My husband and I are still floating on a bit of a cloud from the trip we took earlier this month. We flew to Seattle where our sons both live. At the same time, our two daughters and their families were in St. Louis boarding a plane for Seattle (all eight of them on the same plane—you can believe some prayers were going up for that flight!) By early Saturday morning, we were all under one roof—sixteen of us, including two babies under seven months old!
Finally got that picture I’ve been wanting with all seven kids on the sofa. (Too bad it was during the scary part of a movie! Haha!)
Our sons shuttled everyone to and from the airport, and our youngest son and his wife were such wonderful hosts! Not only had they shopped and done a lot of the meal prep before we got there, but each family had a comfy place to sleep, the bathrooms were stocked with shampoo and soaps and blow dryers, and the Missouri kids had car seats and strollers and whatever else they needed while we were there.
The two babies and their respective aunts, uncles, and cousins had never met, so that was a highlight. Despite lots of little kids and not much time, we still got to do so much. 
The kids did several craft projects while the babies napped.
Lots of books were read (this particular one about 87 times!)
Our hostess with the most-ess! We couldn’t have felt any more welcome!
A crazy game of Quelf decreed that our host wear a tie for the remainder of the game. Lots of laughter that night!
We spent the first couple of days just chilling at home—playing outside in Trey and Jen’s beautiful yard, playing board games inside, and getting to know the babies we’ve only seen a few times.
Then we rented a second van and braved traffic to go downtown, where we did all the touristy things we’ve done many times in Seattle. But how fun to see it all from the eyes of our grandkids!
We fed the seagulls at Ivar’s…
Rode the ferry to Bainbridge Island…
Took a hike…
Discovery Beach on Puget Sound was a highlight. The water was COLD, but that didn’t stop the kids from getting wet!
Last (but never least in this family!) we had Seattle’s famous Top Pot donuts for breakfast one morning. Best in the world!
If there was any conflict the entire six days we were there, Ken and I were oblivious. Our kids have always gotten along well (as adults… When they lived at home, they fought like cats and dogs! ;)) but when you add in-laws and seven grandkids to the mix and throw everyone under the same roof for a week, you’d expect some fur to fly! (There may have been some of that, literally, as a large dog and a fluffy cat were in residence, but no human fur flew as far as we know!)
Instead, we had an absolutely wonderful time and made memories that I know will last a lifetime!
This is my favorite “souvenir” from the trip! I can’t stop looking at this magical moment when we were finally together with ALL seven of our grands! 🙂
(So sorry for the photo overload! I just couldn’t narrow it down to five or six!) What is your favorite family vacation destination?”
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I really enjoyed this peek into your precious family time. It made me smile! Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m so glad, Tammi. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Oh my! What a wonderful week you had! I loved ALL the photos and can just imagine the fun and laughter. And since our son is settling in Seattle as I type this, that has rapidly begun a special destination for us as well!
Oh, how fun, Linda! You’ll love having Seattle as a destination SO much! Be sure and go when it’s the hottest where you live. The 60s and 70s temps we had while we were in Seattle were such a refreshment!
What a special time. Brings back such great memories when our family from Texas arrived in Delaware for Christmas in 2000 with 7 grands. Distance is not easy but makes the happy times together treasured. Thanks for sharing. Never too many family pictures.
Thanks for “putting up with” all my photos 🙂 and for sharing about your Texas-Delaware Christmas with 7 grands. Treasured memories, and planting seeds for cousins to have lifelong friendships!
I love the photos, Deb. I wish I could get all ours in one place. But besides you and Ken and all the grands, my favorite photo is of the beach on Puget Sound. I love them and spent many Summer’s there as a kid. My mom’s sister lived there, so we went often. So many sweet memories.
Discovery Beach was a different sort of beach than any I’ve been on. Loved all the driftwood, and shells, and even the seaweed and kelp that floated on the water and slimed up the beach in places. It’s a real treat for landlocked kids to get to play in the ocean…even if it is just a sound. 😉 Thanks for sharing your memories.
Wonderful post and photos, Deb.
My favorite family vacation destination is anywhere all six of us can be together! With family spread over the country it’s not an easy feat.
This year we spent a week in Colorado seeing our daughters. Then the next week our son and daughter-in-love arrived here in Connecticut. Our ‘all six of us’ day was spent in Maine for a family party by the pond.
Sounds like you really have to work to get everyone gathered up for an all-together gathering. But SO worthwhile! Making memories, getting to know each other again as our lives all change. I’m grateful at least our four kids are only in 2 different locations now. Makes it easier to see each of them at least a couple times a year. These years with new babies coming along, we’ve tried to do even better…4 or 5 times a year. But it takes real effort to make it happen!
Beautiful family, beautiful pictures, beautiful memories. Thank you for sharing, Deb! My husband and I take wonderful trips with our grands and their mom and dad. Memories are priceless and times are the best! I cannot name a favorite as each one is my favorite with Ethan, Evan, and Emma!
Oh, I love your grandkids’ names, Melanie! And yes, I can see in the future I’ll be saying whichever trip was the most recent was my “all-time favorite!” 🙂
Beautiful times! I do love the Seattle area. There is so much to do. I also call my children of my children grands – because they are so grand! We love getting together. The beach is one of our favorites, though we have yet to all be at the beach at the same time. Soon!
I hope you DO get to all be together at the beach soon! Here’s to both of our precious grands! 🙂
Oh, Deb! I always love looking at pictures of your family. They’re all so gorgeous. It looks like you had a fantastic trip.
My husband and I took a trip to Seattle last October and had an amazing time. I love it there!
Isn’t Seattle the most unique and fun place!? Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, Becky. And for putting up with my LONG picture show! 😉
Hi Deb, it looks like a delightful time for everyone! It’s very special to have the whole family together. I enjoyed each photo…no overload for us!
Awww, thank you, Carrie! I feel the same when I see photos of your beautiful family!
What a blessing! Deb, so happy for you!!
Thank you, Lenora! It doesn’t happen very often, but so grateful for each time we can ALL be together!
I have always loved going to the mountains.Yellowstone and the black hills.
We did a family vacation to the Black Hills when I was a kid, and it’s a good memory! My husband and I drove through and stopped long enough to see Old Faithful erupt in Yellowstone on a road trip home from Seattle a few years ago. More good memories.
As a Mom of distant children, I would say your vacation was perfect!
Vacations are always wonderful with everyone together. We cherish Christmas visits with the children here or at the cottage in the summer.
Congratulations on your lovely family! I loved every one of your photos!
Thanks so much, Jen. Oh, a cottage in the summer sounds wonderful. And we are HOPING all the kids will be home for Christmas. It will be quite a feat if we can get them all together for a second time in the same year!
Thanks for letting us have a peek at your family reunion. How blessed you are!
We ARE blessed! I’m grateful every day! Thanks, Lynn.
Deb, thanks for sharing your trip with us! Those pics and memories are so precious. I especially like the one of you and your husband with all your grands. So sweet!
My family is actually planning to visit Seattle soon. My sis and I have been there once before, but this will be my parents’ first time. I’m excited to show them the Pike Place Market and Space Needle.
Blessings,
Andrea
Oh, you’ll have a wonderful time, Andrea! It’s so fun to take people you love to a place you’ve enjoyed before and see it all through their eyes! Have a great time on your trip!
Thanks so much! I’m really looking forward to it.
Andrea, the Chihuly Glass museum is right under the Space Needle and is a wonderful place to visit if you have time. Dale Chihuly is a renowned blown glass artist with installations all over the world if you aren’t familiar with him, but the PNW is his home.
Yes! Love Chihuly! Our own Wichita has a wonderful Chihuly installation!
Hi Deborah: The pictures are beautiful and quite reflective of the true meaning of ‘Family’. For many, your posts and pictures of time spent while with your family would be considered, ‘Fiction’. I’m very happy for you, your husband and your loved ones that your ‘family’ journey is a best ‘Non-Fiction’ Work of Art.
Thank you, Mary. Ken and I both have a wonderful heritage of loving parents and grandparents, and our kids grew up with both sets of grandparents and 7 great-grandparents, representing over 200 years of marriage!
Our family is by no means perfect, but we do have a very, very happy family and we are grateful every day for that blessing.
Loved your pictures and was a bit jealous. I have for so long wished and worked to get a picture of the whole family or even just all the grands and greats. And the pictures of Seattle made me think we need to make another trip there this summer.
I’m praying and hoping with you, Deanna, that you’ll be able to all get together and get that photo you long for! It’s not easy, and it gets harder the older the grandkids get!
Deb, I adored seeing the pics of your family and your vacation! That is my goal as my kids spread out and begin their families and holidays get harder. To find a place and a time that becomes sacred family time where we all can be together for a bit at least once a year. Precious times with our daughter in WA, our son who just got engaged and moved to Topeka and then our oldest son nearby–to find a few days to have everyone together! As far as favorite vacation spots, we went to Cannon Beach, OR in June and fell in love! But honestly, I love to travel and so that is sort of the norm with all our vacations! Loved Sedona, loved Galveston, loved Branson, loved San Francisco, loved, Seattle, loved Alaska, loved Scotland, loved the Black Hills, loved Yellowstone, loved Glacier National Park in Montana, etc. etc. Glad you had such fun!
Oooh, Kim, you’ve given me some new places to add to our travel list! It’ll be easier when the grandbabies are a little older. (Of course we’re hoping to add a new one every year or two for a while first!)
Love the photos! Looks like everyone had such a great time!
Thanks for sharing your lovely vacation.
Thank YOU for taking the time to comment, Melissa!
My heart is bursting with love for my first grandchild… Hard to imagine that much love for 7, but what a wonderful thing to imagine!! Love seeing your pics, Deb. Oh, and we love Quelf! Never fails to make you laugh if you just open up and go with it! Too much fun!!!
Isn’t Quelf a fun game!? And we love that even the older grandkids, 10, 8, and two 5-year-olds can play. 🙂
Congrats on your first grandchild. Just like I did with my kids, I worried I could never love any as much as I loved the first one, but we know now there’s plenty of room in our hearts for as many as God blesses us with!
Tickled for you! Knowing how special… and challenging… it is to get my TWO kids with spouses and each family’s ONE 1 1/2 yr. old boy in one place (just 8 total), I can well imagine how special your time together was!!! Thanks for sharing your trip!
Definitely a challenge, Cyndi, and the older they get the harder it gets! We just try to savor it when it does happen!
All those beautiful kiddos … beautiful.
Thank you, Shelli! I feel very blessed!
Loved all of the pictures of your fun trip and beautiful family – especially the sofa photo with the older boys holding the babies.
I live in Virginia and so does our son and granddaughter, but our daughter and grandson live in California. We got all of the family together last summer (including sister and nephew) in Cabo San Lucas to celebrate our 50th anniversary. Getting ready to take our granddaughter to California next week.
Have never been to Seattle, but heard so much about it. Lisa Kleypas writes a series based in the area, beginning with Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor.
Thanks for sharing!
Congrats on what sounds like a VERY special 50th, Betty! May there be many more anniversaries and family get-togethers to celebrate!