If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen the instagram stories from our visit to Seattle this past weekend. It was a quick trip; flew there on Saturday and flew home on Monday, but it was memorable and action packed!

Vadim and Natasha sitting on bench

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Here are the sweetest moments from our travels to Seattle (well, Issaquah really), our boating trip, and photos from my cousin Eric’s beautiful barn wedding.

Watch our Trip on Instagram Stories:

If you want to see a whole bunch of VIDEO captures from our trip, you can view them in 3 separate stories saved to my Instagram profile:

  • Step 1: Visit my Instagram profile on your Instagram App and search for @natashaskitchen (or click here to view on desktop).
  • Sep 2: Click on one of the 3 videos from our Washington trip (and if you’re curious about house progress, those videos are saved here also).

Photo of instagram stories with red arrows pointing to saved stories

Why this post makes me happy:

  1. I love sharing a peek into our personal life with you because there is a family that tests and approves the 800+ recipes on this blog
  2. I love to come back to these posts just like sitting in the living room with a family album. They are my favorite!

Natasha and kids flying on airplane

These photos are in chronological order. We flew into Seattle on Saturday around 1pm and went to my cousin Vadim’s house. Vadim and his wife Katya are such gracious hosts (thank you for making our trip so fun!). As soon as we got there we were out the door and went boating on Lake Sammamish.

Natasha with children on dock with boat in backgroundNatasha with daughter on boat

It’s been awhile since I’ve been on a boat and it was sure fun! The boys had a blast on that giant 3-person tube (Amazon affiliate link); it was so big that it didn’t flip over with turns, waves or “super fast” speeds as the boys called them.

People on a boat pulling a tubeKids on inner tubetwo women and kids on a boat

Now this was neat! Here’s my cousin Vadim surfing on the wave behind the boat. You start with a rope and then let go and follow the boat, riding the wave that pushes you along.

Man on board behind boatPeople on boat smiling

Sunday morning the boys cooked breakfast and we sure enjoyed a feast! On the menu: pan fried potatoes, some mashed potato pancakes from last nights mashed potatoes, and European style bacon from their local Costco.

People in kitchen smilingPeople eating breakfast with breakfast platter of pancakes, fruit and vegetables

Sunday afternoon was the wedding and it was a gorgeous day to get married. Planning an outdoor wedding in the Seattle is risky business but it was warm, breezy, sunny and perfect.

Wedding welcome sign and couple getting marriedNatasha with daughter at wedding04wedding couple smiling

The reception was in a barn and all the windows and doors were open to the outside air. The decor was elegant and tastefully done.

Married couple smilingDecorated wedding tableVadim and daughter drinking juice at weddingWedding buffet line

This picture makes me laugh. She’s tried to smile for the camera, but really just wanted that chicken. lols.

Vadim and daughter eating

I’ll be serving strawberries out of a wooden crate forever. So pretty!

Wedding dessert buffet table with strawberries

I had a big ‘ol slice of that wedding cake and it really, really reminded me of our chocolate cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting but it had layers of strawberry frosting between the chocolate layers.

wedding cake and bridal cake decor

This wedding felt like a family reunion with all of our cousins. I love everyone in this photo so much and it is always a joy to spend time with these beautiful ladies.

Wedding attendees smilingNatasha and Vadim with wedding couple

With our gracious hosts – my cousin Vadim and his beautiful wife Katya: People sitting on bench smiling

My cousin Enna on the left and Lena on the right. (Enna can sure sing and I tried to record some of her and her husbands singing at the wedding on Instagram stories). Women smiling in dresses at weddingNatasha and Vadim with kidsLittle girl smiling

I’m so happy for these two. God bless you both in your journey together! Wedding couple posing with smiles

Monday morning we boarded our plane and flew back home with a glimpse of Mt Rainier’s peak in our plane window. Our visit was quick and so fun. Hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I enjoyed sharing them ;).

View from airplane window with kids smiling in a car

Are you doing any summer traveling this year? Flying? Road trip? I would love to hear about your adventures in a comment below.

If you’re road tripping, check out our favorite healthy road trips snacks ideas here.