Dueck's Roost

I almost forgot this August 2015 family picture session. I'm really not going to say much about it, other than that it took place at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, WA and that our good friend--the amazing Julia Cook ( http://juliaannephotography.blogspot.com )--took the photos for us. It's always tricky to get the whole family smiling at the same time--and of course only took some hundreds of photos to get the ones shown below;). I have to say, though, that my favorites are the ones where we're just messing around!!

And to finish out August (and the summer) ...  My sister Carrie visits from Germany, and we all get together to celebrate! Woo hoo!! Mae has fun experimenting with pre-made fondant packets ...  And for a random splattering: Mae and Grandma Loo get a cute pic together, the boys help with a Eagle service project, Kevin is a good sport during Bishop's Night at YW Camp, and Brooks and Mae make Joseph a spaceship (or something like that). Happy summer days!

At the very end of August, Kevin took the older boys (including his awesome cousin Porter Draney) on their yearly high adventure. This time they had decided to do a 30+ mile portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, starting at White Pass by Leech Lake and ending at Tipsoo Lake.  This hike is at a decent elevation to start, as most or all of it is in Mount Rainier National Park. They also chose to take the continually ascending path each day since the views were supposed to get more spectacular each day as they progressed upwards!  That said, we knew just before they left that it looked like they would probably have some rain, but didn't realize at all just how much rain and cold they were soon going to experience. Let's just say it was an amazing trip, but probably not a terribly fun one.  I'm just going to use Kevin's notes from the trip to give a run down ..  Oh and here's my name key;): Kevin: K James: J Porter Draney: PD Porter Dueck: PJD ...

So, Kevin really loves hiking, fishing, camping, and all things outdoors. Yeah yea yeah, we all know that already. He also has a friend, Doug, who is equally fond of the great outdoors and is basically always up for an adventure. When Kevin and Doug get brainstorming, Melanie (Doug's wife) and I get a little nervous. I'm pretty sure that's how this next trip got started: as a crazy brainstorm between Kevin and Doug.  This brainstorm, after much online research, led them to drive up to Canada (Vancouver B.C.) to each purchase a Stryker inflatable boat ( http://www.strykerboats.com ).  Which then led them to research and purchase motors to go with their new inflatable boats. Which then led Melanie and I to wonder where in the world we were going to store these new amazing, well-researched boats and motors. Anyway, after much planning, a few hurdles to overcome, and a lot of anticipation, in August of 2015 we were on our way up to Ross Lake National Park ...

I'm not going to say much about this one, as of course I wasn't actually there myself and probably could not do justice to the crazy, dirty, smelly, and fun experience. Here's what I do know:  These boys left on a Monday morning at the crack of dawn. They shot rifles. They messed around like a bunch of pre-teen/teen boys. They ate a TON of food. They swam (not to mention kayaked, canoed, and learned life-saving skills) in the Sound. They played poker at night in their cabin (which could be against the rules, so mum's the word) They did group huddles (or something). They took a lot of goofy pictures.  And finally, they enjoyed a beautiful week at Camp Parsons Boy Scouts Camp!! Oh, did I mention goofy pictures (I think James' stomach is full of enormous amounts of soda). Oops, I forgot to mention that they completed a bunch of merit badges as well--that's kinda an important part of camp, right?! And beyond all that, I r...