Ringing in YEAR 2 of marriage Seattle Style!

Just in case y'all decide to visit Seattle below are some links to amazing places to see and stay :)
Pike Place Market
Space Needle Restaurant
Ride the Ducks of Seattle
Seattle Monorail is a great way to get around!
The Pike Brewing Company

Now for the pictures...

Taking the ferry over from Whidbey Island to the mainland. We
had to laugh as the GPS displayed us riding on the water!

Bentley loves to feel the breeze in his face and is
certainly a people watcher. He was able to spend
the weekend in the "Doggie Salon and Spa."

Checking in for our weekend stay at the Alexis Hotel in Seattle

As always, when we visit a new place, we like to try their cupcakes. We both agreed they were delicious and worth
the $$$.

We had a short walk to the Pike Park Market and LOVED the experience.
Luckily, our anniversary happened to fall on a gorgeous weekend in Seattle.

The well-known Pike Park Fish Market where you can order or just watch the "throwing of the fish."
The fish that they throw are not small, but large fish that can cost up to $300.
We thoroughly enjoyed watching them at work and the crowd certainly joined in with the
traditional singing and sayings.

That is one BIG fish!

Robert was thrilled to find these "Redneck Wine Glasses" and is
currently working on finding a way to make them himself.

We wanted a chance to see all different views of Seattle and learn about the history of the city so the
 Seattle Duck Tour was a must!

We had to put our wheels up and prepare to get wet in the water!

Our tour guide was fantastic and his energy made the tour extra fun! He had a
new hat for each different section of the tour.

Just one of the beautiful house boats located on Lake Union. Many people were
out paddle boarding, canoeing, and boating in the lake.

For those of you, like myself, who loved the movie "Sleepless in Seattle"
you will recognize this house. In the movie, Tom Hanks lived in this house, and many
scenes were filmed with him sitting looking out at Lake Union.

Now, we did not have the chance to taste the Frankfurter, but are certainly
adding it to our list of things to do. Apparently one of the appropriate toppings
is cream cheese!

Sampling some of the delectable beers at The Pike Restaurant. 

We wanted to have the Seattle experience and take the monorail to dinner.
We were surprised at how clean it was and loved the views along the way.

Taking in the views of Seattle from the observation deck of the Seattle Needle.

There is a reason why people who live in Seattle absolutely LOVE it!
After visiting for just a weekend we can see why and feel blessed to have the
opportunity to live near such a great city!

Celebrating our One Year Wedding Anniversary with dinner
 at the top of the Seattle Needle. We could not have guessed that a year ago
we would be moving across the country and living on an island in Washington State!
What a wonderful gift we have been given as it is not everyday you get to meet new people, learn
about a new state, and experience adventures as a newly married couple.

Champagne and strawberries to cap off the night!

We certainly enjoyed having breakfast in bed and the french toast was delicious!

Since our original wedding cake did not make the move, we
decided to ask our local bakery to recreate the top tier.
Not only was it exciting to bite into a fresh, delicious cake, but
we now have a new yearly tradition!

The beautiful flowers that Robert
brought home on 8.6.2012

Bentley made the celebration extra special!

Loganberry Festival at Greenbank Farm and our first experience with the Naval Base Theatre

Loganberry Festival 2012

Excited for our first, but not last, Loganberry Festival!

Ready to volunteer for the kids "Pie Eating Contest."

Not only did we judge the contest, but we were
in charge of making the pies before. I think
we did a pretty good job. We had over 9 kids participate in the first contest and they ranged from
ages 5-12.

I was thrilled to see this sign and not just because
I loved the "Hunger Games" trilogy. After living in the beautiful state of Washington (for just three weeks) I am seriously considering learning
how to Bow Hunt. 

We enjoyed watching the dog competitions and were impressed
by how well they can jump and remember the course.
I have to say it was interesting that the two dogs we
watched happened to be a poodle and a golden retriever. Bentley
is the perfect mix of both!

How can you pass on Hand Made Ice Cream?!!
We do not regret having a taste or two of their delicious ice cream and plan
on having their ice cream again. The Lopez Islands are not too far out of reach, but we were happy
to hear that they are now located in Anacortes, which will only
be a 15 minute drive versus a boat ride away.

When we noticed that there was a free double feature showing at the
Naval Base theatre we figured we couldn't miss the opportunity. Not only
do we love movies, but we wanted to have our first experience at an
on-base theatre. We were able to see "What to Expect When You're Expecting"  and pay
$5.00 for a large POP and large popcorn.
Not only was the movie hilarious, but the theatre itself was extremely impressive, clean, and comfortable.
For all y'all who visit we will be sure you get to experience Skywarrior Theatre. For the record,
I believe we were one of the only couples in the theatre who were not pregnant. We still loved the movie!

In case you didn't get to see Mr. Bentley in his new  Bow Tie Dog ID Tag
we thought we would add this picture in. We think he's a catch!

Anacortes Shipwreck Festival, Fidalgo Island dinner date, and a taste and sip of Washington.

Dinner Date at the "Brown Lantern Ale House" in downtown Anacortes.

We are trying to broaden our horizons and enjoy seafood. I had excellent fish tacos, while Robert had tasty Fish and Chips!

We enjoyed dinner and watching the locals reaction to a thunder and lightning storm.
Little did we know the island had not witnessed a thunderstorm like this one in about ten years!
Everything on the island shut down, but luckily we had our food in time!

"The Juicy Dog" a.k.a. Dad, Jim Thacher's, soon-to-be favorite
place to eat in Anacortes. Buddy would have loved it too!

Taking the day to tour some wineries and "Carpenter Creek" was fantastic.
Most of their grapes come from Yakima county, but their wines are smooth and tasty.

We thought it would be fun to take Bentley to the Shipwreck Festival, but
had no idea how tired the little guy would become. Many fun and interesting  things to see and buy at the festival.
To check-it-out:  http://www.shipwreckfest.com/

Starting the day off with some freshly made donuts from "The Donut Shop" was a great idea!
So many donut options to choose from and we are certain to be heading back to try each one.

Perfect day to grill on the deck! 

Bentley loves to play "police of the house" and protect his yard.
He also enjoys watching Robert cook on the grill.

While the pizza was cooking,
Bentley decided he could make
a run for the garden while no
one was looking. Little did he know
the window was open and the camera
was ready!

When y'all come to visit we will certainly be taking you to "Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza."
You can go in and order a freshly made pizza, whether it be stuffed (Chicago Style), thin, or traditional. Then you
can choose from a variety of topping options and take it home to pop in the oven at your convenience.
From our personal experience the pizza is FANTASTIC!!!

Presenting Bentley Crawford

We welcomed Bentley Crawford into our family on Friday, July 6th!

After bath time.

He LOVES his rawhide!

He certainly is a water dog.

He loves his new yard and new "parents" at least we hope :)

Looking out over the water and being nosy.

Ready to play in the water again!

He is easily fitting in with our family!

Celebrating the Fourth of July Whidbey Island style!

Making our way to the carnival! We were shocked at the amount of people, rides, and games.

Robert trying to redeem himself from losing the same game as a kid. Unfortunately, it wasn't him time to win, but there is always next year :)

We had to get a Funnel Cake and it was great as always.

Goodbye Picnic to Mrs C./Ms. Thacher and field trip to Harpers Ferry

After teaching at Arlington Traditional School I wanted a chance to say goodbye to my past and present classes. We had a picnic at a local park where the students, parents, and I had lunch, played some kickball, and shared wonderful memories from the past couples of years. For a Saturday afternoon in June I was impressed and touched by the number of students and parents that came to the picnic. I am so appreciative that I had the chance to fulfill my childhood dream and teach. I have hope our paths will cross again in the future!

Harpers Ferry = final year-end fourth grade field trip.

Oh, Vicky!

Wonderful ending with an amazing fourth grade team!

Just in case anyone couldn't find their way...

Surprise cake with the picture of my current class

Kickball as always

Many students were too interested in throwing rocks in the creek or playing on the playground, but we will had some that were committed to playing kickball!

We got the house, car, and more all in 36 hours!

Many nights will be spent on this deck!

A backyard view from our new rental

The "playground" three minutes from our home

Already in love with the area

Robert finally got his FJ cruiser and now we just need the boat :)