One of my favorite places to visit is the waterfront in downtown Kirkland, WA. There are lots of fun memories there, as Kirkland is where my husband was living when we met and also where we lived for the first few months of our marriage. There have been visits with family, visits with friends and visits alone, but each one was enjoyable and memorable. This time we went to the waterfront with The Mr.'s mom. The weather was gorgeous! The air smelled salty from the ocean water and sweet from all the flowers blooming around us.
Then we went to J4's sixth birthday party. Look at the cute cake his mom made for him! I remember when he was just a newborn, it seems like just yesterday that his oldest brother was turning six!
The kids ate out on the deck, picnic style.
I got to know Brooke's little girl Kine a lot better, what a sweetie she is! We played dollies with her brother Ezra while the guys played racquetball.
Seeing this look on J4's face was so much fun. We got him a remote controlled sports car. :)
Whoa! That was quite the break. Did you think I wasn't coming back? I almost thought so. The break was nice, but now I really need to get back into blogging and make sure I record all the memories that were made while my family was here visiting. Let's get the show on the road! The Mr. and I had six house guests for seven nights. It was therapy. We had a couple of days in nature therapy, a couple of days in retail therapy, a little bit of Wii therapy thrown in here and there, some friendship therapy and a little bit of food therapy for good measure. I think that pretty much covers everything!
It was such a fun time and I just want to thank my family so much for the visit. Now that the nine loads of laundry are done, our house is at least partially vacuumed and Petra has finally been walked enough that she no longer acts like she drank enough Red Bull to power a football team, I might be able to sit here long enough to upload some pictures and give some insight as to why I took such a nice long bloggy break. Their whole visit basically feels like a blur at this moment so I am thankful for photos that are in the right order. (Blogger uploading hint: upload everything completely BACKWARDS.)
Oh, and I will not apologize for the gazillion photos of Kitten. She is my niece and I love her, so it's justified.
Everyone arrived Monday evening (Jan. 26th) while The Mr. was at work. The van was unpacked, beds were dolled out and everyone settled in. Eventually Social Sister and I set up the Wii and the games began. I was so excited to see everyone that I don't really have any photos of that evening other than a few blurry ones. I do have a video of when Petra first met Kitten. It included something that looked a lot like a bowling ball hitting a pin, or an extremely hyper dog trying to hug a cat. Kitten is very brave though!
Kitten- check out those shoes. She definitely comes from a family of women who love their shoes.
Mmmm, lattés at Starbucks in Bellingham. What a nice relaxing way to start a day. This was my mom's birthday and you can read my sister's birthday post for her here. It includes one of my favorite pictures of her from when she was little and my grandma enjoyed using spray starch... on hair bows.
We decided to spend the day shopping, what better way to spend your mother's birthday than to take her shopping!? Retail therapy! The photos above and below were taken in Ross Dress For Less. I thought the clown was the scariest thing ever and had no clue why they were selling it. It seriously looked like something someones grandma made for them and they left behind. I thought it would be interesting to give it to kitten and see her reaction. Unfortunately she thought it was the cutest thing ever and gave it a hug right after I took this photo. *Shudder* It is amazing what you'll find at Ross!
The changing room mirrors kept her intrigued and the diaper bag made a perfect chair.
Later on at Bellis Fair Mall she succumbed to her drooping eyelids and napped in the stroller.
The results of our shopping. Well, some of them that is. There were some clothes and shoes too, of course.
After a birthday dinner for Mom of feta stuffed chicken, green beans, Parisienne salad and garlic mashed potatoes we played Wii Mario Kart.
The next morning we started off the day bright and cheery. Kitten's hairdo was sabotaged several times but her mom was able to somehow get it back to normal before we headed out to spend part of the day bowling in Ferndale, and then go to Canada to visit Aunt Hazel and from there, go to prayer meeting that evening in Richmond, BC.
I like bunlets.
Social Sister models perfect bowling form. All of the other bowling photos I took were blurred messes so maybe when Social Sister posts about the trip there will be some more over there.
High fashion!
After bowling, we ate lunch at Subway, where Kitten decided that spinach wasn't her thing.
But Grandma treated her to a cookie, which made her much happier!
Back at home, Kitten made a mad dash around the house as her mom was trying to get her ready for prayer meeting. Chucks and tights are quite the fashion statement!
While at Aunt Hazel's house, she showed us this little rabbit stuffie/pin cushion? Auntie Y, I don't know if you read this blog, but you should recognize this, as she said you sewed it for her long ago. :)
Kitten reading a Beatrix Potter pop up book to The Mr., the book survived the ordeal but did need a little TLC in the form of tape.
That evening after prayer meeting we went to Tim Hortons with friends. Here is Drooler and his mess. To watch a video of the kids interacting click here. Drooler's version of Peek-a-Boo is cute.
The rest of these photos are just random shots from throughout the trip. Yes, all of them are of Kitten except for one. I figured since they were already uploaded, I would just make this post gargantuan and just get it all posted at once. Enjoy!
"Hmm, can I put my hat on by myself?"
"I can!"
Kitten modeling The Mr's glasses after our morning bible reading around the breakfast table.
Jolly took this photo in the car on Lord's Day morning.
The photos above and below are some of the ones Jolly took while I was filming the video of Petra and Kitten.
Quite a while ago I won a blog giveaway that was listed in the giveaways carnival over at Bloggy Giveaways. I was contacted and told I won a $25 dollar gift card to one of my favorite stores to spend money at- Target! And who do I have to thank for this? A blog called Cut Up The Cards! Thank you for your generous giveaway. I was so excited to receive the gift card in the mail and hoarded it in my wallet for quite some time while I decided what I wanted to buy with it. This was going to be a want item, not a need item!
Well, after a lot of going back and forth at Target one day, I decided to just wait a little longer until I found something I really wanted and loved. That was when I walked into the scrapbooking isle and saw this:
A huge square double sided storage box. One side has lots of compartments and the other holds 12x12 papers. I picked it up and walked straight to the counter to buy it. I was in love!
Then I realized that I still had more money on the card so I bought these:
A package of 70 sheets 12x12 spectrum colored card stock and a black writing pen for card making and scrapbooking.
Now, why was I so excited to find this organizer box? Because of this:
My mom and sister had just sent me a birthday present of embossing and card making supplies, and a friend (LeAnne) gave me a whole bunch too (not shown.) I wanted something to keep it all in. Stamps, stamp pads, heat gun, gems, glue, powders, pens, ribbons. Everything but the socks. :)
There is is, all organized and pretty, doesn't this case look like it was designed for this? As soon as I saw it, I knew it would work great for the embossing supplies.
And while I am showing off my birthday goodies, here are a few more. Thanks everyone! Sorry for all the gifts that I left out, I know there are a few. My sister who helped out with the embossing supplies also spent money on me while she was here visiting- a new dish towel set, glasses case and a clear stamp set. Drooler's Mommy gave me an amazing Anne Geddes book. The list goes on.... I am a very spoiled girl.
Don't forget to stop over at Bloggy Giveaways next week for 100's of chances to win! I think there were over 900 giveaways last time.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shewith his handywork. Psalm 19:1
I find long trips in the car to be so relaxing. Of course when I say long, I mean under 20 hours. The trip to my parents house from our home is around 18 hours and we either wake up really early in the morning and get there late at night, or take it easy and stay in Revelstoke or Banff overnight. This time, we decided to relax and stopped in Banff to go shopping and spend the night. We relive so many good memories when we are there. It was a place my parents would take my siblings and I for a vacation after Calgary Bible Conference in the spring. When we were all old enough to ski, we would spend time on some of the Ski mountains in the area. I am so thankful that we did these types of things because I love to reminisce about them. I can remember one rare summer Banff visit as a child where we toured some of the summer attractions. All I can remember is the basin and how incredibly stinky it was. Banff was also a place where The Mr. and I spent time walking hand in hand when we were dating. He came to Calgary conference two years in a row and after both, we went with my family for vacations in Banff. It was so much fun and the memories are some of my favorite. Banff then became part of our honeymoon after we were married in April 2002. We stayed at the Ptarmigan Inn, which I wouldn't recommend unless you like to carry your massive suitcases up small staircases. Maybe they have an elevator or two by now! We have also been to Banff with my family twice since then, once in 2004 and once last year. Anyways, enough with the reminiscing.
This time we stayed at the Bow View Lodge and this was the view from our windows. Pretty!
We were able to do a little bit of shop browsing and bought some goodies to give to my parents as well as others, from The Fudgery. Seriously good stuff! If you are ever in Banff, you must stop here. There are about 5 other similar shops but none compare. They make their chocolates and fudges fresh right in the shop and the choices seem limitless. After dinner we stopped by for dessert and I got what is called a Glacier. Layers of caramel, dark chocolate, white chocolate and cashews. Yum
Our '98 Ford Contour passed 180,000 miles on this trip. We also got 503 miles out of one 15 gallon tank of gas. I love this old car and hope it keeps on going.
How I kept myself occupied- knitting squares for a blanket.
Coming up the Russel Hill Road Hill. Scary. Ridges of loose gravel, plummeting ledges on either side and no guard rails. Steep enough that you have to put the petal to the metal. You can't see if anyone is going to shoot out over the top of it coming down the middle of the road either.
Ok, so maybe I am just a baby now that I don't live there anymore! It's probably not that bad.
Driving towards my parents house. See those trees in the distance to the left of the road? That's their farm.
The rock above was found in the middle of my dad's field while they were rock picking. He is a farmer, and in order to have nice crops, rock free soil is a good idea. Anyways, if you notice shells in the photo, you aren't mistaken. Those are shells completely imbedded in solid hard rock. I don't know how long it takes for mud to become rock, but it made me wonder just what dad's field once looked like. Was it under water? Was it the home of a river? Both seem so far fetched as it is the middle of the prairies and flat as a board. It made me think of this: Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. Genesis 7:20
Well, this is day 1 and 2 of the twelve day trip we just returned from, so hopefully posting will be pretty busy around her as I get all the pictures and memories posted.
On a different topic, it's The Mr's BIRTHDAY today! Happy Birthday! He actually already celebrated it this morning after work at 12:30 am with neon frosted sugar cookies and a gift of Apples to Apples and a set of gargantuan BBQ utensils. I don't know if these gifts were more for me or for him, but he seemed to really like them. :) Now I won't have to let him borrow my flipper and tongs from the kitchen, he has his own!
Also, I can't leave out another baby announcement! Our friends Daniel and Melody had their third little girl over the weekend and named her Catti-brie. I hope that is the correct spelling, maybe I can update this once I know more!
Oh yeah, I can't forget "HAPPY CANADA DAY!" I am a Canadian Washingtonite or Washingtonian or whatever. The Fourth of July fireworks usually start around the 1st of July in the neighborhood here and end a couple of days after the 4th. Today there are more than normal going off down by the bay and I am guessing it is because there are a lot of visiting Canadians staying at the cabins down there. On my walk this morning I definitely saw more BC plates than WA! It is such a fun vacation atmosphere around here in the summer, I love it.
Then we went to J4's sixth birthday party. Look at the cute cake his mom made for him! I remember when he was just a newborn, it seems like just yesterday that his oldest brother was turning six!
The kids ate out on the deck, picnic style.
I got to know Brooke's little girl Kine a lot better, what a sweetie she is! We played dollies with her brother Ezra while the guys played racquetball.
Seeing this look on J4's face was so much fun. We got him a remote controlled sports car. :)
Kitten- check out those shoes. She definitely comes from a family of women who love their shoes.
Mmmm, lattés at Starbucks in Bellingham. What a nice relaxing way to start a day. This was my mom's birthday and you can read my sister's birthday post for her here. It includes one of my favorite pictures of her from when she was little and my grandma enjoyed using spray starch... on hair bows.
We decided to spend the day shopping, what better way to spend your mother's birthday than to take her shopping!? Retail therapy! The photos above and below were taken in Ross Dress For Less. I thought the clown was the scariest thing ever and had no clue why they were selling it. It seriously looked like something someones grandma made for them and they left behind. I thought it would be interesting to give it to kitten and see her reaction. Unfortunately she thought it was the cutest thing ever and gave it a hug right after I took this photo. *Shudder* It is amazing what you'll find at Ross!
The changing room mirrors kept her intrigued and the diaper bag made a perfect chair.
Later on at Bellis Fair Mall she succumbed to her drooping eyelids and napped in the stroller.
The results of our shopping. Well, some of them that is. There were some clothes and shoes too, of course.
After a birthday dinner for Mom of feta stuffed chicken, green beans, Parisienne salad and garlic mashed potatoes we played Wii Mario Kart.
The next morning we started off the day bright and cheery. Kitten's hairdo was sabotaged several times but her mom was able to somehow get it back to normal before we headed out to spend part of the day bowling in Ferndale, and then go to Canada to visit Aunt Hazel and from there, go to prayer meeting that evening in Richmond, BC.
I like bunlets.
Social Sister models perfect bowling form. All of the other bowling photos I took were blurred messes so maybe when Social Sister posts about the trip there will be some more over there.
High fashion!
After bowling, we ate lunch at Subway, where Kitten decided that spinach wasn't her thing.
But Grandma treated her to a cookie, which made her much happier!
Back at home, Kitten made a mad dash around the house as her mom was trying to get her ready for prayer meeting. Chucks and tights are quite the fashion statement!
While at Aunt Hazel's house, she showed us this little rabbit stuffie/pin cushion? Auntie Y, I don't know if you read this blog, but you should recognize this, as she said you sewed it for her long ago. :)
Kitten reading a Beatrix Potter pop up book to The Mr., the book survived the ordeal but did need a little TLC in the form of tape.
That evening after prayer meeting we went to Tim Hortons with friends. Here is Drooler and his mess. To watch a video of the kids interacting click here. Drooler's version of Peek-a-Boo is cute.
"Hmm, can I put my hat on by myself?"
"I can!"
Kitten modeling The Mr's glasses after our morning bible reading around the breakfast table.
Jolly took this photo in the car on Lord's Day morning.
A huge square double sided storage box. One side has lots of compartments and the other holds 12x12 papers. I picked it up and walked straight to the counter to buy it. I was in love!
A package of 70 sheets 12x12 spectrum colored card stock and a black writing pen for card making and scrapbooking.
My mom and sister had just sent me a birthday present of embossing and card making supplies, and a friend (LeAnne) gave me a whole bunch too (not shown.) I wanted something to keep it all in. Stamps, stamp pads, heat gun, gems, glue, powders, pens, ribbons. Everything but the socks. :)
There is is, all organized and pretty, doesn't this case look like it was designed for this? As soon as I saw it, I knew it would work great for the embossing supplies.
And while I am showing off my birthday goodies, here are a few more. Thanks everyone! Sorry for all the gifts that I left out, I know there are a few. My sister who helped out with the embossing supplies also spent money on me while she was here visiting- a new dish towel set, glasses case and a clear stamp set. Drooler's Mommy gave me an amazing Anne Geddes book. The list goes on.... I am a very spoiled girl.
Happy Birthday Momo!
Strawberry Julius in a tea cup.
The Rockies
We were able to do a little bit of shop browsing and bought some goodies to give to my parents as well as others, from The Fudgery. Seriously good stuff! If you are ever in Banff, you must stop here. There are about 5 other similar shops but none compare. They make their chocolates and fudges fresh right in the shop and the choices seem limitless. After dinner we stopped by for dessert and I got what is called a Glacier. Layers of caramel, dark chocolate, white chocolate and cashews. Yum
World's tallest teepee. Stands over 20 stories high in Medicine Hat Alberta! I have driven past this many times as a child on our trips between Regina and Calgary.
How I kept myself occupied- knitting squares for a blanket.
Coming up the Russel Hill Road Hill. Scary. Ridges of loose gravel, plummeting ledges on either side and no guard rails. Steep enough that you have to put the petal to the metal. You can't see if anyone is going to shoot out over the top of it coming down the middle of the road either.
Driving towards my parents house. See those trees in the distance to the left of the road? That's their farm.
The rock above was found in the middle of my dad's field while they were rock picking. He is a farmer, and in order to have nice crops, rock free soil is a good idea. Anyways, if you notice shells in the photo, you aren't mistaken. Those are shells completely imbedded in solid hard rock. I don't know how long it takes for mud to become rock, but it made me wonder just what dad's field once looked like. Was it under water? Was it the home of a river? Both seem so far fetched as it is the middle of the prairies and flat as a board. It made me think of this: Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. Genesis 7:20
The view from my parents back yard of the Qu'appelle Valley.
