THE ROMNEYS: Seattle!!!

Our family was so excited about our big summer trip to the Northwest. Mike couldn't wait to celebrate his 20 year reunion and reconnect with great friends and people who had always felt like family. We knew our boys would absolutely love it. We embarked on our LONG drive Thursday right after tournament games, stayed the night in Boise with the Paynes, then drove all day in order to arrive at the family portion of the weekend. It was worth it!

The family picnic was at Chisolm Beach, a place Mike was lucky enough to hang out at on a regular basis. The boys loved the water option and Mike chatted until his voice was hoarse. So fun to see him reunite with old buddies.

Saturday afternoon the Romneys all made it! We LOVE seeing cousins, grandparents and aunts and uncles. Mike headed out with his buddies to golf and we explored Bellevue and Kirkland. We stuffed ourselves at Burgermaster, then headed to the Lake House Mimi and Papa had rented. It was AMAZING!! We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening enjoying the water and the beautiful surroundings.

That night was the real reunion. Mike had a BLAST talking and talking and talking, and I was sure grateful for a few wives I knew. We sat at our own table and chatted and watched our husbands work the room.

Around 1am, the party started wrapping up, but the "Jock Posse" was not ready to throw in the towel. We took our own little group to 5 Coins, a very upscale all night eatery. The best time was had there, with secret stories shared, buddies thrown under the bus and enough laughs to keep everyone satisfied for the next 10 years! We rolled in about 4am hours and hours past our bedtime, but it was worth it!

Sunday morning came much too soon, but this was our view, so it made it a little more bearable.

These two little rugrats liked the view too!

Church was another happy reunion for everyone with life time friends and familiar faces. It was fun to watch them all enjoy being back "home." Mimi even got them all to sing in the choir which brought lots of tears all around.

Sunday afternoon was crazy HOT, like the hottest Seattle ever gets, but it was our only day to take a trip down memory lane, so we did with minor grumbles :).

We visited Mike's Elementary School, Clyde Hill. He even found his favorite teacher's classroom!

Things sure had changed!!

Then, we saw the remodeled Chinook Middle School. It was fun to see all the adults share memories!

From the Middle School, we went to see the home they all grew up in. Such a beautiful place with an incredible view. Mike had the greatest memories there!!

Mike and his buddies spent lots of time at the Medina Beach....I would have too! What a fantastic place.

We stopped into the store that the boys always rode their bikes to and got treats and snacks. Love it!

The last stop was Bellevue High School. Mike had the GREATEST high school experience ever. It doesn't look at all the same, but still evoked the same feelings. You can tell by the happy photos that Mike loved being back!

That evening we had a yummy Seattle Salmon dinner with Neil, Bobbi, and their family and took a few minutes to take some photos of all of the kids together. Later that evening more friends stopped by to reconnect.

The house we were staying in had a beautiful backyard. I decided to take a few photos before we headed out on Monday to explore the city. Then, my camera died :).

Everyone was super excited to ride the ferry to Bainbridge island. Such a fun experience for those who have never done it before!

We had quite a bit of time before the ferry was scheduled to leave, so we decided to show the kids Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. They thought it was as cool as I did the first time I visited!

Our view of the city as the ferry pulled away.

With the later ferry departure, everyone was starving once we got to the island. Lucky us...we got to fill up on delicious crepes and the world's best ice cream...seriously, nothing is better than Mora's.

After the the island, we got to know the real city. We started at the lovely gum wall...nothing grosser but they loved it.

We then showed the boys Pike's Place which was teeming with people and made us all a little nervous this time because of the attempted kidnapping going on there. Even Mike was on guard. It was a rather quick jaunt through the stalls.

After Pike's Place we promised the kids a ride on the Ferris Wheel. We all decided it was much too safe to be all that interesting. But, we can say we've done it and we have seen Seattle from WAY up in the air. A pretty amazing view.

After the Ferris Wheel, we tried to do the Space Needle but found out we were too late and it gave us pretty much the same view as the Ferris Wheel. Maybe next time? After a quick run to Dick's for burgers, we were finally home after a very long touristy day and the kids were able to get back in the windy water for one last dip before the sun went down.

On Tuesday we decided to head out of town to explore the Snowqualmie. As we arrived, we were all struck by the absolute beauty of our surroundings. The day started with the 5 course brunch at the Inn. YUM!

These rascals were all done eating, so they decided to fish for money in the parking lot fountain...awesome.

The hike to the falls was just right for our varied age crew. The only disappointment was that we couldn't get nearly close enough! They have changed things a bit which is always a bummer :(.

We found wild blackberries growing along the trail. This kid has never met a berry he didn't like.

The kids were busy taking pictures of cool things for their reflections projects. They caught some pretty awesome pieces of nature.

They all made it!

This photo is what happens when you ask kids to take pictures.

These falls have a super special place in my heart. It was one of my favorite experiences when Mike brought me to Seattle when we were engaged. We took a hike to the falls and he kissed me just like this in this exact spot and someone snapped a photo that I will love forever. After 16 years we are a little older, a little softer and a lot more in love. So grateful every day for this man who has made me happy beyond my wildest dreams. I love him more than I ever thought possible on that very exciting day so long ago!

After the falls, we decided to hike the opposite way to the river. This was where all the real fun was had. The kids thought about just wading in, but in a matter of minutes clothes were completely soaked, heads were submerged and we had quite a few naked babies looking for fish and bugs. Such a happy, happy afternoon.

When we got home, almost everyone jumped back into the lake on onto a kayak. It was a great place to call our home base with built in fun!

A few of us decided to take Weston up on his offer to take us sailing. We were SO glad we did. It was one of our favorite experiences of the whole trip. Since he could only take out 5 at a time, our group waited on the dock, playing one of the many Pianos in the Park and throwing rocks into the Harbor. It was a gorgeous night to enjoy the area.

Our crew was more than ready for their turn on the water. Without any babies on board and a boat full of boys, Weston gave us the wild treatment which the boys were crazy about. It was an awesome hour on the water!

On Wednesday morning, we cleaned up and said good-bye to our awesome family. Chaz decided to stick with us for the rest of our vacation, and one more boy around here is no big deal. We spent the afternoon on Whidbey Island with Mike's high school friends. It was a lazy afternoon full of sun, sand, shells and soccer. We loved getting to know Mike's friends and their families better. Such a treat to be connected to so many wonderful people.