Memorial Day Weekend Extravaganza of Family Togetherness!

So, in lieu of taking a one-night overnight trip (which often ends up being a nightmare... I mean, who actually sleeps the first night in a new place, kids don't calm down, it isn't until night two that anyone actually rests, blah blah) we decided to do some fun outings to keep ourselves entertained this last weekend!

Friday night, we went to the Valley Drive in to see:

It was our first family trip to the drive in since Annie was a baby, and it was a blast! The kids loved it and the movie was great... I recommend it!

Saturday, we cleaned the house (work before play, of course... :) then loaded up everyone and went to lunch at McDonalds (I know, but remember, five kids...) then to Parkland Putters- an old-school mini golf place near Tacoma. The kids were so excited to go mini-golfing and Maggie was very... helpful...

She's cute, can't fault her for that...

Since the day was completely GORGEOUS, we opted to take a family walk on Ruston Way on the waterfront in Tacoma. It was a busy day there, but the weather was glorious, which, as we Washingtonians know, is an occurrence not to be trifled with. So, walking we went...

By the end of our walk, we had worked up an appetite... So we decided to eat dinner at Tacoma's Old Spaghetti Factory- a fabulous place to eat with kids- Kids meals are only 4.99 and they include a drink, salad, entree and dessert! Awesome! And delicious- they even have whole wheat pasta now! Yay me!

We went home, got ready for bed, then went to church Sunday and enjoyed a restful, rejuvenating Sabbath.

Monday, we went got up, got ready and after lunch went to Federation Forest and did a family hike! The Jonesies LOVE to hike- even Maggie was enthralled! The trail was easy enough, and we probably walked a couple of miles, effortlessly.

We stopped by our favorite Farm Stand on our way home to get some fresh veg and fruit (and ice cream -OBVIOUSLY one of the four food groups...) and went to a relaxing cook out at the Deputy's home. And *bonus*, got to see the inside of the new house they're building... Fun day!

It was truly a fabulous weekend. Not perfect- never perfect, but very entertaining, and I think every Jonesie had a truly exhilarating time. I think we have begun a new family tradition- the Memorial Day Weekend Extravaganza of Family Togetherness (MDWEFT) will be something we look forward to each year... and I have 364 days to recover... :)