Category: Out and About

Today we took our family over to the Museum of Glass. We arrived just as they were beginning to do some amazing work in the Hot Shop! The Hot Shop is the museums 90-foot steel cone house, where you can sit and watch artists use glass, watch videos, and listen to the process, art, and history of glass blowing. It’s very cool; I would go again just to sit and watch that. Isabel was very interested in the whole process and asked us lots of good questions! Unfortunately, they wouldn’t allow you to take photos in the museum. Enjoy!

Walking over to the museum from the Chihuly Bridge of Glass.

Jeannie and Aaron came along too, of course.

One of the pieces of art along the Bridge of Glass.

Before heading in…Grandma, Grandpa, and Isabel.

I did get to take photos in the kids area. Aaron and Isabel made masks together. Aaron and Jeannie are working on his…

While Isabel works on coloring hers.

Isabel’s completed mask. On the way home, she “braided” the hair.

Outside the museum once again, beside Martin Blank’s Fluent Steps. This interpretation of water spans 210 feet long and rises 15 feet above the reflecting pool. It contains 754 individually hand-sculpted pieces of glass, mostly created in the Hot Shop of the museum during the artists 45 -day visit in 2008. The whole collection glows at night from lights that point upward from the pool.

Trike riding and fun after a day at the museum.

Jeannie and Aaron (Gino’s cousin and her son) arrived later today, ready to spend Labor Day weekend with us. With the day still nice and Aaron needing to get out and stretch his legs, Gino took them up to our community park. Glad you’re here and we hope you enjoy your stay with us! Enjoy!

After a few times down the “kiddie” slide, Aaron moved over to the bigger slide (the green one behind him)!

Aaron getting ready to head down the big slide. He’s not afraid of nothing!

Isabel enjoys going down the slide too, but on her belly!

Heading down one more time…I know what she’s thinking…slides are fun and all, but she wants to swing!

Today was a gorgeous day, so we headed over to the park with the swings and a game or two of Bocce.

Isabel doing what she loves to do when she goes to the park!

Grandma and Isabel enjoy swinging together.

Dad and I set up a Bocce court over in the grass along with playground.

Dad throwing his ball.

After many rounds, I was able to win one!
Actually, we were about tied with Dad winning the most rounds that we played.

Grandpa and Isabel swinging together, too.

Isabel and Grandma even played a round of Bocce before Isabel got distracted with the playground again.

Looks like Grandma is winning this round. Good try Isabel!

Today we went downtown to the park for our friends little boys birthday party. Enjoy!

Isabel and friends.

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Jayden and Isabel running in the wading pool.

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More running, these guys didn’t sit still very long. So hard to get photos.

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Jayden got out his punching balloon and was playing with it in the pool.
I think some of the parents along the sides were thinking he was going to use it to punch kids in the pool. They all had this worried look…haha!

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Just before the pool was drained they got out and ran around chasing bubbles to get dry (Jayden and the other boys took off and were chasing squirrels).

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After all the other kids left, Isabel and Jayden gathered up all the acorns from the huge trees in the park. By the time we were ready to leave they had a huge pile of nuts for the squirrels, that we saw running around the park earlier.

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Happy Birthday, Jayden!

Isabel and I decided to take Sarah to Northwest Trek to see the animals and enjoy the day together. Since I have posted photos of the animals in the park before, when we went with my parents 3 years ago. I’ll post only the highlights of the day and not bore you with repeat photos. Enjoy!

Our first stop inside the park was the Bald eagle exhibit. These eagles are in an open air exhibit with no net to prevent them from flying because this pair of eagles has injuries that prevent them from flying away! So sad…but on the other hand I’m glad they are here at the park to see up close and enjoy them. These truly are amazing birds.

Before we headed down the hill to the herd-tram, we had to take a photo break.
I really like this one of Sarah and Isabel.

Just as our herd-tram was about to leave, a lone female caribou walked right up to our side of the tram looking for some shade from the hot sun.

This time I was able to get a whole group of female mountain sheep and calves! These ladies were trying to keep cool.

I was so excited to take this picture! Three years ago, the park only had 1 moose and we didn’t get to see her. This time, they have 4 moose and we got to see 2 of them!

Male Roosevelt elk trying to keep cool in the grasses along the marsh.

Our herd-tram has ended and we got to see all 8 species of animals that wander around in the free-range area.
We saw: Bighorn sheep, Bison, Mountain goats, Black and white tail Deer, Moose, Roosevelt Elk,  and Woodland Caribou. Along with 2 raccoons (one had babies) and 2 swans.

In the wetland exhibits we got to see otters, beaver, and a raccoon that looked like it wanted to escape!

Sarah, Isabel and the otter.

Waiting for the beaver to head back to the window so she could see it.

There it is! What a big beaver you are!

In the Forest animal exhibits, we got to see; a badger, a skunk, and we missed out seeing the baby porcupine!

Heading out of the park we stopped by the moose; unfortunately we couldn’t get anyone to take a picture of the 3 of us.

Racing back to the car for some much needed lunch. We had a great day, tomorrow we head to the airport…

This afternoon we headed up to Eatonville so Sarah could get a better view of Mount Rainier, we weren’t disappointed. Enjoy!

Pulled over along the highway to Eatonville.

Good shot!