My Surprise Trip to Seattle!

Gotta have a Space Needle picture:)

Sometime in January, I was feeling the winter blahs and got this great idea that me and my siblings should fly out and surprise my parents while they were visiting my brother in Seattle. I called my sister and she thought it maybe could work and then called my SIL (with whom we would be staying) and she was super excited. My younger brother got on board and we all started looking at flights and planning the dates.

I was really worried about getting it all together because Mom and Dad would be just getting off of their mission on Temple Square and in January, they weren't wanting to nail down dates when they would be visiting in Seattle. Luckily, it all worked out and they still didn't know a thing!

The whole Lyon family at Gasworks looking over Union Lake at the Seattle skyline

Liz and I met in Cincinnati and flew to Seattle on Thursday night. I loved being able to spend more time with Liz (though I know it cost her a bit...thanks Calvin!) I also LOVED being able to help with her adorable and angelic 4 month old, Eli. My wonderful SIL, Shanon came to pick us up. When we first saw my parents, they didn't recognize me! I have lost 30 pounds and my hair is quite a bit darker than it used to be. The looks on their faces were priceless! I was so glad that we were all able to keep this trip a secret for so long. I wished I had thought to have a camera:)

Eli, an unbelievably good baby

We spent the first day outside in the beautiful sunshine. We ate fish and chips and walked down to the Locks and watched boats and looked for fish in the Fish Ladder. That thing is pretty cool:) It would have made a great biology lesson for the kids. Matt came in late Friday night, so we all stayed up late talking.

Here's the family at Pike Place Market

On Saturday, we went down to Pike Place Market. So interesting! So many neat things to see and taste. Lots of street performers, tons of trinkets to buy, fish being thrown around, wedding parties walking through the rain, etc... It was really amazing and packed! My personal favorite, the hoola-hooping guitar player/singer. We had lots of fun looking around and seeing everything.

This group was called Slimpickins and they were VERY good

Sunday, we went to church and then to Gasworks park to see the skyline. It was a really nice afternoon. Throughout the weekend, we spent lots of time eating, talking, playing games, talking music and movies, playing with Eli and even watched "What's Up, Doc?" an old family favorite.

I really enjoyed this whole trip. It was relaxing and easy (which was really good for my back that I hurt a week before I left) . I do wish I had left the conjunctivitis in Indiana and pray that no one else gets it! It was fun to have no responsibility. To be able to be the one sleeping on the couch because I didn't need to share a room with any of my babies behind a closed door. I could get up to go potty and not worrying about waking up any little kids. It just was nice. Now, don't get me wrong, I missed George and the kids A LOT!! But I am just saying, it was nice to not have to be responsible for anyone else for 4.5 days.

When I flew in Monday night, I expected Becca to come get me and was so excited when George walked out from behind a post with a rose. What a cutie! It was so nice to see him. He would have had a lot of fun in Seattle. Next time, we will all take our spouses:) And I LOVED on Tuesday morning that the kids all came in and laid next to my bed while I was sleeping (jet lag:) It brought me so much joy to see them all!

It was an awesome trip and so much fun to surprise my parents. I hope they adjust back to normal life well and come visit us as much as they can stand:) And I hope that if George ever has to look for a new job out of this state, he might think of doing it in Seattle.