Christmas in Seattle: round 1

A few days before Christmas we flew out to Seattle to spend the rest of the Christmas season with the entire Marcum family. Pete had to fly home the day after Christmas, but the kids and I get to stay until after New Year's. It has been so much fun being with everyone! I thought I better start writing about our trip before the pictures pile up and I get too overwhelmed... or maybe it's too late for that :) It had been an entire year and a half since the whole family had been together, so we had been looking forward to this trip for a long time. We have filled our days reading, playing games, watching movies, kayaking, playing soccer, talking, eating good food, shopping, swimming, visiting the local children's museum and aquarium, going on hikes and walks... it seems we have done it all! Here is the first round of pictures.

The 5-hour plane ride, thankfully had no layovers. Came prepared with snacks, water bottles, paper, markers and crayons, small toys, stickers, and of course games on our iPhones. The kids were really quite good, it couldn't have gone much smoother. Hopefully I'll have the same experience flying home without Pete :)



My dad picked us up, we hadn't seen him since last spring! He was a welcome sight, ready with Oreos and, more importantly, energy for the kids. John and Dan got pulled on the suitcases all the way to the car, smiling and laughing the entire way.


It was really nice weather the first few days we were here, so that first morning we headed down to the water, about a half mile down the road. We kayaked, John built a sand castle with his aunt Audrey, then played a game of soccer on a public field right next to the beach. That was probably the highlight of my day! Playing soccer. My mom took Dan and Joe back up to the house and John stayed with all the adults to play. I'm sure I looked a little funny trying to run around the field at 6 months pregnant, but that didn't stop me! As we played, I realized that this is what I have been missing the last 6 months... being able to do things with the whole family. I have really enjoyed Michigan and being on our own, but there really is nothing that can take the place of family.

Dan with his uncle Andrew


Joe


Pete and John


Me, Pete, Joe and John. Dan refused to come over for this picture. Oh well.


Soccer!

That night some of the family went down to a fun street on Bainbridge and got ice cream. I stayed home, put Joe and Dan to bed, and read my book. That's one thing I always look forward to when on vacation: when there's down time I don't feel like I have to clean the house or get this or that done. I can just read a good book.