What's the most important thing? Breakfast. Oh, I mean Family.

The thing is, the hard drive on my laptop (my precious) is full.   A full hard drive is a real catastrophe.  I have to upload all my pics or videos to our other computer, which makes updating my blog a real pain in the butt because I have to, you know, get up out of my chair and go to the other computer.

But for you, I'm going to do it.

The best part about living in a new place is that people want to come visit under the illusion that they are visiting me, but really they just want a free place to stay when they visit Seattle.  I'll take what I can get.

So my family came!  In May, the week after we returned from Florida, my parents and my sister Michelle came to visit.  Mom and Dad were going on a cruise with my uncles, so the night before they left we went out to Salty's in West Seattle for dinner with everyone.  My girls discovered they LOVE crab legs.  Unfortunately, I did not order them crab legs.   (Thanks to my aunts for sharing.)

Then we spent the weekend with Michelle, Zach, and Caidence.  It was so fun to see Caid's personality over a few days. She's such an easy going kid, but whooooooeeeee can she throw a tantrum when she wants to.   

And also?  She has a drinking problem.  

We ventured out to Alki Beach, which feels a little like SoCal.  Except you have to wear sweatshirts there.  Good thing we still had the sweatshirt Mom and Dad bought for Jodi in the car.  Sorry about that mustard stain, Jodi.  That hot dog was real good. 

Unfortunately, my mom contracted Swine Flu on the cruise. (They say it wasn't, I say it was.) so she wasn't much fun when we got home from NY.  Yes, I let her watch my kids while she had Swine Flu so I could go to NY.  That's what a good daughter I am.  Anyhoo.  Mom wasn't much of a guest.  But she's been here before.  And dad was quite a good guest--he mowed my lawn several times a day, with a broken foot.  (Are you keeping track?  Mom with Swine Flu, dad with broken foot, watching my children and obsessively mowing my lawn while I'm in NY).  So he is invited back.  And I guess he can bring her with him again if she promises to improve her attitude.  She did help me find a good plant nursery right before she fell ill. 

A few weeks later Jodi and Don made the loooong drive up with their brood.   After a 15 hour drive, the last thing any of them wanted to do was get back in the car to go sightseeing.  We spent a lot of time in the neighborhood--at the park and the pool, and  short drives to the beach and downtown Bellevue.  One day we decided the kids needed a picture of the Space Needle and Pike's Place to prove they'd actually been to Seattle, so we dragged them into the city kicking and screaming.  They were temporarily quieted by the gum wall.  And then they resumed the whining to go back home so they could swim.  And so we did.  

A very nice boy at the park let the kids drive his remote control boat around the fountain.  

Thanks to everyone for coming to visit!  The rest of you are bums.