In The Hartland: Labor Day Weekend on Blake Island

After having to juggle packing for a camping trip while home schooling three children, we set out Friday afternoon to drive to the Manchester boat launch to meet Chris to head off to Blake Island for the weekend. Luckily, Ron was able to leave work early on Friday which allowed me to leave Emmett behind with him instead of having to hire a babysitter to watch him for a few hours which is what I have done in years' past with our other children who were left behind. I say this every summer--our camping trip to Blake Island is MY trip! It is the one trip of the summer when I leave behind all babies (after the summer that they are weaned) and toddlers and only bring children with me who are easy to take care of and I LOVE it! I work hard all summer long to drag my children everywhere I go and I am always exhausted by the end, so Blake Island is my gift to myself. I absolutely love it out on this island and so do my older children! Thanks to Chris and his boat, we have enjoyed a decade of camping there at the end of the summer and this year was no exception. The weather was stunning all weekend long and the kids and I had a great time playing on the beach, swimming in the water, walking around the island, sleeping in a tent, and playing with the cousins. Here are some pictures of our two nights and three days out on our beloved Blake Island!

Logan and Ella were so hot after we arrived on the island on Friday afternoon that they changed into their swimsuits once I had pitched our tent. Logan and Trenton enjoyed floating around on a makeshift raft that they made out of driftwood with Chris' help.

Logan trying to make a teepee out of driftwood on the beach.

Ella climbing on top of one of the many forts built along the beach.

Enjoying our Friday dinner together with Chris' family.

Par tradition, the kids and I had to have a family photo taken at sunset.

A close-up of my kiddos and me.

Ella really got into climbing the large tree that Bryce, Riley, and Trenton have been climbing for years. At first, they were reluctant to let her into "their club," but after a stern talking to from me, they eventually let her join in on the fun and she loved it!

The beautiful sunset on the sound Friday evening.

On Saturday morning, my brothers organized a baseball game for the kids to play in. This was the first time that both Ella and Logan have ever played this game and they both had a lot of fun.

It was so fun to watch Ella play as she just gave it her all with every swing of the bat. Here she is getting ready to hit one of Lia's pitches.

Lia hitting the ball.

Before lunch, the kids and I wandered down to the huge fort made out of driftwood that has been there for years. Here they are hanging out inside the fort.

Logan then built an adorable, gnome house on the beach. Here he is posing next to his finished product!

Lia and Ella helped me build our own creation on the sand.

After lunch, we all walked the 30 minutes to the beautiful, sandy beach on the other side of the island. Everyone had such a good time playing there for a few hours before heading back to our campsite. Here is Ella doing a cartwheel for me on the sand.

I asked a bunch of the kids to do a cartwheel at the same time for a picture. This is what I came up with.

The kids and me and the Puget Sound.

Another close-up photo of us.

Riley twirling Ella around the beach.

For the first time ever, we didn't have church to get back to on Sunday morning. As a result, we decided to spend a second night out on the island. So that we didn't have to drag out food to make a second dinner in camp, we decided to do something fun and take the boat over to Bainbridge Island where we picked up food at a restaurant walking distance from the marina. We enjoyed a beautiful boat ride to the island and back taking in the sunset and views of the Seattle skyline, plus an up close and personal encounter with two huge, sleeping sea lions on a buoy.

A shot of the younger kids who rode in the front of the boat as we approached the marina.

Lia, Logan, and Ella eating their dinner on the marina dock after we picked it up.

The gang getting back into the boat to head back to Blake Island.

Trenton, Ella, Logan, and Lia in the front of the boat on the ride back.

Another stunning sunset on Saturday evening.

We woke up to beautiful, blue skies again on Sunday morning. Here is the view of the water and Mount Rainier right outside our tent door. When do you ever get a view like this right outside your tent?!

Another shot of Mount Rainier that I took inside our tent.

All three kids climbing up the large tree that leads to the boys' "club" up at the top.

Another shot of Ella climbing in the tree.

A group shot of all of the cousins: Bryce, Riley, Trenton, Logan, Ella, Callie, Vivi, and Lia. We were missing Garrett (on his mission) and Brynn (visiting friends at BYU before going on her mission in a few weeks) this year.