Seattle date night

 Beatrix is such a sweet third wheel.  She was so good on this trip, whether on the airplane for her first time or being worn in the wrap while I walked all over the city.  She also slept well in the crib the hotel provided.

Andrew is patient with me and my need for elevator selfies. :)  We did this on our last trip too.  Last time we staying in the Men's Athletic Club hotel, around the corner of where we stayed this time; the Sheraton Hotel next door to the Seattle Convention Center.  That's where Mozcon was located.

 Mod Pizza for dinner.  Have you been before? I like that you can customize your pizza.

 Have you heard of Salt & Straw?  I thought they were only in CA but apparently they started Oregon and have a location in Seattle too, lucky for us!  It's a delicious and unique ice cream place.  Very popular for good reason.  The line was out the door!  They have classic flavors and monthly specials with some local ingredients. Checkout that cool chalkboard menu above.  Very impressive.

Andrew had the Strawberry with Balsamic Vinegar & Pepper and I got the Birthday Cake & Blackberries. 

It was so fun have a special date while we were there.  It ended up being our only one since Tuesday night we watched the Manning kids until late so Julie and James could go on a date and Wednesday night I was out late with Geneva and her sister Alecia who was visiting.  We try to make dates a weekly occurrence but that doesn't always happen.

The Emerald City

 When I first visited Seattle two years ago I had no idea how big a city it was. I mean, look at those skyscrapers!  It's such a cool city but like all big cities it has interesting people, interesting smells, good food, lots to see by just walking around, cool places to go to like museums and unique sights.

 The Market is a must!  So many cool shops to walk around.  There's a fish market, gorgeous flower bouquets, honey, homemade jam, food shops, etc.  Monday morning I enjoyed walking around and grabbing some breakfast.  It was just so nice to go places on my schedule and not worry about the kids.

 This is one of my favorite food stops across from the market.  This is greek yogurt marionberry crumble form Ellenos.  The lemon crumble is also really good!

 Just the prettiest flowers!  And so reasonably priced too.

Since I didn't meet up with Julie and her kids until lunchtime I went to the Seattle Art Museum to pass the time.  Not super kids friendly so once again, it was nice to meander on my own. :)

Ok, this painting was way more amazing and impactful in person but someone was nice enough to take a picture of my next to it.  The green trees, stormy clouds, and waves captured a scene nothing like home in Arizona. 

 Julie was such a trooper to bring all her kids into the city.  This was her first time so I got to show her around a bit.

 Crumpets are very English but it was so nice having them fresh with toppings for lunch!

 Everything was delicious, the only problem was that we all wanted more.

 So we got some Beecher's homemade Mac and Cheese.  Beecher's make yummy cheeses in store, you can even see the big vat they make it in.  Their Mac and Cheese has such a good noodle to sauce balance with a little bit of kick.

 Say hello to the gum wall!  It's actually a gum alley.  Thousands upon thousands of pieces of gum.  Gross, yes, but also fascinating and a tourist must-see.

 The city is right next to water and it was a lovely day!

 This is one of my favorite pictures I took.  Such a beautiful day!

 We hiked up this big hill so I had to take a picture of how strong Josie and Jason were.  It was not easy and they were getting tired of walking everywhere.  I barely made it up!  I'm so out of shape from not working out regularly since early pregnancy.

 Here's the Space Needle.  Andrew and I still haven't got to the top so it's another reason to come back to Seattle some time.  There's a really cool playground the kids played at near the Space Needle while we nursed the little ones and rested our legs in the shade. 

We took a monorail back closer to Julie's car and my hotel at the end to give the kids (and my!) legs a break.  It's a cook way to see a bit of the city in a different way.

Des Moines, Washington

 Every year there is a Marketing Conference in Seattle, Washington and every other year Andrew goes to it to learn things and stay ahead.  Two years ago I got to go with him and I brought Rupert along.  This time I brought Beatrix and my parents had the other four kids.  Since Julie and James recently moved to the area (end of May) we got to visit!  James picked us up form the airport Sunday early evening and Julie fed us a yummy chicken dinner.  She really is the best whole foods cook!

Beatrix got a lot of love from her cousins!  Baby Alice just turned 1 so she was looking older.  She loved to grab Beatrix's face and pull her headband off so we had to keep an eye on her. ;)

  Here's the Puget Sound just 5 minute drive from their house.  It's a pretty cool area with boats, a dock, and a little rocky beach with shells, rocks and cute baby ducklings.  Since it was Sunday we stayed off the beach and went for a little walk.

 First time wearing Beatrix in a Moby wrap. 

 So green!  The weather was so nice for a July evening.

 Here's their little tree house they're renting.  It's actually a pretty good size, and we call it a tree house because of the big deck in the back and on the side.  It's built on a hill so the back of the house seems way in the air.

 Josie and Jason liked to show me around their yard.

Julie and James moved to this Seattle suburb after we already had tickets to go so it was fun adding them on the itinerary.