It's that time of the year!

Cups was excited about her rewards, including her first free dress pass for the year, from her reading teacher for having done some reading comprehension exercises over the summer. The kids continued a previous conversation about the much anticipated candy as soon as Cups got in the car.

John towed the kids in the trailer on his bike one evening. I think Gofres will outgrow it in no time, too.

First time in a corn maze! And the corn is used in the corn cannons for entertainment.

A tractor pulls apple pickers in apple crates to the orchard at Bellewood Acres. This has become a family tradition when we visit for Ama's birthday.

Honeycrisp! And the kids loved the bubbling apple cidar made with these apples, too.

John and Cups picked. Gofres and I munched.

We got to fill up the bag and all the apples we could eat for one price.

Cups was invited over to play with Harper, and the rest of us invited ourselves.

Embracing another beautiful sunset. . .

I looked and looked before I found Cups' on a wall at school. I knew her favorite winter activity did not involve skiing, sledding and such. I was surprised by her answer nonetheless.

Answer inside.

John had to work from home the week I was gone, and on the day I left John had biked with Cups to school and home.

I saw Cups long enough for a hug and to take this picture at Westfest upon my return. I didn't see her again until it was time to go home. Gofres enjoyed himself much last year and was comfortable enough to roam around himself this time around.

The kids wrapped something that came in the mail as a surprise for me, haha.

Cups and I tried out the mud mask with Amazonian clay and doTERRA essential oils. I've never had a facial, and I loved how soft my face felt afterwards.

Cups met new friends at Target. (Hugs are free.)

First week of school

The weekend before school started Auntie Evelyne visited. We had Cups' favorite, ramen, and auntie treated us to shaved ice to celebrate another school year. The sunset was beautiful that night.

We finally made it to visiting with Uncle Michael at Savage Grace Winery in Woodinville. He took an interest in wine making and has really enjoying working with the owner, Michael Savage.

Walking Cups to class on her first day of 4th grade!

With one of her besties, Clara, before going into her new classroom. . .

She found her desk and settled into it in no time!

Agong and Ama dropped off apples for us. We will have a chance to pick some when we visit for Ama's birthday.

Cups and her Kumon buddies on Baskin Robbins' $1.31/cone day. . .

Cups enjoyed riding her new puppy in the canal even when the water numbed her legs, and she went out both days.

Cups learned to shuck oysters and enjoyed it very much. She said, "I am going to shuck all day long." She stopped for another day right after she said that, haha.

The kids and Darth Vader met at Lake Cushman.

Cups loves s'mores.

We scared the cows - oops!

Olympic Mountain ice cream was very yummy. Cups chose mint chocolate chip all three times at Hoodsport Cofee.

We stopped by to visit Mike and Susie before leaving Hood Canal. We were lucky that they were home and really enjoyed our visit! Cups loved going out in the canoe.

We came upon the Blackberry Festival and enjoyed blackberry slug (donut) and blackberry lemonade before boarding the ferry in Bremerton to come home.

Trip to the Oregon Coast

Cups embracing the ocean on our first trip to the beach after getting there right before dinner. . .

The view on a clear day. . .

Sunset after dinner. . .

Gofres asked to stay up until 11:30 for low tide - when whole sand dollars can be found.

Cups testing out the water. . .

It was foggy and a little chilly the next morning, but that did not keep Cups out of the water. Cups and Gofres had been to the beach and back on their own earlier that day.

Cups keeps hope that Santa would bring her a dog one day.

It's sweet seeing her with dogs. For now her realistic expectation is to get a dog when she is on her own.

Visiting the Cannon Beach Farmers' Market Tuesday afternoon. . .

Grandma treated the kids to rides in Oceanside. Tilt A Whirl is Cups' favorite ride "in the whole world." She had only been there once, and she took us there like a guide.

Outside the Tom's store - and many of you have visited this beautiful area this summer, too!

By the time we got back from playing in town, tide had come in again.

We managed to find sand to play on/in.

On the morning of our third and last day there. . .

The whole family got down to the beach to play after lunch. Thank you, Grandma, for making us yummy food the whole time!!

Cups showed me where to find tide pools, and she spotted a sea star along with many sea anemones, mussels and snails. No hermit crabs that day though.

Nibbles (aka Princess) sits this way when Grandma is away or when she knows people are leaving. I cracked up when I found Cups posing. Thank you very much, Grandma, for a wonderful mini vacation!!!

Warming up to summer vacation!

 One of Cups' besties was headed to Italy for 35 days, and she handed off Black Lightening for Cups to hermit crabsit as soon as she got him before school was over. The third graders had studied hermit crabitate towards the end of the school year, and two kids from each class drawn got to take one of the four home.

 Weather was nice, and Cups took BL biking. The basked was perfect for climbing.

The family often finds surprises biking around the neighborhood.

We had dinner with Auntie Iris' family, and look what she made for us!! With rose petals for decoration in the macaroons even - yummy and pretty; Cups loved and appreciated them much!

 Cups brought BL to the Sunday family dinner with uncles at a gyrocery.

Then she took BL to Bellingham to visit Agong and Ama. Can you tell what one of her favorite restaurants is from the bread stick?

The family went to see bats feed on bugs at dusk at a viewing hosted by Bats Northwest - very fun, informative and educational!

Cups and a friend from class looking like big kids at the park.  . .

The kids love having their pictures taken with Bullseye. I should document their growth by these pictures.

The family had the pleasure of attending an Indian wedding when Uncle Sonny got married. Congratulations, uncle!!

We introduced Matt's family to Uli's at the Pike Place Market, and then Gofres met Spiderman.

Gofres negotiated for Spiderman to pull him up on the ledge with Spiderman, who was kind and even gestured for permission.