Phoenix-Seattle Trip - April 2014

We took a family vacation to Arizona and Washington over Spring Break. Daddy and I were excited to show you one of the places we used to live and visit friends and favorite places. I flew out to Arizona with the three of you to meet daddy who was already in Arizona. You were great on the plane, and I felt a big sense of accomplishment handling the flight with you all by myself.  In Arizona, we went to the Botanic Gardens where they were hosting a beautiful blown glass exhibit by Chihuly. 

There were interesting activities like grinding your own corn meal and exploring huts of native populations.

 We stopped by the apartment complex we used to live and strolled through Arizona State University's campus where I got my doctorate degree. You met several of the faculty I used to study with including my dissertation chair and advisor.

At the zoo, Mia, Zoe and I went zip lining while Sophie and daddy rode a camel.

We also had time to visit with friends and their kids at the Arizona Diamondbacks stadium, Chase Field, the Children's Museum, and at a trampoline kids place.

We left the warmth of Arizona and headed to Seattle. We explored Pikes Place Market, the Space Needle, the Ferris Wheel, and had lots of time to visit with friends. At the Space Needle, we again got to see a Chihuly exhibit which was a treat.

On the Seattle Great Wheel

On the way from the aquarium to dinner

My favorite part of the trip though was whale watching. I had wanted to do this for some time, and we weren't sure we'd see any whales. Almost as soon as we got out to sea, we started spotting the massive creatures. It was a thrill.

On our last day, we had beautiful weather, and we made the most of it. We went for a hike in the morning, then to the zoo, and finally sea kayaking.

It's no wonder the kids were zonked by the end. It was a real vacation. Everyone got to do the things they enjoyed with minimal freak out. I went home feeling assured that we could do it again.

Cherry Blossoms - 2014

We were so happy that Sandy and Carol Dochen came for another visit this year. It's no wonder that you adore spending time with them. They are so caring and playful with you.  We spent our evening at the tidal basin with all the blooming cherry blossoms and nearby monuments.