Our Washington Trip

Our trip started out with some nervous excitement! We were checking our bags and asked for identification for Maddox. I've flown two other times with him and have never been asked so I didn't think about it. I said I didn't have it and the lady just looked at me and said," You don't have a picture ID for him?!" Hello? Who gets a picture ID of a child! She wouldn't budge. There was NO way we were getting on that flight without some proof of age. I called our insurance company who was no help. Finally his Pediatrician faxed over his shot records. Thank you Gilbert Peds! We stood outside in 97 degree weather for an hour waiting for it...

Maddox fell in love the minute we arrived. He loved playing in Aunt Mari's awesome backyard.

He's never seen so many fun things, grass included! He would've stayed in her backyard the entire 6 days if I'd let him.

Mari took us to * Beach the first day we were there. It was freezing! The cold doesn't phase Max though. We played and played. We watched some guys crab fish and they even let us get close to the ones they threw back. Patrick stepped in their bait on accident...fish guts all over his shoe. Then Maddox got bombed by a Seagull. Mari said in 15 years its never happened to her and my son managed to in one day. Lucky kid!

Look at that view! I love the ocean! Especially when you have a beach to yourself...its definitely not like California.

They have amazing parks all around their house. We went to one with a pond, awesome hiking paths and a beautiful community garden.

(Maddox and I look like deer in headlights.)

Seattle

Pikes Place

This was so fun! We started out our Seattle day by going by the Space Needle, didn't go up it but just seeing it from the ground was pretty crazy. Then we got yummy doughnuts and hot chocolate from Top Spot. After walking around for a bit and enjoying the beautiful weather we had lunch at Kell's Irish Pub. Holy moly...best food ever!

Then we headed over to Pike's Place. We ate and ate and ate samples. Vendors shove fresh fruit, meat, and more in your face! We got some souvenirs for the kids and Patrick...he HAD to get smoked salmon! It was really good actually. We watched them throw fish to the customers. Its a crazy place but a lot of fun.

You can't tell in the picture but these crab are as big as my head!

The carmeled apple AVALANCHE. Pretty sure this made the trip.

The drive up to the Peninsula.

We stopped at this crazy bridge. (You can see it in the background) We got out and walked across it then hiked down below it and watched seals for awhile. Maddox kept saying, "Oh no, Dow!" which is cow. We kept saying seal but he insisted they were cows.

I loved wearing winter clothes! My scarves and boots collect dust in AZ.

I could handle these kinds of views every day.

The Fairy ride across to the Peninsula!

Maddox loved it. He ran around all animated acting like he saw seals and whales! Aunt Mari fed into it and they were whale hunting the whole time. His eyes were huge when we got on the big boat. I'm so glad he enjoyed it so much!

Top of this crazy Mountain just outside of Port Angeles. It took like 30 minutes to drive up it.

Uncle Darren bought the kiddos giant suckers. I said No but around aunties and uncles No means Yes. hehe, they were pretty cute about it. Maddox got soooo sticky! He rubbed it in his hair and made it stick straight up, His hand got stuck to his cheek...we couldn't stop laughing.

We stayed the night in Port Angeles! The adults and Max went out to dinner at Bella Italia. Probably the best Italian food I've had and the name fit the whole twilight experience. Thanks boys for letting me enjoy myself there. I know I went overboard in getting Twilight shirts but honestly I wasn't going to go to Forks WA and come away with nothing. :)

Entering Twilight Land!!!!

Can't you just envision Edward running through these woods?

I kept my eyes open.

This sign says, " No Vampires Beyond this point..Treaty Line"

I know its corny but it was so fun to be there and feed into the cheese.

Mari said if we were going all the way up there we had to stop in Forks, thank you Mari!

The town is quite small, a lot like Snowflake, one or two stoplights.

This beach was on the Queilette Indian reservation. Its not La Push, but my sis said all the beaches look the same.

Here is my Edward! Hahaha.

My beautiful Mari!

I love this picture! Patrick actually took it, he did good. It shows that we were alone on the beach! No strangers in the picture. It shows how rocky the beaches are, but smooth flat rocks, there wasn't one rock there that wasn't a perfect skipping rock!

This beautiful driftwood is everywhere! Its mainly gray and white from the salt in the ocean but its smooth too. We walked all over it without shoes on. It almost looks petrified. The beaches were so beautiful!!!

I had to throw this picture in. I found those rocks like that, and with the cliffs in the background I thought it was a cool picture. the random cliff islands reminded me of The Count of Monte Cristo.

See what I mean by perfect skipping rocks?

I had to throw this one in as well. I caught a bald eagle flying down to its nest. I didn't change it to black and white. Just as I pulled out my camera the sky clouded over and grayed...I love it.

The Rain Forest

I was totally lame and left my camera in the car during the rain forest! My brother in law took this with his phone. It was beautiful in there!!!!! So quiet and surreal. It smelled like almond and vanilla, no joke, i thought someone sprayed a perfume!

Our trip was amazing! We enjoyed every second! I miss my family so much already and wish we could go more often. Thanks for all the fun!