Jetty Island

Today I headed out to Jetty Island with Isabel to meet up with a mommy play group.  Jetty Island is a long strip of land in the bay off the coast of Everett, WA.  I've heard from a few co-workers that it was a great place to bring your kids but I never made the journey before.  For one, it would have been just Izzy and I and it's not as fun without other kids to join in.  Since The North shore mommy play group planned to met there it was the perfect opportunity to check it out.

There is a short ferry ride to and from the island which is free.  There is limited seating so I would suggest getting there early to get a ticket.  There also isn't a fee for parking except Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  So there is even more incentive to go during the week.  Once you get to the island pick up your tickets right away they go fast and you don't want to get stuck there until the late afternoon.

I packed spare clothes for warm and cool weather, light lunch, snacks, towel, water bottle, sunscreen, first aid stuff, bathing suit for Iz, water/sand toys, a kite and a empty bag.  The sun came out during our stay and there wasn't any place to get out of the sun.  Fortunately, there was a breeze or the sun would have been unbearable.  Next time I'll bring a umbrella or sun shade.  The kite was a hit with all the kids there and with the constant breeze I was able to tie it up to my water bottle and just let it fly.  There is only one bathroom but it's more of a porta potty so the sanitizing hand gel and extra baby wipes helped with cleaning up.

Iz had a blast with the shallow pools and I didn't have to worry about having to fish her out of the water.  We have a great time and this is definitely a place I would come back to again.

Pros - location, no cost, great place for water and sand activities
Cons - only one bathroom, no shade, distance to carry stuff from the ferry dock

Settling In

Wow! I can't believe almost a month flew past since my last post.  I'm still alive and kicking in the Greater Northwest.  We recently relocated here towards the end of October due to my hubby's job.  The two of us took our time and really thought about where to choose for his next assignment.  We wanted to move to a place that we could see ourselves permanently settling down and raising our child (+ potential future children).  I won't go through how we made the decision but I will update you on how we like it.

I ABSOF-ing LOVE LOVE LOVE it here.  I can honestly tell you that I haven't been this happy in a long time.  I love the cold, wet, weather.  No, I'm not pulling your leg I really mean it.  I've always preferred cooler weather were I could add layers to be comfortable rather than weather that was so hot you cold sit still in the buff and still be sweating.  It's a slower pace here, the speed limit is 60mph and strictly enforced.  I guess since I know I can sit back and enjoy the drive without worrying too much about other speeding drivers.

It also feels like everything is falling into place relatively easily.  I say that (knock on wood) with my fingers, toes and eyes crossed that it stays that way.  I met and made a new female friend that I can say she's becoming a good friend.  I was able to find two toddler playgroups for Izzy to make new friends.  We found and bought a house that we love and we're excited to move in when it's finished.  We found out that we have family here and they live very close to us.  I was able to endorse my license to this state without any hassle.  The last two pieces are for me to find a job I love and someone we trust to watch Izzy while I'm working.  I hope those pieces fall into place with similar ease.  Thanks for reading!