Seattle Trip - Part One

We left on August first to go see the Wanners in Washington.  We did a stop over in Meridian with Grammy and Grampy Hall to help break up the drive and so Mommy could do her 11 mile training run Saturday morning.  The drive went well.  the in-car dvd players Jeremy got for his birthday were a lifesaver.  Tommy was super happy to stop near Yakima and get an ice cream cone! 

On Sunday we had a big family dinner with the Thulins.  All the kids loved playing in the water and running around together.  Mommy and Daddy left the party early to check in at a hotel in Seattle for a little 15th anniversary getaway.

 

Our hotel was trying hard to be trendy and the room was very small - but since Jeremy had to do some training in Seattle, his work paid for it - so we weren't about to complain.  We had some excitement one night.  An old Asian woman who didn't seem to speak any English came down our hall knocking on every door and yelling for someone.  We opened our door to try and help her but she was startled that we weren't the people she was looking for.  She didn't apologize, she just kept knocking and yelling.  We thought about calling the front desk but suddenly the noise ended.  She woke us up around 1:30 a.m. and it was tough to get back to sleep.  Oh the joys of city living....NOT!

Jeremy's training went well.  It ended early almost every day so we got to have lunch together and spend the afternoons together too.  Christine got to sleep in, explore downtown, read, and just enjoy a break from being a mom for a few days.  Jeremy's quest for the ultimate burger led us to Relish Burger Bistro at the foot of the Westin in downtown on our first day.  We ordered their signature burgers, onion rings, and a grapefruit-rosemary dry soda.  Everything was delicious, but the bacon was a bit too salty.  The burgers were not disappointing, but not perfect.  Guess we'll have to keep searching.  The soda was so refreshing.  Mommy is still craving the taste.

The service was super slow at the restaurant.  So we pounded down our burgers and then walked/ran a mile and a half to the waterfront to join Puna and Papa and the kids on a ferry ride.  We missed it by three minutes and had to wait 45 minutes for the next ferry.  Mommy was so sad to miss Annie and Tommy's first ferry ride.

We love the sea swirl Puna's hair is doing in this picture.

Puna and Papa took good care of everyone on the ferry.  Tommy wasn't so sure about it at first, but ended up having a good time.  Since they had to wait for us, they got to spend a little time at the beach.

The kids were so excited to show us all the shells they found and tell us about the crabs Papa kept catching.

On the island we stopped at a little Mexican restaurant for dinner.  Daddy saw a vending machine that sells fuzzy mustache stickers and couldn't resist.  Tommy looked so darn cute in it, but he started crying and got frustrated when he couldn't get it off.  Lily and Annie were happy to give it a try.  I love that Annie has it on crooked and off-center.  Too cute.  The serving staff were laughing at the kids taking turns with it.

 Mommy was very happy to ride back with the kids and share that experience with them.

 

Tommy was all smiles and curiosity.  He wanted to look at and touch everything.  People all around us kept commenting on how beautiful he is.  He really liked the ferry and all the nice people.  Lily got a little cold and found a warm place out of the wind to take a rest.  Puna was tired from her first full day of grandma duty and opted to take a nap in the car.  After our ferry ride, we drove to Fremont to see the troll!

The girls were a little scared of the troll at first.  They weren't sure if he would suddenly talk or move.  Once they were satisfied he wouldn't do anything to surprise them, they climbed up to explore.  But Lily kept her stick handy just in case!  We said goodbye that night and the kids went back home with Puna and Papa.

Whew.  That was a long post and it only covered the first two days - more to come soon.

August Catch Up

We spent the first two weeks of August on vacation - not a bad way to start the month, but it sure messed with our little family routine.  When we came back home, the kids were grumpy, Mommy and Daddy were tired, and all of us were in a funk that lasted almost the rest of the month.  Now that we've been home a while, and all of our summer adventures are over, we're feeling well rested and back to our normal selves.  Annie has been a great helper lately and loves cooking with Mommy in the kitchen.  She was especially proud of some french bread we made together.  The loaves look as big as she is!

 We been having friends over a lot.  All of our friends missed us while we were away.  Less than an hour after we got back from our trip, the neighbors came knocking.  Mommy is sort of excited for the routine of school and how it will limit the amount of friends who come to play every day.  It will be nice to have more quiet time with Annie and Tommy while Lily is away.

Jeremy got to go white water rafting with his coworkers.  He is at the top of this picture in the sunglasses, in the last row of people.  The weather was cool and rainy that day, but since they were in the river, it didn't matter much.

We were happy to get back to our garden.  Everything grew about a foot (or more) while we were gone.  We have squash coming out our ears.  We eat it at least twice a day.  We're ready to pull up the plants.

 And of course we were happy to see Uncle Brady again.  No one plays with the kids like Brady does.  They look forward to his Sunday visits.

On one especially grumpy day - after lots of kid fighting and time-outs, Mommy packed all the kids up and took them to a park.  It was just what the kids needed.  They played super hard and stopped fighting with each other.  Then they all fell asleep on the way home and took a good long nap.  Lily conquered the monkey bars for the first time.  And Tommy was fearless on the slides.  He quickly figured out how to climb them all by himself and just played on the slides for 40 minutes.  I love the last picture of Annie.  Someday when she's 25, we'll look back at this picture and I have a feeling she'll practically look the same.

Annie was happy to get back to our kitchen and make bread with Mommy again.  She loves our homemade bread.

 Mommy learned how to can green beans with my friend Katie Wells.  It was a fast process and not nearly as messy or involved as canning fruit.  Since the kids and Daddy love canned beans, we will plant more next year and try canning again.

Our washing machine broke.  It stopped spinning and draining.  We decided that the lid switch was probably out.  Jeremy looked up some videos and links on how to fix it and was able to take care of the problem for free.  What a handy guy!

Time with Lily Bug at home all day long is growing short.  We are all so excited for this next chapter in her life to begin.  But Mommy is really struggling with the thought of Lily leaving.  Have we done enough to teach her and prepare her?  Will she make friends?  Will she handle the Spanish immersion OK?  Does she know hoe much we love her and just want her to be happy?  Will the kids at school be kind?  Will her teacher be great?  So many questions.  They grow up so fast.