Summer Fun!

Okay, okay...I know it has been forever, but the end of the school year is entirely too busy to breath. Top that off with the headache of switching classrooms and one day blends into the next. Not to mention the nightmare of mixing in 4 workshops the week after school was out!

However, things did eventually calm down (at least where school is concerned). My brother, Gene, and his wife, Sue, arrived in the state about the time school was out. They spent some time in Yakima before moving over to this side of the mountain. We got to spend a couple of days with them before we left for the Oregon coast for the Fourth of July. We all drove up to Everett one afternoon to meet Katie and Phil for dinner and see their new house. The next day the 4 of us did some shopping and then drove through Pt. Defiance Park and took in the beauty of the rose gardens there. The 5 mile drive was gorgeous.

On July 3rd Katie, Phil K., Phil and I left bright and early (6:30 a.m.) to beat the holiday traffic, on our jaunt to Lincoln City, Oregon. Our cousins, Chuck and Roxanne, have a beach house there and we joined them along with some of their friends for the 4th. We enjoyed shopping the outlet mall a bit, time on the beach, LOTS of good food, wine, Karaoke, hot tubbing, reading, watching a parade, and just relaxing in general. Eleven people and 4 dogs!

Eli with girlfriend, Morgan

Maddie with cousin Isaac on dock

Clancy, the Clown

Heidi

We left the beach on Sunday, July 5th, to head back home. Traffic was an absolute nightmare. It took us 7 hours to get home after only taking 5.5 hours to get there! I guess there has to be some kind of a downside to holiday travel.

Monday morning, July 6th, Gene and Sue came back for 2 more days. Monday we just relaxed around the house and visited. We also took them to Trader Joe's so they could stock up and fill their daughter's orders since they don't have that store close to them in Colorado. Tuesday we decided to take in the Railroad Museum in Snoqualmie. Of course we stopped by the falls while we were there and what trip to Snoqualmie would be complete without a visit to the big new casino? We had the lunch buffet and the food was great. Eight thumbs UP!!!
Taking in all the old trains

Snoqualmie Falls

Well, that pretty much brings you up to date. Stay tuned next month for our adventures in Missouri. We leave on July 31st and come home on August 5th. Katie and Phil K. will be going with us, so we should have a blast. Until then.....