Monday was our last full day in Seattle. We decided we wanted to get some better views of Mount Rainier, so we found a scenic bypass route that took us up into Mount Rainier National Park for some great photos of the mountain.
It took about a half hour to get to the scenic bypass, and then we spent a good 2-2.5 hours on the route. We made stops at some shops along the way, and we just took our time and stopped along the way whenever we wanted to. We hiked on one trail and found some really tall trees and a beautiful river. We also got out and took some beautiful shots with Mount Rainier in the background. We got high enough that we ran into quite a bit of snow. We ended up eating our packed lunch in the back of our car, with the mountains and snow as our background. Emma said it was the best picnic lunch she's ever had.
After a solid 4 hours of mountain viewing and driving, we headed to Snoqualmie Falls. It's a beautiful waterfall, that has been featured in shows and is pretty famous. It was a beautiful, quick stop. The kids really enjoyed our nature-filled day, but they were pooped and sick of the car, so we finally headed back to Peg and Willie's. We hit terrible traffic on the way home, and it took way longer than we expected. But, we finally made it.
For out last night in Seattle, Peg and Willie made crab legs and alfredo for us. The kids had never had crab legs before, but they had a lot of fun learning how to eat them. They said they were "okay" but not their favorite thing. I was proud of them for trying it. John and I love it, and we devoured as much as our stomaches would allow us to. After supper, the kids stayed at Peg and Willies, while the four of us went to their local bar for a couple drinks and to visit without the kids. It was a nice send off for us, and we got some good time in with Peg and Willie.
Tuesday was our travel day back home. We spent the morning cleaning up, packing up, and getting the car dropped off and getting to the airport. It was a bittersweet day. We were all ready to be back home to our routines and normal life, but we were going to miss Seattle. We had a long, uneventful day traveling back home. We made it back to Sioux Falls at 9:30pm and Jim came and picked us up and brought us home. We had fun, but we were tired and very ready to sleep in our own bed.
Wednesday was a catch-up day. We mowed lawn, did laundry, cleaned house, and unpacked all our luggage. The rest of the week was back to work for the adults, and the kids enjoyed having no agenda for plans during the day.
This past weekend, we had a nice weekend at home. On Friday evening, we had a bonfire and brought the projector outside and watched a movie on our patio. On Saturday, John took Emma and Elliott to the Sioux Falls Renaissance Festival. Emma absolutely loved it. She dressed up and even wore one of her cat masks. She found other girls dressed up like her, and she just loved the whole vibe. Elliott also enjoyed it, but I'm not sure he understood what it was all about. We also ended up pressure washing and staining our entire deck and the front steps of the house. It was a very busy day, and we were so sunburnt, tired, and sore after it, but we felt so accomplished.
On Sunday, we went to church, and then I took Emma, Hannah, and Katherine to Watertown for Panther Camp. Emma was so excited to go to camp, and she comes home tomorrow and I can't wait to hear about it. Elliott has spent the week out at Jim and Barb's house since Emma is gone, and he is having the time of his life as well. But, I do miss my kids. We did eat supper last night at Big J's with Jim, Barb. and Elliott, so that was nice. Tonight, we are having steaks with Katie. We have been finding a way to keep busy!
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| Mount Rainier |
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| Snow! |
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| Crab leg feed |
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| Time to go home |
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