new jersey visitors, june birthdays, father's day

it's been a whirlwind week around here and though our guests have gone back home now, life doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. it's all fun stuff we have going on, so no complaints here besides how fast time is flying. 

last tuesday was thatcher's 36th birthday. he worked that day and then we made pizza at home at night with the kids, opened gifts, and ate the cake he made for all of us ;) the kids get very excited about birthdays!

wednesday our guests started to arrive. brandon arrived first and he and i took the kids to get a late lunch at "the boars nest" bbq (his favorite place ever). the kids had already eaten lunch, so i let them get ice cream from "parfait" next door and bring it over to the restaurant. they were not mad about that ;) the new jersey guests - my aunt, 2 cousins, and my cousin's girlfriend - arrived at our place at dinner time after checking into their airbnb (only a half mile from us). thatcher got home from work and grilled pork tacos for everyone. we had a fun, relaxing night just hanging out at our apartment. it ended up pouring a lot of the night, so we couldn't be outside at all, but it was okay.

thursday was brandon's birthday! thatcher worked and azalea went to school and the rest of the us spent the day downtown. first we went to olympic sculpture park, which has really nice views of the sound. 

then we grabbed coffee and walked along the waterfront to pike place market (i've been there so many times lately). not surprisingly, it was packed. tourist season is in full swing. they enjoyed exploring the market, including the famous gum wall. it's super gross, but very unique.

we got some lunch at a casual seafood place on the water and then walked over to pioneer square before venturing back across downtown to our car. ashford was such a good boy all day. no whining or complaining, just super happy. it was wonderful. we picked azalea up from school and then the fighting started, of course! the gang had been talking about getting ice cream, so my lucky kiddos got to do that 2 days in a row. we went to salt and straw this time and then walked around ballard and went in some shops.

that night we had dinner reservations at rays cafe, which is on the water. it was a cool night, so we were seated inside, but we had a delicious dinner to celebrate brandon.

thatcher wasn't able to join us because he had a pre-scheduled evening work meeting, but the kids came along and did pretty well. until there was a giant meltdown from azalea on the way home about not getting more dessert. womp womp.

friday the group (including my brother) decided to drive up to vancouver, bc for the day. you know i love vancouver, but we just didn't think it would be realistic to take the kids there and back in a day. the border wait time can be very unpredictable. so they went on their own (with some sight seeing recommendations from us). it worked out well to have a "normal" day at home in the middle of their visit. the kids went to school and it allowed me to do some work and catch up on stuff around the house. we also had azalea's school carnival that night (which i'll blog about later). 

saturday we all headed to the mountains for the day. we stopped in snoqualmie pass, then headed to gold creek pond. i know you've been seeing a lot of this place lately, but we can't not bring our guests there. it's just too beautiful :) they loved it. we ate donuts we picked up on the way, and walked the 1 mile loop around the lake. 

next we went to the snoqualmie tunnel on the iron horse trail. it's a 1.5 mile tunnel that's freezing cold inside and nearly pitch black when you get to the middle. we brought flash lights along. it was a fun adventure and the kids were (a little) less scared than last time thatcher took them. 

we headed back to seattle and got lunch at un bien. 

that night everyone except the kids, my cousin kelly, and me went to the mariners game.

 kelly and i took the kids to golden gardens (which was insanely busy - people were parked all over the grass). it was a beautiful evening there.

 then we had dinner at el camion, which i hadn't been to in a couple years. yum! 

sunday was father's day! it was definitely not a normal father's day, but thatcher was understanding that my family was here for a limited time. the girls drove to woodinville to go to the chateau st. michelle winery and the guys stayed home with the kids. here are some pics from their outing to the boars nest (again), and the locks.

 we had the best time at the winery - the weather was gorgeous and it's such a beautiful place. we did the wine tasting (5 different wines) 

and then bought a bottle to have outside for our picnic. we brought a blanket and food and enjoyed the grounds. 

then we headed inside for the 30 minute tour (which including a tasting of 3 more wines). 

it was my second time going there and i can't wait to go back. the kids and i spent some time with thatcher in the evening, and gave him his gift. after the kids went to bed, my brother and i met up with the fam in ballard for some food and drinks. 

monday was everyones last day in town. we dropped off the kids at school and then walked to the locks with them. we said our goodbyes because i needed to take brandon to the airport. it was so fun showing them around seattle and catching up. we set a goal to not go more than 2 years without seeing each other again. i think we can handle that! 

now we are in the last week of school for both kids. lots of "end of the year" activities going on, which you know i'll blog about next week :)