auntie Ten for a visit... hooray! After ringing in the new year on the couch, like old folks, we headed off to spend New Years Day in Leavenworth. Normally we avoid Leavenworth like the plaque on weekends and holidays, due to extreme amounts of tourists, (Leavenworth is lovely on a Tuesday!) but since The Adventurer had never been there, we decided to brave the crowds.

So the girls got to go sledding on the sledding hill... And, I have an announcement to make... Debris LOVED IT!!! In the past, she has H-A-A-A-A-ATED sledding, and whined and complained the entire time Kiki was doing it... this time, she jumped in, had a blast and can't wait to go back... what a relief!!!

Going with Auntie Ten...

A happy Debris!

Then, we happily visited South for lunch... now, should you ever be in Leavenworth, I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant. I realize people come to Leavenworth for German food, that being said, this is totally worth the sacrifice of emotional distance from German food in a Bavarian Town. South's food is, quite simply AMAZING! We've eaten there several times, and each time I've been blown away by how good my meal is. And, I am fairly critical of restaurants, because quite frankly, I like our own food best of all. So, if I'm going to spend money at a restaurant, it had better blow my socks off.

South's menu is a lot of Tex-Mex styles of food, with a good dose of Pacific NorthWest Foodie thrown in. Everything is fresh, no yucky chemicals here, and obviously prepared with care and appreciation for fabulous food. Their House Daisy is the best Margarita I've ever had, and the Salsa bar is awesome... their super spicy salsa actually IS super spicy! Usually when you try the "hot" it's totally unimpressive. This one, I promise you, is quite impressive the first few bites, anyway!

Ok, now that I've given a rave review I feel as though I should say something negative just to maintain my general disposition of negativity. Ummm... sometimes you have to wait a while in a very small lobby to be seated. That's all I can come up with. Next time you're in Leavenworth, hit South, you won't be sorry, I promise.

Oh yeah, and they have Wikistix for the kids, which is the best kids toy I've ever seen in a restaurant. Fun for kids...

And adults!

After that exhausting day we decided to see how many of us could fit on a couch in a relaxed fashion.

The next morning we headed up Badger Mountain to share one of our favorite spots with them.

This is overlooking the Wenatchee Valley. When the clouds roll into the valley it is so fun to go above them, and be in the sunshine. This spot is perfect for that view... there's actually the Columbia River, and the whole town underneath those clouds!

Our doggie loves this spot because she can run up and down the cliffs and hills here...

The Cascades...

Then we went exploring just a little bit more, which is a good excuse to drive in the snow and goof off. So fun!

Thanks for visiting us Uncle Adventurer and Auntie Ten! We love having you!

Icicle Creek & Lake Wenatchee

This weekend we have had visitors, and also it is the Apple Blossom Festival in Wenatchee. As anyone in their right mind escapes the madness that is the Apple Blossom Festival, we headed up to Icicle Creek and Lake Wenatchee. Since the kids were distracted with chasing around their grandparents and such, I was able to play with the camera a little more than usual. Here are the snapshots of the day...

Icicle Creek. Just gorgeous.

A tree shaped like a giraffe, according to Kiki.

And, Lake Wenatchee...

What is it about a body of water, rocks, and sticks that is so entertaining??!!

The water aka freshly melted snow, was SO clear!

Going Losting II

Autumn is in full swing around here, and Saturday we took an exploratory road trip around the area to take in the beautiful, vibrant, brilliant, neon (not in a 80's spandex sort of way, but in a breathtaking color only God can create sort of way) autumn around us.

So, we headed up through Oktoberfest-Tourist-Ridden-Leavenworth to Lake Wenatchee, and then back down around through Plain, which for the record is not at all plain, and then stopped by a Pumpkin Patch on the way to our favorite pizza joint in town. It was a fun family day...

Imagine our horror, when on the way up to Lake Wenatchee we spotted someone smoking in the backseat. What nerve!

Fortunately, she had the good grace to be embarrassed about it.

It was very windy and cold, but absolutely beautiful.We took a family picture, just for fun...The second family picture we have in recent weeks where we are all smiling. I think the wind blew our faces that way, and then the cold promptly froze them.

Then we played in the kids play area...

Kiki was very excited about the rock wall, because she loves rock climbing with B and Auntie Ten.

While she's not much on actually climbing at this point, she does enjoy swinging, rappelling and the like. Thank you B for these pics!

Then we went frolicking down a pretty path...

Snuggled up to Daddy so Mommy could take a pic of her three favorite people on the planet...Spotted a wild animal climbing a tree...

The colors were so spectacular, pics just don't do them justice, or capture the depth of the yellows, reds, oranges offset by the green of the evergreen, and the blue of the sky. This was the a shot on the way into Plain, WA--A cute little town in a breathtaking valley. The only actual off-roading we did was up a hill outside of Leavenworth. This is a cool shot of the valley Frank got. Oktoberfest is in full swing, and there are busloads of tourists from "the other side"** all over the place right now. Very annoying. We prefer Leavenworth on Tuesday. Our visit to the pumpkin patch was also abbreviated due to the obscene amount of tourists from "the other side"**. We'll go back on Tuesday, or Wednesday or something.

After Pizza we spotted a fire up near Burch Mountain so Daddy took the camera and the Rover and headed up Badger Mountain to see what he could see. While there weren't any pics of the fire, he got some spectacular ones of the sunset. We love "sunsats", other than the fact that they mean "bednight" time is coming. :-)

Pretty, huh? Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Kiki and Debris helped Mama make a Pumpkin Cheese Cake Roll. YUM!

DISCLAIMER: We do not approve of smoking, or endorse smoking in any way, shape or form. Our children understand the health risks behind smoking, and are informed of the stupidity of such action. That being said, they are also taught to be respectful of adults who make the choice to smoke. Long disclaimer made short, the action of smoking is not approved in this household, in spite of the pics you see here.

** "the other side" is the term widely used in Wenatchee and Eastern Washington in reference to anyone who lives on 'the other side' of the Cascade mountain range.