Six Flags

This summer has flown by. Before we knew it, my chance to make good on missing our annual Six Flags trip last year was almost past! Happily, the Liggetts motivated us. The day was gray and relatively cool, which actually made for a great, relatively uncrowded day at the park.

Syl has always been a total daredevil, so it puzzled me when she identified one particular, not especially scary roller coaster to be terrified of.

Of course once we finished she decided she loved it, and insisted on riding three more times.

Syl and Sydney have always been the best of pals. Here, they mounted the Slingshot together, and were launched hundreds of feet in the air!

They even insisted on riding Six Flags' newest, scariest coaster, the Joker. Syl declared it "overrated."

Syl happens to be a deadeye at the carnival style water gun game.

Win #2.

'Til next year.

The Big 8-0!!

Happy birthday to a great Dad, Grampy, and the youngest 80 year old we know!

Where else for lunch, but an Irish pub...

...followed by a brewery!

Aunt Mary and the O'Learys joined for birthday dinner.

Syl is quite the toast mistress, as it turns out.

Biggest lobster in the house.

Caption contest!

 Happy birthday, Grampy!

Goofy lunch

We stopped for lunch in Leavenworth, WA on the way back to Seattle. For those who haven't visited this international tourist attraction (I'm not joking!), Leavenworth is a giant faux Bavarian village in an otherwise agricultural part of Washington state. We were a bit skeptical at first, mostly because it was super crowded, but the sausages, soft pretzels and strudel won us all over.

Sausage Haus for lunch

Lunch for the table. Just kidding--this was all for Patrick. 

Goofy buildings

Echo Ridge hike

Just me and Ben for this one. 

No, really, these are adults

Clearly all of that Special Forces training paid off. 

Is Naomi really the younger sister? You decide. 

The best part of this one is Barry calling Ben a Golden Retriever. 

Boating Part 3: Just Goofing Around!

Lia and Maylin 

Steven and Syl


Syl, Alex and Steven feeding a duck pizza (a highlight of the trip)


Lia, Steven and Maylin also feeding the duck...and Alex mid-leap 


Cara

Ben, Ali and Barry

Grandpa Steve, Patrick and Alex


Syl, Aya and Cara


Syl, Aya, Cara and Steven


Lia, Miye, Maylin and Cara

Syl, Aya, Alex, Steven, Cara and Ben

Naomi