First Comes Love...

Today marks our four year anniversary and Kevin and I are off to Leavenworth to celebrate. While nothing fancy is planned (a kid-free weekend is glamorous enough!) we are looking forward to dinner at Visconti's and lots of sleep  :) Since we will be gone tonight, we watched our wedding video last night.  It was enchanting to watch Abigail ask Kevin to dance at each song, and wave eagerly as she saw so many familiar faces on TV.   It always surprises me how fun it is to watch each year. Seeing our loved ones captured in that moment still takes my breath away.   Moreover, it was delightful to see my niece and nephew time capsuled as little 20 month and 4 year olds, practically the same age Abigail and George are now.  It makes me appreciate both the time that has passed, and the amazing memories of them at these adorable ages.   These past four years have made me a Mom, alright!  ...

We have been searching for months, going back and forth, not only on areas, but city vs. suburban life (it was a tough decision for us).   For so long we wanted to stay in the city, but when this house popped up in Issaquah, we knew it was the right move. I will miss urban life , but I'm warming up to the idea of suburban living.  Things like a neighborhood pool, outdoor movie nights (Frozen is next - Abigail will love this!), having a fenced backyard for the kids to play, and the greenbelt / lake trails that run behind our house are all things I'm really looking forward to. We wanted a home that hadn't been remodeled ( to be the ones to make these fun decisions ) and got just what we wanted - some awesome late-80s design  :) We plan to paint and re-carpet before moving in, but the bigger projects will be a few years down the road.  So come take a tour with me.... I can't wait to show you! The front livin...

George and I flew to LA last weekend to celebrate Brennan's first birthday, and we had such a great time! It was my first time flying solo with either of my kids.  I was a bit nervous, but both flights went fairly well.  On the way down he was content to play peek-a-boo, study his toys, and have a few snacks.  He fell asleep about 30 minutes into our flight, but only slept for 20 minutes (grrr!) And on the way back, while it ended in a 2 hour-plus nap, it began with a hot, shirtless, tired, (but in true George form),  smiley baby.  He was like the drunk guy at the party; the night starts off and everyone's having fun- laughing, telling jokes, and having a great time, but at some point this guy becomes belligerent (unbeknownst to him) and while he believes he's still the life of the party, everyone's actually trying to ignore him. Yep, he was that guy for the first 10 minutes of the flight, before passing out the rest of th...

I know it seems strange to use "surgical" and "adventure" in the same title, but our experience at Children's Hospital was nothing short. A few months ago, after a visit to the ENT, we learned Abigail was suffering from enlarged adenoids and tonsils, and after monitoring this for a few months, we decided removing them was best. So here we were last Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after coming back from Leavenworth, and with only 48 hours until George and I left for LA (we like to keep busy!) checking in at Children's for her procedure and overnight stay. I was a ridiculous ball of nerves all morning; my heart beating in my throat, finger nails dwindling to the quick, but our amazing doctor, anesthesia team, and nurses made our experience so comfortable. The procedure was a quick 15 minutes, with an additional 30-45 minutes to come out of anesthesia.  We got paged 20 minutes afterwards to meet with our doctor; he informed us that everything wen...

As many of you know, my parents have been building a house in Leavenworth over the past year, and this past weekend we were finally able to spend some time there! For those of you who don't know the back-story (or my kids who may someday read this), here's why this little slice of heaven means so much to me.... In 1922 my Great Grandparents, Edgar and Hazel Connon, moved from Independence, Missouri to start a new life out West.  My Great Grandpa had been in the Navy, and while coming off a ship in Virginia, saw a crate labeled for Leavenworth WA and decided that is where they would go.  Fast forward a few months and they were homesteading 120 acres of land off the Chumstick highway.  Here they made a life for themselves and their three children: Isabelle, Ruth (my Grandmother), and Luther.  My Dad has fond memories of visiting "Grandma and Grandpa" in Chumstick while growing up: watching ...