4th of July (part 1)

Fourth of July was eventful this year. I'm going to have to split into two separate posts because there are just too many photos. It would overwhelm you. :)

We started out at the zoo because we really wanted to see the brand new penguin exhibit.

Unfortunately, my battery was whacked out, and died pretty much when we got there. Still don't really know what happened to the battery (which I had charged the night before). Oh well. Guess I'll have to go back again soon.

Then we went back home so I could charge/swap battery packs....and then went out to the Ballard Locks. We plan to make the locks an annual 4th of July tradition, except we will be bringing chairs and a picnic and staying for longer. It was fun!

Lychee drink

Lychee drink experience in photos

Dad thought it was SO cool how the bottle was sealed. Here he's showing how to break that seal.
Now my turn. Dad was so excited about this that he went out and bought two more - one for me and one for Mom...Mom didn't want hers, so Dad ended up with 2.
And here's a close-up of the cool sealing mechanism: a marble. And there's an extra chamber that catches it in the top there so it wont go into your drink. It's AWESOME!

Beignet Day

As I mentioned before, one of the pieces of Dad's Father's Day gift this year was the New Orleans trip memory - beignet mix and chicory coffee. MMMMM

Sprinkling powdered sugar all over the hot beignets

I started with light sprinkling, but was told to go heavy instead. This is the result. hehe

Enjoying the tasty treat

We had our breakfast outside on the patio to reenact the New Orleans atmosphere...as close as you can get in Seattle anyways.

This one makes me giggle. We are all in the exact position, down to the head tilt. Not planned. Can you tell we are family?

Father's Day 2009

Now for Father's Day....

This year, the three of us girls decided to collectively create a gift basket th at would be a "walk down memory lane". We got special food items from many of the places we've lived/traveled together and also put pictures from most of those places as triggers. It was so much fun!

The Before

The Unveiling New Orleans - chicory coffee and beignet mix (you'll be seeing more from this adventure) New Mexico - pistachios Paris - Buche de Chevre (gourmet French cheese) San Angelo - pork rub Italy - blood orange soda (we couldn't find the specific peach tea we were after, but this was a GOOD substitute) Alabama - Krispy Kreme gift card Japan - Lychee drink (you'll be seeing more from this adventure too)England (at 10 Downing Street - house of the Prime Minister) - shortbread cookies

The After
Happy Father's Day, Dad! Thanks for all the fun memories!

I'm a slacker, yes I am

So, I was uploading pictures from Father's Day tonight (which, in and of itself, makes me a slacker considering Father's Day was just over a month ago!) and I came across the Mother's Day pictures from this year.....which I STILL haven't posted. Yep. Shoot me now.

Sorry Mom! Here are a few photos from Deception Pass.
View from the drive upI just liked this one
We were trying to get a fun pic of all three of us, and we were having issues with wind, sun...all the elements. I really enjoy this one because of the mid-laugh of both my parents. :)And the good one... Happy Mommy's Day, Mom. I ♥ YOU!

Phoenix - Desert Botanical Garden

After the zoo, we decided to head over the to Desert Botanical Garden. Dale Chihuly, a native Washingtonian and a master glass artist, had created unique glass sculptures that artistically resemble the flora of the Arizonian desert. They were temporarily on display at the garden, and we definitely wanted to go see. And it was well worth it.

The only bad part was that we chose to do this AFTER going to the zoo, on a freakishly hot day, with two boys on the verge of needing a nap. Needless to say, they quickly melted down and we had to leave well before seeing the whole display. *sigh*

But what we did see was GORGEOUS!

THANK YOU MARY, ROB, MARC-ANDRE, & LUC for letting me come visit and for showing me such a great time. I LOVE YOU!!!!!
PS- come visit me soon :)