Summers end

Here is a picture purge! It's mid-September and I still have not blogged about August, which was super busy! 

After Denver, literally 2 days later we packed up again and headed to Whidbey Island for our longtime friends Nikki & Mark's wedding. We met my parents and Adam's family there too to celebrate. My parents brought up a "birthday" bike for Eliza. She is getting better at the balance bike each times she uses its. 

Nikki and Mark wanted to sail their sailboat away from their reception but needed to moor it in the bay near the venue, so they asked us to join them for a couple hours of sailing from the harbor to the bay, only 9 nautical miles or something like that. This was my first time on a sail boat. I did not know I was going to be going so I was not prepared with extra layers or food. And Nikki and Mark thought we would be back in time to get dinner after... good thing we left the kids with our parents!

It was a beautiful day for a sail with Nikki!

Working on her "boat train" instead of tin cans, Odwalla bottles tied to a rope!

Nikki working hard.

The sunset was gorgeous! But it was getting cold!

This was about 3 hours into it...as the sun was setting we still had almost an hour to go...

Good thing the moon was bright and full!

Our 3 hour tour turned into almost 5 hours! We sailed in the dark. We sailed by the light of a weak flashlight and Iphone GPS. We had to moor the boat, a first for Nikki & Mark with this boat. We had to get into a small blow up dingy in the dark and row to the shore. I was not nervous about the whole thing until this. But we all made it. We left the hotel about 5pm and got back to it around midnight! Crazy. But I think we saved Nikki & Mark for killing each other the night before their wedding! We were a good buffer for the stress of sailing in the dark and having pretzels, nuts, and a beer for dinner. It was a gorgeous night for a ride in a sailboat though and we couldn't have done it with better friends on their wedding eve. 

Despite the extended sailing trip, they sure put on a great wedding, very true to Nikki & Mark. It was beautiful, simple, fun, great food, and a good time by all!

Nautical theme of course!

Adam was the lawn game master, of course! He even made the cutest little signs and rule cards for each game.

Brothers

The bride and groom.

Thanks Grammie Dani for helping out with Eliza's nap! You were awesome!

Announcement to ceremony.

The family!

The happy couple!

No rings, just knots!

My Eliza girl.

I don't want my picture taken!

Whoa, boob shot!

I can't believe it's been 15 years since we met on the lacrosse field at WWU (Ali, me, Nikki).

Getting ready to head to the beach to set sail!

That was the dingy that we all sailed in on the night before.

Away they go. Congrats Nikki & Mark!

Then we came home for 2 days before heading off again to camp with 5 other families. Crazy family fun. Lots of non-sleeping Shaffer children, smores, good food, naked kids, walks in the woods, and general camping fun! Next year we are getting an even bigger group site for 10+ families. Who's in?

What a kid crew! Miles, Quin, Bjorn, Uma, Silas, Alden, Corbin, & Eliza. We were missing Brody and the babies.

Quin got stung by nettles, Ouch!

We had two double sites, one with 7 tents and the other with all our food and cooking. And no one around us, it was perfect.

The whole gang!!!