Gracious, summer has been good to us, with pool days and lake days and a special Sunday at Safeco. Â A few July snapshots:
Juliette and I spent a Friday last month checking out the Henry Moses Aquatic Center down in Renton – after all of our winter and spring visits to the Rainier Beach pool, swimming outside felt like such a lovely novelty.
I’ve always loved the warmer months, but experiencing summer through a child’s eyes really ups the ante.
We caught a Mariner’s game a few weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon – Juliette asks to “visit the moose” every time we drive past Safeco field, so it was pretty special to finally grant her request.
That magic moment of watching the field open up before you after that painful slog of making your way to your high-up seats:
Juliette was amazingly engaged, asking Shane who each new batter was, cheering when the M’s got a hit or when they struck out a Yankee. Granted, this level of engagement only lasted about one and a half innings, but still, she dug it!
After the game, we headed down to the field to run the bases with the kiddos. While in line, Jack entertained Nico and Jules with his mind-melding tricks.
And, the crowd roars!!!
You’re an all-star, Jules.
And because these two just couldn’t get enough of each other, we gathered at Tutta Bella for dinner, rounding out the day with gelato and giggles.
Shane’s sister and her clan came to visit at the end of July and we painted the town red, hitting Pike’s Place Market and Bainbridge Island and our favorite neighborhood joints.
We spent a sunny afternoon at Lake Sammamish, taking turns on the paddle board. Everyone managed to get up on it for at least a short row. Almost everyone managed to not fall in.
Show-off!
These kids got along so splendidly throughout the visit – Juliette has seriously hit the cousin jackpot.
We headed up to Mukilteo the following morning to spend the day with Aunt Val and Uncle Doug at their beachfront abode.
The afternoon was a sunny blur of hopping back and forth between the swimming pool and the fishing dock.
We pulled up several dozen crabs in the span of a couple of hours – most of them were tossed back, but a few extra-large ones were put on ice to await a fateful dinnertime end.
Dinner was a veritable crab bonanza, as the gentlemen boiled and cracked our bucketful of that day’s catch.
We spent Sunday morning with the fam at Alki, where Seattle showed off its beachy blues.
And to round out the grand tour de Seattle, we rented a couple of four-person bikes for a ride down the boulevard. I’ve forgotten how fun it can be to play the part of the tourist in our city!
Our legs were screaming a couple miles in, so we popped off at a dock to take a rest and take in the sights.
These girls! The sweetest.
Our house was oh-so-full but oh-so-fun for those few days. There’s a lotta love on that couch!
It was hard to say good-bye on Sunday afternoon…this photo says it all.
And now we find ourselves more than half-way through August, as this summer flies by with lightning speed. I’m keeping my swimsuit handy, though – there’s still much to savor.