Seattle Vacation

We returned Friday from our 10 day vacation in the Seattle area. The highlight of (and reason for) our trip was Rick's wedding in Mount Vernon on July 25th. We also did/visited the following: Dash Point Beach, Fort Nisqually, Point Defiance Rose Garden, Pacific Science Center, the Calico Cupboard and Rick & Angela's new home in La Conner, a family BBQ at Mike & Marianne's, Grandma Carol & Grandpa Rod's home in PeEll WA, Grandpa Arthur's family and Aunt Denise, Josh and Ben in Tigard OR, The Space Needle, Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince at the IMAX, The EMP/SciFi Museum, Waterfront Shops (Ye Old Curiosity Shop, etc.), Ivar's for lunch and to feed the seagulls, an incredible Harbor Cruise and the Seattle Aquarium. It was the most fabulous vacation we've ever taken! Here are a few of our favorite pictures:

Our 3rd Grader

Can you believe he's in 3rd grade!!? The highlights of his final weeks of 2nd grade include an Authors' Tea where he shared his writings, and a perfect (straight O's for "Outstanding") report card!

Elementary Graduation

Congratulations to our 6th grader who will be entering middle school in August! Highlights of her last month of elementary school include a musical, a pool party, and the promotion ceremony. But perhaps the biggest highlight was her final report card. . . . straight A's!!

Do you recognize the Oompa Loompa?

Fishing Trip

On June 6th, Marc and the kids went fishing with the Cub Scouts.  They caught six fish, and we ate them for dinner that same night.

New Friends

Our Wonderful Easter

What's in a towel?  Well, when it comes from one of the kindest, spunkiest and most wonderful kindred spirits you've ever known, love is most definitely in it :-)

By far, our best part of Easter week was seeing our good friends, the Ritters, who were here Thursday into Friday.  We marvel to think of how much we owe to these wonderful people, who taught us and set an example for us (even when we were supposed to be doing that for them).  They are a part of many of our treasured memories, and the influence behind many of our current family traditions.  It was so good to see them and the only hard part was letting them go!

Our Easter was blessed with family time, good food, and focus on our Saviour.  We enjoyed our annual egg hunt, played games, had a steak dinner, and took a virtual field trip (via Google Earth) to Jerusalem where we watched an Easter movie.

Today is our final day of Spring Break, and as I look back on these few days off I do so with a smile :-)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Those silly Leprechauns made mischief at our house last night, and we woke to a very different atmosphere, complete with green milk!  They also left behind some of their Irish spirit, which prompted the kids and I to create a little silliness of our own: