A Little Seattle Getaway

My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 14th of this year. To mark the occasion, they wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise with all of their children and their spouses. Everyone (except my brother-in-law, Bruce, and his wife Jennifer) was able to arrange their schedule for a cruise from July 10 -17. More info and pictures to follow on that.....but on the front end of our cruise to Alaska, Steve and I decided to take a few days in Seattle to see some of the sites. We discovered a clean, green, eclectic, and very tourist friendly place. We LOVED IT!!

Steve in front of the Experience Music Project

On top of the Space Needle

Looking out into the Sound from the Needle

One of our favorite pieces from the sculpture garden...these are actually chairs on the other side

A cheese making shop in Pike Place Market

Down by the waterfront

From our water taxi, looking back toward the city

Visiting West Seattle....we got some great fish and chips here

The very cool hand operated elevators in the Smith Building - once the tallest building west of the Mississippi

On the balcony of the Smith Building

Safeco and Quest Fields

Looking down 2nd Street from the Smith Building to the Space needle

Seattle's gum wall...yep, it's just what it sounds like. Tons and tons of chewed gum on alley walls

The beautiful flowers in Pike Place Market

The crowded inner walkway of the market

Looking out at the Olympic Mountains from the pier

Beautiful Mt. Rainier with the stadium in the foreground

The cousin shot....L-R Ned, Nancy, Jill, Jeri, Jan, Brian.....

...and another one with Uncle Nyle and Aunt Susan, Mom and Dad. Unfortunately we didn't think to take this until after my cousin Kathy had gone home. We were also missing Ken who arrived later that night from Prague and Bruce who flew in the next morning. Aunt Susan invited us all over Saturday evening before the cruise for a family get together and a delicious dinner. Some of the cousins hadn't seen each other for 20 years or so. It was great to reconnect and the food was FABULOUS!!! Thanks, Kinghorn family!!

Graduation Time

Da, da-da-da, da, da!! Ah, the graduation march. Nathan attended graduation this year as a graduate instead as a member of stage band. Although this photo does not prove it, he was very happy about the event.

With the proud parents

And a very proud Grandma

Wow, even Megan was excited about the big event!!

I am going to assume from this smile that he liked the kindle he just got for a graduation gift.

Way to go, Nathan. We are very proud of you. Good luck at Seneca HS!!

Some Random June Happenings

The end of the school year always brings big smiles. Here of some photos of Evan's end of year activities. His class did a little program about the Ugly Duckling and also had a fun end of the year field day.

The boys talked me into a McDonald's run on the last day. Here are Nathan and Charlie with their giant pile of chicken nuggets.

Megan with her Latin class. A lot of these kids have been together for the last three years....also some shots from a trip Meg took to the beach with her friends.

We had a stake dry pack excursion when school got out. We weren't sure whether we would get 5 or 50 signed up to come. Thankfully it turned out to be about 15 which was perfect. We had a great day and packed a ton of stuff. Gotta love those hair nets!

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir came to Philly on June 23. It was a wonderful production and very well attended. It was supposed to pour rain (which was a bummer since we were supposed to sit in lawn seats outside) but the skies cleared and we enjoyed a fabulous night.

These are our super swimmers. Evan would stay in the pool all the time if he could and Steve enjoys a swim every night that he can because it is so good for his back. On this particular night, the skies opened up and it started to pour just as they were headed out. But, since it wasn't thundering, they headed out anyway. I guess a little rain doesn't bother you in the pool.

Nathan Turns 14

As I started to create this post, I remembered that it was near Nathan's birthday two years ago that I started this blogging thing. I went back to look at some of those earlier posts and it is amazing to me to see the difference in our children's appearance in just those two years. That was just before Alan was born. Now he is a big two year old and expecting a new baby brother any day.

Nate's birthday was the day after Dinner Dance. Since we had our expert cake maker in the house, he got a pretty spectacular cake made by Emily. We got to have Chinese food for his birthday dinner on the actual day and he chose to have Swedish Meatballs for his dinner on Sunday with Grandma. The following Sunday, he was ordained a Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood. He is now old enough to participate in youth conference and youth dances. We found out at his check-up on the 25th of June that he is exactly my height...5' 6 1/2" My, how the time does fly!! Happy Birthday, Nate!!!

Really? Boxers for my birthday?

Ah....What helpful sisters!!

The Jimmer shirt!

Happy 14th Birthday in Phillies pin stripes

And from the top...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATE!!!

Nate's Big Day

Since Nate is a big eighth grader this year, he got to attend the traditional eighth grade dinner dance. The theme this year was New York, New York! The parents spend the weekend before the Monday night dance decorating for the evening. I got to help in the Hard Rock Cafe Room. It's a lot of work, but always turns out so amazing. Here are a few shots of the decorations and of Nathan looking very dapper in his new suit and the fedora that Grandma Foulk gave him for his birthday!!!

The New York Stock Exchange

Traffic Signs

The Theater District

The Empire State Building

The Entrance to Grand Central Terminal

Inside the Hard Rock Cafe

And outside the Hard Rock Cafe

Don't they clean up nice!!!