[Six] Tickets to Paradise

Check out Am's amazing photography skills
while driving (riding in the car)! You go, Am!

Rich and Am came up last weekend and met Darwin and me at Mt. Rainier. Our pass from going with George was good for a week, so we got to go again with them. (Michael had to study.) We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. I've never seen the mountain so clearly up close; it's always been cloudier before.

The best part of the day? Snacking on an 8-pound box of fresh blueberries Rich and Am picked up at a roadside stand. Yum, yum! The worst? Not having Michael there, and not just because of his muscles. (We missed you, hon.)

We opted for the Grove of the Patriarchs trail again and were originally thinking about doing Silver Falls, too. After about five minutes of hiking, though, I wimped out; Michael usually packs Darwin around and the last time I had to do it for very long he was probably only four months old. He's a hefty little dude now in comparison. So, in conclusion, we did not go to Silver Falls and no one seemed too disappointed (especially not the adults, each of whom would've had to carry a child on the hike). 

The "Baby Brigade," as we were dubbed by passers-by on the trail.

As we were hiking along, lots of people wanted to talk to the babies. I probably chose a poor time to wear my "Cougars" hat since someone probably thought Am and I were Rich's polygamist wives. But anyway. Oh well. We were dubbed "the baby brigade" by two groups and "a baby parade" by at least one more, and were starting to take bets on which phrase would be said more often during the day. :)

Crossing the pretty green river.

swirlies.

 We ended the day with a short visit to Paradise. It was the clearest it's ever been for me. Amazing.

On a side note, Michael was singing that song practically the whole week ("Two Tickets to Paradise"). :)



Beautiful, clear day on the mountain.



On the car ride home, we got a chorus of crying--two that were "for real," and one from my cute nephew who just wanted to fit in with the rest of the kids. :) It's funny now. And it was sort of funny then, but only because we knew we only had a little ways to go before we could stop. Phew.

We survived

and so did they

and we had

such a lovely day.