Seattle 2009

When we went camping with Grandma and Grandpa back in June, we all decided our going up to Seattle while Jason was on leave was a smarter idea than G & G coming down to our house for a number of reasons.

1) They have WAY more room to roam, namely for the dogs, of which there would be FIVE of!

2) They have a guestroom (multiple, actually). Had they come to our house, they would have brought their motorhome and parked it out front.

3) It was actually CHEAPER for our family of 4 to fly up to see them rather than them drive, given the cost of gas for their rig!

4) It was a good excuse for us to all take a vacation together! We love Seattle!

5) It gave Jason and Grandpa a chance to take their Father/Son trip (26 years running!) in a place other than Chabot Campground (*blech*).

The trip was AWESOME! We were able to have Jason's cousin, Kyle, stay at our house to watch the dogs so we could all fly together. I'm not sure we would have been able to manage it financially had he not helped us out in such a major way! THANKS Kyle!!!

We took BART to SFO. Sure, it's convienient to not have to drive, but a double stroller, a suitcase, 2 kids, and 2 harried parents at morning commute time make for quite the sight! We managed and both girls were awesome on the train! Josie slept the whole way.

Once at the airport, and through security, Faith helped keep Josie calm as we waited for our boarding call. Jason had never flown with Faith before, but I felt like a pro after having gone to Florida this past May and Rhode Island when she was a baby! Faith handled the waiting like a champ!

A note to parents who are taking their kids on a trip: FLY VIRGIN AMERICA!! The individual TVs in the back of the seats were soooo helpful! We were lucky enough to get a great price on the seats ($49 per seat, each way), which we split with G & G since they didn't have to pay to drive down.

Also, their luggage fee is $20/bag, which is pretty standard these days, but they have a 70lb limit for that price instead of the typical 50lb limit! I was able to pack our family of 4 in ONE SUITCASE with the help on 2 SpaceBags and being able to use the washer and dryer at G & G's. I also fit all 22 cloth diapers and baby detergent in which to wash them! Hello, ROCKSTAR! ;)

Daddy playing with Josie after a long day of travel.

Faith LOVED having so much room to run (as did BunBun).

Blowing bubbles in the gorgeous Washington Weather!

Taking a walk around the property with Mom and Dad.

Playing horseshoes with Grandpa and Daddy. Such a strong girl!

We spent a morning at a cute little town appreciation festival near where Grandpa docks his boat. Uncle Danny and "Uncle" Jess came up for the weekend from Portland and got to come with us with their two cool puppies too!

Faith was a human bubble!!

On Grandpa's boat!

She loved climbing up on the "Sky Thingy" (ie The Fly Bridge)

Yes, that's FIVE dogs you count!!

GORGEOUS Josie Joy!

This might be my favorite picture of our trip... Uncle Danny holding Josie Bear. He's going to be such a good Daddy one day. When she fussed, he never freaked out. He just stuck with her, walking her around, being incredibly soothing. Our girls are so lucky to have him as family (as are we all!)

The Hoschouer/Griffin Family, 2009!

When Uncle Danny and Uncle Jess were leaving. We were so sad to see them go but we very glad they made the time to come up to see us while we were visiting! They didn't get to meet Faith until she was 7 months old!!

Getting awesome snuggle time from Grandpa. Lucky girl!

And from Grandma! She slept ALOT on the trip :)

On our way to Seattle on the ferry! Faith got to ride on a plane, a train AND a boat, all in one day!

Yeah, it was a little windy on the ferry....

We went to the Seattle Aquarium! I was so proud of Faith, who is usually quite reserved when it comes to new experiences, for touching a starfish!

Up close and personal with an Otter!

High-fiving the tank cleaner/fish feeding SCUBA diver. Faith says this was the best part of her trip to Seattle.

Getting close to capturing the smile!!

While we were there, Josie smiled for the first time! Faith was the lucky duck who made her sister beam for the first time. I'm just glad I got to see it :)

Downtown Poulsbo. Such a cute little town! And Faith loved the wind in her hair, as per usual!

Daddy's best Viking Face.

And of course.... a tractor ride with Grandpa! Only this time, Faith got to steer!!

Our family on the ferry on our way back to the airport. What a great trip!

A Mother's dream... moving walkways while waiting to board a plane. Wear that kid out! (Having a great Daddy to do the chasing was pretty awesome too)