Catching Up

I know.  I completely missed the month of November.  And most of December at this point.  I just don't know where the time went.  Well, actually it went the way of busy days filled with preschool drop offs, dance classes, play dates, messy lunches, naps, no naps, watching Curious George over and over again, spontaneous dancing in the kitchen, refereeing play time between a toddler and an active infant, climbing stairs, pushing strollers on walks through the neighborhoods, and swinging at the park.  Throw in there Halloween and the attempts to go trick-or-treating with a two year old and a then nine month old, a family trip to our cabin for Thanksgiving, and all the preparations and celebrations of the holiday season, and I still can't believe I haven't quite passed out yet.  There were bridal showers and bachelorette parties, and watching our wedding video for the first time with our kids in honor of our six year anniversary.  Time flies, and I can't believe how much our cup continues to overflow.  

So instead of a million catch up posts (because who has time for that?), here are some snapshots of what's been happening in our little world.

Ella really got into the spirit of Halloween this year.  When I asked what she wanted to be, she immediately replied with "orca!"  And since it was pretty tough to find an orca costume for such a small person, I decided to make it, instead, with the help of Pinterest and some sewing by Mimi.  It only seemed appropriate that we kept Gavin at the top of the food chain, too, so we thought he'd make a cute shark.

She tried on her costume many times before the big day.  She was so excited to wear her costume to preschool.

Definitely the one that is not like the others.

Trick or treating at Mimi's house.

My good friend, Kathy, is getting married later this month, so we celebrated with a glitter-themed bachelorette party in Vegas, followed by a "Love is Sweet" themed bridal shower.  By the end of the two events, I definitely had my glitter fix, and Adam was ready for all the stray flecks of glitter to leave our house.

Ella is the flower girl for Kathy's wedding.  While she was trying on her dress, she broke out in interpretive dance (because that's what you do).

I love cold weather, and the drop in temperature (finally!) meant more opportunities to go to the park and not feel completely depleted by the heat.  Gavin got to swing for the first time during this visit, and he's been a convert since.  Ella showed him the ropes.

We spent our Thanksgiving at our cabin, which was Gavin's first time to the lake.  He LOVED it.  He is definitely a nature-lover.  We found a great hike (perfect for the little ones) and he couldn't stop shouting at the trees. 

The weekend after Thanksgiving we went Christmas tree shopping and Ella got to help decorate (and dictate).  It was a festive time and I love that our kids are just as excited about the holidays as I am.

Celebrating St. Nicholas Day, the kids checked their shoes for special treats.

Wednesdays have become Mommy-Gavin days and I have been loving my alone time with this little fella.  He loves having lunch outdoors and people watching.  I love watching him grow and mature right before my eyes.

 Rainy days and cold weather means camping indoors.  Ella loves "sleeping" in her tent.

Gavin being the lookout.

 We do family strolls around the neighborhood whenever possible.  Ella has taken to pushing her baby doll around in her stroller.  Just like Dad.

These two are everywhere these days.  Keeping up with them can prove to be exhausting.  Their newest idea of fun is climbing stairs (with Ella speeding to the top and cheering Gavin on), and then chasing each other through our bedroom.  

Ella had her buddy Caiden over to decorate gingerbread houses.  She snuck in some licks of frosting here and there, but I'm relieved that not too much candy was consumed.

"Ella like See-haat-tle." -- E

We just returned from a trip to Seattle to see Adam's family and attend a memorial for his grandfather, who had passed away.  While the circumstances were somber, we were grateful to be able to travel as a family for a reunion of sorts, and also to introduce Gavin to his dad's roots.

After an unnecessarily long travel day (the flight was good, the rental car experience was not), we took advantage of the mild Seattle weather and walked around Fisherman's Wharf.  The kids loved the ferris wheel and the carousel ride.  

E has a strange love of orcas, so we were happy to serendipitously come across this mural on the back of a factory building.

Happy to be able to kick around on the bed. 

The kids did great on the flight and we don't mind traveling with them (even with all the added baggage), but despite always getting a crib in our room, our kids never slept in them.  Bed sharing is not a favorite of mine when you have to fight for room on the mattress and dodge random limbs kicking and punching you in the middle of the night.  

Though we took Ella to Seattle when she was six months old, this was her first ferry ride.  Needless to say, she loved it.

G had nothing to complain about either.

The memorial was held on the Hood Canal, at a family home that Adam's Grandpa Gene had built for his family.  It was emotional, but beautiful.  A perfect way to honor a very good man and the legacy he leaves behind.

Adam's cousin's kids taking advantage of the warm weather.  Idyllic childhoods are a happy side effect to having a house on the water.

E took the water immediately.  She loved learning how to skip rocks.

E has a special little bond with her cousin, Samantha.

It's a sweet moment realizing that these two get to be here. 

I love this man.

E with her Auntie Ashley.

I know it was really special that Mimi got to share this with her grandkids.

Gavin enjoyed every minute being outdoors in the fresh air.

The weekend of the memorial also fell on the first home game for the Seattle Seahawks.  The morning of the game, Adam too E for another ride on the Ferris Wheel, this time with Grandma in tow.  E is smitten by her dad.

We had a delicious lunch at a nearby pizza place.  Definitely recommend it.

While the boys went to the game, we took the kids to the Space Needle.  E loves planes, trains and automobiles, and could have ridden the monorail all day long.

At the Space Needle with cousins.

He was all smiles.

On our last day we returned to the Seattle Center and visited the Children's Museum.  It was the first time the kids have been, and had it not been for lack of naps and tiredness, we could have stayed all day.  

We attempted to grab a quick lunch outside by the fountain, but discovered E had a fever and was coming down with a cold (darn that toddler sitting behind us on the plane who was coughing ALL his germs everywhere!).  So after E napped on me, we headed back to the hotel for chicken soup and lots of sleeping.

Despite the kids getting sick, we had a wonderful time in Seattle.  It was probably the smoothest trip we could have asked for with two young kids.  It was also memorable and sentimental and a good reminder to appreciate and enjoy the family we have.  We are grateful for the time we got to spend with Adam's extended family and look forward to more trips like this one.  Also, the Seahawks won, so it was win-win for everyone. :)