Category: Out and About

Our weekend went swiftly by, first with Anika’s birthday party yesterday and then finishing with Ezzra’s birthday party at her Grandparents house today. Isabel has really enjoyed all the extra time with her friends. Enjoy!

Our cute little cowgirl!

Sitting around the table eating some chow and shooting the breeze.

Two of the cutest cowgirls around!

Time for karaoke! Presley stole the show with this… even if she didn’t know the words!
Wherever and whenever there is music, Isabel is going to dance and she was the only one… at first.

The birthday girl singing karaoke.

Isabel and Ezzra.

After awhile of watching and listening to those who were willing to sing, we headed downstairs and outside to let the kids hit the horse piñata. Each cowgirl/cowboy had 2 different times to swing the bat but unfortunately the horse didn’t break! It had a hole but no breakage! So after one of the cowpokes broke it off the string, Gino ripped it open and cowgirls/cowboys made a dash for the prizes!

The Birthday girl up to bat. It’s any wonder that Ezzra could even see the horse because she had her cowgirl hat so low on her head!

Lilliana gets a turn to break it open… need to keep an eye on those “shy” kids because she can really swing a bat!

Presley got a few good swings/hits in too.

Isabel up to bat at the piñata.

Makayla’s turn.

Dany’s turn. He was the one to “break” the tail off. Good job Dany!

I didn’t take photos of the other kids swinging the bat because I don’t know them (cousin’s of Ezzra) and they aren’t in Isabel’s class.

Isabel dancing with Ezzra’s cousin’s.

Back inside where it was warm and dry, more singing and dancing was in store before cake, singing Happy Birthday, and opening of gifts. Most of the people (not related to Ezzra) started leaving before the first gifts were even opened. We stuck around to the very end, while Ezzra (and her cousins) opened her gifts

Happy Birthday Ezzra!

Today we headed to Pump It Up to celebrate the birthday of Isabel’s classmate, Anika. After we arrived we learned that Anika had been sick all week long and still wasn’t up to bouncing and playing with her friends. It’s no fun to be sick during your birthday and even worse when you have a big party with all your friends! Enjoy.

The first room of bouncy fun was filled with a slide, a obstacle course, a large bouncy basketball court and this cool baseball area. Makayla and Isabel played here together for awhile. Both girls tried to hit the ball that “floated” in midair but without much luck. However Makayla’s little brother, Caleb could hit the ball and hit it somewhat straight!  This was fun to watch.

After playing a bit of baseball, the girls headed into the obstacle course together.
So cute together!

BF’s: Makayla and Isabel!
During our time in the first room, these two were inseparable! I’m so glad that Isabel is making friends with girls her age.

The blur is Isabel. She would fly down the slide so fast I couldn’t get a picture fast enough!

What a crash! Fun! Fun! Fun!

After being in this 1st room for about an hour or so, we headed into room number 2. Which was filled with a larger slide, a larger bounce house, bouncy boxing, and air-ball guns.

Isabel in the air-ball gun “room”. Isn’t she cute with those goggles on?

She ended up staying in this “room” for the remainder of the time playing with Caleb (Makayla’s little brother).

After getting out for awhile and letting other kids in, she somehow got back inside but this time put the goggles on upside down! You would think she would fog up the goggles with no air holes!

The majority of the kids that were there… minus the birthday girl and a several others. There had to have been close to 25 kids and 15 adults or so! A big party!

I was finally able to get a picture of the birthday girl… poor girlie. She got sick just a few moments after this photo was taken. You could tell she just wasn’t into the whole party celebration.

Isabel and Anika… feel better soon and Happy Birthday!

Isabel was invited to her very first girl birthday party this weekend and was she so excited to go! I enjoyed getting to see all the girls together outside of the classroom and it was also great to talk with the other moms and get to know them better. Enjoy!

Isabel all dressed up! She’s ready to party with the other “princesses”!
Note the crown, earrings, necklaces, and shoes because that’s the last time you’ll see them on her today!

All the “princesses” (and a little prince) at the party; minus one little “princess” who arrived after this photo was taken. (All the girls, except the “princess” on the far left and the little prince, are girls from Isabel’s class at school)

After a lunch of pizza, all the “princesses” sit down to decorate some “crowns”.
Left to right: Isabel, the Birthday Girl, Presley, and Rebecca.

Fun! Fun! Fun! Decorating those “crown” cookies. So many choice’s in icing color to sprinkles of every color and shape.

The other table of “princesses” and the “prince” making crowns.

Isabel’s finished “crown” cookie loaded with icing and sprinkles!

Opening gifts with all the “princesses” gathered all around…so close to the Birthday Princess that I couldn’t get any photos of her opening gifts.

Happy Birthday, Presley!

To start Christmas vacation off, we headed over to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium to see the 2010 Zoolights last night. Enjoy!

The night was clear (that’s why we chose this night) and very cool as we headed toward the water front. When we arrived, we were directed to park and wait for a bus to take us to the Zoo. Our wait time didn’t last long and we climbed aboard the bus eager to get there. After heading to the front of the line (it so pays to be a member!), we stepped into the wonderland of lights!

The non-member line was very long, hope they make it inside to see the lights and actually get to enjoy them. Remember to come early, it took us about an hour and half to see everything. All the walking inside was flat and easy, the zoo had roped off all stairs and wet areas to keep us sightseers safe while seeing the light displays.

This rainbow was huge and supported in the middle by a long pole and was over the entrance to the kids area.

Isabel and I under the rainbow.

The red wolf howling at the moon.

Herd of Muskoxen.

Gino really liked this tree that was aglow with a couple thousand lights!

Beluga whales waving their tails.

Orca pod.

The entrance to the aquarium.

Gino and Isabel taking a quick break while I snap a few photos along the way.

This chameleon was actually “hiding” around the side of a building, eating bugs.

Panda bear eating leaves among the bamboo.

I thought this elephant head on the elephant barn was very cool.

Trees along the way.

Elephants along the cliff.
The blue lights going over the rocks, shimmered and sparkled and looked to be an actual waterfall. Very pretty.

Baby chicks, Isabel says she liked them.

Looking backward on the path we just traveled. So pretty.

Mount Rainier.

Looking down the common area. If you look along the right side of this photo, is the Tacoma Narrows bridge (you can just make out the 4 towers).

Common area out in front of Mount Rainier. So pretty.
So glad we made it out this year, would do it again, next year but would stop and get some hot cocoa/apple cider along the way. Merry Christmas!

Rather then use our old rusted artificial tree this year, we decided to get a real one. So this afternoon, after church and lunch with friends, we headed to Cox Christmas Tree Farm to get our Christmas tree. Enjoy!

It didn’t take us long to find our special tree… a Douglas Fir. Isn’t it pretty?

Beginning the first cut…

Almost there…

Thumbs up for a job well done on getting our perfect tree!

Trying to get it straight in the stand. We also decided that we’d put it in our living room instead of in the front room window like we’ve done for the past 4 years living in the house. Which has worked out nicely because we get to enjoy the tree more since we spend most of our time in this part of the house anyway.

I think she makes a perfect tree, if she would only hold still long enough!

Daddy and Isabel work on getting the lights on.

She’s having fun working on our tree.

The next few nights we worked on getting it decorated with bead garland and ornaments.

Our Christmas tree.

Jeannie and Aaron arrived on Thursday afternoon and after school yesterday, we headed over to the Super Mall in Auburn and then stopped by Costco on the way home. We had a great time shopping/looking around but the kids had a blast. Enjoy!

Playing in the boat at the Super Mall play area.

Who knows what they are doing here, but boy, were they laughing!

I didn’t get Aaron’s funny face but I got Isabel. Crazy!

Smooshed cheeks and a whole lot more…

Costco Solo from gSpin on Vimeo.

In the same building is the Science Fiction Museum (SFM). Enjoy!

Most of the items on display are from the early 50’s or so but every so often we saw something that we remembered from our youth…

From the 1982 film E.T.: The Extr-Terrestrial and mother ship; which is shown at the end of the movie. I loved this movie when I was kid! Have to admit… I cried.

From the 1984 film; The Terminator.
Isabel thought he was cool and shiny. “Why does he have teeth, Daddy?” she asked.

Robbie the Robot from the film Forbidden Planet (1956).

Twiki from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV 1979-1981) was voiced by Mel Blanc.

Created for the TV show, Lost in Space (1965-1968) and only known as “Robot” but was famous for saying …“Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!”

“Muffit” from TV series, Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979) and was worn by Evolution the chimpanzee.

Phasers from Star Trek (TV 1966-1969).
Look like early Wal*Mart scanners!

Gun (center) used by Bruce Willis as Major Korben Dallas in the film The Fifth Element (1997). Gun (bottom – BTW looks like a glue gun!) is an ear-piercing gun used by Lori Petty in Tank Girl (1995).

Model of spaceship used in the film “*batteries not included” (1987).

…the next 2 photos are for my Dad, who enjoyed this movie when it came out…

From the film, The Rocketeer (1991) outfit worn by Bill Campbell as Cliff.

Rocket-pack worn by Bill Campbell as Cliff.
(see above)

Props used in the film Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991).

Sunglasses and gun used in the film Waterworld (1995).

Entrance to the EMP (on the right) and SFM (on the left) building as we were leaving.