Oyster Dome...

Wow, what an amazingly gorgeous day to carry on the Mother's Day hike tradition.  I can't even remember when the hikes started, but let me take you down memory lane.  Check out 2014, Rained out of hike 2013, 2012, 2011 hike canceled due to sick child, 2010, 2009, don't know why I don't have a Mother's Day post from 2008, and 2007.  And I know the tradition began before then, but 2007 is when I began blogging. Fortunately we live in such a beautiful area that we will never run out of new adventures!

Last night Joshua came home from school (at least for two weeks), so the celebrating began. Following family worshiping together at church, lunch took place at a quaint restaurant called Tweets, on the way to our hike. Today had to have been one of my top three hikes (Hanakapiai Trail has to be at the top). It's called Oyster Dome, and it was also probably the toughest the entire family has done together, being 6.5 miles and gaining nearly 2000 feet. We weren't too out of breath though, as I got to spend time chatting with each child individually on the hike without any electronics interfering.

We started here...

Fun along the way...

 The next trail really starts to increase in the grade. Notice how they are both a little fuzzy? I didn't realize that the camera lens to my phone was wet with sweat in my pocket!

Jaelyn striking a pose from Lord of the Rings...

And the payoff; the amazing views from the top!

 The sun was too bright for this next selfie, so you can't see the Skagit flatlands in the distance behind us. Was a beautiful view with the variegated greens of the farmlands in the backdrop.

We finished the day off by eating cheese curds and milkshakes at the Fidalgo Drive In. I won't identify whom had what though....

If you notice, someone is missing from the photos this day. That's because Kaia was in Utah this weekend for a regional meet. Sure wish she could've been with us, but I know she was making her own memories. More on that later.