Mount Rainier

Ryan noticed a certain something in my eye over the last few days.  It may have been all that time I've spent with the kids without a break.  It could be all the boxes we've been packing.  It could also be the fact that at this point in time, it doesn't look like our house (the one we are in) is going to close on time.  I am in a state of limbo. 

I do not like being in limbo.  Uncertainty drives me crazy.  If I know the facts, I can plan and work.  Otherwise I obsess and lose sleep creating "what if" scenarios.

Ryan described the look in my eye as looking like a "caged animal."  He decided I needed to get away.  So this morning we drove to Mount Rainier for the day.

I was excited to go walk around at Paradise.  Even as we were driving up there, I could see the fields of flowers and was envisioning a lovely walk.

So imagine my feelings when Paradise was covered in snow.

The walkways around the visitors were clear, but the trails were covered in snow.  There were markers in the snow, but we were not equipped for winter walking. 

The kids enjoyed throwing snow and slush balls at their parents.

But seriously, there was a lot of snow.

So we drove back down the mountain to where there were clear hiking trails.  (This picture below I took on the road.  I got Ryan to stop in the middle of the road so I could get it.  Not bad, eh?)

 We took the Box Canyon trail.

Then we took the Grove of the Patriarchs trail.  To get there, we had to go over this suspension bridge.  It was a one person at a time kind, so we sent Emma and Elizabeth over by themselves.  Emma isn't keen on bridges, but she did it.

At the halfway point, we stopped for a snack.  Angry bird graham crackers.

Afterwards, we took a trail to Silver Falls. 

 The kids did amazing.  They did all that walking, and we didn't get the stroller out once.  We had to carry the twins over the worst of the uphill walking on the last trail back to the car (whew, I'm not in that good of shape...).  It was a great day.

We drove a little ways before stopping for a picnic dinner.  While I was assembling sandwiches, the camera was slung over one of my shoulders.  I thought Emma was knocking the lens cap off and putting it back on.  Turns out, she was taking pictures.

While we were eating dinner, a friend of ours drove past, recognised our van and turned around.  I'm impressed they knew it was our Kia on the side of White Pass when they didn't know we would be there.  They were headed to Mount Rainier to camp.  Luckily for them they found us.  They forgot bug spray, and we gave them ours.