Seattle

Our Trip to Seattle

We decided to go up to Seattle and have a fun weekend before Rob had to work in Tacoma from Monday thru Thursday. So we took off Friday before Easter and drove up. This vacation was a little different than most, being that I planned what we were going to do and was in charge of all the information. I figured early on, that maps and directions are not my strength. So our first "funny" (that's what I'm choosing to call them, though maybe not so funny at the time(s)) was on our way to the hotel I wanted to stop and see Snoqualmie Falls. Well the map I had gave directions coming from downtown Seattle, so we missed our exit and ended up backtracking 6+ miles, which I was informed of a few times! But we made it and we laughed, .....see our first "funny." Snoqualmie Falls was really fun and beautiful. We enjoyed a little hike and the boys enjoyed running along the trail, climbing up trees and rocks, and daring to get really close to the edge of the lookout points. We checked into our hotel in Bellevue with a good deal I found on Expedia, yea me, and then encountered our second "funny" moment. I realize that in only half of the first day we'd had 2 of these wonderful moments, but I just really focused on the fun in downtown Seattle and forgot to mapquest directions to our hotel. Oops! Luckily, with Rob's Blackberry and his mad navigational skills we made it to our hotel with only a few turn arounds. The rest of the vacation went really smoothly, I think I just really by-passed Friday. Saturday we went to the Pacific Science Center and spent the entire day there. It was amazing and there were so many things to do as you will see in all the pics below. So many exhibits: butterfly house, Body Works, Laser shows, IMAX theatre, GPS scavenger hunt, and even a Madden tournament, which Spencer so desperately wanted to do. But you had pre-register, and I don't know how he would have faired against all those Men. We saw the Space Needle after and enjoyed some Indian cuisine for dinner. On Easter morning, the boys were lucky the Easter Bunny still came! We headed to the Museum of Flight and it was so amazing! We all love planes and enjoyed the displays, especially the WWI and WWII exhibits they had. Rob and Spencer went on a simulation ride and from the outside, all you could hear was Rob squealing with delight! They turned completely around, flipped upside down and around over and over just like the real deal. When it was over and the cockpit opened up, you could tell Spencer was relieved to be done, but had a huge smile on his face at the same time. The boys made kites, we saw Air Force One where 4 different Presidents had used the airplane, including Kennedy and Nixon. The boys took a dip in the pool and we were all exhausted after that. Monday, I took the boys to the Tacoma Children's Museum. It was a huge imagination playland! I think it was wonderful, because at all the exhibits the day before, they were not allowed to touch anything! They ran from one room to the next. And for 4 hours were thoroughly entertained. It was a great day and I was just glad to have gotten us there and back without getting lost. The end of our trip consisted of a bowling adventure where, I beat Rob, wahoo, and then on our search for where to eat dinner, our car of 6 years sputtered and died after barely making it through a busy intersection. We knew the transmission had been going out for some time, but unfortunately it gave out quite a ways from home. Well, at least it didn't up and die when I was driving home with the boys. I made it home the next day with a rental while Rob had to finish work and is due to come home today. Not quite sure what we're going to do about the car, but at least we were able to have all our fun before it quit.

Happy Birthday Three's!

Today we celebrated Rob's birthday. He turned 33. I told him not to worry because I still consider him early thirties.....did I mention I haven't even turned 30 yet...ANYWAYS, we tried to spoil him all day starting off with a yummy hot breakfast: pancakes, hashbrowns, bacon, and of course his fried egg. Then he went off to work, (I know it's sad he had to work on his birthday) so we met him at the park for a picnic. It was really fun and the boys had a blast. After he got home, I made his request of white chicken chili from America's Test Kitchen, (it's one of our favorite cooking shows) and it was really yummy! A bit of work but not too time consuming. After dinner, we had birthday cake and ice cream. Then it was on to presents. He got a rescue knife for kayaking/rafting and a much needed new pair of jeans. We finished the night off with a match of Madden. Unfortunately for the birthday boy, he lost.....today just wasn't his day. But we love him anyways!
I've been calling him 3's all day, so I want to mention 3 things I love about Rob. I know this will embarass him, but too bad Rob, it's my blog. First thing is Rob makes me laugh. I love his sense of humor and after nearly 10 years of marriage, he still has it. Second, I love Rob's ability to make things happen. Whether it's following through on a desire, or figuring it out on his own, he knows how to get what he wants. And third, he's a great man. He's honest, does the right thing on principle, and works so hard! Those are just to name a few. Of course he's a wonderful husband and father and he makes me and the boys happy, so Happy Birthday Rob, we love you!