We are in Seattle, woo hoo! Well, Anacortes, really, since Ty and I are staying with my parents for a few weeks. I finally had time to get a post on here from our trip.
I just have to say, I love my family. They are all so cute and funny and fun to be around. I feel like it's rare, these days, for a large family to just love being together. With my parents, siblings, and their kids, the count is up to 20...with 3 more girls to be born in December. Crazy! My mom basically "works" part time these days taking care of grand kids. She has 3 pack n plays, exersaucers, a play yard, cribs, high chairs, toddler beds, infant swings, 3 baby monitors, infant seats, more booster seats than I can count, teething toys all the way up to a library for 12 year olds, dress-up bins, dinosaur shaped sandwich cutters, and an entire shed full of different size helmets and scooters, riding toys, and little bikes with training wheels. It really is amazing. It sure makes visiting a lot easier since all I have to bring for Tyson is clothes!
All of these little people everywhere make for quite an entertaining schedule some days. My parents live in a housing development right above the Anacortes marina and there is a great little beach called Tug Boat Park where we rendezvous quite often. We thought we were going to play at the beach for 20 minutes before dinner with my parents, Tyson, and three of his cousins. Well it was such a nice day, and everyone was enjoying themselves so much, that we ended up deciding to stay for an impromptu dinner at the beach. I mean, why not? My brother-in-law picked up pizzas, and my brother and his wife and their three kids joined joined the party. My mom ran up to the house (well, not really
ran, but it's a 2 minute drive) to grab her stash of juice boxes, paper plates, napkins, and a couple of sippy cups. Here is the final scene as the sun is starting to go down, but we're just having too much fun eating and being silly and playing in the sand to care :)
Cousins Reily, Anna Marie, and Kaylee chowing down.
Ty playing with cousin Tevin who is about 6 months younger and almost walking.
Isn't he so CUTE!? He looks exactly like my brother.
My brother, Leif, brother-in-law, Bobby, and my dad. The family men, talking about life and the world, as usual.
Cousins playing at the beach.
Ty playing peek-a-boo with Nana's hat. They're best friends.
Kisses for his leading lady these days...
Can you tell we LOVE being at the beach??? :)
Speaking of which, time to head back down to the water.
Hangin on when we really get going!
Finding seaweed and sticks and lots of treasures on the beach.
This is what it's all about. Salt water. Boat. Beach. My dad, husband, and son just "messing about in boats" and soaking up some sun.
Papa teaching Ty how to walk on the rocks and avoid the slippery seaweed while looking for "critters" in the shallow places.
The face of discovery, lol (only happens about 500 times a day with a toddler).
Papa taking Ty out in the dingy to paddle around.
Learning how to row!
Best weekend in a long time. Last summer of boating with just a family of 3! Next summer we'll have a baby girl in tow.
Papa teaching Ty more things about life as a boater, like how to properly walk on all the logs.
And find treasures on the shore...
Rock throwing lessons with daddy. Now let's see if we can teach the difference between throwing rocks in the water at the beach, and throwing rocks other places that are not appropriate! Good luck.
Proud dad watching his son throw both-handed ;-)
Headed back into the Marina with my little sailor.
Salt water breeze on the face of pure joy.
