SEATTLE WITH THE FAMILY!!!!

**WARNING: This is a picture heavy post but I just couldn't stop capturing the memories of this AMAZING trip!!!

My family, all but Andy, packed up and headed West to visit Griff on his terf in Seattle.

Mia got her own seat on the flight out to Seattle but still wanted to be with her GG. And, of course, GG worked her magic to get long nap out of Mia.

Baby Bean got plenty of attention from Tia Bria and the uncles. Bri was amazed she could push the little limbs around.

 Mia was up way past her bedtime but she couldn't walk away from the excitement. She keep saying she was in Griff's Seattle.

Some bathrooms were lacking in changing tables but we seemed to make do, like this one with a random little table in the corner.

 

Four generations at Spuds for fish and chips (I was behind the camera). This is the restaurant I always heard about when Mom would talk about Seattle.

Mia had paparazzi (disguised as her Tia Bria).

Last trip just the three of us. Don't you love the mountains?!?!

Can you see Mount Rainer? We had beautiful weather for our first day.

Mia wanted to be like Griff with her flannel.

Can you see the bird poop in my hair? It's there...that's right I got pooped on right at the beginning of my good hair day.

We learned that Mia was afraid of heights or so Mark thinks. I think she just hated the wind at the top of the space needle.

I'm not sure what she is doing but I must have thought it was pretty funny.

Graham, Liz and Griff, who joked about being their Dupree because he always managed to get in the middle.

Bedste was telling Mia about her favorite places while we waited for lunch up in the Space Needle.

My Birthday Lunar Orbiter that I kept calling Flaming Alaska.

The whole gang (just wait till you see our ride)

After getting over her fear of the steam, Mia helped me enjoy my ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Mark and Mia took advantage of the hotel pool. I love this face, she does it when she is really excited about something!

Typical sight on our family trips. We love to snuggle in. However it is getting harder as we get bigger.

Saying goodbye to the Space Needle as we rode the ferry to Bainbridge.

I love this picture of my grandpa. It was amazing to see Seattle through his eyes and hear their stories.

Horsing around with Grandpa.

Funny story about our final dinner in Seattle. Mom thought we should find a place in Queen Ann and we suggested pizza. The handy guidebook suggested Pagalacci pizza (that is probably the wrong name but it's close) and we drove around for 30 minutes trying to find it. Lots of yelling from the backseat because the people in the front couldn't hear over the four rows of seats and all our talking. We finally found it and Griff says, "We are going here? This is the pizza in the basement of my dorm." We told him to deal because we'd been saying the name for the past 30 minutes and he didn't say anything. It was actually really good pizza and we felt like we got even more insight into Griff's life having the pizza he enjoys on a weekly basis.

Again, Mia had to be like her uncle Griff with her carharts.

This was the "big" purchase of Griff's day. He found this beautiful Armani suit at an antique store. He just needs some nice shoes and he's all set for the casinos as he says.

Our little bed hog. Mia slept with Mark and me in the King bed. She got 3/5ths while Mark and I hovered on the edges.

Singing Hallelujah with Bedste.

I love seaplanes!!

Most of the gang. Mia was napping in the van with GG and Grandpa.

Rain boots are the hot style in Seattle for good reason.

It was so fun to see fresh flowers and green grass on my February birthday!

Aren't these two love birds cute? It was a blast getting to know Liz a little better. I hope she still wants to be a part of our family after traveling with us!

This was my absolute last weekend to travel before Baby Bean arrives. Although fun, I don't think I'll travel at 35 weeks if we have more children.

The Fam...I love these guys!!!

The back three rows of passengers. We cruised around Seattle in a 12 passenger van. It was so tall we had to buy a step stool to get Grandma and me into the car.

The whole gang in our "kidnapper van" as Griff called it.

Tired little traveler.

Talking about her favorite things with Bedste before we landed.