The VanLaanens have a Summer camping tradition at Silver Springs. It’s not much in terms of ambitious mountaineering or taking the kids into the backcountry but it’s something of a start hopefully, and we’ve kept it up over most of the years of our marriage and family life. This particular National Forest Campground is located near Crystal Mountain Ski Resort serving as the perfect springboard to explore both the Paradise and Sunrise areas of Mt. Rainier National Park. We love to take our au pairs there as our big annual family camping holiday. They’re more accustomed to family holidays at the coast of Egypt or Croatia or Italy, but we take them to Silver Springs in our “tiny” “Auto” —as Lady Kitty and Lake would say, respectively.

This year, it was super special to introduce our new au pair, Linnéa from Sweden, to our beautiful nature and majestic peak so soon after her arrival in our country and our home, as well as to revisit our camping tradition with our first au pair Jo who was back for a visit with her Dutch-German longtime boyfriend Martin. She could introduce him as well, and we reminisced about our first camping expedition with Jo, Doreen and Baby Lake. It’s a bit of a christening into the VanLaanen family and the Pacific Northwest.

This year we rented a van to drive in addition to our tiny Auto to more comfortably accommodate our growing “family.” We camped two nights in our three tents. We had nearly enough sleeping gear to spread around among everyone. During the day we all piled in and drove to Paradise and back and from Sunrise to sunset. It was a wonderful experience. I think it’s safe to say fun was had by all.

When my pulchritudinous and highly accomplished second-cousin-once removed announced her save the date for the post-covid ceremony of her to her lovely Romanian husband, I may have stepped in and volunteered Lady Kitty to serve as their flower girl. In spite of the distance of our direct relation, I have been quite close to her family over the years. Her little sister served as flower girl in my previous wedding. So, I was thrilled for Lady Kitty when the couple agreed they would love to have Lady Kitty as their flower girl for their beach-chic wedding at the historic Golden Gardens Beach Bathhouse.

As the time drew nearer, I came to realize the folly in my thinking. It became apparent that Lady Kitty is actually a bit too young to perform solo or semi-solo in front of a crowd. We made some last ditch efforts to introduce her to the wedding party and to the entire concept of flower throwing. Michael and the bride’s good friend “MJ” gave heroic cameos in the flower girl training school. Alas, Lady Kitty walking by herself tossing flower petals from a flower basket was not meant to be. Due, however, to the graciousness of my cousin the bride, we pulled off a successful showering of preciousness to make way for the beautiful bride and her parents. (I walked along with them carrying Lady Kitty wearing her baby’s breath crown that she tore off at the last minute.)

What a lovely celebration! We wish the newlyweds all the best in their life together! And such a perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you! Professional photographers were present at the wedding, so perhaps additional photos to follow. In the meantime enjoy some royal cuteness!

After a wonderful summer of auntie, uncle, cousin and grandparents’ love, the kids are back in residence! Queue soundtrack…

Top Of The World (1973 Remix)CarpentersFrom the album Love Songs

Such a feelin’s comin’ over me 

There is wonder in ‘most every thing I see

Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes

And I won’t be surprised if it’s a dream

Everything I want the world to be

Is now comin’ true especially for me

And the reason is clear, it’s because you are here

You’re the nearest thing to heaven that I’ve seen

I’m on the top of the world lookin’ down on creation

And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around

Your love’s put me at the top of the world

Somethin’ in the wind has learned my name

And it’s tellin’ me that things are not the same

In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze

There’s a pleasin’ sense of happiness for me

There is only one wish on my mind

When this day is through I hope that I will find

That tomorrow will be just the same for you and me

All I need will be mine if you are here

I’m on the top of the world lookin’ down on creation

And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around

Your love’s put me at the top of the world

I’m on the top of the world lookin’ down on creation

And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around

Your love’s put me at the top of the world

SONGWRITERS: JOHN BETTIS, RICHARD LYNN CARPENTER

📸 Emily Hogan

Siblings at the fair! Precious to see Lake’s arm around Lady Kitty on the roller coaster! Summer fun times with Nana and Baba are coming to a close today. We can’t thank Nana and Baba enough for the gift of all these perfect days and memorable experiences together. ❤️

Camp NanaBaba also included as a finalé… a Robin Hood production. Lake made his own guitar and ran back and forth through Nottingham Forest beachfront. Nana played the ocarina from the attic along with the hats and cape. Nana reported, “The kids looked so great.” As an addendum, Lake did a Robin Hood archery show and shot both arrows about 25’. Great work thespians! Bravo! Bravo!

Coming into the final week of NanaBaba Summer Camp at the Lake. Has this Summer whizzed by for you too? A review of some of their fun exploits with photos by Nana. A perfect Summer at the Lake with lots of cousin time and full of NanaBaba activities… it’s all that Lake hoped for. And Lady Kitty was along for the ride… and to beginning to learn how to swim! Well done team, all around!

Looks like these four are having plenty of good fun! NanaBaba Camp Activities are in full swing! Look at that swimming train… and Lady Kitty says, “I do it!”

Well done! Thank you to grandparents extraordinaire, NanaBaba!

It really doesn’t get more Summertime siblings than this photo by Nana. Due to the extreme graciousness and seemingly boundless energy of NanaBaba, the kids get to enjoy a Summer of freedom at the lake place. This is their dream as well as a lifetime dream of mine especially to have my daughter spend her Summer there at the age of two. I was also two when my older brother and I spent a month at the lake cabin alone with our grandparents for the first time. It became a annual tradition for the next 13 years and built many warm memories, and remains my happy place.

There’s nothing quite like the love between grandparents and grandchildren. ❤️

Many many thanks to Lynn and Duane for carrying the tradition torch and hosting Lake and Lady Kitty for their best Summer experience! So special!

These kids came back to the lower 48 today! We had a short and sweet meeting at the airport. They were dressed in fleece jackets and had to quickly adjust for the heat! Bye bye cold rainy Alaska— hello heat wave!

After spending a week with Lady Kitty glued to him, Michael said, “now I know what it’s like to be you, Tolle!” As far as appendages go, she’s a really lovely one.

Then he continued, “I’ve had plenty of time to observe her this week I’ve concluded… she’s a lot like you, Tolle.”

“Oh?” Of course I want to hear more. To me she’s confident, funny, strong, grounded, keenly observant, and pragmatic.

“She likes to hold hands.”

Yes she does! And with that quick turnaround the kids are off to The Lake with NanaBabaa!

A perfect moment, I’m glad I spent it with you!

Lake and Lady Kitty are with Michael in Alaska while I hold down the home-front. Specifically they’re in Ketchikan visiting Michael’s sister Kendra, her husband Simon, (who’s from Liverpool), and their two boys who are a bit older than Lake. They’re a lovely family, funny and relaxed and there are toys everywhere. Lake has been looking forward to this cousin time for weeks. (And Michael his sister time). It’s a wonderful scene.

Lady Kitty reports on air travel. Plane. Uh. Up. Down. Up. Down. Uh. (They encountered turbulence.) As they deplane immediately Michael senses there is less going on in the air. Notes of ocean and trees on the breeze are noticeable.

Michael needs earplugs so a trip to the store is in order. Lady Kitty beelines to the shoe aisle. She starts trying on shoes.

Uh. Too big. Uh. She opens boxes, evaluates and tries different pairs on.

She takes the pink sparkly boots she walked in wearing and lines them up on the shelf. She’s found the perfect new pair instead. She’s ready to go. The whole takes 15 minutes.

“We bought her the shoes. We had to.”