Checking In

I haven't been spending much time in this space lately. Yes, we've been on vacation, and busy with other things, but I guess the root of the matter is that blogging just hasn't been a priority. However, I am working on revamping our daily schedule and recommitting to being committed to it, and am trying to set aside time in the day for writing and other personal development. Hopefully my family and friends will see more of me here! At least until the next change in plans!

Our family spent the first week in August on vacation with Aaron's extended family. Every other year we get together at Holden Village, a remote retreat in the heart of the Cascade mountains. To get to Holden, we have to leave the house at 4:15 am and drive four hours to Chelan. Then we get on a boat with all of our stuff and join the other "pilgrims" on a long ride up the lake.

We get off the boat at Lucerne, board ancient school buses with Holdenesque names such as "Pookie," and ride 11 miles up a bumpy gravel road (the only road for miles and miles) away from the lake and into the mountains. It takes most of the day to get there from here. If we didn't want to make this multi-vehicle trek, we could hike in from the western side, taking 3-4 days. Some of the cousins did that this year, as others have in the past, but we drove and boated it, and arrived tired and hungry in time for a late lunch and a nap.

I'll plan to share more about Holden in the coming days, but for now, I hope you enjoy these photos. Many of the pics from our vacation were taken by Aaron, who spent much of the time learning how to use the camera and various lenses.