Seattle

We had barely settled from Mexico before doing a couple quick Thanksgiving celebrations and then Joe and I jetted off to Seattle.  If anyone is unaware (or under a rock), you should know that Joe travels a "bit" for work.  This year he signed up for the SW credit card and combined with his travels, he earned a companion pass.  This means that between now and the end of 2015, I can travel for free with him on any SW flight he buys.  So, obviously, we need to take advantage!  I don't have a big desire to explore some of Joe's more regular sites (Lubbock, Indianapolis, Detroit, etc ... his job is so glamorous!)  The first place he was going that I actually wanted to tag along was to Seattle for some meetings.  We made a long weekend out of it and had a great time.  We had both been to Seattle before so we didn't feel like we HAD to explore a ton.  The order of business was to sleep, relax, explore, and eat/drink.

We definitely slept in!  The first couple of night we stayed at the Hilton Arctic Club and it was an charming hotel with lots of character but modern amenities.  Loved it... didn't hurt that we had a great room upgrade :)  This was my first taste of the Christmas season... a beautiful tree in the lobby...

The hotel was located in the downtown/financial area which wasn't exactly hopping on a Saturday of a holiday weekend.  Fortunately, it was a short walk over to some more populated areas.  We had to do the obligatory walk through the public market....

 

Then we walked over to the new Chihuly Garden and Glass.   It is located at the Seattle Center at the base of the Space Needle (which we had both visited before and didn't do again).  I had first experienced Chihuly at the Bellagio in Vegas and was excited to see his permanent display.   The best part was that there was a free audio tour via smart phone.  I always get more out of a museum if someone is going to explain the background and meaning behind everything. 

Warning: These were all taken with my phone so not amazing but, I am going to post a ridiculous amount of photos because I couldn't edit any of my favorites out!

This was a complete ceiling of a room....

 

Hanging exhibits:

Bowls (although, I am sure there is a better name for this art):

Atrium (indoor/outdoor)

 Outdoor reeds

Joe stated, "I hope hail isn't a problem around here."  Considering a "bowl" in the gift shop was about $5K... I am not quite sure the value of ALL the sculptures...

The next day we took a ferry over to Bainbridge Island.  It offered spectacular view of the city and exploration of a quaint NW island.  We checked out some shops and had lunch with a beautiful view.

The next couple of days Joe was working and I spent a day being completely pampered at a spa and shopping.  This girl had no complaints!  I had never treated myself to such fun!

The hotel (via the company) was located right on the Puget Sound.  This is a panoramic view out the window.  You can click you wish to enlarge. 

Mexico - Part 2

The resort was a welcome change!  It was an all-inclusive with a lot of kid-friendly options.  There was an indoor play area that was sponsored by fisher-price with loads of toys! 

The kids pool had a splash area and shallow swimming section.  Plus adorable pint-sized furniture...

On to the reason for the entire trip!   The bride and groom at the rehearsal dinner...

Kam on his first dinner date with the flower girl

I left with Brody before I even finished dinner but Kam stayed for the whole thing...

The wedding!  Kamden took ring bearing very seriously...

Brody needed a little assistance down the aisle...

 

(my hair... really doesn't do well with humidity and wind ... ugh!)

Kam and the flower girl dancing with the bride.  Note: Kamden changed into shorts after just a few minutes on the beach and jumping in the ocean while wearing his suit.... shocker.

After the wedding we had a couple of days of bumming around the resort....

We were VERY ready to get home and back into a routine.  While the resort had a lot of great things (like others that cooked and cleaned for us and kid friendly entertainment) it also meant that we were all basically sleeping in one room. 

Disclosure: I hardly took any photos while at the resort.  Most of these are taken from others... thanks for sharing! :)

Mexico - Part 1

These next couple of posts are going to be looooong.  Sorry about that :)

We headed to Mexico in November for Aunt S's wedding.  Since we were spending the money for passports and flights for the kids, we decided to make it a longer vacation.

Brody ready for his first flight!  They did as good as could be expected but it is never fun to travel with 2 little kids.

We rented a house in a quiet area north of Cancun for a week.  It was awesome.  One of the owners is an architect and into Feng Shui.  I don't really know understand the details of that but regardless, the place was great.   It was really nice to have our own beach, pool, and plenty of space.

Here are a few pictures of the house....

We made it to the house after dark but no worries... this kiddo was asking to get out on the beach before sunrise the next morning.  

One of the first things I saw on the beach was a heart.  Looking for heart rocks and shells when hiking or beach walking has been something I have done for years.  It started when I was on a trip with my best friend's family and hiking in Colorado.  Great memories!

There was a big trampoline in the back yard and the kids LOVED it. 

One day we walked down the port and took a 30 minute ferry ride over to Isla Mujeres.  We rented a golf cart and explored the whole island.  First stop was a turtle farm.  The little babies were adorable!

One of the beaches on the island...

The last couple of days at the house, Aunt C and Uncle J joined us.  They were in Mexico early for the wedding, too.  I don't seem to have any photos... :(

It was a great week of "relaxing."  I say that in quotes because when you have a 1 year old and 3 year old, you don't really get to relax.... especially with multiple water bodies around.  It was memorable and fun though :)

Next, we were headed to the resort for the wedding.  I was ready for some service... we really missed our doggy clean up crew from our home... kids are messy when they eat!

November randoms...

My little future voters:
Kamden on the left (2012) and Brody on the Right (2014)

And someone is really starting to walk!

Halloween

The Fireman and Firehouse Dalmatian had loads of fun Halloween night.  It was a really cold night so the Dalmatian didn't stay out long but our Fireman loved the trick-or-treating.  We invited Nana along and then sent the kids home with her afterward.  Joe and I were leaving town in the morning so, it worked out perfectly.  Let me also say that inviting a grandparent to trick-or-treat then sending the sugar-filled children home with them is genius.  GENIUS, I say!

Fall Sports

Just a little late on this post... lots of catching up to do.

Normally our fall involves lots of chili and football.  This year was a very, very rare occasion that the Royals made it to the postseason and totally rocked it.  We had way too much fun following the postseason craziness.  As a Kansas Citian, I am pretty familiar with professional sports disappointment but this year, we were thrilled... even if it ended in 2nd place.  That Madison Bumgarner... ugh...

Sweet dreams of a Royals win (and they DID!)

Cheering on our favorite baseball team!

Celebrating ANOTHER win!!!

The season made a lasting impression on Kamden.  About a month after the final game, Kamden heard some cheering from a bar while we were on vacation.  He said, "I hear the Royals!"


Joe and I made a trip to Columbia for a football game at the beginning of November.  We had a good time but I think a regular college football game (despite a win) was just nothing compared to following the Royals in all their postseason glory.  :)

Still here...

Life has been crazier than normal lately.  We were out of town more than not the month of November.  This was a lot of fun but, we were all ready to get back into a routine.  The kids were definitely struggling from lack of normal scheduling.  So, I have 7 weeks worth of photos to comb through and I am not super motivated.

Joe brought home a fun little bug called influenza from a recent trip.   He was quarantined to the guestroom and had many symptoms that were clearly flu (not just a cold).  After a few days,  I got a cough and rushed to urgent care.  Let me just say that Tamiflu is amazing.  Felt like crap the first day, and after just 2 doses, I was back on my feet and ready to handle the fact that Brody had caught it, too.  He wasn't so lucky and is still struggling a bit but definitely on the mend.  Kamden seems to have some sort of miracle immunity system (take that formula feeding haters... ha).  He didn't catch this bug and hasn't been sick for the last 22 months... and he is only 40 months old!  Everyone please knock on wood right now.  I know this is going to come back to bite me. 

On to some funny pictures of the kids.  They are pretty cute :)