Labor Day Camping on Blake Island

The three older kids and I just returned from our annual camping trip to Blake Island with Chris and his family.  This was our smallest group yet as Eric's family no longer comes and Callie had just left for her freshman year of college.  However, I secretly love it as it is just my kids with Chris and Natalee and their two children who are the closest to mine.  Although it was a bummer to have Riley stuck in a chair all weekend long (due to breaking his foot a few weeks ago), we still managed to have a great time.  The weather was wonderful and we all enjoyed being on this beautiful island for two days and two nights.  We enjoyed building fairy houses on the beach, playing hide-and-go-seek in the driftwood and "Ghosts in the Graveyard" late at night, eating meals around the picnic table, sleeping in the tent, and going on a boat ride along the Seattle waterfront and right into the port where we got to see cranes loading container boxes on massive cargo ships right before of our eyes!  We even finished off the evening driving the boat over to Bainbridge Island to pick up pizza that we had delivered right to the marina.  It was sad to pack up and leave this morning as this camping trip always marks the end of our summer, but as always, I am so grateful for this summer tradition and can't wait to return next year.

The kids and I enjoying dinner on our first evening there on Sept. 2nd.

Ella, Trenton, and Logan looking for cool pieces of driftwood to bring back to the campground on the morning of September 3rd.

The three kiddos standing on top of a massive fallen log on the beach.

Ella holding up the "Malificent staff" that she found.

All five cousins lined up in a row, including Riley with his blue cast and crutches.

Ella revealing herself after hiding in the tall grass during hide-and-go-seek.

Chris, Ella, Lia, and me playing Spikeball.

Natalee and I made a scavenger hunt for the kids to go on Saturday afternoon where they had to find ten various items on the island.  Here are Lia and Ella looking for one of them on the beach.

A close-up of my girls.

Ella, Logan, and Trenton had a great time riding in the bow during our boat ride to Seattle and Bainbridge Island.  Here they are posing with the Seattle skyline in the background.

Riley and Lia riding in the back of the boat.

While cruising along the waterfront of Seattle, a massive, Norwegian cruise line ship sailed past us on its way to Alaska.  Since the ship had just left, a large group of people were standing on the top of the ship watching it set sail.  After Ella, Trenton, and Logan starting waving to them, a bunch of people waved back.  The kids ended up doing this several times with other boats and ships in the Puget Sound that evening, but this one was the coolest by far.

My kiddos and me back on Blake Island at sunset after returning from our boat ride to Seattle.  I know I have said it before, but I will say it again...I heart Blake Island!  It's just one of my favorite spots in the whole wide world and I love being able to share it with my children every summer.