Lena Lake Hike

 Dave decided that we should do an "easy" hike with our whole family up to Lena Lake.  We went up after lunch since it was a half-day at school.  Poor Kaitlyn was car sick about five minutes before we got to the trail head.  She felt better as soon as we were out of the van though.

It is a 3 mile hike up the the lake.  I carried Ellie in a front pack while Dave helped (and sometimes carried) Kaitlyn up the mountain.  Cody and Abi hiked the whole way on their own two feet.

This is the first time I have been hiking since last summer and that was a short hike, so I am not conditioned for a six mile hike right now.  It was really hard, but I kept telling myself to keep going.  I was really afraid that if I stopped I wouldn't be ABLE to keep going.  By the time we got to the lake my feet were tingling and  my legs HURT A LOT!  The kids were troopers and did great.  While Ellie and I rested at the viewing area above the lake Dave took the other kids a little farther down closer to the lake.  While they were gone I fed Ellie and tried to fend off a chipmunk who was determined that I was gonna feed it.  I tried throwing some little rocks toward it to scare it off, but it just thought I was throwing food and kept coming back, so I gave up and it just kept creeping closer trying to find food.

After about 30 minutes or so we headed back down the mountain.  It was starting to rain a little bit so Dave and the three older kids booked it down the mountain and Ellie and I took it slower.  They ended up getting to the van about five minutes ahead of me.  Then we drove to the Halfway House restaurant in Brinnon.  The food was pretty good.  Several people came in who oohed and aahed over the kids.  It was pretty funny.  Almost like they never saw a family with four kids or something.  Anyway, then we headed home.  As soon as we walked in the door Kaitlyn threw up again.  Apparently car sick again.  Over all a good trip.  As for me it is a good thing for pan away essential oil.  I rubbed it on my sore spots and was able to hobble around today (which was a good thing because we went to the zoo).

 Ellie and Daddy

   

The crew at Lena Lake

Mom and Ellie at Lena Lake