tri-annual washington visit

We usually get to go home to Washington 3x's a year. This year my mom's cousin got us free tickets since he's a pilot for Southwest. Score!

My family always plans the cutest outings, parties, and crafts to keep us busy.

My parents, niece Hallie, Charlotte, and I went to the Seattle Aquarium one afternoon.

This tank held a Nemo and Dory fish that she couldn't stop staring at. And of course we had to watch the movie when we got home.

These two are bosom buddies. Hallie just turned 5 so there's a 2 1/2 year difference. She's young enough to like the same things as Charlotte and old enough to be patient with her and not fight over toys.

Looking at jelly fish swim below our feet.

Her other bosom buddy, Gwamma. They have a special connection these two.

Hitting up a new frozen yogurt joint close to my parent's house.

Bosom buddies playing at the park.

It was a really random day actually. My mom, Hallie, Charlotte, and I were sitting eating lunch at this park and I look over to see a girl I played basketball with in high school. I haven't seen her in ten years. We were actually really close back then because of all the time you spend with someone on a team. She had 2 kids with her, the baby's daddy, and the baby's daddy's mom. Weird.

I.love.these.two

My parents have a playroom upstairs. Charlotte usually finds her way into that room and will shut herself in with the toys for a good hour. It's heaven. But sometimes when we think she's in the playroom she's actually in my mom's bathroom. Applying copious amounts of makeup on like in above picture. That was h@%$ to get off.

Oh and here's Adison. She's so yummy. Except her and Charlotte DO NOT get along. Once in awhile they'll smooch and hug, but usually they're screaming and crying at each other. Too close in age and not happy with sharing anything (food, toy, blanket, mommy...) with each other.

Growing up we had tea parties.

We had them for our birthdays or just the heck of it.

Sometimes we had them at my grandma's, but usually my mom would pull out her china, tea cozies, and tea cups and throw a little party.

Cucumber sandwiches, deviled eggs, fruit, cream puffs, tarts, anything tea related she'd bring out.

This was Charlotte's first real tea party. And.she.loved.it.

One of our favorite towns to go to is Snohomish. It's historic and quaint. They have the best antique stores and a cute little cafe we always eat lunch at. A 2 year old is a tough antique-shopping partner. So I had to bribe her with a visit to their cupcake store if she was good. Apparently she was good because here she is stuffing her face with a cupcake.

And another park picture.

My camera was dead half of the trip, hence the lack of pictures.

We had a birthday party for my sister Carrie, an Oscar party that was phenomenal (hors d'oeuvres representing each of the best picture nominations - i.e. mini quiche = midnight in paris, chocolate pie = the help, chicken salad croissants = hugo, virgin manhattan drinks = incredibly close and extremely loud, etc etc etc ... ) - it was awesome, many many crafts, many antique shopping excursions, movies, mint tea and english movies, see my sister Laura's AMAZING volleyball team kick booty...

It was a good trip.

Thank you, mi familia.