I should probably clarify that the entire purpose of this extended Pacific Northwest adventure was to attend the wedding of my esteemed cousin Steve and his lovely bride Kim. Faithful readers may recall that Steve popped the question to Kim just days after Soenke’s and my wedding on Kauai (I was one of the first to receive the triumphant text message… “she said yes!”). And so this fine August, hoards of Crawfords (and Robertsons, and Barnetts… all part of the grand famiglia) descended on Seattle for the big event.

Lots of family fun occurred in the days leading up to and following the Big Day, pictorally documented here:

My family rented this house in Edmonds (a picturesque suburb of Seattle) and piled 12 of us in there together, including 4 very rowdy little boys and 2 babies:

(I should also mentioned that Edmonds is home to renown travel writer Rick Steves and his international headquarters, which we duly visited.)

In Edmonds, the crosswalks had these little traffic flags you could carry with you. My brother’s kids LOVED THESE:

The first night, we didn’t have enough cribs and so my 3-month-old nephew had to sleep in a suitcase (OBVIOUSLY he isn’t a first child…):

Our family excursion to the Seattle Space Needle (that was one heck of an expensive view):

And then all the Crawfords took a little ferry ride:

My Uncle Kent always has a trick up his sleeve:

Hanging out (cousin Adam - the older one - with my assorted nephews):

The ferry ride back (from left, Uncle Tim, Zack, and cousin Heather with my nephew Chase):

Back at the house, Sophie & nephew Levi chill out:

Sophie and Grandpa enjoy some quality time together:

Groom Steve (my cousin) and bride Kim practice their future, using Sophie as a prop:

My Aunt Nancy & I went to help with the wedding flower arrangement preparation. Here are the bride’s other helpers, hard at work:

And our beautiful and ambitious bride Kim supervises the program:

Goofing off down at the harbor:

Nice fish:

A cousin dinner:

And, last but not least, the Pacific Northwest wows us with a stunning sunset: