Anacortes: The Official Recap

Aaaaaaaand FINALLY I am blogging about my trip to Anacortes. (Whoo! I got back a week ago. I have been a top-notch slacker with blogging this summer!!) Of course, as is customary, I am including a massive lineup of photos for your viewing pleasure. :-)

So, it all started when my half-sister Karen and her husband Jon offered to fly me up to their place in exchange for some babysitting services (which they are always looking for, given that they're very active and outdoorsy people). So, Weston and I headed up to Anacortes, Washington, to hang out with the Pacific NW branch of the fam.

Anacortes is located in the lovely San Juan Islands, and just to give you a taste of what I got to experience while I was there, here is what it looks like outside their window:

We have a gas station outside our window, so I guess their gas station is underwater. Anyway, here is a shot of their yard (again, a little different from Southern California, I noticed):

So, it was nice to just be in such a pretty (and siren-free) place. What made it even more fun was that Weston and I got to spend a lot of time with my 23-month-old niece Kailyn, whom Weston has never met, and whom I haven't seen since she was a wee babe. Although they didn't exactly play with each other very often (preferring instead to play alone or just play with me), Weston and Kailyn interacted quite a bit and really seemed to get a kick out of each other: Apparently, like me, they also enjoyed the view:

During Weston's moments of solitude, he seemed to really enjoy taking in that view from this big comfy chair (and no, I don't drug him, that's just a natural high, baby):

And Weston reeeeaaaaally loved discovering all of Kailyn's toys (ah, the allure of novelty):

While I was there, my sister celebrated her birthday, so I brought along birthday hats and balloons as a surprise. Kailyn seemed to really like her hat, and she wore it off and on throughout the week:

And wow... the kiddies sure loved those wonderful, magical balloons:

Kailyn occasionally liked to nibble on hers:

Jon is a really fun, energetic dad, so he was almost as excited about the hats and balloons as the kids were, and he definitely upped the birthday entertainment factor:

That morning, I tried to get a family photo of the three of them, and they didn't seem to mind the bonus offspring:

Throughout the trip, I took lots and lots of pictures of Kailyn, just because I don't see her very often, and because she's so darling that she makes a good subject. (Incidentally, when I was out with the kids one morning, Kailyn got 8 compliments on her curls and/or cuteness. It's probably good that Weston and Kailyn aren't siblings, because I think Weston would develop a complex.) Anyway, with all my picture-taking, I got to experience the Many Faces of Kailyn, such as Cautious Kailyn:

Peekaboo Kailyn:

Silly Kailyn:

Playful Kailyn:

Focused Kailyn:

And Sunshiny Kailyn (okay, I LOVE those curls, too!!):

Karen and Jon are (A) very diligent parents and (B) very non-television-watching parents, so I'm sure they're very grateful to me for introducing Kailyn to the TV (via a Sesame Street DVD) while they were out being healthy and athletic. Kailyn was open to the concept:

But she checked in with Weston (a seasoned veteran of Sesame Street) occasionally to make sure she was watching it the right way:

One afternoon, Karen and Jon took us out in their powerboat. Weston got good and suited up (what a little trooper):

We zoomed around the islands for a little while, and then we sat and drifted while admiring the scenery, watching the eagles and seals, and eating peaches and other tasty treats:

For instance, there's Mt. Baker in the distance:

Occasionally, one of us would also feel strangely compelled to pose on the boat like a model:

Another day, we took a ferry to Orcas Island, which is the largest of the San Juan Islands. There, we scored delicious baked goods, hiked, played at the lakes, and took in some more amazing scenery. Here are Weston and Karen at the top of Mt. Constitution (the highest point in the islands):

Jon and Karen indulged the photographer with a cuddly little kiss:

Here's Jon admiring the view:

And here's my little man, admiring the fun rocky dirt:

A fabulous, wonderful, stupendous added benefit of my visit to Anacortes was that these two cuties drove up and visited me!!! Yaaaaaaaay for Ed and Karyn (with a "Y")!

Karyn and I grew up just around the corner from each other in Lansdale, so we've known one another since we were little kids. The last time that I saw them (and the first time that I met Ed) was at their wedding a year and a half ago. They're living in the Seattle area right now, so of course I had to see them! Aren't they so adorable? Anyway, thanks again for the visit, you guys!! I miss you, and I'm pretty sure that Weston and Kailyn miss their honorary Auntie Karyn and Uncle Ed!

And finally, as you've seen, most of the pictures that I took of Weston and Kailyn during my visit were individual shots. However, a couple of times, I tried to get a "cousins picture" for the ol' scrapbook, but.... well, it's not as easy as it looks. Attempt #5:

Attempt #18:

Attempt #372:

That'll have to do. Haha! Thanks again, Karen and Jon, for a great time!!! :-)

(FYI, I think I'm going to go back to blogging about normal, boring, everyday things, like dish drainers and cupcakes. I find myself a wee bit exhausted from the massive effort that it takes to organize and compile hundreds of vacation photos. That, I suppose, is one drawback of my Summer of Pointless Travel. So, on with the mini-blogs! At least until late August, when we go to PA/OH again. Whoo!)