Washington--To Grandmother's House We Go

We busted the boys out of school for nearly a week in mid-September and headed up north to visit Noni and Grampa at their heavenly home on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The last time James and I were in Washington we went with a four-month-old Talmage in tow, so a) our return was far overdue and b) we've sure been busy adding babies since then! The trip was a rousing success. In fact, James and I both agree that this may have been one of our greatest family vacations EVER. We went on lots of adventures, we enjoyed the company of family, we ate delicious food and we experienced new memories as a team. I just love this little team of mine.

There are things about my Noni and Grampa's house in Port Angeles that I hope I will never forget. The art on every wall and filling every bookcase--proof of a long life spent building talents and enjoying hobbies. Baseball and football and the stock exchange on the tube daily, except for Sunday when we watched a baptist preacher for our Sabbath worship. Noni serving my babies breakfast in her kitchen and seeing on them the same "kitten ears" that she wears. Grampa in a comfy sweatshirt on his lift chair watching a show with Ever and Coco and calling out with every passing barge and cruise ship. Furniture that tells a story--a thrift store chair that funded a family in need, an antique roll-a-way desk bought with gambling money, a trundle bed that I remember sleeping in as a young girl. I hope I will never forget the rainbows, the freshly-picked pears, the lights from Victoria and the manicured paths through the forest. Above all I want to remember that two people with a shared dream built this--their perfect dream home. What started as a piece of land 800 miles from any home they'd ever known was loved and worked so beautifully and diligently into existence. Every pathway, every flower, every patch of lawn or carefully placed bench shows a legacy of these two and the wonderful life they've lived. I'm so grateful for them, for this house and for the lessons they teach me that I hope I will never forget.

But because I do forget (#always #everything #mombrain) here are some pictures of our first day in Washington. I broke our trip up into three posts because I took about 5 trillion pictures and ain't nobody got time for that in one sitting so here we go...the first of three. (Now if I get the other two posted before Christmas it'll be a dang miracle!)

Coco was a total champ on her first flight. I sat in a row with T, Ever and Coco while James sat with Quinn and despite having more Wigs to watch I definitely got the better end of that deal. Quinny is CRAZY! Poor James was absolutely exhausted when we finally landed in Seattle.

Our first stop was Pike Place Market and even with all the delicious food in the world to choose from the boys ended up with an ear of corn and a hot dog. Weirdos! Also, notice the parkas on those little boys? Us Californians thought we might freeze to death a few times on this trip!!!

That baby sleeping and that Daddy carrying her and that bouquet of flowers--what a beautiful and perfect sight.

Noni made all my crab dreams come true on our very first night. I LOVE crab so much I can't even begin to describe, but it doesn't taste nearly as delicious from our local markets as it does straight from the water in Washington. I was like a kid in a candy store with that big bowl of crab. Yum!

Their view straight from the living room window. Right? Amazing! And can you spot James picking berries for a pie?

I learned something new about Cora this trip--she LOVES TV! She and Grampa had many a bonding moment in front of that tube.

My wild little wonder with the apple (uh, pear?) of her eye. She loves her Daddy more than life itself. I'm so happy to sit back and watch these two together. Darling. Simply darling.

Such a precious photo of these two!

Yes, this is real life! The boys were dancing in a light drizzle when all of a sudden a full rainbow appears, and then a double. What a marvelous way to start a vacation!