A couple Saturdays ago was a winter sports day for us. We started off early, heading to Snoqualmie to get in one last day of skiing. It was Makayli’s second outing. We started off on the bunny hill and within 3-4 runs she was taking it like a champ. I left her to it to scout out a bigger hill that would be within her skill level. The one I picked out might have been a bit too aggressive, but she still prevailed. We had lunch and then returned home.

We hadn’t attended any hockey games this season. My method of attending games is just to wait until someone at work wants to sell their tickets. Which is how we ended up seeing a hockey game after a post-ski rest.

The next day I went to a friend’s house for an easter hangout. I arrived mid-way through an origami swan group activity. Since I wasn’t sure how to fold the paper to catch up with the group, I ended up recreating one of the designs I’d totally forgotten about inventing in church growing up.

The next weekend I decided to take off Friday and Monday, and we did a trip through the Olympic Peninsula. Makayli planned the whole trip.

We stopped in Quilcene for our first night. Did a short hike to a waterfall, went to get some amazing burgers, then headed in to our Airbnb. I had gotten Makayli a telescope for Christmas, and we brought it along to use it for the first time, away from the light pollution of Kirkland.

That’s a shot of Jupiter. The four little dots aren’t dirt, they’re Jupiter’s four largest moons. One doesn’t get the most spectacular views through this telescope, but seeing those little lights just hanging there in space was breathtaking.

The next day we headed off to Port Townsend to eat some breakfast-for-lunch near a shipyard, then wandered around town, checking out farmer’s markets, art galleries, and antique stores.

These buttons reminded me of a similar drawer growing up.

From there we headed off to Forks, where we got some tasty Indian tacos for dinner, and went into a fun store that had some creepy Twilight and Sasquatch memorabilia. Then we stopped by a beach to catch the sunset before stopping for the night at Lake Quinault Lodge.

Makayli had chosen an awesome room with an amazing view of the lake. That morning we left to Ocean Shores for lunch at a delicious fish & chips restaurant recommended by her dad. Stopped in some galleries and threw a frisbee around on the beach.

On the way back we stopped to walk through the most incredible trail. Trees covered in so much moss. Gentle creeks. It was breathtaking.

That evening we went to a restaurant by the lake and ate smoked salmon and pasta.

Their forest berry pie was highly recommended but we were so full, so we took it to go. That night I read some of my book (I’m re-reading Dune), Makayli did some sketches with a new colored pencil set I got her, and then we played Azul which I picked up at a store on the way in. Took a break to eat the pie cold and it was incredible, will need to come back. Played a game of chess and then turned in.

On Monday morning we grabbed breakfast from the lodge, then saw a waterfall, the world’s largest sitka spruce (which was mindblowing), and a cute little graveyard nestled into the woods.

Our intention was then to leave and head back north to go to the Hoh Rainforest, but we hit a wall of rain and realized that the weather was not kind in that direction. So we turned around and headed south, stopping in Aberdeen for Mexican food and an art gallery. I picked up a new piece. It was large and we had a fun time rearranging everything to fit, given the luggage and telescope.

Looks kinda purdy. The fun thing about this one is that it’s 100% watercolor.

Speaking of artwork, Makayli’s been doing some very nice sketches.

After we got back we stopped by a grocery store. I was wandering around and was startled to see this:

It wasn’t in my field of view before, and then suddenly it was.