If I were to describe summer 2024 in three words they would be:
- busy, like non-stop busy
- adventurous
- FUN
We started our summer at my parent’s house for my sister-in-law’s baby shower. Quinn got to dissect a Lingcod and was very intrigued. This was a quick trip as we had to get home to meet our housemate for the summer.
We had our family friend Ella stay with us this summer. She worked at Silverwood and enjoyed life with the Carter fam. It was special getting to have her here because I used to babysit her when she was itty-bitty. It was a full-circle moment.
Our friend’s daughter graduated high school, and we got to celebrate her. She was too cool for this picture, though. haha
Silverwood was on the list quite a few times this summer. Our family got to go with multiple different people – family and friends. Memories are always made. Our friends the Olsen’s always make a stop on their annual camping trip and this time Josh’s parents came to the park and wanted to ride the new Eagle Hunt water coaster. Everyone has to be weighed beforehand because there is a weight limit for the two people in the raft. I volunteered to ride with Josh’s dad. It was the craziest, fastest ride I have ever had on Eagle Hunt. We zoomed down that water coaster, beating Josh and Kyle. Josh’s dad was stoked and had to get a picture.
We got to go to Silverwood with our church friends on the last day that Boulder Beach was open for the year. We made lots of memories and laughed a lot. One of those laughs being the fact that Jordan stepped in as ‘Dynamite Dan’ in the Silverwood Train Show.
Here’s a montage of our Silverwood memories from all of summer.
Jordan and I supported our local North Idaho Young Life at their annual banquet. These are always so fun to go to because we get to see faces that we don’t get to see on a normal basis. Plus, where they host the banquet is dreamy.
We were also able to go to the Oregon Coast this year. My parents rent a house on the beach in Arch Cape, Oregon, just south of Cannon Beach. It’s always fun because all the family comes, and we get to chill, hang on the beach, eat yummy food, play lots of games, and make lots of memories.
The beach is so special because I grew up going every summer with my family. We have so many memories on the Oregon Coast. Every year, the beach is different with lots of different things to pick up and find. This year, the water would go so far out so we got to see a lot of starfish and anemones.
We visited Jordan’s grandma after that, and Quinn used her birthday money to buy a skateboard.
We celebrated Quinn’s birthday at our local tea cafe, where she and her friends had high tea. It was very sweet. Right after this, we went on our Epic Summer Vacation. To see all those pictures, you can visit these blog posts.
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Our church has a family camping weekend up at Farragut State Park. The weekend it was scheduled for was SO hot – think in the 100-degree range. We had to go back and forth to let our dogs out. But it ended up being a great reprieve from the heat. Jordan and I took turns doing this. We camped with our friends in tents, where we would stay up late around a campfire and play Conspiracy – a game that Jordan and his two cousins made. It was so fun, staying up until 1 am and laughing a lot.
Susan joined our family (heart swell.)
We all returned to my parents to spend the weekend – Jordan on a fishing trip with my dad, brother, and uncle, and me with the girls visiting the zoo across the border in B.C. and hanging out at home.
Quinn stayed the entire next week at my parents for her annual Nana and Papa week. She always has so much fun, and it’s a nice break for Jordan and I to hang out at home together. Quinn got to hang out with her cousin, Kora, all week. They had so many fun adventures!
Jordan was the DJ at our friend’s 30th birthday party, where the theme was 90’s night club. Jordan DJing started out as a joke but ended up real and it was awesome. We all had so much fun. I went for a 90s grunge look and Jordan did the baller look.
Of course, we went to the fair. Our friend’s band was playing on the main stage the same night we planned on going, so we ended up hanging out with friends the whole night. Quinn rode rides with a friend, which was so much fun. I also got hypnotized to prove hypnotism is real. It was hilarious, and what was even funnier was that our friend Rob did it with me, was under, then made eye contact with our friends in the audience, and he got out of it so quickly and then faked it the entire rest of the time. So, in the videos, he will do something the guy told us to do, and then he will look at the camera and make a face. It is hilarious.
We also did more renovations in our home that included new doors, trim and window treatments for our upstairs bedrooms. It’s so fresh! Here’s a sneak peek!
As fall approaches, we all are excited for the cozy times ahead, a slower pace, and being back in a routine. This summer was packed full of so much fun, and we are glad we enjoyed what we did. It’s time for some projects before winter, earlier nights, and yummy comfort food.