No trip to Seattle is complete without a visit to Ivar’s!  We can’t be certain, but given the shape of the ears and the Batman shirt, we’re pretty sure this is Jake.

“hello mommy and daddy we are having fun we went to a party today and mommy guest what i had a coke zero and it was only a small can it was only a .222 and we we went to the doughnut shop and mommy will you light the fire pit when we come back and mommy the windows can open and mommy like you were asking there is a flap down like if you want a seat you can pop one down if you want a bed flap all three down but there is only a enough for one person

was it chocolate fondu like we had with the foleys and simon and m.r darren i remember that night it was so good i love the chocolate fondu and banana and it is so hot here that we have fans in every room it is so hot here and oma just went to the store and got a new fan and have you ever seen the rescuers or the rescuers down under they are such good movies and mommy guess what we are having for desert we are having oreo chunked ice cream it was the best thing ever and it was so cold and Eli got vanilla ice cream and Eli also wanted lemon ice cream like they have at gigibanta when we come back can we get ice cream like that it was so good did you now that coke zero doesn’t have any sugar in it it is kin-dive a sparkly and we have been working in the garage and we made an electric magnet Love jake”

It sounds like everyone is having a pretty good time!  Gigibonta is an Italian gelato place that we have in Lusaka.  They don’t have Oreo chunks or Pralines and Cream or Mocha Almond Fudge, but they do a good job with things like lemon, tangerine, melon, and a vanilla-flavored one called Blue Sea which all the kids like to get, I think because it’s colored bright blue!  There is an attempt at pleasing those with a chocolate tooth with flavors like Nutella and Straciatella and Hazelnut, but they are sadly no comparison to Baskin Robbins.  America does chocolate treats and desserts better than anyone on earth!  Have some extra Oreo Chunks for me, Jakey!!  I saw an ad in a magazine for a new flavor by Ben and Jerry’s called Cookie Core.  I would love some Cookie Core right now…

This is what you guys were doing 4 summers ago.

And this is six summers ago, on our last trip to Seattle (and to Costco) before joining the Foreign Service.

The bottles remind me of a funny story.  we forgot them when we got off the plane in Ukraine and after that, you never used bottles again!  So much for “weaning off the bottle.”  How about “the bottle is no longer an option?”

I can tell you guys are having the best time ever.  Come home, though!  I miss you and I want you to come home!!  There is nobody here to eat my cupcakes!!