Thursday, August 6, 2015

Day Trip to Seattle


A group of us got up early and caught the Bainbridge Island Ferry to Seattle to go exploring. It's always fun to stand on deck and watch the ferry leave and then watch it dock on the other side. Plus you get a great view of Seattle. Once we arrived we walked to Pike's Market. Since it was a Saturday it was extremely busy and we had a hard time keeping twelve of us together. We looked around the market, stopped by the gum wall, looked in little shops then decide to split up. We headed down by the water and ate lunch. After looking through a handful of shops we took the monorail to the Space Needle where there was a festival going on with lots of booths and entertainment. We met back up with Kristey, Mariah, Amanda and Sarah to ride the monorail back to downtown. Then we quickly walked to the ferry to catch the next one back. It was a fun day of exploring downtown Seattle.

Ferry to Seattle


Amanda and Kristy on the ferry

Ashley, Mariah and Sarah hiding from the wind

Owen and Mike on the ferry

Arriving in Seattle



Exploring Seattle

Busy Pike's Market

Mariah, Amanda and Sarah in Pike's Market

Checking out the gum walls

Yes, that is gum all over the walls.

Look at these pretty girls

Exploring under the Space Needle

Look what Owen caught



Catching the monorail back to downtown Seattle

Riding the monorail

Bye Seattle, on the ferry back to Bainbridge Island

Mike on the ferry

Warming up inside the ferry

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Kingston Family Reunion


We over loaded the car, wiggled ourselves into it and drove towards Seattle for Mike's family reunion. Mike had managed to get off work early so we decided to head up a day early. We arrived in Seattle late so we decided to drive around the peninsula to Kingston instead of taking the ferry across. We surprised everyone while they were playing games in Aunt Shelley's garage. We were the last family to arrive. We got to see Mike's nephew Carl, his wife Jennifer and their boys Cayden and Matthew for a day before they had to fly back to Alabama. A group of us went to downtown Seattle to explore (see next post for photos) then came back to Shelley's in time for dinner and an evening of partying. I believe the total count of people big and small was 25 at the house at one time. We had tents in the back yard, all the rooms full of sleeping bags and a borrowed trailer in the driveway. We all took turns making dinner and cleaning up. Shelley's garage was set up for lots of crafts, puzzles, and playing games. Shelley showed me how to make glass mosaics and I got started on one to take home. Mike, Ashley, Owen and I went to picked up Alysha from the airport and we all went to the Point Defiance Park Zoo and Aquarium. Throughout the week we took a few day trips to the beach, Fort Worden, and shopping. (See posts to follow for more information and photos about our day trips) It was a great week full of fun and family.

A week later we headed to Spokane to stay the night before heading to Kristey's son Richard's wedding in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. On the way there we stopped in Leavenworth to look at some of the shops and ate lunch. Once in Coeur d'Alene we went to visit Steven, Tree and Talynn for the morning. In the afternoon we all headed to Richard and Bonny's beautiful wedding. I took tons of wedding photos (see future post of Richard and Bonny's wedding). Then we had fun at the Rocker Room where Richard and Bonny were the DJs. Then next morning we stopped by the toy store and looked around at the Art in the Park on Lake Coeur d'Alene then drove home. It was a great weekend wrapping up a wonderful week.

Kingston Harbor

Mike, Matthew and Jennifer

Cousin Carl, Matthew and Owen

Matthew and Ashley

Owen and Cayden

Matthew and aunt Kristey

Audrey and Owen in the backyard

Landon, Kristey, Sarah, Matthew, Amanda and Mariah in the garage

Aunt Carla working on a puzzle

Ashley, Alyse, Alaina and Layla playing a game

Owen and Ashley crafting

Mike finishing the Seattle puzzle

Mike with his new Landon and Audrey slippers

Mike and Owen returning aunt Ruby's crabs to the beach

Owen and I on the Kingston beach

Mike being a good sport as Layla dresses him up

Layla's creation

Landon and Audrey on the beach

Mike, Ruby, Landon, Audrey and I out for an evening walk

Start of my glass mosiac

Alyse, Owen and Landon on the swing while more family came to visit

Shelley's garage got a lot of use while we were there

Crafting, playing games, watching movies and sleeping

Ashley in Shelley's garage

Mariah, Amanda, Alysha and Ashley painting their nails

My mosaic is almost done

Kingston sunset


Shelley and Mike on our last evening there.



Thursday, July 23, 2015

Back at Grandma Reva's house























While we were all at Eagle Island Audrey had a great day with Grandma Reva all to herself. We all headed back there after playing at Eagle Island and had yummy taco salad. Aunt Kristey and uncle Mike showed the kids a game they use to play when they were little called "Cow & Pig". Then uncle Mike and the kids built a fire in the back yard. Grandma Reva made homemade marshmallows then added chocolate and gram crackers turning them into s'mores.

Mike telling the kids about the game he and Kristey made up, "Cow & Pig".

Mike and Kristey playing Cow and Pig

Audrey, Layla, Owen and Alaina helping Mike twist up newspaper for a fire.

Lexi, Still having fun...

Audrey, Landon and Layla collecting sticks

Owen and Lexi with more sticks

Owen and Layla adding more sticks to the pile


Kids watching uncle Mike light the fire

Watching the fire

Everyone watching the fire..

Backyard family photo...

Grandma Reva's homemade marshmallows made into s'mores..