Adventures of the Davis family

Pink frosting and sprinkles!

2011-08-18T15:21:00.002-06:00

This was my first go at a real live kids birthday party. Of course, we had to invite everyone from preschool. Exhausting but fun. Maybe just family next year.

Poulsbopalooza

2011-08-18T15:03:00.000-06:00

What a lovely tradition. Two days on the Olympic Peninsula.

Campfires, marshmallows, and rock and roll.

They were selling lemonade for a charity drive....after our 10th one they started us a tab.

Me and my best friend.

Ellie and her new best friend Lucy. Completely inseparable all weekend.

Chris and Jayson warming up.

The Rock Star!

The boys.

The show:)

Ellie

2011-07-21T20:47:00.003-06:00

Happy number 5 baby slice. You're a cutie!

Manzanita

2011-07-17T19:20:00.002-06:00

By some miracle Chris was able to get us all in the same place at the same time for 4 entire days, and all we did was have a blast!

While half the crew went horse back riding on the beach ( we heard it was amazing), us child rearing folk let the beach babysit the kids while we sat and relaxed.

Gib

Ellie

Jamie took this picture of Gibson looking for Grandma Chris. I love it!

Ryan & Amber

All the cousins...Gib, El, Dawson, & Kaizley

Good eat's right on the ocean on the way out and back.

I finally ran in my first race, as did Justin. The Seaside, OR 5k. It was on the sand, in the rain & wind, but with good company. We all finished, and spent the remainder of the day soaking in the hot tub until we were so hot we had to take a dip in the very cold ocean, and then doing it all over again.

Steve

Ryan...leader of the pack.

Justin

Me & Jays after the race.

Jayson and I had the pleasure of cooking all the dinners along with some memorable desserts, which was our pleasure, of course. Here are some pics from our last night around the dinner table as well as a picture from Ellie's late night birthday party that she was half asleep for. We must do this again soon!

Ryan & Amber

Payton & Julie

Steve & Chris

Jamie & Justin

Jayson with a mouth full of food and me with crazy eyes, in case this wasn't obvious.

Birthday Girl.

Lake Chelan

2011-07-13T10:56:00.000-06:00

Our weekend get away turned into one big band practice/pool party. It was lovely.

Mike, Chris & Jayson.

Jayson and the Fender.

Artichokes.

Double rainbow.

Chris & Ellie. Later he got Ellie to sing. I'll have to get my hands on the video and add it. Too cute!

Chillaxing with sunburned knees.

The Gib, the pool, and the countryside. Ahhh.

Kindergarten Recap

2011-07-12T18:59:00.000-06:00

Swim Lessons

2011-07-05T09:57:00.000-06:00

The sun has finally come out! Let the fun begin. Here's a little peek at my swimmers on their first day.

Greenwood Car Show

2011-06-25T18:59:00.000-06:00

Akido

2011-06-25T18:27:00.000-06:00

Thank you Groupon. Now that school's out we needed an activity. We were able to get 16 akido classes and a uniform for only $30 dollars. Gibson loved his first class....earned his white belt....and celebrated with marshmallows.

Low Tide at Golden Gardens

2011-06-20T18:08:00.000-06:00

Don't worry, just because the kids have graduated doesn't mean school's out. Here are some pics from one last Kindergarten field trip.

baby turtle family

Flower Girl @ Bob & Michelle's Wedding

2011-06-18T18:27:00.000-06:00

Our dear friends Bob & Michelle, who fell in love while earning their MBAs with Jayson, invited Ellie to be there flower girl. She did great, and looked adorable along with the rest of my clan. That's a good lookin' man I have there.

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-06-08T21:40:00.002-06:00

Here's the graduate...how time flies!

Pre-party goofing off.

Post party...annoyed at mom snapping photos.

And a few shot of Ellie, who had her hair and nails done for the event.

One year down buddy...nice work! Love you!

Crow Mountain

2011-06-06T12:14:00.003-06:00

So...we get back from Italy with a couple of days to recoup before meeting Jamie & Justin at the halfway point to do the kid swap. Well you know us....Friday morning...wild hair...3pm on the road to Utah. Jayson hasn't been home since Christmas, and the entire Davis clan just happened to be getting together for the annual hike up the mountain so how could we resist? Around 4am we pulled into Fielding for a little shut eye, and by 8am we were on the road again headed to Grandma Chis' house to surprise the kids.

We had a fabulous time catching up with everyone, hiking, BBQing, and watching Jay's band play. The boys played some pool, and the gals did (or tried) a little line dancing. We powered through until 11pm, did a little sleeping, then it was back on the road first thing in the morning after a pit stop at the Petersen's for snuggles & pancakes.

Road trip season is just beginning. I can't wait to see where the road may take us this summer.

Tuscany may have some competition...Utah was quite lovely this time of the year.

Riding the Razor...ya, we wimped out on the hike.

Jamie, Justin, Jayson, Jeri, & Jay.

Jeri & Jayson & the entire valley.

The fam.

John & Amy.

Patty, Luann, & Jane getting ready for the shot...

Jeri, Grandpa Davis, & Jayson.

Gib, Gracie, Jaxon, & Ellie.

Gib & Grandpa Great.

Cousins...Kaizley, Dawson, Ellie, & Gib.

All the great grandkids.

Anniversay #10... 2 weeks in Italy!

2011-06-03T12:50:00.003-06:00

Italy or bust!

Rome...Spanish steps

Trevi Fountain

Capitol Hill

Ceasar's Forum

Borghese Gardens and City walls

The best fast food ever!

Vatican City

St. Peter's Basilica

the duomo

Trastavere

Piazza Navona

Hill top villages

Cortona

this is what breakfast looked like every morning

Montepulciano

Snoozing on the 2,500 year old city wall in Cortona.

San Giminiano

Il Pescille Farmhouse in the Tuscan countryside with a pool.

Volterra

Daily dose of gelato.

The sights from the farmhouse

...I'm not pointing fingers, but someone semi-broke our camera at this point...

Siena

The train to Cinque Terre.

Vernazza

Happy Hikers

Corniglia

Trains

Monterossa

Snacks from Central Market...Florence

To be continued!

St. George...the drop off.

2011-05-13T18:01:00.000-06:00

Prior to our trip to Italy, I got to fly the kids to Utah and visit my sis & her almost brand new baby.

Ellie on the plane.

Mom and gib...the self taken photos are amazing, I know.

Our first morning at the pool, and the first ray of sun I had seen in 8 months. The clouds quickly dispersed and we all got sunburns.

Baby Slice.

Tractor Pull...you must watch this!

Cotton candy.

Cute baby Brekken.

Me and my babies.

Sweet Grandma Great with baby Brekken.

Jeff, Trudy, Mom, Gib, Dad, Brekken, Grandma Great, Me & Ellie.

Me and my favorite gal catching rays at the pool.

Cousins Lucan & Ashley

Notice the puffy eyes...this is a combo of Scarlet Fever prior to the trip...a severe allergy breakout at the airport...loads of sunscreen...and lots of eye wiping in the pool. Ouch! Happy to report, he looked like a normal kid again when we picked him up 3 weeks later.

Let the fun begin!

2010-09-08T20:16:00.010-06:00

Okay, big day! First day of Kindergarted & Preschool. Dad's in California for the week so I had to document every minute!

Good morning Kindergartener. Good Morning preschooler!

Ready to go...new school duds complete with rain boots. It's pouring cats and dogs outside!

Gibs putting his things in his new cubby.

Waiting for Gibson to get out of school....(love your cute new do little lady)...and there he is. One day down. He looked exhausted, but said it was so much fun. Kinda funny how I already feel like an old pro.

Is there anything better....

2010-09-08T20:06:00.004-06:00

Last weekend it was just girls. Gibson and Jayson were away on a fishing adventure (once again, no fish were caught). We dressed up. Met with girlfriends for brunch, and made pear pie while the rain came pouring down outside. I love my little lady.

Poulsbopolooza

2010-09-08T19:56:00.004-06:00

Jayson and his rocker friends had so much fun playing at Poulsbopolooza this year, and we had a blast partaking in the music.

After the show we had dinner with his band mates family at their beautiful home. We played with chickens, picked blueberries, had an amazing campfire, and at the end of the night had a bed to sleep in instead of setting up camp which we had planned on. Thanks, it was a blast.

Vegas Baby!

2010-09-08T19:39:00.004-06:00

It was lady's weekend 2010 and we had a ball. Who wouldn't feel like a princess staying at this place and eating this delicious food.

And If that weren't enough my mom surprised us with tickets to the Lion King which we have all been dying to see. AMAZING!
The trip included tons of shopping and lots of trips to yogurtland. We all agreed that we need to extend the trip a day next year for the amount of shopping us girls can do. This year I was in charge of the craft...and thinking outside of the box I thought it might be fun to pull taffy....ya, so not so fun. We all went home with blistered hands and sub par taffy. Next year I think I owe everyone a trip to the spa.
Can't wait. It wont be here soon enough.

A quick get away to Victoria, B.C.

2010-09-07T22:53:00.020-06:00

Once again we shipped our kids off to Utah so we decided on a quick weekend get away since we didn't get a vacation for just the two of us this year. We rode the Victoria Clipper up on a very soggy Seattle morning, and ended up having such a nice time that we didn't want to come home. Our first order of business was to get somewhere dry. We stopped into a little cafe for the traditional tea and crumpets, then made a mad dash for our hotel. We ended up at one of the swankiest hotels in the city called Swans. It's a darling boutique hotel. All the rooms have original art, vaulted ceilings, kitchens, and private balconies. It would just so happen that they have an "entertainment room" that rents for super cheap because it's above their restaurant where they have live music every night until 2am. We were down with rockin' out with the band so we took it, and around 2am we finally fell into a peaceful slumber.

Our cute little balcony...did I mention breakfast from room service was included...we enjoyed ours overlooking the city.

This is apparently the most narrow ally in the city, or maybe in many cities?

Day #2 we rented a car and got out of the city. I checked off an item on my life list by finally going to Buchart Gardens. I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Backyard pizza ovens=long lazy summer nights

2010-09-06T06:15:00.010-06:00

Jayson and his buddy Jon spent many hours building this beautiful oven in the backyard of their new home. This is something Jon has dreamed about forever. Jayson also a big fan offered to get his hands dirty as well as take notes for us. His hard work payed off with VIP passes to opening night and hopefully many nights to come. Thanks for your hospitality Jon & Em.

Jayson's special

Jon's special

Jayson & Jon

Jayson is 30!

2010-08-16T23:20:00.002-06:00

Happy 30th to my man! You wear it well!

I'm sure it's no surprise that everyone loves Jayson and wanted to join in the celebration...here is a sampling of the guest list. We love you all.
above: Davey & Trevor

Jon

Elizabeth and Suzanne
Jed & Jayson....thanks for the guitar. We love rocking out to "Back in Black".

Eddie
Bob & Michelle

Jon & Emily

Nick & Alli

These little rugrats were there too! Mostly just interested in the dessert.

Meyer Reunion at Bear Lake, UT

2010-08-03T22:41:00.000-06:00

We were so lucky to be able to spend a few days with Jayson's extended family that we haven't seen in quite some time. They rented out the Bear Lake Inn complete with private suites and jetted tubs. It was like heaven! Jayson and I took some time to check out the view while the kids hung out with Grandma Chris back at our place.

Our ride...aka the sweetest upgrade from an economy car ever.

The rest of the family's rides.

Swimming in the hot tub with grandma on a nice sunny day.

Ellie's Birthday Party...Utah

2010-07-31T22:50:00.001-06:00

It's been a few years since we have been with family for Ellie's birthday, so of course, I had to throw a party. This is what Ellie thinks about turning 4. Not sure where she learned that.
We had a beautiful out door dinner planned and ready to go when we found ourselves in the middle of a thunderstorm. We moved everyone inside for an appetizer of present opening and waited for the storm to blow over. Just as Ellie opened the last present the sun came out a we had a lovely dinner complete with cake and candles. Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us.

Ryan & Amber
Grandma & Grandpa Meyer. Sorry Grandma...I couldn't resist...this picture is amazing.
Justin & Jamie
Grandpa Davis & Ellie
Jeff & Trudy

Payton & Julie

Ellie's Grandma & Grandpa Pete, & Grandma Great.

Mickie (Braydon was there too)
Grandma Chris and Steve were there as well. Sorry no photo guys. My guess is that Grandma was mostly behind the camera. The night ended with her own private firework show from Grandpa Pete. What a lucky gal.

Petersen Family Reunion

2010-07-30T22:34:00.000-06:00

While Jayson and I were visiting with old pals...Trudy was nice enough to not only babysit, but document day one of the Petersen Reunion.

Day one was hard work!!!
Day two we showed up just in time for a delicious breakfast and were lucky enough to see the entire family.

This is not a measure of how the day was going. It's simply Jayson and I making fun of how each other sleeps in the car....we've done a lot of road tripping in our time...we know!

Trudy, Jeri, Grandma Pete, KayLynn, Lisa, & Tracy

What cute kids. Nice work Mom and Dad.

Blair & Kim's baby shower

2010-07-30T22:27:00.000-06:00

It's been about 2 1/2 years since we've been able to hang out with our pals from Utah. My best friend Kim is having her first, and other best friend Tiff is off to Moscow, Idaho for a law school adventure so we thought we better plan a party. We wish our friends the best of luck on their new adventures.
Jami, Kim, Tiff, Kim, Jodi, Staci, & me.

Camping @ Beverly

2010-07-24T22:14:00.000-06:00

We decided around noon on Saturday that this may be one of our last camping weekends available for the summer. Needless to say we got in just in time to get our fire going and the weenies roastin'. The next morning while the boys went fishing I started a fire and Ellie and I made a breakfast of pancakes complete with maple syrup, peaches, and whipped cream and the most delicious camping eggs ever.

And yes, I am very aware that we all have the best camping hair ever!

Row boats @ GreenLake

2010-07-24T22:05:00.000-06:00

This is definitely harder than it looks on a windy day at the lake. No leisure here. We have Gibson to thank for this shot of the power team in back.

Birthday party Seattle

2010-07-20T05:53:00.000-06:00

West Seattle street fair

2010-07-17T05:34:00.000-06:00

Garden 2010

2010-07-10T21:59:00.000-06:00

Here are the first of the goods from the garden which I need to take more pictures of....you know this turned into pizza right?!

Babyslice is 4!

2010-07-10T05:38:00.000-06:00

Jayson made me vow against professional photography which usually results in embarrassment (and a good laugh) down the road. I've decided to provide the service myself...I guess we'll find out in the years to come which is worse.
Thanks for letting me dress you up and have my own photo shoot. We love you little lady.

4th of July 2010

2010-07-04T05:28:00.000-06:00

Ahhh summer road trips

2010-06-19T22:11:00.000-06:00

A lot of our summer looked like this. Lots of road trips towards, and to Utah and back. It was so nice to see the family so much this summer. The kids spent nearly a month there on their own which they claim just wasn't enough. Hopefully we can return the favor some day.

Training Wheels

2010-06-07T22:03:00.008-06:00

Gibson has been ready for the wheels to come off for months now, but we have had a number of reasons why he might want to wait just one more week (mainly the nasty weather). The sun came barreling through our bedroom window way too early this past Saturday, and Gibson just knew it was the day. We started the morning with the "breakfast of champions" as you can see from the photo.

The bakery had a farmhouse cookie on their menu so I was thinking granola...fruit...nuts...you know, things you might find on a farm. Perfect power breakfast for our new biker. What they actually meant was what you would find in the "farmhouse" which makes more sense. I can totally picture myself walking in on Grandma with a big plate of fresh sugar cookies with an inch of cream cheese frosting on top. Trust me, there were no complaints. (Sorry, I tend to get side tracked by food). Anyways, we got to the park, took off the training wheels and let him loose. Gib was in heaven, and we learned that if you leave the trainers on long enough there's no learning to ride without them, it's already a done deal....here's the documentation of the big moment.

Being the slacker parents that we are, we are also a little late with the swimming thing....do you think if he wears a life jacket until he's 10 he'll just magically have that figured out too? I guess we're just in denial that our babies are growing up way too fast.

So, one more exciting event this weekend was a quick smooch and a squeeze from Grandma Chris. Her, Steve, Bonnie, Randy, and Grandma & Grandpa Great Meyer were passing through on their way to board the big ship to Alaska. It was fun to have a quick hello, and the kids loved checking out their ginormous ship. Hope they have fun.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-01T22:42:00.012-06:00

This past weekend there was a small break in the rain so Jayson loaded us up and insisted that we try to get away for the weekend. We ended up in Winthrop, Washington which is a little gem in Methow Valley that I had no idea existed. Here's the proof we were there.

It was such a nice get away (minus the 15mph / 7 hour drive home with no activities for the kids). We even got to stay in a cute little inn that the kids were thrilled about. It was a very inspiring trip so I decided to include some of our inspiration photos of what our life might be like if we can ever move the financier out of the city.

Road Trip

2010-06-01T22:26:00.011-06:00

We've been having so much fun hanging at our new house on the weekend that we haven't ventured out in quite a while. We suddenly had a craving for a good old day trip like we used to take every weekend when we wanted to get out of our 900 square foot apartment. We went north to Anacortes, over Deception Pass where we stopped to throw an endless amount of rocks, and down through Whidbey Island to get back home. We've done the drive before, but we really enjoyed checking out some local farms on the island this time, and of course, partaking of the goods.

Fresh eggs and arugula....

when Dad's away....

2010-06-01T22:13:00.009-06:00

Jayson was off on a much needed surfing trip so I got to hang with the kids and treat them to a delish breakfast and time at the beach....enjoy the pics.

I know you're all sick of my food photos, but deal.

Cute baby slice enjoying her home made water park in our back yard.

Golden Gardens w/their friend Jude.

So brave....by the end she was running on this thing...we may have a gymnast on our hands.

Ahhh...sunshine.

2010-05-15T16:45:00.009-06:00

It's so incredible when the sun comes out around here that you must soak up every last ray. When I got home from work yesterday the sprinkler was definitely calling the kids name, and I couldn't resist moving our weekly pizza night out to the grill.
The best part...laying on the hot sidewalk.

Cheers! Bon Apetite...you may eat!
Jayson's out of town surfing this weekend so I took the kids on a zoo adventure. Nothing real special about these photos beside the adorable kids of course.
An innocent kiss for the lion...followed by.....
Sweet isn't she.

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-15T16:36:00.003-06:00

These guys really took care of me. I not only woke up to a new Belgium waffle maker, which made for a lovely Mother's Day breakfast, but also a certificate for a new sofa that should be arriving any day now. Not a joke. I've been dreaming about it for almost 3 years now...I never thought I would really get it. Thanks guys...I'm so happy to be your momma. BTW...nice hair dude.

Pure "sugar induced" joy

2010-05-15T16:32:00.003-06:00

I've got to teach the kid something, right?! He eats it right up. I love the kid. He seriously helped me make over 50 tarts for a party I was hosting. Thanks snapper!

The big 30

2010-05-15T16:25:00.004-06:00

As of April 24th I'm officially 30, and if Grandma Great can ride a cruiser then so can I. Thanks everyone I love it. I also love being 30....I feel like such a lady.

Thanks to all of my friends and my man for taking me out for a lovely night on the town. What a way to spend the last few hours of my twenties.

Grandma Great is 80!

2010-05-15T16:14:00.004-06:00

I didn't get any photo's of the actually party. You'll have to check Trudy's blog for that. She's the responsible one. We had so much fun taking Grandma out for dinner, then celebrating at an open house in her honor the next day where so many of her friends and family showed up to say hello. We were so excited to surprise her with a new beach cruiser. I wish I was there now to see her riding it. I probably have the most amazing Grandmother in the world, and I'm pretty sure everyone in town would agree with me. Everyone loves Betty Jean!

I did get some cute photos of kite flying that took place in between pigging out at the dessert bar at grandma's open house.....here they are!

Check out the adorable dress Grandma Pete made for Ellie....more please!

This photo explains a lot about the dynamic in our home. You got to love us bossy ladies! (Thanks for always rolling your eyes behind our backs rather in front of our faces.) xoxo

Santa Monica

2010-05-15T15:47:00.005-06:00

A few very exciting weeks for us played out as follows. It started with Jayson getting a new job. Yea! Then our landlords kicking us out b/c they wanted to put the house on the market. Things were super stressful until we found the perfect little house for us that was way closer to both of our jobs. Once we settled on the house next came day care for the kiddos. We posted an ad on craigslist, and after interviewing a few "interesting" 20 year old girls we found the loveliest lady we could have asked for. Her name is Mei...she lives right up the road from us, and the kids love her to pieces. We couldn't be happier to have her as part of our family. Speaking of family, Jayson's mom was kind enough to come up and watch the kids while the move took place. She watched the kids while Jayson and I went to the new house to sign the lease and get the keys. When we got back home Jamie and Justin had surprised us by showing up, and already had the moving truck loaded. The move was so easy, but it gets even better. We had a trip planned to Utah the following weekend for my Grandma's 80th birthday party, but we somehow talked Jamie and Justin into taking the kids back with them a week early. It was such a miracle. Jayson and I had extra time to get settled in and even though we were still working all week we really felt like we were on vacation. I know that that's the longest story ever, but I never want to forget how much we owe those two!

When we made our way to Utah the next weekend, we had a really nice Easter with Jayson's family, then left the kiddos again (thanks for all the babysitting grandmas, and for taking them to McDonalds so we don't have to) and headed to California for what felt like vacation number two. We made our annual visit to Aunt Julie's in Santa Monica. Amy was there visiting as well and boy did they take care of us. Thanks for such a great time.

This is a pic of Julie and Jay. Jay and his family were on vacation at Disney Land, and after a day at the park Jay decided to drive up and stay with us, so we got to see him too.
One of the fabulous places we ate at was Moon Shadows. It's located right on a little cliff on the beach in Malibu. So fun!

The visit wouldn't have been complete with out a trip to the world famous Santa Monica Farmer's Market. I was in heaven eating a grapefruit the size of my head....seriously!

Daddy's little ROCKER!

2010-05-15T15:44:00.002-06:00

No ballet lessons for this little lady....she needs to make noise!

Road Trip to the Washington Coast.

2010-05-15T15:24:00.008-06:00

It's time once again to get some memories out there on world wide web before they are forgotten. Some time between today and the last time we left a post we took a day and traveled out to the Olympic Peninsula. We went all the way to LaPush and I was able to see how beautiful the Washington coast is. Jayson has been surfing there a couple of times, but this was my first and it was so amazing. We got there right before dusk and so we were able to watch the sun set, and of course Jayson and the kids had to tease the waves. If I remember correctly we all made it back to the car dry.

On the way there we drove through Forks, and I couldn't resist snapping a shot for all of you "Twilight" fans....of which I am not. Jayson was so embarrassed. It was the closest thing you've ever seen to a "drive by shooting". I had to run to make it back in the car before Jayson was seen taking the photo, but like I said, I couldn't resist.

Also along the way was Cresent Lake which was lovely. People have been telling us to go there for years, and a drive by just wasn't enough. I'm sure we'll be returning this summer to stay in one of the cute little cabins on the lake for a weekend.

Ellie's new dress

2010-01-30T18:08:00.004-07:00

Mom, I hope you're proud. Look how domestic you taught me to be! I'm not going to lie, I'm a little proud of myself right now.

2010-01-23T23:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry...I couldn't help myself...I so want to be in this kitchen right now.

Hooray for a new year.

2010-01-20T18:35:00.004-07:00

Here's the recap of the last two months of our lives, as well as a commitment to update this thing every month so that I can look back at my kiddos and remember how cute they are and all the cute things they have done. I can't believe how the last few years have flown right by.
The holiday season was so magical for us this year complete with a Christmas miracle. The kids got really excited about all of the activities we were able to do.

This year we had decided that idea of a nice quiet Christmas here in Seattle would be pretty lovely and hassle freeup until the 23rd of December that is. Homesickness kicked in and we decided that we were definitely in need of a road trip. I hurried home from work that day, loaded up the car with all the gifts our loved ones had sent us and was off to pick up the kids at daycare and Jayson at work. The kids were clueless and convinced we were taking a ride to the North Pole. Christmas Eve morning when we showed up at Grandma & Grandpa Pete's, they couldn't have been more excited (we were pretty excited ourselves to be in icy sub zero Fielding). We got my parents out of bed and spent the entire day just relaxing and cooking dinner...my two favorite things.

The next morning we headed over to Grandma Chris' for suprise #2, then proceeded on to Jay & Shaley's house for suprise #3. It was so nice to just hang out and see everyone. The kids had the entire next week off of school for winter break, so me and the kids decided to stay and hang out in Utah while Jayson flew home for the week to work, then flew back out to drive us home a week later. What a sweetheart!

While we were in Utah we celebrated Gibson's 5th birthday with some ice skating, bowling, and of course cake and icecream. Jayson made his favorite....carrot! Yum! I can't believe we already have a 5 year old. He's such a sweet & and sensitive guy. I can't get enough of him. I wish I had kept better track of all the things he's learned over the past year, but there are just too many. He's really into cooking, singing, and making art, and in the last couple months at his school he's joined the reading group so we are really enjoying his participation in our story time at night.

We were also able to ring in the new year with the Petersen's while we were in Utah so here are a few photos from that.

We wish you all a Happy New Year! Can't wait to see where we'll be next month. You never know with us.

It's the holiday season

2009-11-28T17:01:00.012-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we were lucky enough to have Grandma Chris come and visit. Before she left we thought we would start off the holiday season with a trip to Swanson's gardens where we saw a camel, a donkey, and 4 of Santa's reindeer. Santa himself was also there visiting, but the kids weren't ready to say hello just yet.
This past week we once again joined the Boudreau's for a vegetarian thanksgiving feast which was amazing. Thanks again for hosting us orphans.
Yesterday I enjoyed my 3rd Black Friday at Anthropologie where I nearly sent myself to the emergency room from an incident with a cheese knife. After all the craziness I couldn't wait another second for our Christmas tree. We loaded up the kids today in search of the most perfect tree (which we found), and the 4 of us will be having a tree trimming party tonight complete with Jayson's famous pizza. Stay tuned for the results.

I know we all look a little crazy in this photo, but its the only one we took of our beauty before plucking her out of the ground.

I fully anticipate having one of these photos of Jayson every year.

We miss everyone and hope a small miracle might bring us home for the holidays. No not a "Christmas Miracle" in case you were wondering Trudy!

2009-11-02T22:28:00.006-07:00

We ended the summer with a camping trip to Fort Warden with some friends. We had so much fun hanging out around the campfire,eating the first and last tin foil dinners of the season, running around the old navy barracks, and laying on the beach soaking up some of the last vitamin D we will be receiving until next July. Once October rolled around we couldn't have been more welcoming of the hot cocoa, fires in our fire place (love!) and anything pumpkin. Of course we had to set out to find the perfect Mr. Jack-o-lantern. We picked the perfect weekend and actually went back to back...double the fun...why not. The weather was beautiful and the kids had a ball watching the pumpkin cannon, doing the maze, slides, and munching on fresh picked apples. We also experienced our first apple cider slushie. This will be a must in the years to follow.

As we said good bye to Mr. Sunshine and the leaves on the trees we also said good bye to Gibson's locks. Kicking and screaming I must add. Once again, Gibson took it upon himself to make sure he could see...go figure. Ellie was fortunate to dodge the bullet this go around (for the most part). Thank goodness because Mommy couldn't have handled another she-mullet.

For Halloween we got to hang out with Boudreaus again this year. We took the kids to the "Junction" in West Seattle where you walk 8 blocks collecting candy from all the merchants. The kids had the trick-or-treating thing down, but about halfway through had to stop for a rest and a "snack". Later that night the dads took the kids on more adventures while the moms chilled out at home eating pizza, handing out candy, and watching Halloween worthy television.

P.S. Here's a photo of Gib's new do for your viewing pleasure. It's growing on us.

Vegas

2009-09-08T21:27:00.010-06:00

I've missed so much so I figured I would start from this past weekend and go back when I had time so keep checking back to see what you missed.
I just got back from the most amazing girls weekend with my mom's side of the family. We spent 4 days in sunny Las Vegas and did some much needed swimming, shopping, dining, and chatting. I miss you all already. Here are some highlight photos from the trip.

Mickie, Mom, and Trudy after the second round of the "Big Shot". If you are ever tempted by the Stratosphere remember this is the only ride worth riding. The other two are not as cool, and only make you want to vomit.

This is us getting sugared up and ready for a night out on the town. I'm pretty sure it was already morning at this point, but we couldn't pry ourselves away from the mall at a decent hour.
Tawsha, Me, Mickie, Mom, Trudy, & Dee.
Me, Grandma Lee, & Trudy.
Mom, Trudy, and Me.
I also couldn't put down the PEOPLE crossword puzzle book. I love those things, and enjoyed every second of magazine indulgence.
Sisters.
Me and my hot mama...she was the life of the party. Thanks so much for getting us together. Love you!

Happy Graduation & Father's Day!

2009-06-21T17:09:00.015-06:00

Jayson's time at UW is officially over. They handed him a MBA diploma and sent him out into the real world to see what he could do. We were lucky enough to have Jayson's family with us for the weekend to share in all of the excitement and to enjoy some beautiful Seattle weather. We are all so proud of this huge accomplishment, and excited to begin our next adventure.
Jeri & Jayson after the commencement ceremony.
Gibson
Jaxon
Ellie

My parents got Jayson a Harley rental for the day of graduation. It was so much fun, and we can't wait to have a motorcycle of our own again someday....maybe when our kids are a little older and we can sneak off without them.

Today was father's day and the kids had fun giving Jayson all sorts of gifts they had made here at home and at school.
Of course ,we also took Jayson to Top Pots, then did a little shopping and playing at the park.

So for anyone who hasn't heard Jayson accepted a great job across the lake in Kirkland so it looks like we will be here for a bit longer. We've got lots of things hapening in the weeks to come. A new house, new daycare, a new car, a new commute, and lots of fun. We'll keep you posted.

Summer is upon us.

2009-05-31T00:05:00.021-06:00

On Thursday Gibson's school had their graduation and year end party. Gibson and his friend Emma got to sing in the program even though they are not graduating. It was so cute!

Friday night was Jayson's last MBA party. I can't believe he only has 3 days of school left. The 2009 MBA band gave one heck of a final performance. Here's the best picture I could get of Jayson being a rock star.

Yesterday was the perfect day at the beach. It started out with snacks at Alki Bakery. Next, we spent the afternoon laying in the sun on the beach with all of our favorite people while the kids babysat each other. As soon as the heat really started to kick in (it may have hit 80 degrees) we moved the party to Dawn & Jon's house for cold drinks on the patio, and a round of Slip and Slide. We all had a blast, and came home with way too much sun. When we got home Jayson headed out to the Sounder's game and the rest of us fell right to sleep. After a good nap, Ellie and I woke up and gave ourselves pedicures while eating grapes and watching Sponge Bob, and Gibson was actually out for the night!

Emma & Ellie
Gibson
Suzanne and Elizabeth
Shay & Leo
Eric & Susan
Jude & Gibson
Dawn & Jon
Marlen & Todd
Me & Jayson
The kids playing slip and slide...remember how fun those were???....still fun!
Jon & Jayson cruising around West Seattle looking for rental homes. They are desperate to get us over there.
Me and Ellie's beautiful toes.

What we do!

2009-05-30T23:41:00.013-06:00

Last week we decided to document our typical weekend here in Seattle since we don't know how many we have left and we don't want to forget all of the fun things we get to do.
We love us some Top Pots donuts.
Gibson does the eyes closed indulge....
Ellie gets every last bite of pink frosting off of the top before handing her donut off to Gibson...
Jayson and I prefer to dip.
Next we like to find a new spot to let the kids run wild...usually a beach...this is SeaHurst beach. We had it all to ourselves. Our road trip always ends at a different mexican restaurant. The kids split quesadillas, Jayson opts for fish tacos...and some how I can never decide even though it's all the same ingredients just in different packages.
The drive home with a full belly usually sends me and the kids into a lovely slumber, and if we're lucky the kids are out for the night.

This weekend also marked Memorial Day, and we all had the day off so we decided to do some city kid camping. We set the tent up on our patio and even roasted marshmallows on the BBQ grill. The kids thought it was so fun that they just couldn't go to sleep so after hours of trying we finally put them up in their beds and Jayson and I slept in the tent. That is until the birds started chirping at 4am. I opted for my own bed as well with my window closed to the outside world.

A visit from Grandma, Grandpa, and Grandma Great

2009-05-30T23:05:00.015-06:00

A few weeks ago we were lucky to have some family in town. They have already seen the busy city so we decided to take on the road.

Grandma Great, Jeri, Ellie, & Grandma Pete Mom & Dad Pete
Ellie
Gibson

We drove the beautiful scenic route to Bellingham one day and enjoyed some pizza, shopping ( we did what we could...the men folk were not so patient), and ice cream. The next day we decided to check out a different side of Mt. Rainier. It was such a beautiful day. What a view! We ended that day watching the sun set at Alki Beach. What a perfect weekend. Please come back soon!!! Ellie & Grandpa
The fam
The whole gang
The Snowy Mountain
Gib & El w/ Grandma & Grandpa @ Alki
Gib & Grandma

Playing on the beach @ sunset

Mother's Day

2009-05-30T22:44:00.008-06:00

Of course, the day started at Top Pots...that's were all good days begin.

Next it was off to Carkeek beach which was a new one for us. It was lots of fun. There is a bridge you have to walk on to get over the train tracks and down to the beach. The train came by just as we were walking over. Gibson loved it! Ellie was terrified. Then we did the teeter totter until I was sure I was going to vomit. The kids (and Jayson) thought it was hilarious and wouldn't let me get off!

Next we went and got all the fixings for a portable garden....planted the garden...then had a lovely afternoon nap. Lastly Jayson made my favorite meal. It would be yours too! Yum! What a lucky mom I am.

2009-05-06T21:54:00.011-06:00

So much has happened in the past month....I suppose this is why I have had no time to update our blog! I would say the biggest event has been the weather...it has been beautiful here in Seattle which has encouraged many impromptu BBQ's, play dates, and just good old relaxing on the patio. I was lucky enough to have Trudy and Jeff here to help me ring in the last year of my 20's! We had so much fun and hope they will come again soon!
Gibson @ the Ballard Locks. Yes he was freezing. Four adults with jackets, and no one thought to grab them for the kids.
Ellie there too!
Kerry park with my sis. Me and my sweetheart there too!
Trudy and Jeff at Alki Beach.
Baby Slice and Momma @ the beach.

Last Friday I was able to sneak out of work early. Jayson didn't have class, and it had to have been the warmest day of the year so far so we decided to have a mid day date while the kids were still at school. We packed up a lunch and headed to the arboretum by the lake. We had to stop for gas on the way and could not resist HUGE ice cold diet cokes! It just happened to be the opening of boating season here in Seattle so every boat in the area was lined up and really cool boats kept parading by. It was so nice to have some grown up time. I've included a photo at the bottom that explains why it is so nice! I love that little baby slice even if she is naughty!

I think you can see enough here to draw your own conclusion of what an outing with the kids usually includes!

Gibson plays hooky w/ Dad

2009-04-04T00:45:00.008-06:00

Hello, this is Jayson. Last week, while I was still on spring break, I decided to take Gibson on an adventure. Gibson was super excited to skip school, and I even gave him a huge piece of jerky and a juice box. That pretty much put him over the top. Luckily the weather cooperated, so we headed south toward Mt. Rainier to a place called Northwest Trek. It's kind of a zoo, but kind of not. There are fences, but also no fences. It's a 700+ acre park that has over 200 north american critters. So, it's pretty neat to see the animals in their natural habitat instead of in a concrete cell with fake trees (not a huge fan of zoos..). The Trek has a tram that you can ride around throughout the big open-space portion of the park and we saw lots of really cool animals close-up. It reminded me of Hardware Ranch, except it was bison, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats in addition to elk.

And the bald eagle led us into the park with a wave of his wing.

Memorable quotes from Gibson:

"What the heck is brucellosis?"

"My feet are aching so much and my legs are sick of this."

"I'm thirsty for more jerky."

Where is the sun?

2009-03-30T22:11:00.006-06:00

We had all intentions of going to Mt. St. Helen today, but woke up to pouring rain and decided to head out to the coast instead....not sure what inspired that. Of course the drive was beautiful. After having lunch at the first Mexican dive we could find (also a weekly tradition) we wanted to let the kids play at the beach or at least get a photo to prove that we had finaly driven all of the way out there. It is almost a 3 hour trek each way. We thought the kids would have so much fun, but they were seriously begging to get back in the car and go home. Here's the proof that we were there, and that some crazy people think surfing is fun when it is snowing. We serioulsy drove through a blizzard on the way home. What's the deal? Oh how I wish we were back in Mexico!

6 flights, 2 weddings, and 2 countries later...

2009-03-23T17:03:00.022-06:00

Our first event started in Bountiful at the wedding of my brother Braydon and new sister Mickie. After that it was the luncheon and then the reception. It was so fun to see all the town folk and catch up on the gossip. After the reception it was early to bed because our next adventure was scheduled to start at 3:45am!

After 12 crazy hours of travel we made it to Cancun. The weather and all-inclusive resort were beautiful, but our favorite part of the trip was renting a car and getting out of the city. We saw some ruins and had fish tacos with the newlyweds (who happened to be honeymooning near Cancun), then found a quiet local beach to explore. We ended the day eating chips & guacamole far away from all of the crazy spring breakers!

During our time in Mexico, the kids were so lucky to be able to hang with the grandparents while one was recovering from a wedding and one was still planning (thanks a million)! Steve set up the trampoline at their house, and the kids enjoyed tractor rides with grandpa Pete. There must not have been a lack of fun because the kids had no interest in us being back home. Check out Ellie's hair..

I spent the next two days baking for Julie's wedding....here is a picture of the cake. I was so excited with the way it turned out. The wedding was beautiful, and the kids had so much fun playing with their cousins.

It's crazy to think that within a week's time we gained a new brother and sister...we couldn't be happier with the selection! And let's not forget all of the beautiful sunshine we received even though you would never know it (Jayson was a sunscreen freak)!
With one day to recover, it was back to work today. It also happens to be raining here in Seattle so you had better bet we are already planning our next vacation!

Cupcakes!

2009-02-09T17:16:00.005-07:00

After a year and a half of living here we finally started a babysitting exchange with one of our neighbors who has a 3yr old little boy named Benjamin. We watched him this past weekend while his parents went out and in return we get a free date night this weekend. So far so fabulous. Benjamin came over and had a blast with the kids they were all so good that hardly any babysitting was necessary. We did, however, have to do a little baking activity to keep me occupied. The kids helped me make, decorate, and eat some darling little cupcakes. I hope they had as much fun as I did. Aren't they adorable! You know you want one....

The Oregon Coast

2009-01-19T21:36:00.009-07:00

Last weekend we made a last minute trip down the Oregon coast to Newport. It was absolutely gorgeous! The weather was wonderful, the kids loved running on the beach...we loved that they couldn't break anything....and best of all Grandma Chris and Steve were visiting the area too. Here are a few fun photos!

Over the river and through the woods!

2009-01-11T15:24:00.023-07:00

I'm going to attempt to review our holiday events in reverse order since that's the direction I loaded the photos, and I'm afraid nap time is about to be over!

So...things have been back to normal for about a week here at the Davis casa. Work, school, and daycare! What more could you ask for. New Years was spent soundly sleeping in our beds. We had just arrived home from our 2 week vacation in Utah that day so after all the unpacking and laundry it was time for a good sleep.

The ride home was quite lovely. The kids were not sick, and it only took us 12 hours with only 2 of that driving through snow. Other than that clear roads. To top it off, Jayson and I both got some sweet cowboy boots at the "Corral" in Twin Falls thanks to a going out of business sale.

Before heading back to Seattle we celebrated Gibson's 4th birthday. The lucky kid got to have 2 birthday parties, way too many presents, and a very cool cake made by yours truly.

We got to visit with just about everyone we knew in Utah logging 1300 miles on our car just while we were there (the drive from Seattle is just under 800 miles).

My parents booked their condo over in Bear Lake for us to spend Christmas at. It was so gorgeous the morning we checked out that Jayson and I stopped for a quick photo. This photo doesn't do much for Bear Lake, but I thought it was funny of Jayson and I. Aren't we fabulous at using the timer.

What a fun filled day Christmas was. Of course there were the presents, which the kids loved tearing into, lots of visiting, and lots of yummy food. Some how we managed to leave a disaster everywhere we went. Sorry!

We spent Christmas Eve at the condo playing lots of crazy games. And hanging out in our new pajamas from Santa. We also became slightly obsessed with a farming game that kept us up past 3am two nights in a row!

I don't know that we could have asked for more snow on our trip. It started snowing the day we left for Utah and didn't stop until the day we came back. The kids had fun doing all sorts of activities in it. Me, Ellie, and Julie even made this fabulous snow woman on Grandma Chris' deck.

When we first got to Utah we went to visit our friends in Park City. We had so much fun that we ended up getting together again before we left. Jayson and I enjoyed any excuse to get a babysitter. Our friends probably don't believe that we even have kids.
I won't go into detail about our drive to Utah...maybe just some key words. SNOW...30mph(the whole way)...vomiting...diarrhea...SNOW...19hrs.
We can't wait to find out where we will be living next year for Christmas, but keep in mind you may all be coming to visit us!
Thanks for everything everyone did for us while we were there...we miss you already!
xoxoxox

Snow much fun

2008-12-08T06:06:00.009-07:00

Jayson has been cooped up all week and weekend doing take home finals. Sunday morning he finally broke down and decided we must go on our weekly road trip...just a short one though, and we had to leave right then...pajamas and all. Four hours later we arrived home from Steven's Pass...one of our favorite road trips yet. It's kinda sad when your kids don't have any idea what this white stuff is, or any clothes to play in it. We made due, and the kids couldn't get enough. We're hoping to find some of this in Utah when we head home in 11 short days!

It's the holiday season

2008-11-30T15:58:00.019-07:00

What a fun week. We spent Thanksgiving with the Boudreau's and some of the other family-less girls at work this year which was the next best thing to family. They were such great hosts and the (vegetarian) food was amazing. I almost didn't miss the turkey. I put myself in charge of dessert so I had tons of fun making pumpkin pie, a chocolate torte, and apple cake with caramel sauce and homemade ice cream. The kids enjoyed the "kids table," but after about 3 bites they resumed running around the house like maniacs! At about 6:00 we went upstairs to find Ellie asleep in someone's bed...I guess its not just turkey that makes you tired.
She didn't even have time to wipe her face!

This a pic of our delicious spread. I didn't manage to get a photo of our chef.

Dawn, Brenna, & Anna

Ellie, Jude, & Gib

This is Dawn pretending to be a chef. She actually put the apron on exclusively for the photo. Her very talented, Italian husband Jon did all of the cooking.

On Friday I got up at 4:00am to go to work. Black Friday is actually one of my favorite days to work retail. I guess I love the insanity, and its just the kick off to an exciting season....finally I get to listen to Christmas music! I must say, however, I don't think there is a good enough deal in the world that would get me to actually shop on this day.

Since we will be heading home in less than three weeks we thought we better get a jump on the Christmas tree thing. Saturday we visited the same tree farm as last year (this year in the pouring rain), found the most fabulous tree we could for the price, and headed straight home to start decorating. Here are some pictures of my happy tree hunters.

When we got home and started getting out all of the decorating goodies, and I realized that I was down to 2 fully functioning strands of lights, and 2 partially working strands of lights which I eventually shook in to working. I couldn't wait to go to the store for more lights so I made 4 strands work. I'm anticipating that the tree may need a good shaking every once in a while.
After all the trim was up, we made a big pot of soup and some wassail to share with friends that came for dinner. They were nice enough to stay and babysit while Jayson and I went out for our friend Davey's birthday.

It was a much needed break from the kids, and a good dose of birth control for my friends. Thanks Liz, Brenna, & Suz!

Our new addition

2008-11-27T08:07:00.010-07:00

It has come time to say goodbye to the one and only car we didn't name. We knew she was just a loaner so we didn't want to get to attached. Our lease is up and I am happy to announce that we are returning her in one almost perfect piece. She did have to have a little work done...there was that pole that jumped into me at the target parking garage...and there were also a few parallel parking mishaps (a skill I haven't used since drivers ed) so the rims have been a bit abused.

Well you know how we love our weekend road trips, so we decided we had better get a replacement. Here she is! Complete with pre-abused rims.

We took her out on her maiden voyage last weekend and I think she will be a great addition to our family. Jayson and Gibson think she's missing a little zoom, but that should keep us out of trouble.
We drove out to Camono Island State Park. It felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. The kids spent their time throwing rocks in the ocean, and running around stomping on mole hills. They were muddy messes by the time we went home but they had so much fun. I wish I could give them a yard for Christmas. Maybe next year.

HAPPY ELECTION DAY!!!!

2008-11-04T22:09:00.002-07:00

What an extraordinary event. I hope you were all able to vote today.

Trick or Treat

2008-11-02T14:36:00.008-07:00

What a fun week we had! Our friends came over and made cupcakes...we carved pumpkins...and the boys did some serious trick or treating while the girls handed out treats. Thanks for having us over Dawn...we had a blast!

Ahhh....Orcas Island

2008-10-20T21:31:00.025-06:00

We finally made it to the islands! We had planned on taking a family trip out for the weekend this summer but it never happened and since fall is settling in we figured we better at least take a day trip out there. It started with a breathtaking ferry ride to Orcas island. The sun was shining and it was so nice to be able to sit out on the deck of the ferry as it cruised around all of these little islands until we got to our destination. We drove around the island and hiked to its highest peak. The view from the top of Mt. Constitution was awesome. The picture doesn't do it justice. We felt like we were on top of the world. There was a very tall castle like musuem there as well that we enjoyed climbing up and reading all about the history of the island.
The ride home was equally beautiful. We timed it just right to watch the sun set time and time again, island after island, turn after turn.

Happy Harvest

2008-10-12T21:14:00.006-06:00

Today we ventured out to Jubilee Farms in Carnation, Washington which is about a 45 minute drive out into the beautiful agricultural area just east of Seattle. First we checked out the chickens, pigs, & ponies, Gibson helped make apple juice in an old fashioned cider press, then we took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch where we picked out a couple of beauties.

We had no idea what they would cost so we stuck to two small ones and figured we could go on another adventure next weekend to pick up a few more since we had only brought along limited cash. Luckily we got back, paid for our pumpkins (only $5 each) and still had some change to buy fresh picked corn on the cob and apple cider.

VANCOUVER/SOQUALMIE/BERRY PICKING/BAKER LAKE/SAYING GOODBYE

2008-10-03T23:44:00.018-06:00

I was thinking that this probably wouldn't take as long if I would post about our weekly adventures rather than our monthly adventures. I'll be looking into this in the future.
So first of all we have a pic of Jayson @ Stanley park in Vancouver, B.C. This place is huge, and there is so much to do, but we were feeling so overwhelmed by the size of it that we spent most of our time checking things out from the car because we just couldn't decide where to stop. We did spend quit a bit of time, however, at Stanley park which is also huge....kinda their version of Central Park. You should check it out if you're ever in the area.

Next, we had some wonderful visitors!!!! Ryan, Amber, and Kaizley stayed the weekend with us and we couldn't help taking them to Snoqualmie falls. It is just so amazing every time we go. It was extra misty and foggy this time around, and we all enjoyed some time outside of the city.

Our next weekend adventure lead us to the Cascade mountain range. We took a trip along a portion of the Cascade loop for what may have been one of the last sunny weekends for a while in these parts. We stopped at Cascadian Farms and picked our own blueberries. We only ended up with one pound, but I'm sure the kids ate about 5lbs before we got back to the weigh station. They couldn't really grasp the concept of pick then pay.

On the loop home we drove through the quirkiest little town called Concrete. I had to include this picture for my dad.

The very same day we drove what seemed like at least 50 miles off the beaten path to find this gorgeous, deserted, glacial lake. There seriously wasn't a soul in sight. It was pretty amazing.

You may be wondering about our driving arrangement since we seem to do a lot of it. Jayson actually loves to drive, and never falls asleep doing it, so it pretty much defaults to him. My side of the deal is that I'm in charge of the potty breaks. With two little ones I defiantly earn my ride. After a number of extremely disgusting out houses and Honey Buckets this weekend, lets just say I may be throwing back a Red Bull, and picking the destination this weekend!

Lastly, I had so say good bye to one of the first and sweetest people I have met here in Seattle. Amy has decided to leave us behind to conquer the world of Anthropologie in Arizona. BEST OF LUCK!!! I'm sure we'll be in need of some sunshine before we know it! See you soon!

Speaking of Anthropologie....some of you may have heard a rumor that I would be leaving. It turns out that that is just a rumor. All the stars aligned and I accepted an offer to stay this morning....after which I worked a 12 hour day....ARGHHH! All I can say is that it's a good thing they reeled me in this morning.

Summer Fun

2008-09-13T21:59:00.012-06:00

As summer draws to a close for us Seattlites we have been trying to get in as much fun as possible. It started with Jayson's birthday...of course we took him to Top Pots for breakfast and then had all of our friends over for dinner and Jello cake (which I have no pictures of).

The next week we were able to sneak off to Utah. Jayson & I spent 5 days at Lake Powell while the Grandmas took care of the kids (THANKS! Jay & Shaley, Grandma Chris, and Grandma & Grandpa Pete)!

We came back to some beautiful, not so hot, weather is Seattle, and after just 2 days of work it was off to Las Vegas for me. It was an all girls trip and it was absolutely lovely. We spent about 6 hours everyday swimming, and the rest of our days either shopping or eating. The first night it was just me, my mom and Trudy so we decided to go to KA which is a Cirque de Soleil show. It was so amazing, and I hope we can make a tradition of going every year. Thanks again to Mom and Trudy for getting me there!

Well we've been back in the real world for a week now, and Jayson only has one more week until he goes back to school. Wednesday I snuck out of work early and went to a Mariners game in the Wells Fargo suite with Jayson's co-workers. It was pretty fancy! Today we spent the day at Green Lake. Jayson wanted to test ride a new bicycle, so Gibson had to as well. It was so cute, and as I'm sure you can imagine, he can't wait to bring this bike home. (It was only $150!!!!) Tonight we spent some time at the MBA huddle at the Huskie's game. They lost, but we had lots of fun chatting with people we haven't seen all summer.