June 2026 has been another busy month for our family, but our trip to the Seattle area to celebrate Aunt Norma’s 100th birthday was by far the most important event of the month, so that will be the focus of this post. We had been planning this trip for over a year, and we knew it would be special for multiple reasons. Obviously, celebrating Aunt Norma’s 100th birthday was at the top of the list, but this was also the first time the kids had returned to Washington State since we moved away exactly five years earlier.
I knew we wouldn’t be able to see everyone or do all the things we would have loved to do, but we did our best. Usually, when we travel, we only like to plan out a few of the days and then play the rest by ear, but this trip was the opposite. Literally from the time we landed until the time we left, it was go, go, go in an attempt to visit as many people as possible. To those we didn’t see, please accept my apology, as it wasn’t intentional. To those we were lucky enough to visit with, I extend a big thank-you from all of us for making the time.
While most of the trip was great, we still had our fair share of problems to deal with, and literally all of them can be directly attributed to Alaska Airlines. So much so that I feel the need to publicly shame them. Our flight left Las Vegas late (as usual), the landings on both ends of the trip were so bad that they caused people to scream, and worst of all, they lost my mom’s suitcase.
We checked two suitcases at the airport in Las Vegas, one for our family and one for my mom. They both went onto the conveyor belt at the same time, but only one arrived in Seattle. My mom had been planning and packing for this trip for months. She had everything ready to go, and suddenly her whole plan was flipped upside down.
Then began a series of phone calls with Alaska Airlines in an effort to track down her bag. She had to wait on hold for more than an hour on two separate occasions and was even blatantly lied to by one of their agents about the location of her bag. They said it was in Seattle when it later turned out to be in San Francisco! She finally received it near the end of the trip, after having to purchase a new outfit for the party, new toiletries, and more. I couldn’t be more disappointed with Alaska Airlines, not just for misplacing her luggage, but for their incompetence in handling the entire situation. I will actively avoid flying with them ever again.
Once we picked up our rental van and left Sea-Tac Airport, we all did our best to ignore the situation with Nana’s lost luggage and enjoy ourselves as much as possible. We drove straight to Uncle Butch and Aunt Carol’s house in Bellevue and had such a nice time hanging out in their backyard. The weather was perfect, so we sat outside chatting while Enzo played with their Schnauzer until the dog finally waved the white flag and tapped out. It was truly a lovely visit with them and the perfect way to decompress after a stressful flight.
After our visit with Butch and Carol, we grabbed a quick dinner at Taco Time (a must for me whenever I visit Washington), then headed to the Everett waterfront to meet our old friends Solana and Josh, as well as their sons, Ronan and Finn. I knew my mom was tired from a long day of traveling, so I dropped Jess and the kids off with our friends, then took my mom to our rental house in Everett, which was just a few minutes away. We stayed in three different places during the trip, but this house in Everett turned out to be our favorite. I wish we could have spent more time there, but we were constantly on the go, trying to visit as many people and places as possible.
Once Mom was settled at the house, I drove back down to the waterfront to catch up with everyone. I had no idea how nice the new Everett waterfront was. I guess it’s the largest public marina on the West Coast! There were so many boats, restaurants, hotels, walkways, and more. We had a blast catching up with Solana and Josh while the kids ran around and played. Even though they hadn’t seen each other in a long time, they picked up right where they had left off, which is always the sign of a good friendship.
The next morning was Friday, and we knew it would be one of the least busy days of the trip. Jess and I drove to downtown Snohomish so she could meet up with an old friend. I killed time at a coffee shop and walked around, thinking about all the time we used to spend down there when the kids and I attended classes at a local jiu-jitsu school. That evening, we met up with our old friends and neighbors, the Browns, for an excellent meal at one of their favorite Chinese restaurants. Afterward, we all headed back to our old neighborhood and hung out at their house for a few more hours. It was a big deal for the kids to see our old house, and we all had a great time catching up.
We left the Everett house on Saturday morning and headed straight to the venue in Bellingham for Norma’s birthday celebration. As soon as we arrived, I saw my oldest sister, Laura, and my cousin Amanda with their respective families. The kids were a bit nervous to meet everyone, but it didn’t take long for them to become comfortable.
Norma’s arrival was really special, and I knew it was probably a lot for her to take in. She was in a wheelchair, and when I first went over to greet her, I could tell she didn’t know who I was. I got down on one knee and looked her in the eyes. I didn’t have to say a word. As she recognized me and became overwhelmed with joy, I broke down in tears.
I simply cannot overstate what an important part of my life she has always been, especially during my first 20 years. She was at the hospital the day I was born, and the love she continued to show me throughout the years is beyond anything I can measure or explain. Seeing her in person again at this stage of our lives was a little more than I could handle in that moment. I’m not a terribly emotional person, but this was the first of several moments throughout the day that got the best of me.
The entire event was fantastic, and I can’t thank my cousin Ken and his wife, Marynn, enough for everything they did to make it happen. There was a digital slideshow, along with so many printed photos that I had never seen before. My dad’s name (“Uncle Elmer,” as Ken would call him) came up constantly, and I could feel his presence.
After everyone had a chance to mingle, we all sat down, and Ken took the mic to deliver the most touching tribute to his mom. There weren’t many dry eyes in the room, and I’m so grateful to Jessica for getting up and filming the whole thing, which you can watch below.
The party lasted for nearly three hours, and it was so nice to catch up with family members I had either never met or hadn’t seen in many years. My sister Laura and her family live in New Hampshire, so because of the distance between us, we rarely see each other. I had never met her husband, Todd, in person, and I hadn’t seen the kids in far too long, so it was wonderful to reconnect with them and see the amazing young adults they have grown into.
It was such a special day that we had all been looking forward to for at least a year, and none of us will ever forget it. Norma has always been such an important figure in all of our lives, and I’m so thankful for the memories we were able to make with her. It was also very important to me that my own kids get some time with her so they can begin to understand the connection.
Later that night, we met up with my sister Dana, her husband, Brad, and her kids, Kallan and Anna, along with Kallan’s girlfriend and Anna’s boyfriend, for a very fun night of pool and basketball at the Bellingham Bar and Grill. Huge thanks to Dana for setting this up, as it was one of the most fun experiences of the trip.
Everyone knows about Enzo being a star pool player at this point, so it was a blast to get together and play his game. He even kept his suit on from earlier that day and looked like a little hustler. Plenty of people were watching him play, and at one point, the bartender came over to give him some props. I spent quite a bit of time playing pool with Anna’s boyfriend, Tyler, and had a great time getting to know him. Dana played great, Elise and Ava had a lot of fun, and it was just such a cool way to end the day.
I have to give Dana another shout-out for organizing such a nice family brunch on Sunday morning at Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham. Her whole group was there, along with Laura’s group, my group, and Ken and Marynn, all gathered in a private room. We enjoyed catching up, telling stories, and sharing a few laughs. Everyone had to go their separate ways afterward, so this was the perfect sendoff. Here are a couple of group photos I took before brunch was over.
Later that afternoon, we met up with our good friends, the Palmers, and hung out near the Bellingham waterfront for a while. We’re lucky enough to see them once or twice a year down in Vegas, so it hadn’t been too long since our last visit, and we already have another one coming up this summer. Still, we really appreciated them making the time to get together. As usual, the kids split off and did their own thing while the adults chatted and caught up. We love them like family and always appreciate our time together.
On Monday morning, we checked out of our hotel up north and made the drive down to Alki Beach in West Seattle to meet up with our friend Michele, who lives in the area. We had lunch at Spud’s Fish and Chips, which was honestly a bit of a letdown compared to my memories of it as a kid, but it was still a beautiful day that everyone enjoyed. My mom and I both have a lot of history in that area, so it was great to experience it together again. Michele has always been like an aunt to the kids, so we were thankful to spend some time with her.
That evening, we checked into our rental house in Tacoma, then picked up my Uncle Jim and Aunt Brenda for dinner. We had a really nice meal at one of their favorite Italian restaurants. I knew we’d be seeing them again the next day, and we had plans for an early Tuesday morning, so we called it a night after dinner and got some sleep.
Tuesday was our last full day in town, and it was a busy one. We got up early, hopped in the van, and started driving toward the coast. When I was a kid, I frequently drove to Westport, Washington, to go surfing, so it was important to me that the kids got to experience it. As usual, it was drizzly and foggy when we arrived, but the weather cleared as the day went on. The kids had a great time playing on the beach, and I took as many photos as possible.
On the way home, we stopped by my cousin Ron’s house in Aberdeen for a quick visit. His parents, Bruno and Mary, had the house built in 1941, and it has been in the family ever since. My grandma Gigi and her brother Danny used to live just a few houses down the street, so I spent a lot of my childhood there, and Laura and Dana spent even more of theirs there.
Ron has lived in his parents’ house for the past 25 years, and it looks better than ever. His hospitality was amazing, and the kids really enjoyed meeting him. Seeing those houses brought back a lot of memories for me, and I’m thankful that Ron invited us to stop by.
That night, which was our last night in town, we headed over to Jim and Brenda’s house to hang out, have dinner, and watch a Mariners game. Brenda made her famous strawberry rhubarb pie, which was outstanding, and everyone had a nice time. Considering how busy each day of the trip had been, spending our last night like this with family was the perfect way to end it.
As you can probably tell from my tone in this post, this trip was very special to me and not something I take for granted. A lot of people went out of their way to make it all happen, and we were more than happy to do our part. While we don’t regret our decision to move to Nevada five years ago, there’s no doubt that we miss and often think about many of the people and places in Washington.
We expected this trip to bring back a lot of memories and emotions, which it did, but it was all worth it. I’m glad we got to see so many loved ones, and Jess and I were very proud that they could see the amazing young people our kids have grown into. To everyone we spent time with, thank you for making this trip such a special memory for our family!