"Papa Friday"

"Papa Friday" is what Ashley told me when I said we were going to see Papa after school today. She got all excited and can't wait to give him a big hug and kiss.

Bluebird

Ashley will officially be a bluebird as of Monday next week. The bluebird room is the 2-3 1/2 year old room downstairs at her daycare. She's been transitioning this week spending a few hours Mon-Wed and then almost a full day yesterday and today. She has so much fun down there and is really challenged with her learning. The first day they all lined up to do something and counted in Spanish, English, Japanese and German. Wow! She's having to adjust to all the new stimulation and couldn't fall asleep at nap time yesterday because of it. Of course I made plans for us to go to a friend's house for dinner and she fell asleep 2 minutes after we got into the car. I had to cancel. I didn't have it in me to make her stay up, so she had a quick dinner and was sleep by 6:30!

For Papa

Cute!

Night, Night

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Nathan James

Our friends Joana and Steve became proud parents Saturday morning to Nathan James, 8lb 4 oz and 21 inches. We went to see them at the hospital that afternoon and lucky for Brian since he was up this weekend got to meet the little guy too.

Leavenworth

Last weekend Brian and I celebrated our 5th anniversary in Leavenworth. The actual day was the 18th and that weekend we spent as a family at the beach house, but this weekend was just the two of us, Grammy came up to watch Ashley. We took the corvette since it was going to be 80 degrees, which definitely made up for the fact that we couldn't take the car to Anacordes a few weekends ago because of rain! The Fall festival was going on and we got there right in the middle of the parade. So, we parked and walked into town, got lunch and went into all the cute shops. They had a band playing and people dancing, it was great. We spent the afternoon there and headed back to our bed and breakfast for dinner. We stayed at the Pine River Ranch where Brian proposed to me 6 years ago in January. Same room and everything. It was completely different being there in the fall, especially since the last time we were there is was after that huge 2004 snow storm where they cosed down I-84 because of snow and ice. We still talk about how crazy it was that I drove out there, but it was a big weekend and someone was determined that I get there! The leaves were changing and made for a beautiful scenery. It was a perfect weekend, spent with the perfect person.

I caught Ashley trying to drink from the camel pack. You can just look at the still image instead of clicking to view the video, it's only 1/2 a second when I realized it was on the video setting and I was trying to take a still picture. She had been watching us trying to figure out what we were doing and I guess she decided to give it a try. By the time I switched the setting she wouldn't do it again, I think she decided it wasn't as fun as it looked since she couldn't get any water out.

Tiger Mountain

Last Sunday we went up to Tiger Mountain for a hike. It was a gorgeous day. We both had never been there, but decided it was on our "to do" list before we moved. I think we would have enjoyed it a little more if we were in shape, it's a tough hike straight up with hardly any flat areas for relief. My quads were burning!!! I thought my legs were going to give out from underneath me. Of course people had warned us of this, but you forget how out of shape you are. We're a little sore even days after, but we made it and the view was.... unimpressive! I was ready to give up at 2.2 miles (it's a 6 mile round trip, 3 miles each way, so we were almost there) and Brian kept encouraging me saying it will be all worth it once we see the view from the top. Well I'm glad we didn't really know what that view was like because I wouldn't have pushed myself as hard as I did and Brian was the one carrying Ashley! There was an old man at the top who commented that "a young girl like myself should not be breathing that hard", my response (to myself of course) "try carrying around a 21 week belly old man!" The nerve!






These birds were taking food right from people's hands, never seen anything like it