Retake Montlake!

To me, it's the most wonderful time of year: the beginning of a new college football season! Husky fans packed the house to "Retake Montlake" today. After a year of construction, the new Husky stadium was unveiled, and it was quite the experience. As a fan, I'm glad to be back on the shores of Lake Washington, and I'm ready to cheer on the team in another great year of Husky Football!




The whole family is ready to cheer on the Huskies. We've been working with Matthew to celebrate with "Touchdown" (as you can see, he's even practicing in his sleep!), and he's just started saying "Go!" as he watches the games. What fun!

Touchdown!

Put me in Coach Sark!

Ready to watch the game with Dad?


What a great day at the stadium -- here's to a great season. Go Huskies!

Lunch - Yum!

My mom is in town this week taking care of Matthew while our daycare was on vacation. I got the rare opportunity to sneak out for lunch with Grammy and Matthew today. We had a great time chatting over a tasty burger, and Matthew charmed the families around us. He even made a dent in his very own corn dog:

Just Chillin'

Our daycare was closed for a few days this week, so my Mom came to town to help out with Matthew. They had a great time taking in the sunshine, playing in the park, and laughing. We also had the opportunity to spend some time with my youngest brother and his family. It's been a whirlwind of guests and adventures, and we're grateful for the time that we get to spend with our family.

After we dropped my Mom off at the airport today, we happened upon a garage sale on the way home. I spied a Spider-man kid's futon for the low-low price of $2. We've been looking for some Matthew-sized furniture, and as soon as we got home, he made himself comfortable -- complete with a book!

I sure do love this kid, and it's so much fun to see him develop his own personality! What a great adventure we're on!

SnoRock Concert

Our fine city is celebrating it's centennial this year, and as a part of the festivities, they decided to recreate a concert festival that occurred here in the '60s. Since it was a free, family-friendly event, we went down to the festival for a few hours to enjoy a picnic lunch and some of the local bands that took the stage.

The SnoRock Concert and Lighter than Aire Faire was an interesting experience. It was not well-attended while we were there, but that worked out because it gave us a little more room to let Matthew explore.

Here's some photos of my boys enjoying the overcast skies and the chance to stretch out in the grass while some good music played:

Summer Salad

To me, there is nothing better than Caprese Season, I mean Summer. Today's lunch included a big bowl of tomato, basil, and mozzarella -- my favorite! The tomatoes and basil were from our garden, which makes the meal even better.

Yum!

I've Got This Daddy!

Today as we made our way into church from the far corners of the parking lot, Matthew decided that he wanted to walk by himself the whole way. It's like he was saying "Don't worry, Dad, I've got this!"

What a cutie -- I love watching this guy learn and grow!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to get away and celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary. We trekked up to Birch Bay, Washington to enjoy some time on the beach and generally relax for two nights. Mom stayed at home with our son, and had a great time, and we took our first weekend away. It was with mixed emotions that we drove away from the house and our son. On the one hand, we'd really miss our son's laughter and his never ending curiosity. On the other hand, we really needed a full night or two of uninterrupted sleep.

The weather was fantastic, we got to dip our toes in the water, walk along the beach hand in hand, and sleep through the night. As an added bonus, we attempted to fly a kite while the the tide was out. (Strong emphasis on "attempted," as it must have been pretty amusing to everyone who watched us try to fly a kite...)

I am so grateful for the time that I got to spend with my husband on a weekend away. Mom had a great time with our son, and we got to reconnect and relax in the sunshine of Birch Bay.

Happy anniversary, babe! I can't wait to see what adventures and fun the next year brings. I love you!

Happy Fourth of July!

We had a nice quiet day as a family. The Internet repairman finally came out and fixed our connection (after a lot of phone calls and a harrowing week without connectivity), and then we made our way down to Carnation for their annual Fourth of July celebration. Here are a few of the photos that were taken by Photo Orchard to mark the occasion:

We returned home tired but happy from our time in Carnation. We grilled up some hot dogs, spent some time with Matthew, and then after Matthew went down for the night, we went outside to enjoy some of the neighborhood fireworks displays. Our neighbors really know how to put on a show too! What fun! I hope that you had a great Fourth of July, and that your summer is off to a great start!

Family Photos - December 2012

Mid-December, we had the good fortune to work with Amanda of Amanda Rose Images to have family photos taken. It was a great session, and I think that we got some fantastic pictures out of the deal. Here are a few favorites:

>> View all of the FANTASTIC photos from our session.

11 Months Old!

Where does the time go? It seems like it was just yesterday that you were a twinkle in our eyes and a wish in our hearts.

January was a rough month in our household -- filled with back-to-back illnesses and one minor accident involving taking out the trash, some black ice, and some wonderful neighbors and construction workers coming to our rescue. We're looking forward to turning over a new leaf of health and wellness in our household, and we can't wait to see what the days ahead bring!