Our month started off with a 11 hour, intercontinental flight.
It was a long flight for everyone involved, but eventually the mountains of the west appeared.
We flew over a few of the ongoing forest fires.
Upon landing at SEATAC we drove all of 10 minutes to my Aunt's house to rest overnight.
In the morning it was an hour or so north to another aunt and uncle's house for a family party and to drop off the cats for a few days.
Oscar was happy with his temporary abode.
Mom entered the record book of people who swam across the lake.
Hugo testing the fitness setup.
Oscar meeting his aunt.
Jet lagging under the flight path.
Was fortunate enough to be invited on a hike with my aunt's hiking group.
Stopped at a nice little bar in Olympia while checking out a car.
Took a fast ferry to downtown with our dear aunt.
Of course the kids just wanted to blow quarters at the arcade rather than walk around and see stuff.
We were walking back and Astrid wanted to hold snakes with www.instagram.com/jonnysnakess
After Astrid showed that the biggest snake wasn't dangerous the other two kids decided it would be ok for them to hold a small snake, as a treat.
On the ferry, heading back.
Waiting for our table
Still jet lagged, burning some energy
It was time to buy a car so we went to the most interesting place to buy a car in town.
And helped ourselves to a 2005 Honda minivan.
Check out of our dear aunt's house, back to the lake to get the cats
Check into the airbnb, jump on the train to meet a friend for lunch
They just leave free milk here for you right on the platform. What a place.
Trains are great because you can be all dramatic with your bro and take pictures of each other as you go your separate directions.
There was a Mariners game going so we simply bought tickets, rode the train down and attended.
The next day a bunch of family showed up to go to the Mariners game that day and they had time to kill.
Lunch at Ivar's salmon house
There's a tiny park next door, check it out.
Oscar and I doing evening neighborhood patrols
The kids couldn't go to school because their teachers were on strike, which we support, of course.
A week after they were supposed to start, the strike lifted and they started.
Of course then Hugo immediately got sick so he had to stay home and couldn't go to daycare.
Oscar waiting on the kids to come home from school
Our stubborn little airbnb next to what it's zoned to be
Huey and I checking out a house. No interior pics. Curious. The price is right.
Oh.
Another house. Lots of character. Maybe a bit too much when it comes to "improvements"
A bunch of guys just showed up and started painting the neighbors' place. They were up at 3 am partying so I doubt they noticed until after they woke up hours later.
Oscar checking out a lovely Buick
A bedroom in a house we checked out in Central
A #Patriot friend requested an updated photo for my phone contact so took this
This Pigosaurus came with one of the houses we looked at. Tempting!
Took the kids to Carkeep park after looking at a few houses so they could practice throwing rocks into water. They haven't had a chance to do that in ages.
Astrid keeping the kids in line
Morning airbnb coffee
Taking Huey to school
Picked him up and there was ice cream
Went on a walk and there were some of the best landscapers
Finally got all the kids at school at the same time
Touring a house we put an offer on. It wasn't accepted.
Jeffrey's arcade and ice cream birthday party
On Jeffrey's actual birthday we took the big kids to the Burke Museum
Celeb sighting on the train to daycare
Stopped for the view after checking out a place in Beacon Hill
They were handing out branded merch on the anniversary of opening the station. Infrastructure like this is expensive when you build it but after it's there, you wonder how you ever lived without it.
Brunch, as one does.
It's true.
