Who's Attle?

Meg: Kolbs did you know Grandma and Grandpa are flying on an airplane tomorrow to Seattle?

Kolbs: Who's Attle?

In the fall, I found super cheap flights with Southwest to a lot of places. Like 35, 65, 75, 95 dollars cheap. One way of course, but still. And you can't put a travel deal like that in front of me and think I won't take it. Because I will. Every time. So I started searching for travel partners and a place to go and eventually it was decided: Seattle, Washington, January 4-7, Mom Dad me and Kelv. It turned into our Christmas present from Mom and Dad and one of the best memories I will treasure forever with my sweet family.

We basically decided we were going to be major tourists and do all things Seattle had to offer. Here is our adventure:

Lesson #1-- Seattle is artsy.

It rained and rained on us the first day, but the next 3 were pretty great, I thought.

The view from our first lunch at Ivar's

 Then we went to the aquarium where I could have been entertained for days.

The coolest exhibit of jelly fish!

DORI!!!!!!!

Once upon a time when I lived in Hawaii we went snorkeling at Shark's Cove.
I spent HOURS chasing around a fish that looked exactly like this
I wanted to pet it SO BAD!!
It was my favorite fish!
But it was too tricky and fast for me.
:(

I forgot this guy's name off of Nemo...
UHHHHHH not good. That's my favorite movie!

Kelv and Dad just taking a quick power nap.
At the aquarium.
Ha ha.
Also, I'm pretty positive every family trip we have ever been on,
we have a picture of Dad similar to this, if not identical.

Side note, the first day I think we were all so tired. I got 2 hours of sleep the night before, I think everyone else maybe got 3 or 4 if they were lucky. We went to bed early the entire trip, it was the weirdest thing! I haven't done that since I was like 12! It was nice though. 

NEMO! I want him. 

Cool dome part of the aquarium! We watched them feed the fishies.

 Kelv and I had to mention while we were around all these fish that once Kyson and Kolbs had fish named Red Horse and Squish It. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Sea otter!

We then went on the famous underground tour of the city built under Seattle. I only have one picture of probably the only thing I thought was interesting or worth taking a picture of. The rest of the time I was creeped out and surrounded by too many people in a dark/damp/dirty place and everything we saw looked the same. History never was my favorite subject, and tour guides with the same old jokes were never my favorite people. I can say that I have been underground Seattle, though.

This is actually on the sidewalks of the current city of Seattle,
they were what the underground city used to let light in.
Interesting.

Artsy artsy artsy.
This is supposed to resemble a smashed guitar.
It is the museum of music and science and also
the location of Seattle's monorail.

 Day 2 was Space Needle and Temple day!!!

Those cheap photos they make you take in front of the green screen...

The view of the city from the top of the Space Needle

Looking down to the ground below

Mom and Kelv walking around outside.
Windy was an understatement.

I am confused about the order of events here... but at one time or another we also went to see an IMAX movie and into this butterfly exhibit.

This butterfly just loved Kelv.
It landed on him as soon as we walked in!

Dinner at an extra large table, anyone?

The Space Needle from the ground

Seattle, Washington LDS temple!

Some amazing things happened at this temple that day, that just proved to me how much Heavenly Father wants us to do good and how by small and simple things he shows us He approves of what we are doing and that He is ALWAYS looking out for us.

• Firstly, as we were waiting for the bus to the temple, we meet a lady who grew up in Utah, graduated from BYU and is a member of the church. She gave us helpful advice on how to get there and even did some research about the temple to answer some questions we had.
• EXACTLY when we get to the temple, a young man gets there to do baptisms as well. The Seattle temple does not have an open/walk in baptistry as do some of the temples in Utah, so the timing that he got there right when we did so my dad or brother could baptize him was incredible. 
• This kid was AMAZING. His name was Dillon and he is the most valient teenager I have ever met. My Dad took right to him and soon we found out he moved from the Philipines a few years ago, was baptized at I forgot what age but after he was 8. He goes to high school but is taking classes at the college by the temple too. He missed a year of seminary when he moved so he is doing home seminary right now to make up for it, as well as early morning seminary, and attending the temple once a week. He baptized some people in his ward last month. He has 3 or 4 siblings on missions now, he is preparing to go next year and so are the rest of his siblings. His dad is the bishop and he is just a sweet member missionary at all times, I know it. He invited us to his ward, testified of how happy the gospel makes him and how much he loves it... I was just amazed. I know I am forgetting some things because his list was endless but he was just a Strippling Warrior to the T. 
• He also went all out helping us find our way back to where we needed to be. 

NONE of these things happened by coincidence in the big city of Seattle. The Lord's hand is apparent.

Space Needle at night!

We went back to the top of the Space Needle to get the view of the city at night!

Friday we went to the famous Pike Place Market! It was a fun place to wonder around and see the crafts and food and fish and everything you could want.

Awe mom and dad

A tribute to the hilarious ethnic restaurant called "Taj Mahal"
in Honolulu Hawaii that Hil, Kelv Ky and I visited/bawled my
eyes out all night from laughing so hard when Kelv and Hil
were in HI.

The famous Gum Wall.

If you think of it as art, it's less disgusting.

This one is for Jace. HAHA not the brewing company part,
but the PIKE part. She loves to show off her PIKE skills on my trampoline.

Mom: She's gonna pike.
Me: ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaa!
Kelv: Yeah, that's what they call it here at Pike Place Market. Piking. Not planking.

It should also be noted that this day I WAS reppin Seattle style, wearing my North Face!
It just happens to be hidden under my Columbia jacket...
EVERYONE wore North Face.

After the market we took a harbor tour:

Our last day in the city!

What can I say, they love me.

Our hotel, the Marqueen. Old fashioned and super cute and super
excellent service.

On our last day we decided to take a ferry (which I had never been on, so cool!) to Bainbridge Island.

Kelv and I on the deck of the ferry.

Looking back on the city

Random sea otter photo... from the aquarium, not the ferry ride.

Bainbridge was a way sweet place, as I was walking around it I thought, this place kind of reminds me of the Twilight movies. Ten minutes later I realized--DUH! Twilight was based out of Washington, that's why fool. It was green and smelled good and small ish and homey and pretty. Not enough sunshine for me to ever live there, but a good place nonetheless.

Mom Dad and Kelv on the ferry.
The ferry was definitely NOT what I had visualized when
I had previously heard the word "ferry"
It was HUGE and comfy and had everything you could need
to live on it pretty much.
Kelv and I discussed what a different commute that would be,
you could just drive your car on and then get work done while
they ferry you over to the island your job is on.

Tebowing in Seattle

One last stop--the museum of music

Giant guitar tornado.

HAHA! That's so what I would say. I love it.

Mom playin some guitar.

Kelv jamming as well.

What a fun and enjoyable trip! We got to see all the sights of Seattle and were free to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. It is an intriguing city and sooooooo so so so so different than anywhere I have ever lived (obviously) but that fascinates me. I like to see the way other people live. It's a whole new world up there. I so loved being with my family, out of our comfort zones. We learned a lot and saw a lot and appreciated home more, too. I'm thankful my family will let me drag them around the world. It's fun. For me anyway, I don't know how fun they think it is. The good news is, I'm the youngest! Therefore I have millions of trips left in me and will be able to force them into coming with me because I will still be young and able and they will just have to. 

Thanks Mom and Dad and Kelv! For memories I will never forget!