We’ve been enjoying some quality time with family lately, with a visit from my mom and dad last weekend, and a quick trip down to Portland this weekend to see my brother, his wife, and the girls. Â Although these trips always end up feeling much more brief than I’d like, I’m thankful for these short-but-sweet chances to reconnect with one another.
My parents were here on a typical rainy June weekend, and so my hopes of enjoying Seattle’s great outdoors didn’t quite pan out. Â But we passed mornings hunkered down in cafes to enjoy a latte, followed by afternoons spent lounging at home to watch the Giants, and evenings gathered around the dining room table for a home-cooked meal and a game of cards. Â And so my bitterness over the rain subsided as I realized how nice it was to spend a simple, cozy weekend at home with my mom and dad.
Our trip to Portland was equally mellow, but substantially sunnier, and so we did our relaxing in the backyard. Â Lots of good eating, lots playing with Elise and Morgan, and a quick trip downtown to do a little shopping at Powell’s and West Elm, for good measure. Â Shane continues to be Elise’s favorite, and I suspect he is trying to sneak his way into Morgan’s good graces as well…
I really don’t mind being runner-up, though. Â I can’t hold a grudge against a gril with a smile like this one.
Finding ourselves with a little time to kill in the Pearl District before the stores opened, I subjected the family to a little photo shoot. Â It is amazingly difficult to get two adults and two small children to look at a camera all at the same time. Â But…success!
And this is the point where I lament the end of a beautiful weekend. Â Sigh.