Over the past few months our family has grown and changed as we have welcomed our new addition- Daphne. Since our time is now divided Jasper is no longer dominating our every moment. With all these changes to our family I knew I wanted to make his birthday this year extra special.

If I had one wish for Jasper on his birthday it was that I wanted him to feel loved, important and know how proud we are of him and how he has navigated this transition to big brother. When I was thinking of what we could do or where we could go I immediately thought of Lakedale Resort. Although we have stayed there a handful of times before we have never stayed there with him. I knew it would be beautiful, peaceful and the perfect place for our growing family to make some special memories together.

This time we stayed in a log cabin which was the perfect size for our family. The log cabins have a fully stocked kitchen, two bedrooms, two baths and a good size living and dining room. In the past, we have stayed in both the canvas tents and yurts.

We stayed in Cabin #1 and I think it was my favorite of all the cabins.

The birthday boy in all his flannel glory.

Juggling a busy five year old and a six week old is no easy task. They both keep my hands and my heart very full throughout the day.

These are the tender moments I want to remember forever.

Our plans for the long weekend were simple; we were going to have a pizza party, eat cake, have smores and spend the rest of the time outside exploring the property. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and it was a gorgeous weekend on San Juan Island.

One morning, we took out the water bike. I had never tried it before and it was pretty exhilarating to be skimming across the water on a bike with giant wheels.

With every passing year I emphatically say it is my favorite. I am excited to see what five looks like for our little guy.

Traveling in the Fall is such a special time of year. The late afternoon light is my favorite.

As a family we aren’t very big on lavish gifts. I want our children to never equate happiness with material possessions. I gave Jasper this little notepad to write and draw in and it kept him busy for the good part of an afternoon.

Quiet moments in the cabin.

One of the things Jasper was most excited for was to make s’mores. Conveniently Lakedale has these little s’more kits all ready for fun.

Something I did not realize when booking the cabin was how each cabin had this great little outdoor space and fire pit.

Slow mornings (well as slow as they can be when you wake up early)

If you are looking for a romantic getaway, a fun place for a family reunion, the perfect spot for a wedding, birthday getaway or a family adventure Lakedale is a unique property in that it can accommodate all these things. Traveling during the off season is my favorite, but Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall you really cannot go wrong at Lakedale Resort.