this trip? i feel guilty saying things like, “i needed this family-reunion-vacation” knowing traveling is a luxury, but i’m still going to say it. since we’ve returned to our home {almost five weeks ago} i am more relaxed than i’ve been in a long time, in sync with my husband, nature, my own mind and spirit. like my soul has found a peace it needed. why? i believe it was because i reconnected with so many of my kinfolk.

i believe, we each need those connections to stay balanced.

{Pasco farmer’s market | my sister-in-law Janice, moi, niece Marisa | fresh flowers for my dad’s grave}

visiting my Dad’s grave in Kennewick…

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Mt. Rainier

October 9, 2012

we visited paradise.

first stop, christine falls —

second stop, narada falls —

the kids and i are tiny little dots standing on the bridge at the top of narada falls.

third stop, paradise

what am i doing in this last picture? i am taking a picture out the window of our SUV of that tree that stands alone on that little island. poetic,

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nostalgic…

October 9, 2012

the washington-family-reunion-road-trip-vacation-documentation continues on…

after our stop at lake quinault, we continued on to montesano. Montesano, Washington is my hometown. i was born in Juneau, Alaska and also moved to American Fork, Utah the year i was in third grade, but I definitely claim Montesano as my hometown. I lived their most the years from the time i was an infant till i was thirteen years old. and now, my kiddos have been there! so cool.

when i was a kid my grandpa would always tell me this story:

in the early days there was an indian chief named Monte, and one day the indian chief from the next village over paid Monte a visit.

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lake quinault, washington

October 1, 2012

now, i slightly lower my voice and speak in a whisper for this post. because dude, this day on our trip was so incredible it deserves a respectful whisper…

seventeen years ago, i took my husband {at the time, he was my fiancĂ©} to visit lake quinault with my dad. husband instantly loved this place, as i already did. right at that moment, we said we would go back. over the years, we have often mentioned wanting to go back. then, we mentioned wanting to take the kids… and then, it happened. we went back with our kids. and it melted my heart that they all loved it.

one more place to call ours.

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vampires!!!

yes, believe it or not, we most definitely stopped to see the twilight sights while on this trip…

you do remember i have 12 & 14 year old daughters who are twilights fans, right??? {and their momma, just a bit… i LOVE that it put the pacific northwest on the map!}

while we are on the subject, i still heavily covet the hoke house {cullen house from twilight}, and have you seen the latest trailer for breaking dawn part 2??? November 16th!

our twilight movie experiences here, here,

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