Weekend Whirlwind

Knee deep into the worst summer I can remember, the forecast called for a full three days of nice, sunny weather this past weekend and we made up for lost time. I left my big camera at home Friday night and barely used it on Saturday, preferring to enjoy the  time instead of focusing on photos.

Friday night we picked up the fixings for a picnic and headed out to Discovery Park Beach.

Fried Chicken baby!

So happy to see sun and warm temps, they dropped to the sand to make sand angels.

Who needs fancy sand toys that get used once or maybe twice a year when you've got and endless supply of ROCKS to throw!

This little NW girl doesn't care how cold the water is, she's going in darnit!

How do you get two kids to look at the camera for a photo? Show them the ladybug that's crawling on your hand. Voila! A little posed but I'll take what I can get.

Now can I have it Mommy?

Climbing where she was told not to but at least she let me take her pic.  We're all about compromise around here!

Nothing like toes in warm sand!

Saturday morning we gathered the troops and set out to check off another to-do on our summer list-take a ferry ride. We've read "Goodnight Seattle" about 438 times and the kids have been asking to go on a ferry.  So off to Bainbridge we went.  

By the end of the day, the kids thought they had been on a cruise ship.  Ah, to be little!

Lunch at a favorite place. Actually, it's the only place we've eaten over there. The last time was over two years ago when my family came out to visit. Lainey was Beau's age and Beau wasn't even with us. Wow how time flies!

Trying to charm me into letting him have my camera.  Who could resist that face? He managed to take one of the worst photos of me I've ever seen. 

Picking out a post lunch treat at the fabulous Mora's Ice Cream shop.  

Score! Beau started with a small scoop of vanilla in a cup but soon discovered that Daddy's Chocolate Peanut Butter was waayyyy better. 

I have no idea what the gentleman sitting across from them said, but Beau was completely enthralled by the guy. 

Family pic on the cruise ship.

Waiting for the ferry ride home.  Sometimes the only way to keep this boy contained is to throw him on your shoulders and hope he stays there.

 A warm sunny day really should be a city holiday in this town.  In a good year, we don't see the sun enough, this year has been downright awful.

Next up, the market in search of some dinner!

Lainey insisted on sitting on the pig at the market.  Who is Daddy is texting I wonder?

Sunday we stuck close to home.  Beau not napping on Saturday resulted in a very cranky boy on Sunday and on top of that, he woke up not feeling well. So while he was catching up on his sleep, Daddy and Lainey had a water balloon party!

Sunday night ended with a Block Party where we met the rest of the neighbors, some of which have lived on this street over 40 years.  They've seen all the changes to our house and it was interesting to hear their tales.

In all, a great weekend! Hopefully Mother Nature will bless us with some warm sunshine again soon.

My lucky day

Today marks just the second time EVER that Lainey agreed to let me take her pictures. The first was back in February when her and I did an impromptu Valentine photo session.    She does not like looking at the camera but loves seeing the images.  I took a ton of photos and I'm proud of her stamina and patience.  It wasn't until I took well over 100 photos (some keepers, most not) that she said, "Ok Mommy, that's enough for now."  I respect that and put the camera down and we went back to picking flowers for the 3,568th time. 

I converted a few to b & w but left these first few in color.  

They just seem to say "summer!" to me. 

We did these while Beau was napping.  I managed to get a couple of him as well that I'll put in another post.  Trying to get the two of them in the same photo and keep them in the yard is pretty much an impossible task.  

She watched Wall-E and decided to get some dirt and a little sprout together and wanted to plant it in her boot.  Unfortunately, "her" boot was Beau's rain boot and I barely saved it.  While it is June, you just never know when you're going to need your rainboots around here so it would be best if there wasn't a plant growing out of one of them.  I don't think Beau had any idea what she was planning on doing with his boot but he probably would have went along with it just to make her happy. He'll do anything for his sister.