The Beginning of July 2015 - Our trip to Washington

We drove up to Washington the first week of July to spend the 4th of July with my Dad's family who had come from Pennsylvania to Washington for the first time. 

Almost as soon as we crossed the Washington border, Claire developed a stye in one of her eyes. This gave me an excuse for my first stop of the trip to be at my favorite Natural Food Co-op for some liquid silver gel. If you ever deal with styes you must try liquid silver gel!! 

Claire loves babies and we loved getting to meet Baby Hadley for the first time! Claire tells everyone that "she speaks baby" which means that she goes up to everyone and tells them what their baby needs... even random people at parks or the grocery store :) 

The girls got to meet their horses for the first time! My girls LOVE the movie Spirit the Stallion of Cimarron. So naturally my dad bought two horses that look just like the horses in the movie and named them Spirit and Rain...

The girls were in heaven meeting the horses but I think my Dad was even more excited to see the girls meeting the horses...

We got to see the new house that Gramma and Grandpa Ronk bought before they moved in...

We also got to spend some sweet time with the cousins! One of the hardest parts of living in a different state is being away from the cousins. How cute is Bethy sneaking fruit?!....

Amanda and I had a craft night and made Seahawks wreaths...

Brian got some horse back riding in...

The girls and I did too! 

We did a girls day and the girls got their first pedicures with my mom, sister, cousin, and myself...

This guy loves his grandkids...

4th of July with the Hiegels...

The cousins...

We stopped by to see Papa Bob and Granny Brenda. 

The girls loved playing on the rope swing...

On the 5th we met up with some of the people from our graduating class for a little 10 year reunion potluck. I thought I had the group picture but I guess I didn't take it. Kenley took this one of Brian and I while we let the girls play on the playground (that hasn't changed since I was in elementary school). 

This is the stairwell where we had our first kiss back in 9th grade! 

The 6th I had to take Brian to the airport so he could go back to Vegas and work while the girls and I stayed in Washington for a few extra days. The timing of his flight from Bellingham gave me a great excuse to stop by my other favorite food co-op on the way home! 

The next day we headed to IKEA with Amanda, Liam, and Hadley... It was great! The big kids played in the play area and Amanda and I shopped and talked!! 

Gramps took the girls to his favorite co-op (the feed store) and bought them real cowgirl hats...

Kenley is Gramps's little farm hand. Wherever he went she was there, even if that meant that she was helping him scoop the horse poop. She was willing and happy about it. Claire however was no where to be found when it came time for chores. :) 

We helped Grammy harvest some of the forgotten zucchini...

We took all 4 dogs and our cat to the groomer to get their nails trimmed. It was an adventure for sure! 

More horse time...

We had fun playing with the Disney Side app with my mom and uncle. It's such a funny app!  

Here is Grammy as Elsa...

And Uncle Kenny as a bust from the Haunted Mansion ride. 

More cousin time...

We had dinner with my Grandpa Blecken, Grandma Marcy, Aunt Kim, and cousin Nicole...

On the way home we stopped so that Grammy could take a picture with that metal buffalo. For as long as I have been alive and probably before that, my mom has wanted a pet buffalo...

Then it was time to leave and head back to Nevada but not before stopping to get donuts at Frost with Amanda, Liam, and Hadley...

My Mom graciously offered to drive back to Nevada with us so that I wouldn't have to do the drive all by myself. It worked out perfectly because I actually don't like driving and she does so she did most of the driving! 

On the road...

I found this selfie that Kenley had taken of herself on the drive and it cracks me up! haha 

Banana phone in the hotel... 

Nothing makes me pee quicker than thinking about finding a rattlesnake in the bathroom...

We found this Area 51 Alien snack shop to stop at for a bathroom break. So we loaded up on alien snacks & candy and finished up the drive back to Vegas!