Tag: Labor Day

Our Weekend in Spokane

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Grandma Zoe made the move up to Washington just a few weeks ago and now that she is settled in a bit, we took to the road to visit her in Spokane. We left Friday afternoon to beat the traffic and were lucky enough not to hit a single slow down. Once over Snoqualmie Pass and out onto the Central plains of Washington it was evident that a big thunderstorm was brewing and we just might be heading into it. Most of what we could see was off in the distance, but it still enjoying the lightening show. However, as we got closer and closer to Spokane it was evident that we might get a nice storm yet. And we did.
When we arrived at Grandma Zoe’s new place, the car was unloaded and we finally had the chance to relax and visit with Grandma. Just after dinner, the storm that we thought might hit the area finally started to blow over and gave us a nice little light and thunder show. It was a nice welcome for us!
The next day we took our time getting up, enjoyed some breakfast and then head out to enjoy the area. Grandma Zoe lives just across the Spokane River near downtown so she wanted to take us over to Riverside Park and show us the area. The day was cloudy, post thunderstorm but it was beautiful and perfect for a day out walking and enjoying what Spokane has to offer.
Crossing over one of many bridges over the Spokane River into Riverside Park and downtown Spokane.
Rain puddles and reflections.
Clock tower and foot bridges. Pretty day in a pretty little city.
If there is a carousel, Abby and Ellie will find it. This one was super fast too!
The carousel in Riverside Park is just over a hundred years old and absolutely gorgeous. The carousel horses still have their original tails made of actual horse hair.
Such an easy place to photograph.
The detail and precision of these carousel horses is amazing. Creating a carousel horse is an art form that has been lost over time. Only one company and maker exist in the United States.
Riverside Park clock tower along the Spokane River.
This bog old goose thought she was park of the Canadian Geese flock and certainly made his presence known.
Tagged Canadian Goose. I wonder what the research can tell us about the places this one goes.
Enjoying the Wagon Slide… Ellie was a bit unsure of it but finally came down.
Its the giant Radio Flyer Slide… so much fun!

Fat goose taking a “gander” at the Spokane River. I know… that was bad.

After our walk through the park, we stopped downtown for lunch and had some very yummy pizza. After we stuffed ourselves full, the walk back to the car was needed. After our afternoon out we went for a nice little drive, exploring back roads, taking pictures and enjoying the scenery. Before we knew it we were back home having dinner and relaxing after a fun day out.

The next day we had a wonderful breakfast and headed out to Green Bluff with the hope of picking apples and enjoying yet another beautiful day. Unfortunately a lot of the orchards were closed to public apple picking but we still enjoyed the day and some of the yummy food these places had to offer. The girls ended up with ice cream and that made their day. The rest of the evening we relaxed, enjoyed the gorgeous sunset and Shaun and I took a drive after the girls went to bed. It was a great last night of our weekend in Spokane.

Ice cream that’s almost as big as my head… hurray!
Eating the whole cone was a big job, but Abby was up to the task.
A rainbow after the storm.
It almost looked like the rainbow was coming from downtown and the old smoke stacks.
Picture perfect sunsets. Even better than a painting.

In the morning we packed our things and prepped to leave. Before we hit the road we went to breakfast with Grandma Zoe, checking out the restaurant just across the street from her place. It was delicious! A perfect way to prep for our drive home. We had hoped to stay a little longer but because of blasting work over Snoqualmie Pass, we had to get going so that we weren’t stuck in a two house wait. Before we knew it, we were on our way home. Traffic was great and the ride was smooth. It was good to get home and prep for the next few days to come… The girls start school tomorrow!

In Touch with my Danish Roots. An Afternoon in Solvang

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Shaun and I decided that over the Labor Day weekend we would get away at least once and do something as a family without thinking about work, house work, laundry, cell phones and the usual stresses of life. So today we headed up to Solvang for the afternoon.

The drive up brought back a lot of childhood memories. We listened to Kenny Loggins (yes, I am 30 and I listen to Kenny Loggins) and drove the coast, over San Marcos Pass, past Cachuma to Solvang. This was a drive I did often with my parents and my sister when we were kids. Its something I think of often.

The day was beautiful and Abby loved all of the buildings. She thought they all looked like castles and of course she was immediately hooked. After visiting some of my favorite shops, like the Christmas All Year Round shop (yes Mom I admit, I am just like you in so many ways) we needed to eat. Because the favorite I remember no longer exists we headed to the Little Mermaid Restaurant. It was an excellent choice and Abby had her first Danish Meatballs! SHe liked them a lot and her independence decided to shine through, as she wanted to cut them on her own.




After dinner we walked a bit to help with our full tummies and then stopped at a cute little bakery before heading home. Yes, a bakery. You cant leave a Danish village without buying well, a Danish or some yummy pastry! Despite trying to be good about eating and my diet, I indulged and it was worth every minute. I think Abby and Ellie would agree since the cookie they shared kept them quiet for a while.




After our pastry fix we headed home. This time we took the coast the entire way. The sun was starting to set and it was unusually clear. Wow, it was beautiful. Every time we saw water Abby would get excited, always looking for mermaids, sharks and of course Nemo. It was a great family outing with very little stress. This is something we need to do more often. Until next time!

Labor Day Weekend 2010

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Our Labor Day weekend was extremely mild. I think we were still trying to decompress and get back into a normal pattern. Rest and relaxation were the key words for the weekend. And we certainly did try to stick with it.

On Saturday we slept in and all snuggled in bed watching a movie. It was nice to just be there together as a family. Around 11 or so we decided to get up and out of the house… take a drive and get away. I think we really would have enjoyed taking Abby to the park again, but the 100 degree heat made that nearly impossible. Oh well, there are many other weekends.
We decided to drive out to Montrose, La Canada/Flintridge and then Pasadena. I got the chance to see where Shaun spent time as a kid with his dad and Fiona, before they moved into their house in Reseda. From there we drove through La Canada/Flintridge and into Pasadena admiring all of the beautiful homes along the way. Boy would I love to live in one of those homes! Maybe one day… although if I had that kind of money I would have a home in Santa Barbara or Montecito. When then visited with Grandpa and Nana for a bit and then headed home. Like I said, it was a quiet weekend.




On Sunday we decided to head up to Santa Barbara. We didn’t have much planned up there, but figured we could enjoy the drive up, stop by the zoo to renew our memberships and maybe hang out for a bit. However, before we headed up the coast I was able to stop by and visit my dear friend Allyson who had just given birth to her first baby… a handsome little boy!

Nathan Dean Vargas was born Saturday September 4th at 3:25am. He was 5 pounds 12 ounces and 18 inches long. Allyson did a great job and when I came to visit looked great! She was tired, as every mom who just went through labor would be, but there was definitely a glow to her. I could tell through the sleepiness that she was so excited and in love with her little boy. Andy was holding him when I came in and I could certainly tell he was a proud daddy. Such a cute family. Thank you Allyson for letting me come to visit! It meant so much!



The drive up to Santa Barbara after my visit with Allyson was eventful. It was Labor Day weekend and who could have a holiday weekend without traffic?! I knew there would be some, but good grief! Despite the frustration of traffic we made the best of it and enjoyed the drive up. When we finally made it up to Santa Barbara we headed straight for the zoo. We renewed our memberships and then spent the next hour and a half hitting up the favorite spots. When we asked Abby what she wanted to see, her immediate response was “Monkeys!” So we headed over to see the Gibbons first. From there we walked past the elephants, who can miss them, and over to see the Gorillas. Lucky for Abby one of them walked right past the glass! After the Gorillas we headed straight to the giraffes, Abby’s other favorite animal at the zoo. She loves watching them and really did not want to leave. That was made very clear by the near meltdown.





When we left we decided to go for a drive through Hope Ranch. This area was once owned by Fess Parker (Disney’s Davey Crockett) who just recently passed away. It now is a secluded area of homes that are beyond amazing… if only I was filthy rich. Its nice to look though. I had hoped to enjoy a cone of soft serve ice cream from a nearby Foster’s Freeze as we drove through, but it was gone. That place had been there since I was a kid and I am sure before that… and now its gone! I hate change… I really do.

We drove all over Santa Barbara and Montecito mostly to enjoy the scenery but also to get around traffic on our way home. Our drive home once we ran out of alternate routes was a mess. Traffic was a nightmare and Ellie was fussy beyond belief. She was great up until that point but then as we hit traffic and just wanted to get home, she turned up the volume. From Ventura to Westlake Village she screamed and howled. I tried to feed her but nothing. She just wanted to cry and cry and cry and… you get my point. By the time we got home we were exhausted and went to bed right away.

Because of the long ride home, Monday was completely uneventful. We literally did nothing all day. Had breakfast, slept, watched movies with Abby and Ellie, napped while the girls napped. Ran to Target to get some needed supplies and then got dinner on the way home.

Like I said… easy going holiday weekend =)

Lazy Labor Day

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Our Labor Day weekend was pretty uneventful. Most of it was spent being lazy, doing chores and hanging out with the Wharton Family on Sunday night. It was so nice to have three days to hang out with one another. Abby had the chance to see Patrick, Fiona, Brittany and James for the first time in a little while. Grandpa had the wagon all cleaned up for her, which allowed her to wheel around a bit in the front yard and mingle with their neighbor, Jim and Maxine. All in all it was a wonderful weekend!