Once again we’re behind in posting pictures so we have a bunch of pictures! Gabe and Zara have changed so much in the past 5 months. I’ll try to hit the highlights but I’m sure I’ll forget something!
 

Month 17
Summer is starting to wrap up in Seattle so we’ve been trying to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. We’ve taken a few beautiful hikes, played in the wading pools at Green Lake, and spent numerous hours at the park. We also celebrated my birthday starting out with a walk on the beach. Zara loved pouring sand all over her legs, while Gabe loved eating handfuls of sand. We had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants on the water. We finished off the evening with dinner with some friends we met through breastfeeding class and walked to the park. It is always fun to see the 4 kids together and watch them growing up.

View month 17 photos.

Posted in Friends & Family, Gabriel and Zara 106 Comments »

Lukas and Amanda’s wedding

It’s hard to believe that the little boy I used to babysit got married. I watched Lukas and Morris over the summers growing up and I’ll be honest, they drove me nuts. They were constantly fighting, always into something and in general pretty ornery little boys. (I think they prepared me well for my own ornery little boy!) I’m so proud of them and love them very much. Lukas and Amanda’s wedding was beautiful and a lot of fun. It was fun to spend time with my siblings and have a date night with my hubby! Thanks Rita for watching the kiddos!

View photos of Lukas and Amanda’s wedding .

Posted in Friends & Family, Weddings 86 Comments »

Visit to PA 2011
We headed to PA to visit and for my nephew’s wedding. We left very early in the morning in Seattle and arrived very late in Philadelphia. After a long day of flying we had a 3 hour drive ahead of us. The kids were really tired and grumpy for most of the trip so by the time we arrived home we were exhausted. PA was much warmer than we are used to but had a great time playing in the yard, watching trucks drive past, and visiting with family.

While the trip home was awesome, the return trip home was miserable. It all started with toilet paper stuck to me after a bathroom visit. The flight attendant was rude, the kids were tired and grumpy and refused to take a nap. Every time the kids fell asleep they were woken up, which made them even more grumpy. While Zara was flipping out I turned sideways in my seat and my pants got caught on something and tore the entire side out. By the time we reached home we were again exhausted.

View photos of our PA Visit .

Posted in Friends & Family, Gabriel and Zara, Travel 91 Comments »

MONTH 16

My friend Pia, who was an exchange student at my high school came to the US with her children for a visit. This was the first time we had seen each other in 25 years. It was great to see her and reminisce about skateboarding down the middle of the road growing up!

We bought backpacks to carry the kids on hikes. They’re a little heavy but it is great to be able to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather! Our first hike was in the park nearby our house. The path leads you down a very steep hill to a beach. The kids loved playing in the stones and water. The hike back up hill was a long one but we had an amazing time and are very happy with the backpacks!

View photos of Month 16 .

Posted in Friends & Family, Gabriel and Zara 107 Comments »

JUNE 2011 – Maggie joins the family
After returning from Europe we decided to add a new addition to the family. We searched and searched for a kitty and found that most shelters would not allow us to adopt with small children, and they also wanted a small fortune (for a stray who would be euthanized if not adopted). It was really an eye-opening experience. It’s quite depressing going to the pound and seeing how many people give up their pets. The majority of cats in the shelter were more than 9 years old. That’s just not something I could do! Z’s lucky it was not up to me or we would have ended up with a bunch of strays! I really wanted a black kitty and Z wanted a grey or orange one. We ended up falling in love with a Siamese mixed kitty who was super cuddly, very timid, and didn’t freak out when Gabe and Zara started screaming. Turns out she was just fixed the day before. Little Maggie was less than 2 lbs and was pretty scared when she first arrived home. After discovering Maggie’s foster parent’s notes in our adoption packet, we learned that Maggie startled at loud noises, followed you around like a shadow, and loves to sit on your lap. We also learned that Siamese cats can be quite vocal. Gabe and Zara were a little rough at first but they think Maggie is great. Maggie is awesome with the kids, often just rolling over to let them touch her.

View photos of Gabe, Zara and our new kitty, Maggie.

Posted in Friends & Family, Gabriel and Zara 3 Comments »