Category Archives: Sarah

Oliver, Photo, Sarah

Working it Out

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This morning Oliver came to me in the kitchen for his morning snuggle, and we were walking past the string of paper bags we have up for masks for everyone in our family who goes to school everyday (see the picture below). I walked past while holding him and he said, “Wait! Go back!”, and looked at the bags. He said, “Sunday starts with, S, right?” I said yes, and he stared and stared at the bag with my name on it, slowly whisper-sounding out the letters, with a confused look on his face (I believe expecting the letters would sound out to Sunday). And he repeated the sounds and finally his face brightened up and he exclaimed: “Sarah! That says Sarah! That’s your name!”

Daily COVID masks for the family.
Andrew, Griffin, Maggie, Oliver, Photo, Sarah, Travel

Christmas 2021

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We decided to take the risk of traveling this Christmas after two years of staying put. We flew to Bethesda to visit Andrew’s parents (known to the kids as “Grummy and Grandpa Stape”). Andrew’s brother, David, also visited with his family (Nancy, Raven, and Max). We were nervous about COVID the whole time, but multiple self-tests have come out negative, so we think we made it.

We avoided indoor activities beyond the family, but had a great time skating and exploring the National Mall. Pictures below capture a bit of the spirit (click on them for larger versions).

And, a video of Raven and Nancy doing a spin on the ice:

Andrew, Griffin, Maggie, Oliver, Photo, Sarah

First Family Ski

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We had our first big snow of the season on Friday. Time to try out the family skis. I’ve been joking that we can ski right out from our back door. While this is true, we decided that the front door was a better staging location due to the porch. But we were able to truly put the skis on right outside the door and then ski around the house, into the back hard, and into the woods.

The trail behind the house is an unofficial path that goes along the ridge over Battle Creek, meeting up with the real trails after about a quarter mile. There were some fallen trees over the path, but over Thanksgiving, Jeff (Sarah’s dad) brought up his chainsaw and we cleared them out. Now there’s just one awkward gully where you need to remove your skis and tromp in boots. Otherwise, it’s a clear shot from the house to the groomed trails in the park. Pretty amazing!

Andrew, Griffin, Maggie, Oliver, Photo, Sarah

Roy Virtual Gathering

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I found this screenshot while cleaning up my computer today. It’s from a Roy virtual get-together on March 14, 2021. Some of us were having fun with virtual backgrounds.

It’s odd to think that in the five+ months since this shot was taken, two of the three Roy-boy families have moved into new homes.

Andrew, Griffin, Maggie, Oliver, Photo, Sarah

Du Nord 2021

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We spent the final week of July at Camp Du Nord family camp. This was our third trip, and we all agreed that it was our favorite one. The weather was fantastic, despite the wildfire smoke, and the kids were at good ages to maximize their fun. Oliver had no separation anxieties when he joined his age-group for morning activities, often scampering off to get there early before Sarah and I were ready.

Some highlights of the trip included:

  • Polar bear plunge — we woke up every morning to run into the lake with a bunch of other howling campers. The kids were extremely excited about this.
  • Seeing the kids being increasingly independent and excited about being outdoors.
  • Inkle weaving and making friendship bracelets.
  • Numerous hikes on the North Arm trails. This area is on a triple continental divide. Depending on where you hike, water may flow north to Hudson Bay, east to the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River, or south to the Mississippi.
  • Canoeing in a 25-foot replica of a Voyageur canoe.
  • Playing a spooky role-playing game adventure on our screen porch during a thunderstorm.
  • Intense Yahtzee and Farkle games.
  • Ice cream at the camp store.
  • Seeing our friends, the Browns, as well as a number of Andrew’s former students (some of whom are Du Nord staff now).
  • Watching Oliver scamper over the “Goat Trail” at high speed.
  • Swimming in the cool lake after spending time in the sauna.
  • Finding the fabled “Bonzo Block” on our last day. (It’s hidden somewhere in camp with a cryptic clue released every morning.)

The only bummer about the trip was the smoke in the air from the Canadian wildfires. It was pretty intense, often making the sun and moon appear orange or red.

We also had some insane red squirrels who would drop pine cones on our cabin every morning at around 6:00. They sounded like gunshots as they ricocheted off the steel roof!