Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest I feel most alive surrounded by trees and breathing in the fresh mountain air.
When I am not working you will most likely find me spending time outdoors, volunteering with my church and exploring this beautiful planet with my family.
This is my place to share my passion for life and to encourage you to take time to find the extraordinary in your life.
All tagged Fall
On Jasper's birthday we paid a visit to the Seattle Japanese Garden at the Arboretum. The Seattle Japanese Garden is a 3.5 acre park located in the Madison Park neighborhood of Seattle. The garden is located in the southern end of the Washington park Arboretum on Lake Washington Boulevard East. The last time I visited the Seattle Japanese garden Jasper was a few short weeks away from being born. It was fun to be able to take him on such a glorious day for his first visit. The sun was shining, the leaves were gorgeous shades of red, yellow and orange. One of the gardeners was even kind enough to let Jasper rake the leaves for a few minutes. As I watched Jasper successfully maneuver a rake almost twice his size I could tell this was a highlight of his day. I love how children don't view anything as work- just play.
Fall is not complete without a trip to Gordon Skagit Farm. If I could create a pumpkin patch of my dreams this would be the place. From fresh cider to apple picking and more varieties of pumpkins and gourds than I have been able to find anywhere else. Each year we come here my heart is so full with love for the season I think I smile throughout our entire visit.
For the past four years we have made it an annual tradition to visit Carpinito Brother's Pumpkin Patch in Kent. We like the rows and rows of u-pick pumpkins, the bountiful produce stand and the large selection of gourds and mums. Everything is a bit more hectic with a busy toddler, but also a bit more of an adventure. During our visit there was lots of running, plenty of snack breaks and loads of smiles. I could tell Jasper felt like a pretty big deal riding around in the wheelbarrow with his sunglasses on. As he gets older and the world tries to diminish he sense of self, I hope he always remembers what a big deal he is to me.
Last week, we were craving some Fall fun, so we packed up the car and made the trek to The Farm at Swan's Trail in Snohomish. Since I had not done much research before we went, I was impressed with the variety of activities to do and how much fun Jasper and I had. We had so much fun in fact, we made certain to take Cameron back earlier this week. At The Farm at Swan's Trail there are hay rides, gigantic slides, a sand box with trucks and diggers, a corn box (think ball pit but with corn kernels) a rubber duck race, pigs, goats, a cow, a miniature horse, a gigantic inflatable pillow (think trampoline), a corn maze in the shape of Washington state, a pumpkin patch and apple picking. Jasper and I easily spent the better part of the day at Swan Trails Farm.
