Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

April 2, 2015

Roozengaarde, Skagit Valley, WA

I think my favorite day was the day we went to the tulip festival in Skagit Valley.  The colors were stunning!  It was a photographer's heaven!  Cameras everywhere.  I couldn't stop taking pictures.  As is clearly evident below.  (And I'm not even a legit photographer.  Just a mom who takes too many pictures!)

Look at that awesome mossy fence in the background.  Oh I love it!

Those are Dallin's hands--just so you get a feel for how massive some of those tulips were!

We dressed for chilly weather, but the sun came out and it was beautiful!  So Sean helped out by being the human coat rack.  Thanks, Sean!

Bought some tulips.  They were beautiful!

Seattle

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Seattle, WA

On Wednesday we drove to Seattle to check out the city.  Four adults and ten kids in a busy crowded city all day.  Nobody got lost or had a heart attack so that felt like a pretty big accomplishment.  On the way there, we took the ferry to get off the island, which is pretty awesome.  You drive your car right onto the ferry and I tell you it is surprising how many cars they can pack onto one ferry!  And big semi's too.  Most people just stay in their cars for the 20 minute ride across the sound, but we were tourists, so we got out and checked out the ferry and the view and got wind in our face and looked for whales.  (Didn't see any, but just the possibility was exciting!)

That's our rental van--the very first car in the middle row.

Another ferry

Once we finally got to Seattle and found a place to park, we went to Pike Place Market to check out the Fish Company where they throw fishes, visit the nasty gum wall, taste some fresh donuts (that weren't actually as impressive as I think they were supposed to be) and eat a yummy fish and chips lunch with an ocean view.

 yummy donuts!

the GROSS gum wall.  

I didn't think ahead to bring gum for all of us, but Julianne had one piece in her purse, so she and Uncle Eric split it and each made a contribution to the gum wall.

I loved all the colors of the flowers and produce throughout the market.

All the kids had buddies and held hands with their siblings or cousins.  

Lunch at some restaurant in the market--can't remember what it was called, but it was tasty and had enough seating for us, and that was the important thing.  

After Pike Place, we headed to the Pacific Science Center, a hands on children's science museum.

They had a cool butterfly pavilion there that we all enjoyed for awhile.

One landed on Hayden's head!

It was impossible to get a picture of this type of butterfly with its wings open, but when they opened, they were a neon blue!  So cool!

Bennett inside a Dinosaur footprint

Bennett kept resting his head on Arthur's throughout the day.  I loved it.