BOUNCEY FUN

Just when you think the Slichtas can have as much fun as they're allowed to they go and do something crazy. We bought a mini bounce house! Since we're still adjusting to our limited outside space and our kids playing in the streets and not having our wonderful play set we decided that we needed SOMETHING to play with in our backyard...and in our house. Even though I grew up thinking that trampolines were evil we were seriously considering one. But, after much thought we wanted to spend our money on something that could be used in the RAIN and SUN. Jeff and I found this bounce house that is super fun in our backyard and also will fit in our garage and upstairs in our bonus room. It will also hold up to 250 pounds so we could play in it too...now that would be funny. Jeff and I had it all set up in the backyard when the kids came home one evening. They screamed with surprise and had so much fun on it. We have set it up while babysitting 5 kids and it kept them busy for hours. I just love that the kids are outside...in OUR backyard...getting some sunshine...and having lots of fun getting tired.

Fun with Mckay and Danielle

When we lived in Chicago we enjoyed going to the "Taste of Chicago." So when we heard that Seattle was doing the "Bite of Seattle" we thought wherever there is good food we must be also. McKay and Danielle flew in on Friday night and we were glad they could join in on the fun. Saturday we were up and off for a fun day ready for some good eatin'. Everyone ate something different...so much to choose from with all the different restaurants set up from all over. Emmy saw this meat on a stick and assumed it was chicken and was set on getting it. I tried to talk her out of it because the sign said it was alligator. Hmmmm. I asked the lady, "Is it really alligator?" 7 bucks later Emmy was chewin' on her alligator telling everyone how good her chicken was. We all took bites and it definitely didn't taste like chicken, but it was good.

Danielle had grilled salmon with rice. McKay had something goulash looking in a pita that was from the Australian booth.

Maryn had some Chinese, Jeff had the same Australian goulash, Ady had dessert crepes and I had a chicken artichoke crepe. Everything was scrumptious!

We walked around squishing ourselves to everyone else on the super crowded sidewalks. Jeff couldn't pass up the Hawaiian shaved ice stand. And then we posed in our usual favorite Space Needle pose and lounged on our favorite large sculptures.

We rode the ferry over to Bainbridge Island, taking our swimsuits and towels after hearing there was a neat park with water fountains. Well, to say the kids were disappointed at finding no water fountains is a gross understatement. We didn't bring our car so we walked a bit too far for their pleasure also. Things were smoothed over after we discovered Mona's Homemade Ice Cream. (yes, the very same that our realtor told us about when we moved here.) Even McKay said that it could very well be the best ice cream EVER! We indulged and enjoyed it so much and thought that the whole ferry trip was worth it just for the visit to Mona's. We'll be back for sure! ...next time we'll bring the car. We did find a park for the kids to play at and of course crossing the street with the orange flags was funner than anything we did the whole day.

The ferry ride over and back was 35 minutes each way. It was a clean, smooth and very nice ferry including a cafe and gift shop. WOW! The views were lovely and the whole ride was so relaxing and enjoyable. We were glad we brought our own cooler of snacks to enjoy.

The city skyline was nice but seeing 2 cruise ships lined up along the ports against the skyline was pretty neat.

The kids mostly wanted to go outside and inside and upstairs and downstairs, while the adults just wanted to take naps and sit quietly.

Our first photo with our new city...Seattle. We can't believe it's already been 9 months that we've lived here. Finally we're getting out and enjoying the place. Look at that blue sky!

We loved having Mckay and Danielle with us. They were so fun, laid back and easy to have around. They enjoyed going to a Mariners game and also took a fun tour of the Underground City...things we haven't done but are on our list. Thanks for a fun visit guys! It was a shorty but a goody.

Girl's just want to have fun! and eat!

Two Christmas' ago Jeff and James gave Marianne and I a girl's weekend get-away to Palm Springs, CA. We invited Mom to come along with us and we had so much fun and loved our Christmas present SO much that we told our husbands that it would be OK if we got the same present again the next year. We really were trying to make their job easier in getting us Christmas presents... So...they "surprised" us with a trip to Southern, CA. We had a hard time not showing our excitement but the day finally arrived the end of April. We flew out Thursday morning to the Long Beach airport and met up there. Right off the bat we had a hunch that this trip was going to be all about the food. Our first meal was scrumptious at Panera Bread. We drove around...did some sightseeing and found ourselves at the Irvine Spectrum having dinner at a Crepe place. Good times.

We stayed at the Residence Inn in Costa Mesa which was right in the middle of everything. We had our breakfasts provided for us which made things nice. We spent some time at Newport Beach sun bathing and walking around. Mom had a seafood place in mind that she had visited a few months earlier that she was set on eating at again. It was in Newport Beach called the CRAB COOKER. Well...let's just say that it was divine. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. We loved it so much that we went back twice. Yummmmmmmmmy!

Marianne has had huge long enormous thick heavy hair for such a long. She swore that after she had a baby she wouldn't get a "mom" cut. Well...because her hair is so heavy and gives her headaches sometimes and because she is a busy mom now she has thought often about getting her hair cut. Well...at Fashion Island in Newport Beach I saw the same salon that I used to get my hair done...not by a stylist but by a Hair Artist. Oooooh. I told Marianne that I felt really good about her getting her hair cut right then. Today was the day. I also dared her to do it. (we had a rule on the trip that if you were ever dared to do something then you had to do it.) So, very hesitantly Marianne walked into the salon and was surprised to find an artist available right then. After almost 2 hours of cutting and styling she was done.

The finished product was cute as a button.

While Marianne was getting her hair cut Mom and I strolled around Fashion Island and found a huge line outside of this interesting yogurt place called Pink Raspberry. We figured if so many people were in line then we better try it too. So we did! WOW! That place was so good that we had to take everyone back the next day!
We were learning and hearing that cupcakes are the new thing to get. So we just had to track this cupcake place down that Oprah talked about on her show. SPRINKLES. The flavors were all so delicious sounding that we had to try several to know for ourselves if they were indeed worth talking about on Oprah. They were.

Danielle, McKay's wife flew in on Friday to join in on the fun. We would have loved to have Marjorie, Marty's wife too but she wasn't able to come. We loved having Danielle with us and loved spending time with her.

One afternoon we went to Disneyland...not to the park but as close as we could get to it without actually going in. We shopped up and down Downtown Disney and had a blast reminiscing the good times and many visits we have made to Disneyland over the years.

Lunch was at In n' Out! Need I say more?

Oh my!

We also spent a day at Laguna Beach. Even though Spencer was a boy and boy's weren't allowed on our trip it was OK for him to be with us this year only. At 3 months he was so good being hauled around everywhere.

We all were feeling so cute in our bathing suits on the beach that we took turns trying our hands at being super models. I don't think we did too bad. What do you think?

We got take-out from the Crab Cooker. My mouth's watering again.

We went to church at the building that shared the Newport Beach temple parking lot. After Sacrament meeting we walked the beautiful grounds of the temple. It was nice to finally see the temple that our Lake Forest ward had been part of planning, fasting and praying for.

We had the best time for 4 1/2 days. It was sad to part our ways...mostly because I had to go off in my own direction. Being with sisters and mom's and girls is so rejuvenating to the soul. We have a need to be together to enjoy our similarities and close bonds that no one else can share. We had so many great laughs too about only girl stuff. I wonder where our Christmas present will take us next year!...

first Seattle Center visit

The Saturday before school was out we decided to skip the usual chores and take our first "touristy" trip downtown Seattle. It was a very cool day but very sunny so there was nothing to complain about. We went to the Seattle Center where the Space needle is and where there are several museums and also lots of fun things to do. Our first stop was the International Fountain that looked like a lot of fun. There were lots of wet kids around from playing near the fountain but our kids swore they wouldn't get wet. They watched at first...


more watching....but they had to get a bit closer...

The fountain was so fun to watch because it did so many fun things...spouting out huge for a while then cutting back with a little pressure...doing different patterns and stuff. At times it would cut off completely and all the kids would run up to the 1/2 dome and try to touch it before the water came shooting on again...trying to do it without getting wet. It didn't take long before our kids couldn't be watchers anymore. They started playing the "touching" game and stayed mostly dry doing it. That was the game they played for the next 2 hours. We didn't expect to stay there so long, but it was relaxing and the kids had fun...and that's all that matters.

The sidewalk around the fountain is lined with different kinds of benches. There were a few that caught the eyes of the Slichta kids.

We also had fun riding some of the rides around the area. Ady and Kaden are waiting in line to the bumper cars.

Kaden had a little fit getting into the bumper car because he did NOT want to be driven around. He wanted his own car and he let the whole park know it with his screams. Finally Maryn worked her magic on him and he went for a really fun ride.

He also wanted to drive the ship and was so cute to watch as he drove that around and around in circles with his sisters yelling his name and waving every time he came around.

Emmy riding the Merry-go-round.

Ady and Maryn rode the Ferris wheel and loved it. Their car got stopped at the very top of the ride. We sat waving at them for a long time until I realized what their background was as they were way high up there...the Space Needle. Pretty neat shot I think.

We also enjoyed climbing on the shapes of the sculpture park.

Jeff looks so handsome with the space needle. I think we needed a picture of me lying on the ground taking this picture of Jeff. I got some laughs but also saw some people thinking my idea was a good one.

More of the sculpture park...would 'ya look at that blue sky.