a week in washington state: day 5 & 6

Day 5: San Juan Island!

We saw the Orca! Not just one, but many many of them. They are so amazing.

And we took a little walk in the town ...

and window shopping at some vintage shops ...

the ferry station.

As I was trying to take a snap shot of this cool captain statue, Eli also struck a pose. He is always very competitive. We were, at the moment, waiting for some yummy fish tacos.

Good night, beautiful San Juan Island, someday we will visit you longer when we don't have kids that need to take naps and go to bed early.

Day 6: Pike Place Market

My favorite is scallop. I order it every time we visit Pike Place Market. Eli liked it, too.

Freshly made Pirosky's Russian pastry! We ordered the apple cinnamon roll. Hmm, yummy in my tummy.

Another mouthwatering pastry display from other store. I wish I had a huge stomach that afternoon to consume all that.

Seeing this picture I can almost smell the refreshing scent of all kinds of gorgeous flowers there.

One of the few musicians there. I want to be one of them.

Notice the size of this piano... this guy just roll the piano down the hill and sat there and start playing and singing...

Eli was so interested in everything he saw there, too.

I love farmer's market. I love fresh fruits, fish, bakery, flowers and wonderful talents from some artistic hands, eyes and ears. It fulfills all my senses.

a week in washington state: day 3 & 4

Day 3: Boating at a State Park. It was a beautiful day. We rided on inner tube and also did weight boarding. I am proud to announce that I got on the weight board after my first try. It was a lot of fun with everybody. That day was also a special day. Some very special friends of ours from Houston made a detour to see us while on their way to a wedding and finally met Eli! Thanks, Julie and Roger! We love you!

Day 4: We headed over to Seattle to meet up with one of San's sister Bianca. On our way we stopped at a waterfall. Then we went to Vashon Island and took a nice walk at one of the shores by a lighthouse. It was very relaxing. I wish we live close to the ocean. Eli favorite activity was throwing rocks into the ocean.

A little bit of sightseeing on our way of our long drive to Seattle.

 the waterfall.

At Vanshon Island ...

An outlook at the majestic Mt. Rainier. I only wish I have a better lens to capture it.

lighthouse in the background.

a raft arranged by some woods that were left on the shore.

some unknown sealife I spotted by the shore.

hitting daddy is one of Eli's recent favorite thing to do to daddy.

Eli found a cool stick to hike with.

some shore founds on the island. I am making this into a watercolor painting. I will post it when it's finished.

a peaceful sight of the lighthouse in sunset.

We ended the evening on the Island by treating Grandma with her favorite cuisine: Chinese food.

a week in washington state: day 1 & 2

We went to see Santino's family in August and the weather there was perfect! It was an amazing feeling when I came to the realization that it did not burn my skin when I am in the sun (you will know what I mean if you live in Arizona)! We did many things and went to many places.

Day 1: Great Grandma Alicia in Othello finally met Eli for the first time. Of course she fed us well with her specialty Chicken Mole and many more. We wished we had some pictures of Eli with Great Grandma Alicia.

Day 2: A little gathering for Eli to meet his cousins Nya and Malakai. They have everything that Eli ever wanted.

Eli: Nya, don't be afraid, I got you!

Taking a sip.

Eli: More, more, more water!

Uncle Kevin showing Eli some cool moves.

A sweet moment of Auntie Sasha and Nya on the swing.

Feeling powerful up there...

The intense moment...

Eli: I can do this all day long.

Daddy took Eli for a dirt bike ride.

Heard Museum.

We visited the Heard Museum in Phoenix. It was really a neat place to learn about the American Indian in the Southwest, of their culture, traditions and arts. Living here for a few months in the summertime, it got us thinking of how the American Indian pioneers endured the scotching heat inhabiting in the desert back in those days.

"First Man and Woman" sculptures.

Beautifully crafted blankets, and woven bowls, and vases. All of the patterns were imagined in their minds and they just knitted them out as they went along. That's amazing.

Pregnancy outfit.

Who is this baby coming out of nowhere...

Walls of dolls, that tells their stories and daily living.

Gorgeous jewelries.

Dolls for their youngs.

Handcrafted/painted vases.

This is the one I admired the most. How do you suppose to draw these perfect geometrical shapes with bare hands?

Blown glasses.

The design on this silver block reminds me of the Japanese animation Laputa: Castle in the Sky 天空の城 by Hayao Miyazaki. In the movie, the castle was made of square blocks, ancient drawings and signs were everywhere that resemble this. By the way, some of the best animations by Hayao are Totoro, Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind, and Laputa. Their music are also wonderful. I have been craving to watch them again since our visit to the museum, I particularly love the pure and righteous yet so stubborn characteristics of the main characters in those stories. I am glad that they are also becoming well known in the US lately.

Eli first attempt in conquering "the famous Arizona giant cactus"... thanks to daddy's help.

There were so much more. If you ever get a chance to visit, be sure to take at least one of their well informative tours, they are very child friendly, too. We learned much about how the people who inherited this land before us lived their lives, and truly admired their artistic craftsmanship.