Table of Contents

Table of Contents Dear Reader Letter Introduction to My Favorite Holiday Experience My Favorite Holiday Experience Introduction to Jones Island Jones Island Introduction to Andrea and James Andrea and James Introduction to Cleaning My Messy Closet Cleaning My Messy Closet Introduction to Planning Our Family Campout Family Camp Out

Family Camp Out

Every year we look forward to our annual family camp out. There is so much enthusiasm that we start planning right after the holidays. This gives everyone something to look forward to while surviving the rest of the dreaded winter. If planned right with all involved, it can turn out to be a very pleasant and enjoyable experience.

The first thing we do is figure out where we want to go. We start looking on the Internet for campsites in both Western and Eastern Washington. We know from past experience that the weather is never predictable in Western Washington, so we usually go east due to the fact that it is always warmer and less rain. We have also learned that if you don't make your reservations around January or February and just go somewhere, you will most likely not get in because they fill up quickly. We try to plan the trip for the middle of August. It seems to work out best with everybody's schedule.We then find a spot where we are sure to find a variety of things to do either at the site itself or near-by. Oh yeah, did I happen to mention it has to be big enough to accommodate close to thirty people and six dogs?

Our next step is planning the menus. This way we know exactly what we need to buy which saves on money and waste. For our first night there, I will usually bring a big pot of spaghetti because everyone is arriving at different times. It can get hectic with setting up all the tents, pumping up air-mattresses, and putting things away. Each family gets to choose what dinner will be on a specific night. For instance my oldest son Tim and his family may choose steaks, and then Rob and his family will want barbecue ribs on the next night followed by Chris and his group that likes to have fresh halibut and salmon. My group usually ends up with the last night, so we fix hamburgers and hot-dogs.

We don't worry about who will cook and who will clean. It has become a tradition that the guys will do the cooking the entire trip while the ladies sit around the campfire. Usually with a drink in hand, not a bad set up, "don't you think?" As far as the clean up goes, every family is responsible for keeping their area clean and the dishes done.

Once the menu is set we figure out what supplies will be needed, from cooking utensils to clothing. You would be amazed at the amount of stuff that is brought by each individual group. The easiest way is to make a list of dishes you need, spices, cooking utensils, and pots and pans.Don't forget the towels and wash-cloths, as well as a first-aid kit. The kids like to give me a bad time because I have a tendency to over-pack. You just never know when someone may get cut prepping food or when one of the little ones might run and fall down while playing. Its funny how they give me a hard time but I always hear, "Mom do you have such and such that I can use?" I figure you can never have too many sweatshirts or socks, and first aid items. I guess it's a mother thing!

And last but not least, we plan different theme nights. One night is pajama night. The next night is hat night. Our last night there, which is a favorite of the young adults, is called Beer Pong Night. I always pick the pajama theme. That's where all the couples have to wear matching pajamas. I can usually get a good variety at Wal-Mart or Target. I also try to get enough for everyone over the age of eighteen. Last summer was the first time that we included the young single adults. We got quite a kick out of which young adult males matched. They were great sports about it and mentioned that they look forward to doing it again this year. I also get the girls funky looking flip-flops to wear. This year I plan on having it so each family matches and then take family pictures to share. On hat night the small kids get to take foam visors along with a large variety of stickers and make any kind of hat they like. Everyone has to wear one, no exceptions. By letting the kids do this theme it makes them feel like they are apart of it all and it keeps them busy for a while. The last night there is "Beer Pong Night." If you haven't heard of it before, it is a game that the young adults especially enjoy playing. What it entails is taking an object that looks like a floating air mattress with a lot of cup holders. Then taking plastic cups and placing them in the mattress. I believe there is four or five rows on each end. You fill the cups a little over half-way with beer. You have a team on each end with two ping pong balls .They try and toss the balls to the opposite side of where they are standing and land it in the beer. If it goes in, the other team has to drink that beer. You win when you make the opposite team drink all the beer on your side. It can get a little loud and crazy. Especially if you have girls against guys and the girls win.

To some people it may seem like a lot of planning and organizing for just four or five days, but in the long run you will find that it's well worth it. It saves from having to take extra trips to the store while you're there because something was forgotten. It's the one time a year that we get to spend quality time together, forget about work, and just let our hair down. I'm not sure if the grandchildren will continue coming once they have grown and have families of their own, but I hope so. Having family bonding time is important, if for no other reason than to reconnect with each other. By taking the time to plan ahead and work things out, it leaves you more leisure time to just sit back and "Chill"

Jones Island

Up in the beautiful San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington is an island called Jones' Island that Bill, my boyfriend, and I discovered a few years ago on one of our trips exploring the different Islands. Our first time pulling into the cove in our 1995 23' Cabin Cruiser was like nothing I had ever seen before. The water was calm and smooth as glass. As we anchored and stepped from the boat, we felt the wooden dock creak and sway under our feet.

The gnarly, windswept, weathered pine trees around us must have stood 100 feet tall with trunks of red bark. The high rocks seem to shield the island and made you feel like you were in a secret hide-away. I glanced up towards the top of the trees and spotted an adult make bald eagle with his beautiful brown body and majestic white head looking out towards the open waters as though he were guarding the island from danger. We walked up the wooden dock towards the shore, and I could hear the water slapping against the piling as I watched the the sea otters swimming down below. There was a strong scent of sea water and seaweed all around. The seagulls walked along the rock-filled, sandy shore looking for food. I liked the fact that the island was still somewhat primitive and natural. The contrast is so different compared to some of the larger Islands such as Roche Harbor and Orcas Island that caters to the upper-class weekend boaters. They are so over-crowed it would be like being on the water at Lake Union during Seafair.

We happened upon sites surrounded by lush green grass and fire pits that could be used for picnics and day-hikers or for setting up a tent and saying the night. One night bill and I, along with our fellow boaters, all gathered around the camp fire and shared a glass of wine and stories about each other's boating adventures. Not far from the sites, on an open field, you could see several small white tail deer grazing in the grass. They seemed so relaxed and unafraid. It was as if they knew they were safe and that the humans were not going to them.

The next day we decided to go for a hike and followed the trail that was lined with wild flowers and bright red, yellow, and green foliage. Over a small hill we came upon a small apple orchard. Just down the hill from the orchard was a beach lined with different shapes and sizes of driftwood lying all around. Scattered amongst the driftwood there was a variety of coral white and pearl shells in different sizes. If you looked hard enough, you just might find one that hadn't been broken up when it was washed to ashore.

I knew right away that this was a place I would enjoy coming back to time and time again with its quiet atmosphere and calming nature, as well as the camaraderie of all the boaters we have come to know on our visit to Jones' Island.

Cleaning My Messy Closet

Every spring I go in my bedroom and take on the dreadful task of cleaning my walk-in-closet. I start in the morning after I've had two rather large cups of coffee; I do this to give myself a jump start.

First, I take all the clothes off the hangers and lay them on my bed.; Then I gather all the clothes on the shelves and add them to the pile. I pull out all the shoes and lay them on the floor beside the bed. Believe me, you may think that this is no big deal, but you have never seen my shoe collection.
Next, I get a chair out of the dining room and climb up and start removing all the gifts for family and friends that I have purchased over the months, off the top shelf. As I move towards the back of the closet I run across the left-over wrapping paper and ribbon from Christmas that didn't get stored in the garage like I thought, oops! The last step to prepping is dragging out the vacuum and cleaning the floor.

Now comes the really fun part. I get to start sorting everything on the bed. I begin by deciding if it still fits or not. If I try it on and it isn't comfortable to wear, it goes in the pile to donate to the women's shelter. You are probably asking yourself, "Why not keep them in case you lose the weight you gained?" I know there is no-way I am ever going to get around to taking off the extra pounds I gained over winter. I didn't like exercising when I was young and I'm not about to start now.

Once that is completed I start the task of putting it back. Funny,, I have extra hangers left over. You know what that means, "Shopping Trip." I have found that using baby hangers to hang slacks and jeans on take up less room and the hangers won't sag under the weight. Once everything is hung back up and put on the shelves, I match up the shoes and place them under the clothes.

The final step is putting the gifts and things back up on top shelf for safe keeping until it's time to wrap them for someone special. When it is all done I have the satisfaction knowing I have accomplished this dreadful task again for another year.

Andrea and James

As Andrea and James sat in the hidden garden, which was their special hide-a-way, far from the people passing by. James reached for Andrea's hand and whispered softly in her ear, "I was hoping that you would do me the honor of attending the Governor's Ball with me next week?"

Andrea looked at him lovingly but sad and stated, "I wish you had asked me earlier!" Unfortunately, she would have to say no.

When James looked at her with sadness in his eyes and asked her, "but why not?"

She stated reluctantly, "I already told my husband I would go with him!"

Introduction to Planning Our Family Campout

I know that we are only required to submit four articles but I have decided to add my last major writing assignment. This was a "How To" assignment. We were to describe how to do something from start to finish. I feel it was one of my best papers and I wanted to show how much my writing had improved since we started on January 4th. I never really realized how much a story can change or become more interesting just by the way it is written.

I know that everything I have learned will benefit me one way or another in my classes that are coming up in the near future. I have enjoyed this class more than I realized I would.

After reading this article you should have all the steps you need for planning a family camp out with a large group of people. Again, thanks for taking the time to read my stories.

Introduction to Cleaning My Messy Closet

After spending quite a lot of time reading my different blogs, journals,, and major writing assignments, I chose for my fourth piece a journal paper I wrote about how to clean my messy closet.

We were asked to write a paper on how to do something from beginning to end in a step by step process. We did this around the 20th of February. By this time I feel I have learned enough to accomplish what we were asked to do including putting things in cronological order from start to finish. I have learned far more than I thought I would. This process has not always been easy for me, especially trying to come up with ideas and stories. It's amazing what you can remember from your childhood if you try hard enough.

As with the others, I hope you enjoy this story as well. Thank you for taking time to read my e-portfolio.