The Good, The Great, the Ugly

 After a five days at home from our trip to Idaho, we again loaded up our car and headed North, this time to Whidbey Island, a little slice of heaven off the coast of Seattle.

  

 Our good friends, the Austins, have a lovely home in Coupville, a small town with a wharf, ice cream shop and penny candy store.

After a five hour drive, we took the ferry boat to Whidbey

The Austins  have five kids; so with our four kids, it was quite a full house. 

The 13 of us piled on to their little boat and caught crab every day. I learned a lot about crab trapping. 

 

I like riding in the boat, but most of it I like to leave it to the experts. 

    

We also sped by the docks and said "hello" to the sea lions. 

The kids wandered around freely together. One of their favorite spots was picking blackberries nearby. 
Amber turned it into a fabulous blackberry pie. 

I loved everything about Whidbey. Even the sea rocks on the shoreline were beautiful. 

And Evelyn couldn't be happier spending all this time with her good friend Lyndsey. 

It was truly a wonderful, slightly chaotic time of fun, relaxation and friendship. 

A few days after we arrived home, we fancied ourselves up and watched our beloved former nanny, Amanda, walk down the aisle and marry her wonderful husband, Caleb. 

Our boys were dressed in suspenders and bow ties and walked down the aisle as the ring bearers;

 Evelyn was adorned in a beautiful flower crown and flowy flower girl dress.

The venue was a top a mountain in the Columbia Gorge. We couldn't ask for better weather. 

 

I wouldn't let the boys eat or drink a thing in their white shirts.

However, after the ceremony and pictures, they took full advantage of the ice cream bar.

 And Levi danced up a storm. 

The very next day we boarded a plane to Chicago. 

We spent a few days in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

It is truly a lovely place with gorgeous sunsets

and  

delicious Ice Cream! 

We also visited my grandma in the nursing home. It was great to see  her after a year and a half. 

We also met up with second cousins at Lake Michigan.  
I always forget how magical the lake is. 

And so then, we end our remaining few weeks of summer isolated at home with Covid. 

Yes, that's right. John fell sick and when we tested the family, James also was positive. He and John quarantined together in the basement, although James and zero symptoms. 

Then, I fell sick a week later 😔 

With all the quarantine guidelines and isolation...it's been quite a week.

I'm still in the midst of isolation, and although it's been tough being separated, my actual illness wasn't too bad. 

Well, we can just put one more thing that the Patton family has lived through to tell. 

Covid 2021: check.