Broc- Ketsy - Rune - Dagny

December

2012-01-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

My early Christmas present

Visit to Santa, where Dagny loved the lights and was only mildly alarmed at the white-haired old man

Then we relocated to AZ for a break from winter. That's what Winter Break is for, right?

Horseback riding at Grandpa's

Christmas Eve Ice Skating with the Cooper cousins

Luke 2 with the Clarkson cousins

Christmas morning!

Enjoying gifts at Grammie & Poppie's

The ~triplets~ showing off their recent losses

A quick trip to the dunes

Broc's long lost love

Dagny up to her old tricks again

And back for the Wright House's 20th Anniversary Celebration, which means it was almost that long ago we started working there. eek.

Harley ride to Saquaro lake

New Years Eve with old friends

Weaver's Needle with some of my Girls

And just a quick flight later...
We are back to winter. Happy 2012, Seattle!

Fall in the NW

2011-12-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

Leaves are falling all around!

He's 7! Rune's birthday bowling

My mom came for a visit (!!) so we headed to Leavenworth to enjoy some bratwurst and fall colors.

Dagny + Daddy = Mutual Adoration

The things you might find in your son's desk at parent/teacher conference!

Poor girl. Poor Rune.

A much needed hike with the fam.

She's 1! She pulled her hairtie out just in time to get a fist full of cake mid-birthday song.

So happy

And thrilled with her new doggie

For Thanksgiving weekend we went to Whistler.

Got in a little snowboarding.

And a lot of hot-tubbing

If you haven't done it, the drive to Whistler should be on your bucket list. Gorgeous!

And for next month, look forward to some desert shots!

October!

2011-11-08T14:47:00.000-08:00

Carpinito Brothers: For pumpkins and cheap produce

Fall Colors abound

Oktoberfest in Leavenworth included a worth-the-drive bratwurst (or 2) and a climb up the wall.

Feelin' fly on picture day.

Ready for Halloween!

All the family enjoying the view after some serious pumpkin carving and food.

Hope you are still smiling now that it is November!

September

2011-10-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

In the last month we spent quite a bit of time in BC, as well as in the water.

Grouse Mountain tram with the Kerrs, including Walter- the youngest baby on the mountain.

Stanley Park swim

Buntzen Lake swim

Ross Lake swim

Camping with the Enemy

Bridal Veil Falls

Viva Vancouver where Broc enjoyed some squid

Back at home we went for a back-to-school bike ride, and Rune conquered his fear of a drop.

And a highlight of Broc's summer was another visit to his old friend, Rainier.

At the summit with the crew, including brother Caleb and some friends.

We also visited the Puyallup Fair for the first time. Good food and good times with good friends.

Here is #7 for his first goal of the season.

And finally, a picture of old friends and new. On our way to Pearl Jam (yes, in Vancouver).

Summer in Seattle

2011-08-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Snowy trails at Mt. Baker

Super fun kayaking- just the girls

Sushi

Sunsets on Whidbey

Space Needle View

Seattle Center

Sweet kids at Twin Falls (and Rune's much belated Summer haircut)

Scuba Diving at Edmonds Underwater Park

So happy to be in the water, but wishing we had an underwater camera and a crabbing license.
Seattle is such a great place to be right now, but all too soon it will be time for... School.

July

2011-07-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

In no particular order: our month away from home.

Four Corners
Glen Canyon Dam

Hendershott line of the Cronk Clan in Duck Creek, UT

Family bike ride

Arizona Sunset

Saguaro Lake with the Saragers

Dagny and cousin Jane are bosom buddies

Baby sister and big brother

Yankee Boy Basin in Colorado

Clarkson Cousins in Colorado (most of them, anyway)

Porphyry Gulch

Reunion Talent Show

A bit random, but August is here and we are trying to get back to real life. July was fun, but we are happy to be home. Happy Summer!

June

2011-06-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Running hard to raise money for school

Working hard and finding earthworms in the process (notice the new haircut!)

Enjoying Snoqualmie Falls with his adored, closest cousins (there is an 18 hour age difference between them).

Enjoying pho.

Baby girl admiring a peony from the yard- soaking wet as usual.

In June, Rune had a bike race, which was fun and slightly muddy.

Proud racer.

This month the Huffakers also came for a little sight-seeing...

Including a pod of Orcas in the San Juan Islands

And a lot of bike riding

And finally, in June Baby D turned 7 months.

And for July... AZ, UT, and CO

We heart SD

2011-06-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

We visited our beloved San Diego for Memorial Week[end]. The kids and I had a few days to relax by the pool before the rest of the troops arrived.

We also visited the Air and Space Museum at Balboa Park.

Finally, Broc and the Chaffees showed up for some serious beach time.

The happy boogie boarders: Jaxon, Lily, and Rune.

Dagny really enjoyed the beach.

The real reason we had to go to San Diego: Tacos El Gordo.

Since it was Memorial Weekend, we visited Mt. Soledad Memorial, which had beautiful tributes to war veterans,
as well as beautiful views.

Back at the beach on Monday, Dagny was so happy to have time with her girlfriend, Scarlet. They have lots in common.

Rune and Eddie on Coronado Island. I could listen to that kid talk all day.

And the Betrothed with their favorite baby.

San Diego has been a favorite place to visit for ten years now. I highly recommend Pt. Loma Seafood, Tacos El Gordo, Poma's, Miguel's Cantina, oh, and definitely visit the beach if you have time between meals.

May in Seattle

2011-05-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

May has been a fun month to celebrate the 10th birthday of our family and enjoy time together in our corner of the world.

Family Bike Ride at Magnuson Park on Lake Washington.

Mid-flight

Character Day at school

Someone has a serious drooling problem, but no teeth yet.

Late-bloomers in the front yard

Rune started baseball this month and hit a double in yesterday's game. Go Black Bears.

Dagny and I got to do a couple mid-week hikes with our friend Lisette. This is Rattlesnake Ridge, where there are no rattlesnakes.

Last week Dagny had her first taste of sand at Alki. We were celebrating the first day it has been above 70 degrees since November.

Laughing with Gabers at a Sounders match

Got in a quick hike with the Kerrs. Can you spot Broc at the base of North Fork Sauk Falls?

A night with Jimmy Eat World (D enjoyed herself by sleeping through the whole show)

We love you, older, thinner, and just-as-sweaty Jim.

And as of this week- Trouble.

April in Seattle

2011-05-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

A few highlights for second half of the month:

We visited the Tulip Festival.

My mom came up to see the flowers (and the children).

While she was here we went on a boat ride.

The weather was beautiful, and...

We saw a humpback whale breach a dozen times.

It was a total Double Rainbow experience.

Cathi also came up to Whidbey this week, so we got to enjoy some much needed Grammie time in some much needed sunshine.

On Saturday, we were off to the races.

Broc's favorite

And for family night, we went to the Space Needle (D & K's first time).

View from the Top

And finally, our little Tulip!

Londinium, et al

2011-04-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

Dagny taking it all in.

I have been craving Wagamama for 12 years.

Whippies by the London Eye

St. Paul's Cathedral

Wills and Kate's wedding locale

Changing of the guard

Windsor Castle

Hire-a-cycle in Hyde Park

Travelmates in St. James' Park

British Museum

Portobello Road, Portobello Road...

Pub Fish and Chips in Notting Hill

My favorite ad of the trip

Punting in Oxford

Relaxing in Bath

Walking in Wales

March

2011-04-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

One more taste of winter

The Look of Love

Showing off

Baby's first sledding

Monkeys at the Zoo

And finally, Spring has sprung

Winter 11

2011-03-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Dagny the Daring

Hike on the Peninsula

Tree in Repose
Train to Vancouver

Showing Sister the finer things in life

Capilano Suspension Bridge

It's so intense.

Backyard shenanigans with the Kerr boys

Spring, we are ready for you.

Busy with Baby

2011-02-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

Life has been beautifully busy since Dagny arrived, but we had time for:

A visit from Anson and Kieren, the newlyweds

A visit from Brelyn and Aaron, the newly engaged

A visit to the Gum Wall

A visit to the Vancouver Aquarium with George and Henry

A visit to the Victoria Bug Zoo

And lots of love for this face

2011-01-30T20:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas vacation

2011-01-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

It may or may not surprise you that we spent some winter time in AZ.

Our Christmas angel

Best gift ever

A blessing

Shopping with Squishy Face

Starting off 2011 at Waffle House

And a hike with my best Ali (and Dagny, of course).

Week of Giving Thanks

2010-11-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

Snow in Seattle

Patient boy ready for some turkey

And a new person to love

Bath time for Dagny
Talking to Poppie

Best Friends

Finally a Family of Four

Fall fun

2010-11-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

Our family of pumpkins.

Rune's Birthday Bowling.

Rune's artwork- he is a finalist for a PTA competition. So glad he got some skills from his Daddy's side.

And a final hike with just the three of us.
Wallace Falls was beautiful and worth the effort.

Some of the reasons we love visiting AZ

2010-10-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

Swimming w/ cousins (in October!)More Cousins
Lift ride at Sunrise
View from the top
Chaffees (and Bahama Bucks)
Hendershott Cousins- yes, Rune is the only boy
My personal Az highlight- Wind Cave
It was our last time feeling the heat for a while, so I am glad we got to do it!

PS I am way late in sharing that in June, Broc climbed Mt. Rainier.

And while it was not fun,

I am glad he made it to the top safely and doesn't have to do it again (Right?)

Whistler and a new Kinder

2010-09-10T17:27:00.000-07:00

Whistler is a beautiful place and THE place to ride a mountain bike. So everyone was happy to spend Labor Day weekend there. The Serafin family was a ton of fun and Broc was so glad Zig was willing to do some downhill riding.

I was a good girl and stayed off the mountain to play with their little guy, Evan (and to eat corn on the cob that made my heart sing).

My mountain men.

In Squamish we had a picnic, during which Rune and Nina had fun exploring. Nina even caught a frog and Rune fell in the creek, so of course it was great.

Enjoying the view of Shannon Falls after the picnic.

Introducing our new Kinder. Only three days under his belt, but he is loving it already.

Closing out Summer

2010-08-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

We have enjoyed being back home in the Pacific Northwest.

Lots of fun outings including a hike to and swim in Talapus Lake.

Nice, clear, alpine water

A mid-week hike with a friend to Source Lake.

A perfect weather kind of evening spent at Seattle Center listening to The Brite Futures. Rune is thinking he is going to be a drummer.

A VERY fun outing to Duthie Hill for some mountain biking.

And a bit of kayaking.

School starts in a week and life will be a little different for us, but we are looking forward to the fall.

Blow me to Bermuda

2010-08-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

Bermuda is a beautiful place.

The beaches are lovely.

The water is warm.

And who knew a 5 year old could snorkel?

And LOVE it.

One of our new friends.

Scooting around the island was favorite. Oh- did I mention the Kerrs are living here for an indeterminate amount of time? So of course we had to come visit.

The island got a year's worth of rain while we were there, but it didn't stop the fun.

Old, unfinished church in St. George- in the rain, duh.

Heading out for very yummy, but stupid-expensive Indian food. (Everything is crazy expensive in Bermuda!)

All the houses/buildings are painted a bright color. Loved it.

Crystal Caves.

Rune and George of the Jungle.

What a cool place. So glad we got to visit the Kerrs during their Bermuda stint.

Month on the Road

2010-07-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

We had a fun-filled month away from home. AZ was our homebase as we took a trip to Colorado with the Clarksons...

and San Diego with the Hendershotts...

Rune does NOT like roller coasters, but SeaWorld was fun anyway.

Seaport Village

and of course lots of time visiting cousins and friends in AZ.

Here are Britani's big girls with Rune.

Happy to be back home for a bit!

Chaffees & Glaciers

2010-06-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

First, a visit we have been anticipating for almost two years: our beloved Lee and Vanessa.

Including, but not limited to, the largest Sitka Spruce in the world found at Lake Quinnault,

Waterfalls in the Olympic National Park,

Four-wheeling to road's end,
Ruby Beach,

And the Rosario Beach tide pools. Can you see how much fun we had in our faces?

In the meantime, Broc has taken to mountaineering. Sometimes it is not so fun...

But you make it fun.
Mt. Rainier in white-out conditions.

Other times conditions are perfect.

View from Mt. Hood to Mt. Jefferson.No summits for the team yet, but the big climb is still forthcoming. Fingers crossed for perfect conditions and no avalanches.

New haircut, new house

2010-05-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Rune's annual haircut just in time for sunny weather and a JoySchool field trip to the zoo.

Better than the zoo- Grandpa Don and Grammie Kaye's place on Whidbey!

Grandpa Don is quite the knowledgeable naturalist. Always informative and interesting.
Even when things nibble at our toes.

And after a lengthy stretch in an apartment (hooray for no maintenance- boo to neighbor noise and no storage), we decided it was time for a house with a yard.

Roses from the yard looking out at the rhododendrons, Rune's climbing tree and bamboo (perfect for hiding in, making weapons, chopping down, etc).

And Rune (pre-haircut) down in the toy room with his latest Lego project.

Happy with a haircut and a house in Seattle!

Chicago

2010-05-10T18:15:00.001-07:00

Planned a trip to celebrate an ignominious birthday and visit our friends, the Kerrs, in Chicago.

Bean's-eye view of Chicago
The boys together at last
Highlight of Shedd Aquarium
Highlight of Art Institute (it's a Rothko)
Got to experience the wind of the Windy City
Shenanigans were inevitable (this one involving wrapping small bodies the length of the blanket and then whipping them out onto the bed full speed).

Love this kiddo.
The Cubs game was epic fun, especially since they were playing the Dbacks.
Our too-generous host and hostess.
The field.
Lake Michigan was amazing.
Rune was not impressed when he accidentally had a meet-and-greet with the lake.
Wisconsin- check.
One of my favorite outings- a bike ride with the whole gang through the neighborhood.
And one of my favorite meals. Hot Doug's was all it was cracked up to be.

SOSOSOSOSOSO yummy.
Isn't the lake beautiful? Not to mention the skyline.
View from the ferris wheel.
And a last minute bonus visit to the first home of Frank Lloyd Wright.

And a lot of his work in the neighborhood.
And just to help pass the time on a long flight home- all the states we have visited.
Thanks for a fabulous time, Kerr family! Miss you tons.

Tulips & the Temple

2010-04-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

A quick trip to the Tulip Fields...
On our way to the Vancouver Temple Open House.
And some Japanese on Denman Street.

Fun Saturday. That's all I've got.

Lincoln Park & Easter Extrvgnza

2010-04-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

Our friends at Lincoln Park.

(Those hand modeling classes have really paid off.)

Rune thinks bikes are for jumping.

Kite-flying at Lincoln.

Our Easter was made special by a visit to the lovely home of the lovely Serafin family. Filled with fabulous food, egg decorating and hunting and a game of kickball.
Yes, this is their treehouse. Fun was had by all.

AZ in March

2010-03-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

A quick trip to AZ for Anson & Kieren's wedding and my dad's birthday. And to meet some new family members, primarily Amy's baby, Jenna.

Meeting Grammie's new pet for the first time.

Trying out a jump on his quad for the first time.

Meeting Copper Kid for the first time.

Jenna meeting Great-Grandma Mimi for the first time.

The happy couple.

Sisters at the wedding

Grammie & Poppie shared their love of checkers with Rune.

Rune shared his beloved lobster with no one.
Perfect weather and fun trip, though it was too short.

Portland & Multnomah

2010-03-09T11:43:00.001-08:00

A beautiful, sunny Saturday spent in Portland

It may be strange that one of the highlights of the trip was donuts...

but the Chaffees will understand.

Hidden are the cocoa puff donut, oreo donut, blue raspberry donut, devils food, etc, etc.
Janeece's favorite
I hate to say it, but this was GOOD. Voodoo Doughnuts- I will be dreaming of you until we meet again.

Other highlights:

DrawbridgeBurnside

This guy

Mt Hood

Pittock Mansion

Salvador Molly's (highly recommended if you have any respect, desire or tolerance for spice in your food). Plus their "dinner mints" are fireballs and lemonheads, so you have to love that!

Multnomah Falls

Rune inspecting the lower fallsPeering over the upper falls

Finishing Feb

2010-02-28T18:23:00.000-08:00

We had a fabulous run of weather last week, so my friend Lisette and I got out for a hike at Little Si.

My favorite weekday sidekick, Gabe, was along for the ride and was so goodnatured about being dragged up a mountain.

And then we explored Mercer Slough in Bellevue with the Kings.

Yesterday we felt a little more ambitious and took on Tiger Mtn (I can't bring myself to say which hike we did, but I will say it took us up to the hang-glider jump off point)

Me + Nature = Love

February has been a remarkably mild and pleasant month. All the trees are in bloom, as well as the crocuses and daffodils. I need to document, but I have been too busy reveling in the displays of pink and white lining the streets and the random forsythia brightening the greyest of days. Maybe I will addend with some photographic proof!

***Here it is!

Loving February

2010-02-14T14:51:00.000-08:00

Rune set a goal to earn the money for this little guy and here he is. Newest family member: Ralphie.
Museum of Flight for our favorite First Thursday event (that means it's free).

A much anticipated, greatly enjoyed day together last Saturday. Mtn Biking in Banner Forest near Southworth on the Olympic Peninsula.

(These pictures are to make Eda really motivated to get up here)

The day ended with a trip to Lunchbox Laboratory. If you like burgers- you have to try it, though I would pass on the 3/4 lbs of bacon next time.

One of my favorite parts of Avatar was these guys in their 3D glasses. And how thrilled Rune was by it all.

2010-01-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

Broc handled posting duties this week

Middle Fork Snoqualmie River

Bridge to cross the river at the trailhead

Close up of some moss
Mini slug

Rune is obsessed with making shakes from frozen berries
Hey little sister...
Tacoma Glass Museum art studio
Tacoma Glass Museum
On the bridge of glass, Tacoma

Washington State History Museum
Mini train at the History Museum

Hello, Seattle

2010-01-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying a mellow January and are glad to spend time in the Great City of Seattle.

Including: GasWorks Park

Golden Gardens (I don't get the name, but whatever). Rune showing that everything has potential as a weapon and all pictures must include the wielding of said "weapon".

And finally: Lincoln Park. Almost a year and a half later and I am still amazed that this is only a mile from home.

Back home and back in love.

Arizona Winter

2010-01-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

Sunny skies and 70 degree days every day...

Rune and his betrothed

The LaLa Club sings for Christmas
Most exciting Christmas gift ever
Enjoying a ride in the backyardTaliesen West [Frank Lloyd Wright]

Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot [Sinagua Indians]

Arcosanti [Paolo Soleri and funky hippies]

After a long day on the roadMountain Biking at Usery
Bow and arrow
The kill

Going for a ride
View of Red Mountain on our ride
Top 5 Things I love about Arizona in no particular order

1. Winter

2. Citrus

3. Straight, wide, well-maintained Roads and Convenient Parking

4. Friends and Family

5. Desert Hiking and Biking

Dec in WA

2009-12-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

Still working on our list of things to do in Washington. Got a couple marked off this month including the Staircase Rapids on the Olympic Peninsula.

A spontaneous trip to see the Nutcracker turned out to be an extra special outing for me and Rune.

Finally got a snowshoe trip together. A first for all three of us, and something I have been wanting to do for a while.

Celebrating Christmas and welcoming the New Year in Arizona and then back for more fun in 2010.

Thanksgiving09

2009-11-30T12:04:00.000-08:00

JoySchool Pilgrims & Indian

My parents came for Thanksgiving and we got to introduce them to Pho. I finally tried the veggie version, which is now definitely my favorite. Isn't it lovely?
Very grateful for family and food.
Then to Vancouver for all the regular stops including the luxurious hotel beds.

Broc spent the evening taking random photos.
Happy family in Whistler, where Broc got to snowboard.

We got to have our fun in the snow as well.

Olympic Peninsula

2009-11-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

One final excursion with the Kerrs before they move to Chicago (tear). They hadn't been to the Hoh Rainforest yet, so we went to see what it is all about.

Then to La Push where the earlier stormy weather had made the beach a rollicking mess similar to our visit last year (apparently not the norm, though).

Then up to the Northwestern most point in the contiguous US: Cape Flattery. Needless to say, it was gorgeous.

And a gratuitous shot of our Goose with some geese.

Halloween & a 5 yr old

2009-11-05T11:41:00.001-08:00

Tweedledum and Tweedledee

[too thick] Shaggy, [too tall] Velma, [too articulate] Scooby

Squak Mountain in the Fall

Other Halloween Costume- Super Chicken aka El Pollo Loco

Celebrating turning five by actually getting to put coins in the game

Finally turning Five after months of anticipation.

[Note chunk of hair missing from the top of Rune's head- self-cut]

[Note Rune on the counter- he always ends up here]

Vancouver, BC

2009-10-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Headed to Vancouver for the weekend with the Kings.

It rained cats and dogs but we still had to do geo-caches in Stanley Park.

The sun broke through while we were at Granville Island
We ventured to North Vancouver and Cleveland Dam.

It's not to say these guys aren't super heroes, but I will admit appearances can be deceiving.

The Kings were stellar traveling companions. Glad we were able to make the trip.

Salt Lake City

2009-10-13T10:32:00.001-07:00

We got to spend the weekend in Salt Lake for Caleb's wedding to Becca. Earlier in the week, though, we visited the EMP for Rune to play the drums-he has been obsessed.

Then off to Utah for an early morning and long day of fun and family. Here are the newlyweds.
My mom ran into a woman my family knew in Japan 30 years ago. You should have heard the joyous exclamations in Japanese when they saw each other.

Rune was excited for Uncle Caleb, but mostly glad he got to see everyone.

We took the scenic route from Salt Lake to the reception in Mapleton.

By Saturday my family had already scattered, so we hooked up with a bunch of Broc's family and went for a hike. Grandpa Don was quite the trooper!

Made it to Lake Blanche, where the weather was a tad chilly.
But it was gorgeous!
Here are some of the guys finding a geo-cache after tromping up a hill through the snow.

Later we stopped by the Great Salt Lake to check it out, as I had only ever seen it from the air. Pretty cool.

We enjoyed so much being able to be there for Caleb & Becca's big day and were thrilled we got to spend time with family, especially Eric & Hillary\Hilarrie\Hillarie. We owe you a warm bed and a tank of gas!

Sister!

2009-09-30T12:23:00.002-07:00

I am so happy Amy and kids got to come visit us last week. The weather was perfect for their visit (the same cannot be said this week) and so we got to do some fun things.

Hiking to Denny Creek was one of the highlights.

Here we are at the falls.
And the kids could not resist the siren song of the slippery rock.
Cora had a run in with the trail. Look at that face!
Other than hiking, Rune and Calan loved the water taxi to downtown for some Ivar's and a visit to Pike's Place
Always love the flowers!
We splurged one night and got a pizza from Talarico's. Little did we know...
Cute boys, but Grandpa might be concerned that Rune is a bad influence on Calan- what with the mohawks and what not...

One final outing to Seattle Center.
Daring boy down by the fountain!

Loved having my little sister come visit. I am sad we don't live closer, but I am so glad we got to play for a while. And I will see her at Caleb's wedding next week. I am so excited for the wedding of the [family's] decade.

Hendershotts Hit Seattle

2009-09-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

We were so thrilled to have Poppie, Grammie, Brig and Brelyn come to visit. Our trip to the San Juans with them was memorable!

The view from Mt Consitution on Orcas Island

Rune adores this woman.

These two make me laugh. This is not the first time they have been found mirroring each other.

Rune doing his best version of the flubber face.

Brelyn and Brig enjoyed trying all the *new* foods in Seattle. Pho was a gastro-adventure in and of itself.

Here is Rune enjoying the same. This kid knows how to eat.

We loved having them here. Rune was giddy the entire time. Come again soon, family!

City of Roses and Mt. St. Helens

2009-09-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

We finally got down to Portland and visited the Orrs.

Powell's Bookstore was as fabulously gigantic as advertised. Definitely worth the walk.
The Rose Garden was also worth a visit and our timing was good as it stopped pouring right after we arrived.

Rune thinks that roses' best feature is their abundance of Rhino noses. Stockton seems to agree.

I prefer the flower parts, myself.

These are Barbra Streisand Roses. Love that.

After thoroughly enjoying our time with the Orrs, we headed up to Mt. St. Helens. The observatory was very informative and interesting.
The mountain was a bit elusive, but that made it all the more exciting.

A fun way to spend Labor Day weekend despite the crazy weather.

Coming Soon: A Visit from the Hendershotts

Whistler

2009-09-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

We have been going on quite a few excursions lately and I am falling behind on documentation. It's all a bit excessive, I know, but it is such a nice time of year and there is so much to do.

We went to Whistler last weekend to help Rhiannon celebrate her birthday.

Riding the gondola from peak to peak was quite the experience.

Here we are at the top with the birthday girl.

Rune tried out Daddy's bike.
And then tried out jumps on his own bike.
Just to show you that my husband was actually on the trip and let you know exactly what he was doing.

Some footage of Rune riding. He said this was his best trip ever and that was undoubtedly attributable to his time spent on his bike.

Coming Soon: Portland

Camping at Rainier

2009-08-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

The weather was perfect. The company was great. And the setting was gorgeous. Rune had a blast roasting marshmallows...

Chopping firewood...
Hiking from Sunrise at Mt. Rainier....
Enjoying the amazing view...

And the rope swing! Everyone's favorite.

It is times like the conception of this rope swing that I can not help but love that my husband still loves to play. Thanks for making camping (and life) fun, Honey.

Visit to Whidbey

2009-08-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Broc's grandparents came into town for a bit, so we had to stop by for a visit. We loaded up on blackberries, hydrangeas, and quality time with the Don and Grammie Kaye.

Oregon Coast

2009-08-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

We went down to the Oregon Coast this weekend. It was beautiful and a fun time, despite Rune having a fever the whole time and throwing up in an elevator at one point. You can tell by the angle that Rune was our photog for this one.

Here are Rune and George. I love this picture of them looking for puffins on Haystack Rock.

These two can play for days and not get sick of each other. And they will talk for hours on long road trips. It is hilarious and inevitably about which super-heroes they are and what bad guys they would fight.

One final picture for the grandmas. Rune loves his Legos and his favorite thing to ask is if he can dump them out. I caught him in the act of biting the Legos apart. Here's hoping he is feeling better soon and back to playing with his Legos!

Crowded Paradise

2009-07-20T07:59:00.000-07:00

So, the sun starts to shine in Seattle and people come out of the woodwork to clog the streets and attend all manner of fairs, festivals, and concerts. We found ourselves braving the crowds to enjoy greasy food and good music.

Listening to Mudhoney at the West Seattle Street Fair with the Kings.

(note the crowd)

Here we are at the Alki Pirate Landing. I loved the costume Broc threw together for our little scallywag. I am sure you guessed that it was quite the crowd of pirate enthusiasts.
Some friends had tickets for the Decemberists with Andrew Bird at Marymoor and I was lucky enough to get invited. It was a really fun concert and so here is yet another picture with hordes of people as the backdrop.

And then there was Paradise... To escape the crowds while Broc and Rune were playing at Father&Sons, I headed to Mt Rainier with the McKinleys. The trail had its crowded moments, but there was a lot of mountain to go around.

The picture of me and Cameron and this next one is Lisette's photography that I borrowed from her. If you look closely you can see me in the bottom left-hand side.

The wildflowers were out. Paradise is aptly named. Thanks for sharing it with me, L & C!

Back at home

2009-07-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

Broc has been playing on his work softball team and Rune got caught up in the love for the game. When he is not asking to go to the park to play baseball, he is asking me how much longer until he turns five. The kid is a little excited about turning 5.

I have been wanting to go to the Big Four Ice Caves for months now, but the bridge officially reopened this month. Because of all the snow this winter it was still an ice field, rather than ice caves, but it was cool nonetheless.

Here are the boys wishing they had brought their snowboards, or at least the snowskate.
A view on the way.

It is cherry season here and so at every opportunity we get some on which to gorge ourselves. Rune has not quite figured out getting the pit out without making a huge mess of himself.

Eric and Kim came to visit. The afternoon they got into town, we hit the Experience Music Project on the busiest day they had ever experienced. Ever. They had to close the doors because they were at capacity. Needless to say, it was ridiculously crowded. However, it is a very cool place and we got to see the famous MJ glove. You can see Kim's sidekick too. Dolly was so much fun to have here. Rune could not leave her alone.
Here are the boys on our way home from Bainbridge Island.One of my favorite things we did was hiking to Franklin Falls. They were lovely and the spray was the perfect way to cool off.
We loved having the Huffakers come visit. It was a little hot for a few days, but otherwise it was a perfect weekend with friends!

Arizona in June

2009-06-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

I was dying to see my little people (nieces, nephews, and the like) and when I mentioned the idea to Rune, he was all about it!

Despite the perfect weather in WA and the less than ideal AZ days, we decided to spend a couple weeks seeing our loved ones.

Rune got reacquainted with Cousin Shaynie.

Loved spending the day in Globe at Calan's house.

Here he is with his summer cut. Love the Cooper Girls.

Could Rune and Lily be any cuter? Swimming with the Chaffees.

Rune's absolute favorite thing of the trip- RC cars in Poppie's backyard.

My absolute favorite thing of the whole trip- Liam is such a chub and a sweetheart. And Vanessa gave me a little haircut.

Good times with The Girls in Scottsdale before Lindsay moved to Oklahoma.

Our last get-away as twenty-somethings!

I was so happy I got to spend time with Cora. It is amazing how much I love my little people!

It was great to be able to see everyone! But as fun as the trip was, nothing was more joyous than our return home. The man I adore with his mini-me:

A few people have asked me what is home to me- Mesa or Seattle. It is definitely wherever Broc is and I don't have to live out of a suitcase. So--- Seattle.

Camping and Special Occasions

2009-05-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

It's been an eventful couple of weeks. Our anniversary was celebrated by adding a declaration of our love to the Gum Wall in Post Alley. I never want to see Bubble Yum again in my life.

The next day we dropped in on GrammieKaye and GrandpaDon for some kite flying and pizza.

The weather here has been unbelievably beautiful, so we are trying to take advantage of every moment. Here we are in an old railroad tunnel we hiked to.

This year we celebrated Broc's birthday by eating meat (sandwiches). Salumi's was amazing!

We spent our Memorial Weekend camping in the North Cascades. The weather was perfect, the scenery amazing and Rune LOVED it.

We hiked to Ross Dam. The dam jokes got old, but the view was worth suffering through them.
This is the view on Diablo Lake Trail. I don't get in hikes without the munchkin much these days, so I was happy Broc encouraged me to sneak this one in while they went fishing.
Broc washing away the smell of campfire in ICE COLD water.

Our efforts to do some geo-caching while camping never worked out, so when we got home we popped into Schmitz Preserve just a mile up the road from home for Rune's first "treasure-hunting" experience. (Chelsi & Trevor introduced us to geo-caches- they are lots of fun)

Found the goods. We will definitely have to do this again.

Uncle Caleb

2009-05-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

We were so happy to have Uncle Caleb visit this week. He got here just before Broc left for his bike race weekend. Here are the boys enjoying Ezell's famous chicken in Volunteer Park.

Rune loved having Uncle Caleb here for two reasons:

1. *ultimate fighting machines* made out of Legos

2. computer games

A hike to Boulder River.

Finally, a small tribute someone left for us down on the Waterfront.

Celebrating 8 years of true love today.

Love you, Babe. Devil eyes and all.

Tulips, Salamanders & Slugs

2009-05-06T16:20:00.001-07:00

I had given up hope for making the Tulip Festival this year, but last minute we decided to make the trip and get a hike out of it as well.

Off of Chuckanut Drive, we hiked to Fragrance Lake. Rune did the whole 4 miles on his own two feet.

And got to catch his first salamander along the way.

Rune was an eagle-eye at spotting these guys before we stepped on them, as they were frequently on the trail.

The lake was quite lovely and worth the walk. All-around great Saturday!

My birthday

2009-05-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

The three of us spent a lovely weekend on Vancouver Island for my birthday. We took the Clipper into Victoria, and promptly headed to Butchart Gardens. I have always wanted to see them and they did not disappoint.

This is the sunken garden. It was my favorite part.

Rhiannon was sweet to host us. Should you ever receive an invitation of any kind from Rhiannon, I highly recommend accepting it. Regardless of the occasion, she knows how to make things beautiful and the food is always fantastic.

These little beauties are my Cupcake Royale indulgence for my birthday.

These are from Broc. What a great birthday.

And what a beautiful time of year. I am completely enamored.

Love this place

2009-04-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

First, a big event for our family- Rune finally saved enough to get a bigger bike. 25cents for emptying the dishwasher is a steady but slow way to earn money. He is thrilled with his Hotrock and shows off like crazy.

Here is a little hike we did on Saturday. Twin Falls. Rune and George have way too much fun.

Obligatory rock throwing.

Obligatory rock leaping.

This shot is not from our hike, rather it is from a park a mile from us that we just discovered this week.

How I love this place.

Spring has arrived

2009-04-05T18:58:00.001-07:00

What joy a little warmth and sunshine bring to the soul.

Low tide at Alki Beach.
The spoils from yardwork.
Headed to Lincoln Park
Jewel at Lincoln Park.
A walk on the beach in flipflop weather is glorious.

A view on our Sunday afternoon drive.
Loved this photo for both the look on his face and the hair.

Now looking forward to the tulips coming up and more 60+ days. Okay, even above 50 will be great.

Peru

2009-03-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

Peruvian rocks make me feel small

Peruvian people make me feel giganticI loved visiting this Indian market

Machu Picchu was even more amazing than I had realized.

To the Amazon... Sun setting on Madre de Dios River

500 year old tree
Centipedes are okay anywhere but in my bed

90 feet up overlooking the rainforest canopy

Relaxing by the pool after a long day in the jungle

I am glad I got to experience Peru with you, Mom and Dad.

Chuckanut Drive

2009-03-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

We made the drive to Bellingham on Saturday. It was a cool town, but it was the drive home that was a must-do-again.Chuckanut Drive goes down the coast from Bellingham.
If you look closely, you can see the train tracks right along the water below. That is the way I want to do it next time.
We went over Deception Pass on our way to drop in on the Cronks. Can you see how windy it is?

Now can you?? It was crazy windy.
Yesterday Broc finally relented and let me cut his hair. We have been spoiled forever having two amazing(-ly free) hairdressers, but desperate times call for desperate measures. It may have been beginner's luck, but it turned out not terrible!

The weather this week has been cold/sunny/windy/rainy/snowy. Random and all over the place (except warm), so I am looking forward to a warmer clime. Check you later.

His and Hers

2009-03-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, I got dibs on the first half of the day, and B & R got to do what they wanted to do the second half. Somewhere off the I90. Not exactly sure where we were. We wanted to snowshoe, but decided to just do the snow without the shoe.
Yes, Rune is getting way too big for that thing, but it is just so convenient- for Rune and me, anyway! Broc says Rune is on his own this summer.
Later that day... Rune's first trip up the lift. Those things seem really sketchy when your 4 yr old is sitting on them 25 feet in the air.

Saturday Shred Sesh

2009-02-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

Rune learned to snowboard on Saturday. I had no idea he would do so well and love it so much.He insisted on jumping every run and wanted to go down the steep hills, but maybe next time on that one.

We will have to go back

2009-02-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

Vancouver, BC is the place for me. Granville Island Public Market was great. The time we spent there was not sufficient, so we will have to go back.The boys (all of them) enjoying some time at the park.
Our hotel was really nice and the beds made for great fun.

Rune getting launched.
One of the highlights of the trip was definitely the hugs being given on Robson Street. Forget about universal healthcare when you've got free hugs! Here are the cute boys who terrorized the 17th floor.
Broc's hero is Andrew Zimmern (of Bizarre Foods fame) and so of course he was excited to peruse Chinatown's culinary offerings. I must note that he did not try any jelly fish, dried squid, or octopus, so he says we will have to go back.

Don't Worry

2009-02-08T17:06:00.000-08:00

Even though we had an off week this week (scouts, you owe me one), we are gearing up for Vancouver next weekend, so be prepared for the adventure to resume next week. Okay, I am boring myself right now, so with no further ado...

Here is Rune with Claire. Rune is absolutely obsessed with this little cutie. Anytime he sees her he can not talk about anything else. "Mom, Claire just looked at me.""Mom, Claire smiled."
Rune and I took advantage of Free First Thursday and visited the Seattle Art Museum. He was more into the exploding cars than Edward Hopper's Women, but they were both very cool.
Finally, because my husband was making breakfast for other people's sons on Saturday am, I was forced to make it for my own. The significance of this is lost on anyone who is not aware that I have been useless in the kitchen for a long long time. Baby steps.

Whidbey Weekend

2009-02-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

I could not resist showing you another piece from Rune's portfolio he is sending into Project Runway Season 8: Kids, Make It Work. After a terrible week surviving Mom having a bad back, Rune was SO EXCITED to drive to Whidbey Island to spend the weekend with B's grandparents- Gpa Don and Gmmie Kaye (and their Legos). Better than Disneyland!
We pried Rune away from the toys for a walk on the beach. After seeing seals, jellyfish, a raccoon and deer this week, we added bigger jellyfish, crabs, and bald eagles to our list.
Rune finally got the courage to catch a crab himself.
This little guy was so saucy!
Don, Rune and Broc heading back after a brisk walk to Double Bluff. A nice mellow weekend with the Cronks.

P.S. Good game, Cards. I was cheering for you till the bitter end.

2009-01-25T15:29:00.000-08:00

Another fun week in Washington, but it was a cold one.

Rune has discovered riding his snowskate off of the furniture. Where did this little punk come from?!We spent Saturday morning riding bikes on Alki Beach. Broc hasn't ridden with us in a while, and so Rune got to show off his new bike tricks including standing up while pedaling and riding with one hand. His poor little legs have to crank way more rpms to keep up with Mom and Dad, but he was a good sport and happily followed Broc wherever he went.

Here we are looking across Elliot Bay to Downtown and listening to harbor seals barking. Don't worry- the haze is fog, not smog.
After lunch we discovered Discovery Park. Hiked down to the beach and got to see jellyfish float by. Did you know seagulls eat jellyfish? Although, maybe we witnessed a desparate seagull's first and last jellyfish.
Playing frisbee on our way to the car.

Come to Seattle

2009-01-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

Super Sale to Seattle on Southwest

Really cheap tickets to and from Seattle on Southwest- no excuses now! You have a place to stay, free tour guides, and cheap tickets. See you soon!

http://southwest.com/

Ice Fest

2009-01-18T20:11:00.000-08:00

Before I show you the raucous time we had in Leavenworth, you have to check out what Broc brought home for dinner this week. And check out Rune's sweet jeans cape. So fierce.

I was looking for a reason to visit Leavenworth, and the Bavarian Ice Festival was the perfect excuse.

Tubing was so fun until some old lady took a turn and popped it. (ok, the old lady was me)
The funniest part of the day was talking Broc and Chris into doing the MugRelay. This guy was the self-proclaimed 2 time champion. He was so hilarious and was so mad when B&C beat him that he knocked Broc's mug over. Sofunny. One old guy was stretching in his sweats. Classic.
Here are the triumphant 2nd place winners. SOOO disappointed they didn't get the coveted blue ribbon, but there is always next year. ha
Such a fun little get-away. It was supercold, but everyone had a great time.

Random Sampling from AZ

2009-01-11T15:28:00.000-08:00

We started our trip to AZ by going to RockyPoint with some of my family (the shrimp fajitas at Rosey's are awesome!).Rune had a ton of fun combing the beach for shells...
And playing in the sand.

Back to the Valley of the Sun (SO NICE to get little Vitamin D!)---

The Hendershott grandkids- featuring Shaynie, the newest addition- reenacted the first Nativity. Cute kids!This picture shows a sampling of what I miss most in Arizona- my nieces and nephews (and citrus). This is a fort the older kids built in my dad's backyard. Oh, to be a kid again!
The Coopers (Minnesota Hendershotts) invited us to go ice skating and it was a blast. I couldn't believe Rune could scoot along all by himself.
We made another side trip while in AZ. The dunes were fun, especially for Broc who loves anything with wheels and torque.

Luckily our trip coincided with my annual friends dinner. This year was extra special because we dug up (I'm talking pick and shovel, people)the time capsule we buried in 1998. Hilarious to see what we thought the last 10 years would be like and what we were worrying about as newly graduated girls. I suppose a lot hasn't changed, but life definitely has had a few tricks up its sleeves. Overall time has been good to us.
Rune had a good time trying out a motorcycle at Poppie's house, but he definitely needs a little more time before he is ready for that one.
On the other hand, it was the perfect size for Mom! (Not really, I look like a clown on a mini-bike)

We got to do a little desert hiking. Rune is posing with his buddy Lane and one of his favorite Christmas presents- a Mini Camelback. So cute!

We made a pilgrimage to San Diego for a quick get-away with the Chaffees. We got to check out Little Italy and enjoy some gelato.
So yummy, right?
And now we are back home and looking forward to life in the PacNorWest. Start planning your summer escapes, AZ loveys!!

Brrrrr!

2008-12-14T16:42:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was our Christmas concert. It has been a really long time since I sang in a real choir and it took me back to my choral days. (If anyone sees Mr. Perry tell him I said sorry for the attitude.)
As a Christmas bonus -the best non-monetary kind-, it started snowing during the performance. Outside our apartment last night.
And this morning. The hill in this picture provided immense entertainment as people tried to drive up the hill and almost funnier were the attempts down the hill. There was an Austin Powers moment in the alley that was probably the most hilarious of the day. Picture a full-size Bronco trying to do a 15 pt turn in an alley, all while sliding sideways and knocking over garbage cans.

We could have sat watching people try to drive all day, but the cold snow was calling our name, so we went for a walk . Did I mention it is freezing?

The Final Countdown

2008-12-07T16:01:00.000-08:00

How many men does it take to put together a child's puzzle? Well, it helps to have Dad, Poppie, and Brad (Rune's surrogate poppie up here).

Rune showing off the finished product.On Saturday we decided we would do a hike for a change and luckily the Kerrs were up for some family fun.
Bridal Veil Falls were so beautiful!
Anna was a trooper and carried a baby while I was the only adult that escaped backpack duty. Despite running a marathon a week ago, she wasn't doing any complaining. (How cute is Hank!? He is my little boyfriend.)
We are counting down to AZ for Christmas. As much as we love it up here, I am so excited to see all my little ones. I hope they haven't forgotten their Aunt B. I will definitely refresh their memories by smothering them with hugs and kisses.

Giving Thanks

2008-12-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

We were so happy to have Bart & Cathi (aka Grammie & Poppie) visit this week. Thanksgiving would not have been the same without them and the BBQed turkey. We had missed them so much, especially Rune.Despite my complete hopelessness when it comes to any kind of handiwork, a quick lesson in knitting from Cathi and I was hooked. Not much to be said of the finished product...With a little extra time on our hands, we decided to visit the Olympic Peninsula and Pacific Ocean. On our way we happened through a little town you may have heard of. Any guesses?I was a lot more excited than I thought I would be after a teacher let us in to the school to check out the cafeteria, gym, etc. Goofy, but it was fun. I can't say for certain, but I am pretty sure this is where Bella & the Cullens sat during lunch. (Don't worry, I am gagging right now, too) Maybe I should see the movie.Then on to the real excitement- about as far Northwest as you can go in the Continental US (La Push for anyone who is familiar with the area). The waves were UNREAL. This picture almost captures how amazing it was.
Our little hike up the beach turned into an intense daredevil exercise. The tide was as high as it gets. Our quest meant choosing between clamoring over wet logs, or running between surfs rolling in. Basically we were playing the odds that the ocean would not catch us before we could get onto higher ground and that we would not be crushed by a floating tree. The ocean bested us a few times before we made it to Hole-in-the-Wall, but luckily no major mishaps. But by the time we got there, I was not concerned with my shoes getting wet!
We were super-soaked by the time we were done, but still smiling. Such a fun time and we are so happy we got to share this week with family. Thanks for everything, BH and CH!

Snow Lake

2008-11-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

So, after realizing we both spent last Saturday on top of mountains feeding birds out of our hands, the McKinleys and Hendershotts decided to venture out together.
We had such a great time with our fearless leaders, Lisette and Cameron, as we trekked to Snow Lake- a very apt name, considering the day!
Here we are enjoying the weather. I love that you can make the cold air feel great just by working in it. My dad would be so proud that I finally figured that out, though he would be dubious at my liberal use of the word ~work~.
Snow Lake was beautiful. Rune got a free ride, so he was freezing. And yet still so pleasant to have on the hike! He is the best sidekick ever.

And for those who have said they wanted a feel for our space... (you could always come visit. No, seriously.) Now that Rune is 4 he has been diligent in emptying the dishwasher every day, but he likes to keep it interesting.