The Big One Part 4

Yep, there's more! Our big anniversary trip was winding down in downtown Seattle & heading to another destination but we had one more day to live it up in the city.

Lunch at Paseo. Brilliant Cuban food behind red garage doors. We searched like mad for this place, then we saw it, not the restaurant but the huge line that wrapped around the block. You know that's good! Great decor too.

And for dessert? Cupcakes!!! Samoa & Pineapple Upside-down Cake. Oh baby! Delish.

Although, my man is pretty sweet himself :0)

Tons of texture & architecture around the city. I was snapping away with the camera the entire time.

The Space Needle was just 3 blocks from our hotel & so was a Thai place we visited on our last night. The perfect occasion to bust out my gold dress from H & M. *sigh* I heart H & M. It is as if everything in my fashion soul just threw up all over their store.

I got really good at photographing food. All we do on our trips is eat. And, walk to another place to eat. The walking is key if you are going to eat all day.

Farewell, our urban escape. We will be back, when we have lost the weight & saved our pennies.

Wow.

It is hard being this irresistible. Well, how else did you think 4 kids showed up?

The Big One Part 3

These pics are still from our part of the trip in downtown Seattle. Maybe there will be 10 parts to this post, one for every year of marriage?

The stars aligned for us as we watched a Food Network special on the best food trucks in America. This beauty made #2. The Maximus Minimus pig truck. Delish pulled pork sammies & amazing slaw to boot. Also, I am still dreaming about their hibiscus tea, heavenly.

I hope you can read that sign above. A life motto of mine, to be sure.

Matt, beaming at the original Starbucks store.

9!

Somewhere between my laziness with this blog & my denial about kids growing up, this post was lost...and found. Kaleb is now just one year away from the double digit birthday club. 9 years old, whew!

We enjoyed dinner with Aunt Lindsay at Fudrucker's, Kaleb really liked this place.

Gotta love a big brother, trying not that hard, to celebrate little brother's big day.

Kaleb is our spit fire, he is warm like sunshine but fiery like a bolt of lightning. He is the sweet red head that made Matt & I commit to this idea of family. Parker would go anywhere & do anything as a baby but my Kaleb craved routine. He would snuggle for hours, so staying home to follow his schedule was easy. He is still the only one that will snuggle, right after he brings you his newest creature catch! I love you my adventurous young man, I am so excited to see where life leads you.

The Archuleta's had their first family trip to the drive-in theater that night. We watched Toy Story 3 together, 15 years after Matt & I watched the original Toy Story on our very first date. Wow! Matt & I were a little choked up, to say the least.

The Big One Part 2

So I mentioned the Market in Seattle. We rose early to nab some of the famous crepes before a long day exploring the city. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

My favorite flower in my favorite color. These were like weeds at the Market, Love it.

The Big One

Matt & I are celebrating our 10th year of marriage. In fact, this day 10 years ago was our big wedding. Cheers, babe! On 10 years, 4 kids, & 1 spectacular life spent together.

2 weeks ago we got away for a special anniversary trip to Seattle & the surrounding area. It would be a monster post, so this is the 1st edition.

Shopping in the University District. Loved this sign, who carries a cat in a purse?

Yum! Pomegranate frozen yogurt. Sweets with my sweet.

A lot of funky art around this part of the city. I dreamed up another life where Matt & I got to go to college together. He said we'll do that after the boys are grown- yay!

Not all fun and games, littering is a serious issue 'round these parts!

Kind of a random thing to do but Matt & I wanted to take the opportunity to see one of our favorite pastors in the flesh. Mark Driscoll heads up Mars Hill, he is pretty much da bomb. We felt like he really echoed our major goals for our family for the year. Very inspiring.

Greek food experience. When we arrived on Saturday evening the Seafair parade was in full swing. Pirates everywhere. Awesome. We worried everything would be maxed out but we found a great Mediterranean place along the parade route. We enjoyed lamb dishes & the best plate of hummus ever!

Good food makes everyone so happy.

Of course we wandered downtown to the market, I will share more soon.

One more, this is how they get it done in Seattle. Matt would look good on horseback, don't you think?

I love the smell of fresh crayons in the morning

I was jazzed about having only one kid to care for during the day until Parker mentioned this is his last first day of elementary school. *sigh*

New 'Do

The before:

The after:

Looking dramtically different & ready to turn some heads in 5th grade.

Happy Birthday Birdie!

"A mathematician is a device for turning coffee into theorems."

- Paul Erdos (1913-1996)

And that is my sis, she has brains that make beauty & tears that forge tenderness & a smile that lights up a room. Happy Birthday Girlie! You've made this brat a big sis & I love you for it! I am so very glad you were born... even if you had the biggest cone head ever!

Free 99

The Fam has made it to Roaring Springs Waterpark twice this summer & spent $0.00

Our boys shooting out of the ride they deemed "Toilet Bowl."

Thanks to the Boys & Girls club of Nampa for the trip in these pics. We were chaperoning the teens from their summer program. More on the 2nd trip to come.