Brandaddy & Co.: Olympia Trip Recap

It started with an early morning. A really early morning. I was up at 4:20AM, and we were out the door by 4:40. "We" was me and Bennett. We made it to the gate with just about 5 minutes to spare. The flight to Chicago was pretty painless. Chicago to Seattle was a little longer - nearly 4 hours - but Bennett was awesome! She played with some princess dolls for the first couple hours, and then put on my hoody sweatshirt and slept soundly for about 1:45. I was uncomfortable for most of that time because I didn't dare move and disrupt her sleep.

Once we got to the Menard house, we spent the rest of the afternoon settling in. Mostly, that involved Bennett playing with Ella's toys. I think the only time she took a break from her strict playing regimen, was to eat. And she ate really well, too, even trying some new things. Speaking of eating, the whole weekend was one big delicious feast.

We had fresh, grilled coho and sockeye salmon, homemade sticky buns, blueberry muffins made from scratch, and piles of sinful dessert. I did not go hungry.

I got to play golf on Saturday morning with my Uncle Kevin, brother-in-law Jake, and his dad, Pierre. We all had our good and bad moments, and thoroughly enjoyed the round. Numerous poor shots were mitigaged for me by the fact that scenery was just outstanding. Also, the cool (cold) temps were pretty refreshing, having come from the oppressive Midwest heat. While we were playing golf, Papa and Jake's mom, Marjie, took Ella and Bennett to a working cider farm. The girls got to run around and check out lots of animals like goats, peacocks, and chickens. The evening was spent playing and eating more. I did, however, manage to get Bennett to have some quiet time in her own room. She handled it very well.

Sunday was the big day. The baptism went pretty smoothly, all things considered. The setting was serene and gorgeous. The priest was young and energetic. And it was wonderful to have so much family around for the occasion. Lots of eating and drinking followed! Throughout the weekend, it was hard to tell when one meal ended, and the next began. That's how I like it.

A few other highlights for me included getting a tasty cider at Jake's favorite watering hole - The Fishtale Brewery - with Dad, Pierre, and Jake. I hope we can do that more often.

Also, I snuck out early Monday to explore some trails in Capitol Forest at a spot called Rock Candy Mountain. It was a chilly 55F, and probably even colder as I climbed another 2000ft into the mountains along gorgeous trails and endless logging roads. Though I wasn't rewarded with any spectacular vistas because of the cloud cover, I was treated to about 3 straight miles of downhill running at one point during my descent.

Laura and I are both honored to be in the role of Godparents for Bridgette. Bennett and I are particularly grateful that the Menards were such gracious hosts for our visit, too. Thanks, all! Can't wait to see you in Spokane for Christmas.