Spring Break Continued.....

Besides our trip to Forks, WA for Spring Break we spent a couple of days in the Seattle area. I pricelined a hotel and got a beautiful Doubletree Inn right next to our favorite mall. We were lucky enough to get a beautiful view room on the PENTHOUSE level and for a little extra Valet parking. Because we were feeling so special we went ahead and ordered room service as well. It wasn't the best creme brulee' we have ever had, but it was the most expensive.



We had a wonderful lunch at Rainforest Cafe. Yes, most of the crowd was much younger....and the kids tease me, but I just love that place. It makes me feel like I'm at Disneyland and I'm going to walk out of it, turn to the left and get in line for the Matterhorn.

We spent quite a bit of time at the mall, but here we had to split up. Kenzie LOVE's Forever 21. Easton heads to the nearest Gamestop and you can find me in any store that sell's clothes Emree's size....(because she REALLY NEEDS some more clothes). Reid always likes to always say, "Look at all the money you saved....".

WE watched 'How to Train a Dragon' in Imax. It's cute, but not really worth $16. But we each had our own little bag of candy from the Sweet Factory, which makes almost any movie completely worth watching. I do have to say the picture and sound were incredible.





WE rode a ferry on our way to Forks which was exactly like the movie, 'Deja Vue', and we went to Mount Vernon to the Tulip Festival. I have heard about the Tulip Festival for 20 years, ever since I moved to Washington and this year I told the kids, "I'm going no matter what!"....They just didn't know they were going with me, but they were good sports. The problem was the weather. It was freezing. It was windy, and rainy and windy.....did I mention the wind? We weren't really prepared and all we could do was barely get out of the car, walk as fast as we could possibly walk to the fields, quickly snap a picture of the beautiful tulips and run right back to the warm car. I can only imagine on a very warm, sunny day with no wind how beautiful it might really be.







It's been a tradition of ours to do something for spring break. Reid is always busy planting and unable to get away so the kids and I have gone somewhere almost every year. When the kids were little it was much harder of course. This year I realized my time with Kenzie is very short. She's a senior and soon will be leaving our house to an apartment of her own and her next big adventure. I love every minute I get to spend with my kids. They are strong, valiant spirits and they make me so proud. I love to see them interact with each other and the friends they are to each other.

Spring Break next year, how 'bout it Easton?

Forks is a FARCE....

It's spring break this week. We didn't have any big plans so I thought it would be fun for Easton, Kenzie and I to drive to Forks, WA....the home of 'Twilight'. We thought we would head over to Seattle and do a little shopping and eating out, and then make the 3 hour drive to Forks. The drive takes you through the Olympic National Forest so it should be beautiful. Forks is in the middle of nowhere and as Kenzie described it best, 'Let Down Village'. The town has a population of about 3,100 and it's dark and gloomy. It's the rainiest city in the United States and has 119" inches of rain a year and yes, it was raining when we were there. But all of these facts did not even discourage us. It was when we started on the Twilight tour and we realized, "Wait a minute, that doesn't look like the Swan home in the movie?" that we began to get mad.



The Cullen house in Forks, WA



The Cullen house used in the movie, 'Twilight'



The real Forks High School



Kalama High School actually used for the filming of the movie 'Twilight'



The Swan's Home in Forks, WA


The actual Swan home in 'Twilight' in St. Helens





Ironically, not ONE single scene was filmed in Forks, Wa. After Stephenie Meyer chose the location, they realized that Oregon would be a much better location for a low budget movie because of tax concessions and lack of sales tax, and the fear that Forks could not accommodate the housing and culinary needs of the actors and production crew. Yeah, true....THERE is nothing there. So like everyone else, we went on the FAKE 'Twilight' tour and ate some really average pizza and headed back home. WE just wanted to save you the trip.