8.31.2009

Shaw 2009

We spent 5 gloriously hot, sunny days on Shaw Island in July!
Kate enjoyed every minute of the ferry ride ~ so much space to run, so many people to greet (and each one commenting on how cute she is)! A dream come true!
We brought our bikes to the Island and while Dad set up camp, we immediately hit the beach.
Ready for a jumping game over a piece of kelp?!
The boys found every single way to enjoy the warm waters of low tide, including a good, old-fashioned mud bath.
We started each day with a run around the loop or to the ferry dock. The boys and Grandma joined on bikes for the runs to the dock.
Exploring Pebble Beach
Shaw Island has a tiny school with a play area as big as the school house!
Duck, Duck, Goose!!
The boys rode their bikes all the way to the Ferry dock, just in time to see the ferry dock and the cars load.
Owen woke bright and early to work on the tractor!
Then the boys picked up tools and got to work on the power line ditch.
Visiting Friday HarborIn Friday Harbor at the Dingy Dock
An afternoon on the water is enough to tucker us all out ...
Owen is flashing "I love you" signs and kicking back. Notice the rubber band on his right hand? He found it either on the ferry or when we first got to the property, and he declared it his "power ring." Grandpa noticed it and pretended he wanted to take away "Oreo"'s Power. (that's his nickname for O) From that moment on, Owen held tight to his power ring and began collecting. It's been over a month, and both he and Collin have at all times at least three "power rings" on their person (on their arm, wrist, fingers, ankle). Each "ring" holds specific powers, such as speed, height, strength ... and the ability to cut off circulation, so we have to keep a close watch. ; )
We had races across the field to burn off the "before-bedtime" s'mores!
The Girls arrived to play on our last day!!

8.25.2009

Belle of the Ball

Father and Daughter on their way to Eleni and Andrew's wedding Saturday night were a striking pair! Such a handsome man with his adorable little girl! She was so excited! She had us all to herself this past weekend while the boys spent the weekend with Uncle Jared and Aunt Janae. Although we missed the boys, they were having a blast (they were at a Seahawks game at the same time we were at the wedding), and it was really fun to have the 1:2 time with Kate!
The wedding was held in the bride's parents' backyard, which was glorious with bright flowers and full blooms. Kate spent the wedding smelling the flowers (which she does by putting the flower to her lips and then blowing out her nose) and tasting the ripe tomatoes:
Notice in the pic above that the bride and groom are saying their vows! I love this shot!
Alyse was the youngest flower girl I've ever seen ~ she cried in the wagon as her auntie pulled her along and daddy trailed after, tossing flower petals as only a father-of-the-flowergirl could. Super sweet ~ and quite hilarious ~ moment! I loved this dress and color on Alyse!
Kate, Eleanor + Alyse
Once the music got started, Kate was a dancing fool! She sat down only for the briefest moment ~ to scarve down some cake! Then she was back out there, dancing away!
She literally danced over an hour and a half with the other party goers, watching and learning new moves! She twirled, she swished her dress, she rocked back and forth (we dubbed this her signiature penquin move!), and she mimicked the arm movements of the others ~ trying to clap, snap, lead her self, boogie down, do the robot, random 90s moves ~ it was soooooo cute! Everyone stopped to watch, and her fun was contagious!
At two points, she even got down on the ground and tried some break-dance moves!
Even after she'd run out of energy, Kate begged to stay on the dancefloor, rocking in my arms and occassionally throwing her arms into the air and swaying her body. At long last, she passed out, still swaying in my arms. It was a fantastic night!

Yakima Wine Tasting

We started Saturday wine tour at Sagelands ... mind you, this was just the first stop:Perfect. Just perfect. First stop, and she's already taking her clothes off ... ! That's NOT a good sign! Do you know that song "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off?" by Joe Nichols? Oh my. ; )

Ok, so I really shouldn't have put that up, but the part of me that knows I'm a good mom and knows this was a coincidental crack-up MUST share it with you! (I also have blurry pics of her laughing as she discovers a bottle bigger than her!)

Now I'll remind you what a sweet, innocent, sweet little girl Kate is: (*no, I have not been drinking ... I just think "sweet" bears repeating)

So we parked our Jeep at Sagelands and rode off on our bikes Saturday morning for an afternoon of wine tasting and some excellent riding! We rode out 9 1/2 miles, just a 1/4 mile from the turnoff to the 2nd winery, when:
POP! Massive flat tire. Kevin immediately turned around and rode the 9 1/2 miles back to the Jeep, loaded, and came to our rescue. Meanwhile, Kate and I shared a picnic on the side of the road:
Kate loves Peanut Butter and Jelly! And I love the messy, sweaty "helmet head' mop! She's so cute!
Our hero Daddy picked us up, and by then, Deb and Steve were ready to join the tour! We met at Bonair for a bottle of wine, some fruit, and cheese and crackers in the vineyard. We enjoyed live serenade and laughed as Kate tried to sneak into other people's picnic baskets, danced, and explored the grounds. Then we took a few photos:
Alyse - 2 days before her 1st Birthday!
Alyse + Kate


We were in Yakima for our friends' wedding, and the next photo was taken by the Groom just hours before he said his vows! We happened to run into him on the afternoon of his wedding ... at a winery with his grandparents! So Excellent!
Deb, Steve, Alyse, Kevin, Kate and Me

Deb and Steve rushed off to do pre-wedding events, while Kevin, Kate and I continued our tour.
Wineglass Cellars was a blast ~ complete with wine for the adults and crayons for ... the adults!