The 3 Musketeers

Last week my good friend Randi came up to Seattle for a visit. Since it had been awhile since this last picture of the 3 kiddos, we decided to take another.

Kole, Leta & Sean

They've grown up a bit in the past 6 months, huh?

My Favorite Garden

Friday Night we took an after-dinner trip to the Rose Garden- my first visit of the year! This is probably my favorite place in Seattle & because of that, was also where Matt proposed a little over 5 years ago. Here are just a few pics of our time there:

7th Annual Trip to LaConnor

This past weekend we went up to our friends' cabin in LaConnor that we've rented from them for 7 years now! I LOVE it there! It's so low-key & has a beautiful view of the bay! Such a wonderful place for relaxing, eating good food, and taking the time to re-center myself & my priorities that sometimes get so out of whack in day-to-day living.

Katie, Ryan & Sean came up again this year, so back by popular demand...more pics of Sean & Leta :)

(Above: Daddy & Leta go for an early morning walk while everyone else is still sleeping)

Playing on the beach with sticks

She loves to play in the mud, but isn't a huge fan of the sand's gritty consistency

Checking out a baby crab

...and a bigger variety (don't worry, it was dead)

Ryan, Katie & I watching Sean walk up the beach

Leta playing in the rocks: the front picture

...and the crack (I mean, "back") picture.

(Sorry, Matt thinks this one is hilarious!)

Future wildlife watchers

Storytime with the Kylers

Father's Day breakfast out on the deck

We love you, Daddy!

2 Little Buddies

Sean & Leta spent the day together Thursday. Sorry so many pics, but they were all so cute, I couldn't decide! Here's what we did all day:

Picked Raspberries

Played in the dirt a ton (this seems to be their favorite activity every time they get together)

They got a bit dirtier than usual- so much so that it warranted an immediate mid-afternoon bath

A snack together

Playing with puppets and making them dance ...and then kiss :)

And then dancing with cellphones

I thought this one was funny 'cause it looks like they're texting - this new generation, I tell you :)

Thankful Thursday 6.18.09

Sorry for the absence around here lately. We've just been really busy living life...and LOVING summer! Here are some of the things I've been so thankful to be doing lately:

• Picnic lunches or snacks almost every day with this little one. I LOVE that Leta likes to be outside on beautiful days like we've been having! And doesn't everything taste better when it's a picnic?
• Gardening every chance I get. You still wouldn't know it to look at our yard (especially the front). But Leta & I have been growing a lot of flowers from seed (I had no idea how long that took & the patience it requires until now!). It has been so fun to watch our veggie plants grow so quickly and to see our beautiful roses in bloom (roses have always been my favorite!).
• Picking raspberries a little bit already! This is early for our raspberry crop, but we've definitely had some ripe ones and have discovered that Leta can't seem to get enough of them! Yesterday I was picking them & putting them in a bowl & looked over to see that Leta had eaten every single one in the bowl.
  

• Going on morning walks-although as you can see in the picture, Leta likes walking on her own a lot more than riding in the stroller these days, so I'm not getting quite the excercise that I would like. But, I always love exploring the neighborhood in the early summer mornings (with Leta still in her pj's) and lately have really been appreciating all the garden inspiriation I come across.
• Working hard at work and around the house this week (which is not in itself what I'm very thankful for) so that we can head up to LaConnor this weekend for the 8th annual trip renting out a friend's cabin up there! In fact, Matt & I started going up there with friends before we were even dating. Needless to say, I LOVE it there and am so excited to walk on the beach, sit & read, eat cinnamon rolls at Calico Cupboard and for our favorite happy hour at Seeds Bistro. I'm excited!
  

10 on 10 -June 09

Loving the Little Peanut

I cannot get enough of this little girl, lately! She's becoming such a little person and it is such a blessing to get to witness it every day! A few of my favorites recently:

• She has this new little mischevious (almost maniacal) laugh that accompanies any activity she knows will get a rise out of us- ie pulling all the books of my bookshelf and the bookjackets off the hardcovers.
• She LOVES watching "Leta movies". We watch her home videos at least once a day, often over and over and over. And she laughs at all the funny parts every time.
• She now recognizes the starbucks logo (thanks to my mom taking her there for a treat every Friday morning while I'm at work) and get's SO excited whenever we go there.
• She'll spend forever taking all her books from one basket, putting them in her big rocker, than stacking them on the floor, then back into the basket. Basically, organizing seems to be her new activity of choice (which warms my heart!)
• Often when we're reading books at bedtime she'll pause to "feed" her binky to the illustrated character in the book or give each one a kiss on each page. (bedtime reading often takes us awhile :)
• Every evening after dinner she runs into our room, turns on our clock radios and dances/jumps on our bed. Of course it's always a mixture of Matt's classic rock & my country- which makes for an akward combination to dance to, but she loves it!
  

Random Joys 6.1.09

Small moments to be savored today:

• Audaciously bright pink peonies to stare at while enjoying a french toast breakfast with Leta. Peonies just remind me of ruffly pink dresses- ala Carrie Bradshaw.
  
• A cup of coffee & a Martha Stewart Living to thumb through while Leta played with her kitchen in the playroom this morning.



• The accomplished feeling of finding gifts for the various gift-giving occassions coming up- a baby shower, 2 graduations, and 1 wedding. And a very well-behaved shopping partner, I must say.



• Time with my hands in the dirt (with garden gloves OF COURSE) while Leta napped- transplanting some flowers Leta & I planted from seed & clearing out a back bed that's going to serve as my composting soil to use in the vegetable garden next year.


• A picnic snack with Leta, which has become an after-nap ritual for us on these sunny days.


• These adorable little ankles peaking out of her garden clogs. Yes, they're "hello kitty" (they were hand-me-downs). But Leta LOVES them! Won't-take-them-off-loves-them.