First Comes Love...

What a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. Kevin's parents and Marie's Mom (little Oskar's Oma) joined us for our annual Thanksgiving weekend this year and added such a fun and festive dynamic.  We had a total of 14 adults and 2 toddlers! You've seen our Thanksgiving weekend routine of eating, relaxing, and drinking in past years ( here and here ), so I'll leave you with some pictures instead of my usual ramblings...  ;) Heaven is a little closer in a cabin by the river First night's jam session Thanksgiving morning.  Bundled up for a walk by the river   Papa fly fishing Pre Thanksgiving dinner snack  ;) Prepping the fried bird. Our tradition is one fried bird (small) and one oven cooked bird (huge!) Mamie and Abigail hangin' by the campfire The fire master Watching the "Ca's!" (dogs) Chatting around the campfire   Shooting balls across the river; clearly amusing themselves  ;) Ab...

Abigail had her 15 month appointment on Monday, and since her one year check-up , we've been loading her with all kinds of caloric goodness. New stats:  weight: 18 lbs, 13 oz height: 29" As Dr. Spector put it:  "She won't be playing in the NBA, but she's got a shot as a gymnast" A total gain of 15 ounces (just an ounce shy of a pound!).  She eats like a horse and snacks all the time, but apparently she inherited someone else's metabolism... So there we have it.  Our little munchkin is just petite! *** Bits, you are such a funny kid.  You constantly do things to make us laugh and smile; h ere are just a few of them: You adore mac and cheese, and even though I won't feed this to you everyday, you constantly have mac and cheese breath.  It's adorable. You find humor in mimicking.  Your favorite is when people sneeze.  Your imitation sounds like a cough (with your tongue sticking out), and you think its hilar...

Yesterday we planned to use our Chinook coupon for breakfast at Swanson's Nursery.  Unfortunately they closed their cafe (funding issues), but our trip was not wasted- the Reindeer and Camel are already in town! We were planning a visit during the Holiday's, but it just so happens we were able to see them early and avoid the crowds. It's a fun outing for the little ones. Abigail was totally in awe of Curley the Camel. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; we still have Thanksgiving to look forward to next week! Have a great week, and stay warm out there.

Happy Birthday to an incredible Mom, Grandma, and friend. Abigail and I took Mamie to lunch at The Georgian  yesterday to celebrate her birthday! It was a fun afternoon with the ladies, and Abigail only tried crawling onto the table twice- not bad for a sit-down lunch exceeding an hour. I'll take it! Amy, I hope you have a very happy birthday.  You mean so much to Kevin, Abigail, and me, and we feel so blessed to have you here in Seattle, sharing our day-to-day life with us. We love you so much and wish you the happiest of days.

Move over Carrie Bradshaw, there's a new girl in town. Forgot cats , trucks , or waving bye , Abigail's got a new obsession, and she's got it bad: shoes. Remember this darling pair? Since Cinderella herself is still a perfect size 2 (that's a 3-6 month size in Babyland), she only recently outgrew these. But her love for shoes has only grown stronger by the day... The most recent obsession were her pink converse: cute and practical. Then she moved on to her friend Maeve's See Kai Run hand-me-downs (which, although two sizes too big, she rocked shamelessly with socks morning, noon, and snack...) And what, might you ask, happens when the footed PJ's go on at night? For a while I listened to her yell for her shoes as she pointed desperately at her closet, then it dawned on me; she has pink cowboy boots that fit over her sleeper- the latest in practical baby-sleeping-fashion! With such a shoe fetish on our hands, I finally to...