The one where we had a vacation.

Warning: Lots of pictures to follow.

I had so much fun with our new camera this weekend. I pretty much took pictures of everything. EVERYTHING. My photography skills are still lacking, even with a fancy schmancy camera, but I will be working on that.

So for starters, we stayed at Maile and Scott's time share in Lake Chelan. This was our view from the balcony.

Pretty nice, right? Except for the fact that I am so super paranoid of my children somehow figuring out how to fall over the edge, so everytime they would step out the glass door I would gasp, or say "Be careful" or something overprotective and mother-y like that.


The reason for our vacation was simple:

We needed a break from everyday life.

So we headed over the mountains to a little town called Leavenworth Wa. All the businesses have Bavarian themed facades, Bavarian type goods to sell, and lots of Bavarian type food. But our favorite place is always the hat shop.

You can buy almost any hat you could imagine, such as this beauty that Kate is modeling.



You can also buy crazy glasses like the pair that Jeff was inexplicably drawn to.
As he walked around Leavenworth like this, he got a lot of little smiles out of people, but my favorite was a guy that looked him right in the eye and said "Hey, at least they match"

He was going for the Green Lantern look obviously.



I had way too many pictures in the car, since we spent a good 8 hours in it after all the driving around. Henry loves a good jam and peanut butter sandwich for breakfast.


I think this may have been my favorite thing in Leavenworth. I didn't like it enough to have it wrapped up and brought home, but it certainly was picture worthy.

My kids were both amazed and disgusted by it.

Pretty hilarious.


Oh, and did I mention how beautiful my daughters are?

Exhibit A.

Julia on the streets of Leavenworth.


We went all the way to Leavenworth so that Charlie could get his very own Wall Ball.


Ok, so on the way to Leavenworth we took a little sidetrip to my hometown of Cle Elum, Wa.
This is the house that my parents built 33 years ago. I use to play in the woods to the side of this house with Keno and Maile ALL. THE. TIME.

Now, what used to be woods is a strip mall and a Safeway.


I finally got a happy picture of Anne Marie. Everyone was getting super sick of me clicking away, so they would either hide behind their hands or make really weird faces. I like the weird faces, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I need a Memory Face. (Pictures tied to good memories)

Miss Nora was a trooper. I don't think she really napped for 3 days, but she was still so happy. Even covered in licorice, and cookies and whatever else we threw at her to keep her happy, it was all I could do to not crawl in the back and smother her with kisses.

She is just so dang adorable. But I'm biased.


And last, but not least, a picture of moi. It had to be a self portrait since I would probably have bitten the hand off of anyone who tried to touch the new camera. Jeff included.

I look like I want to bite someone's hand off, don't I? But do you know how many self pictures you have to take before you get one where your whole face is in the frame and you don't have a weird double chin or view of up your nose?


We finished off the weekend with a trip to Grandma and Grandpa Allen's house where we went swimming with the cousins, played Chicken Foot (a first for me) and watched the Olympics til late into the night.

We still have 4 days left of mid-winter break, and daddy had to go back to work :(,so I'm looking for more good ideas of what to do with the troops.

Any suggestions?