Dueck's Roost

Somehow my kids just won't stop growing up. It's incredibly exciting and depressing at the same time. In 2017 James finished up middle school and rounded the corner towards high school, and his last few years at home:(. I was able to help out with decorations for the 8th Grade Celebration and Moving-On Ceremony.  And this cute girl got to leave classes early to assist me!! It's amazing what dollar store wrapping paper and cloth weed block can do for very little time and expense--especially when the weed block has been sitting in your garage for about 10 years:-)!! James' big moment;).  Does he look happy to be done with this stage of his life?? I definitely think so!!  And glad his G-ma got to come celebrate with him as well. Now if he could just make the next few years go a bit slower!

To welcome the arrival of our amazing summertime weather, we went on a family hike to Mason Lake (Ira Spring Trail). Located in the Snoqualmie area, this hike is about 6.5 miles round trip with a 2420 ft. elevation gain. A pretty good match for our family: definitely a challenge for Joseph, but good enough to break a sweat for Kevin and P&J (if I remember right they may have jogged it for a good part of the time, which likely helped with the intensity level;).  The Washington Trails Association describes the hike this way ... " Sun-drenched ridgelines, blooming trillium, and sparkling alpine waters define this fitting tribute to one of Washington’s greatest trail advocates. An ode to lifelong nature photographer and conservationist Ira Spring, this highly popular summer trail traverses steep pitches and open meadows en route to Mason Lake, a popular weekend camping destination in its own right"  https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/ira-spring-memorial I don...

I have to start out by saying ... I LOVE June!! June June June June June. June is wonderful. June is fantastic. Why? Because with it finally comes the sunshine!! Goodbye rainy days, goodbye grey skies. See you in September! Disclaimer: This description is only partially accurate. If planning a trip to the Seattle area in June, expect about a 50/50 chance of rain showers:-) Just feeling a bit euphoric here looking at these beautiful blue skies;). Okay, so to the point! The first part of June brought a fun day out as a family to celebrate our wonderful father! Kevin is fast-paced, hard-working, dedicated, passionate, and definitely ENTERTAINING. We are all lucky to have him as the Dad of our little clan.  And no better way to celebrate him, than to be out in nature! A mountain hike would of course been his ideal outing, but as time was limited, heading over to a quiet local park was definitely a good Plan B.  Where we attempted to take some ...