Seattle

Josh had a work trip to the Bellevue area at the end of June. Since we were already done with school for the year, we decided to tag along for fun. It was a great trip, and this time armed with our GPS, the days trips around town were a bit easier. Not problem-free, but easier. I'm still not used to all the crazy highways there.

The first day happened to be my birthday and Josh and the kids surprised me with breakfast in bed. Such a treat! The kids and I then headed to do a bit of shopping at the mall. They were very well behaved since it was my birthday. We spent that afternoon by the poolside in the hotel. The kids are old enough to play in the water without me in the pool. I had a chance to read, swim and play too. It was a great way to spend my birthday.

The next day was a trip to the Woodland Zoo. I was pretty amazed with the number of animals they had at the zoo. I didn't realize it was that big. We spent pretty much the full day there. By the time we caught up with Josh, we had already eaten dinner. We did go to eat with him and had a dessert. The kids were introduced to their first Mud Pie. It was a definite hit.

Our last day was spent at Pike Place Market for the morning before meeting up with Josh. In hindsight, PPM isn't all that fun for kids. We did find the Gum Wall and I was able to get a few new teas to try, but it was super crowded. I was so relieved when we found Josh and we left the crowded market area. We decided to go to the Fremont area because a friend told us that the Geocaching headquarters of the world was located there. The caches there did not disappoint. We found about 4 of them, all within walking distance of each other and they were really cool/different ones. If you happen to be in the area, head to the Fremont Troll and start from there.

I'm really thankful that we have the opportunity to go on these trips. It definitely helps that we can tag along and not have to pay for lodging. The kids love it and though we only get to see Josh in the evenings for dinner, the kids are always so happy to experience all the new places and stay in hotels.