More Family Visits = More Playing Tourists

All within one week we had #1 The Lambs visit, #2 Grandma and Grandpa visit, and #3 The Leavitts visit!  It was a little crazy trying to keep the house clean and stocked for the next set of visitors, but it was a lot of fun having them here and I'm so glad they were able to come down.

#1--The Lambs:

Swimming and pizza at Waverly Beach Park

American Girl, Lego Store, Build a Bear, and ice cream at ColdStones

 Miner's Corner Park

Canoeing at Bothell Landing

Hilcrest Bakery in downtown Bothell

#2--Grandma and Grandpa:

We only have one picture to prove they were there...and it's only Grandpa with the kids--oops.  

Grandpa fixed my kitchen cabinet and gave Mike lots of advice about the yard.

Grandma finished my pillows for my living room couch.

We had a bon fire (and Grandpa lost his glasse--which we eventually found behind the table in the backyard)

 

Grandma and Grandpa even got to babysit while Mike and I went to the Terricotta Warriors exhibit and the science center.

#3--The Leavitts:

Seattle Temple

  

Cheesecake Factory

Don't ask how much it cost...seriously--yikes.

Pike Place

Poor Tina threw her back out the morning we had planned to go downtown Seattle.  She was a good sport and hobbled along, but we'll need to go back when she is feeling better...when it's not a million degrees outside...and when we don't have a gaggle of kids with us;)

Gum Wall--Yuck

Dick's Drive In

It looks like we are eating in a dumpster...haha...but it was delicious and super cheap (which was fantastic after Cheesecake factory the day before).  Can't believe I haven't been there before.

Olympic National Park--Part 4

Part 4--Hurricane Ridge

On the last day at the Olympics we decided to hike Hurricane Hill.  It was supposed to be the most popular and beautiful of all the "family" hikes and it did not disappoint.  Definitely one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen!  Once again, pictures just don't do it justice.

At the visitors center before we got started

 (see Summer refusing to have her picture taken again)

 It got colder as we climbed...

We got so close to the deer..before Jordan got a little too close and scared them away.

 At the lookout point...so beautiful

 Just beyond the lookout point, we found SNOW!!  It was fun to play and slide in it...even more fun cause we were the only ones there!

I thought this looked like the ending scene from The Sound of Music:)

So peaceful and quiet...we could even see Canada across the water.

Olympic National Park--Part 3

Part 3--Ruby Beach

Ruby Beach was about 3 hrs from where we were staying.  I didn't really realize that when we drove there because we stopped half way to do stuff, but then on our way back it felt like it too forever.  But I absolutely LOVED Ruby Beach (my kids (all but Summer) complained the entire time, but I forced them to stay even though it was freezing cold and everyone was miserable).  It was just a short hike down to the beach (although as soon as we got to the bottom, Summer had to go to the bathroom so I walked all the way back up then down again--sheesh). 

Pictures just don't do it justice, it was so beautiful!

Olympic National Park--Part 2

Party 2

Our family is not great when it comes to hiking...so we started small, with low expectations (Mike's may have been a little higher, but we forced him to come down to our level eventually).

Our first hike was Marymere falls, a stroller-friendly 1.5 miler.  It was short, easy and enjoyable.  We had to ditch the stroller for the last little bit, but it was super doable with a 3 year old walking (even though I think I did carry her a little).  The falls were pretty and there was also a little stream where Summer cooled her feet and Tyson captured tiny fish.  

We also went to see the oldest tree:

And this weird tree:

Olympic National Park--Part 1

Part 1 

We took the Edmonds-Kingston ferry over to the peninsula (got separated while on the ferry and almost didn't make it back to the car before we had to drive off--just about had a heart attack trying to find the car--eek)

We stayed in a tiny town called Quilcene.  When I say tiny, I mean tiny.  There was maybe one restaurant (with a nasty waitress and hillbilly customers), one gas station (that looked like it was from the 50s), one grocery store (if you can call it that, it was more like a corner store), and that was it.  

This is a picture from the "grocery store" where we got ice cream.  It was so soft and melted so quick, we were all a mess when we were done--especially Summer, who got chocolate--yikes (and I couldn't even finish mine it was so huge)

The house we stayed at was great (besides the fact that the bathroom door didn't lock...).  We had lots of beds, tvs, games (Mike taught Kya and Tyson how to play backgammon), and it was just a few feet from the ocean.  We had fun exploring the rocks and shells, watching workers dig and collect clams to sell, and swimming in the water.  It was so quiet and calm...and a little smokey.

It was about an hour drive to go anywhere...even to eat.  And the kids (actually me too) got sick of the drive really quick.  One thing we didn't get to do was go to a lavender farm.  Port Angeles is the home to a huge lavender festival in July, but since we were there in August I knew we couldn't see the festival but was hoping to go to the farm.  We stopped at the main one (where the festival is) and there was some reenactment going on so it was super expensive to get in...then we drove to another one and it was closed.  After driving by a couple more farms and seeing that the lavender was mostly done blooming, I gave up.  When I saw we had a lavender bush at the house we were staying at, I had to snap a picture.

The kids really just wanted to stay at the house and hang out at the beach.  But we were determined to get some hiking done!

Olympic Game Farm

We've wanted to do the game farm since we moved to Washington.  Everyone who lives here has done it...except for us...until now!  Let me just say, when we drove up and even when we got started on the drive around the park, I thought I would be disappointed but boy, was I wrong!  It was awesome!  Pictures really don't do it justice.  You unwind your windows and feed the animals bread. They come right up to your car, some even stick their head right in your window!

This one got a little too close to Kya.

They also had bears that came REALLY close to our car!  We even saw a mom and baby bear playing together.  You couldn't fee the bears though.  They also had cages along the path with tigers and lions, but you couldn't get very close to them.

By the end of the drive we were all screaming, Summer was crying, and we had to roll up our windows just to keep the giant bison's from coming into our car and eating our heads off!!  Seriously it got a little crazy.  We have some pretty funny videos....hahaha.  What a neat experience...and strange place.

The petting zoo was much more Summer's speed:)