Some Randoms

We haven't had a lot going on lately so there hasn't been a lot to post. What has been going on is a lot of GERMS! We all caught a nasty PNW germ and it took us down like dominoes. Colin was first - then Owen - then Daddy - then Mommy. It's been ugly. Owen caught Croup from it and Mommy has had bronchitis. We're still trying to kick this virus, it's been horrible. 3 weeks now and counting.

Here are some randoms from the past few weeks. Owen adores cream cheese and although he makes a huge mess, he does eat it quite well. Colin is showing off his crane that he got from Santa this year - the thing is TALL when extended! And Mommy tried to take a self-portrait of the 3 of us, and although I don't like pictures of myself I thought I'd post it. :)

A Whopping Great Snow!

We've had a week of incredible snowfall. It's been annoying to us because it basically traps us in the house (they don't plow our road and we have a huge hill to climb). Colin and Owen are both sick, which has made the weekend really unpleasant. Colin has been sick now almost a full week and Owen is close behind. I had him at the doctor yesterday because he was having trouble breathing and had a very loud cough. Turns out he has croup. I hope they both are better soon!

All told, we got about 11 inches of snow. Most of it came last Thursday, but we got a few inches even this morning. We are so ready for Spring!

A Day at the Park!

Last Sunday was a beautiful day here in Washington. I finished my long run in pure sunshine and we decided to take the kids to the park before lunch. We still haven't found a park as nice as Fancyburg was in UA, but the boys enjoy any where we go and a chance to run off some energy!

Owen's Eatings

I took a few pictures of Owen eating that turned out pretty well, so I thought I'd share them. He's taken to eating ketchup lately, which has been a handy way to get him to eat a vegetable or two. :) He also enjoyed a cupcake for Valentine's Day and didn't make an enormous mess. A win on both fronts, I'd say!

Amy and Perri come to visit!

My dear college friend Amy and her daughter Perri came for a visit last weekend. It was so fun to see her - it had honestly been years since we'd gotten together! We got to meet Perri for the first time and she got to meet Colin and Owen. It was super fun and the kids had a great time playing together. We are so excited they live "down the road" in Portland and we look forward to many more get-togethers! We also can't wait to meet Amy & John's baby girl #2, who should make her appearance in April!

Fun Around the House

As always, the boys have a lot of fun around the house. Colin discovered bubble bath at the store again (it's been a while since I bought him bubble bath) and the boys had a great time playing in it during bath time. Colin even started putting it on his and Owen's face like beards. It was really funny!

Owen is enjoying more and more foods now. He's had his big "nut" trial and he's come out without any allergies. We're thrilled! Here you can see him enjoying some Nutella.

A Super Fun Visitor!

We had a visit from our dear friend Amy from Ohio this week. The boys totally adore her and although we miss her like crazy, it made a visit from her all the more fun. She was so much help to us and we can't wait for her to visit again! (Honestly, I wish we could afford her as a nanny!) We had mostly rainy days while she was here (no surprise), but on the last day of her visit the weather cleared and we were able to get a great view of the Olympic mountains. This picture with the mountains in the distance was taken a half mile down our road where we have an amazing view. The other shot was taken from our back patio that same day. Thanks for all the fun Amy!

Hot off the Press!

We've had a busy few weeks! Settling into work for the new year is always tough for me, so many apologies for not updating the blog recently. Here are some fun shots of the boys from the past few weeks. Colin created a "roadblock" across the house, which you can see from the picture. We also had a fun new box arrive, which the boys play with all the time. (Why is it that the packaging is always more fun than the toy to them?) You can also see some more pictures of the boys playing outside. Colin has some fun bubbles this time, which was a huge hit for both of the boys.

A Scenic Ferry Ride

Today we took the boys on a scenic drive of western Washington. We drove up the Olympia Peninsula to Bremerton - took the ferry to Seattle - and drove back down the eastern side of Puget Sound. We were treated to a nice clear day, although it was pretty cold and very windy on the ferry ride! The boys really enjoyed the ferry and the scenery was beautiful. We got incredible views of the Olympic Mountains, Seattle with the Cascade Mountains, and Mount Rainier. It was a little hazy around Mt. Rainier, as you can see. We walked around Pike Market, it was really crowded today (which we hear happens when you have a clear day around here). It was a beautiful trip and so inspiring to see such awesome mountains.

Doctor Colin

Santa brought the boys a doctor kit for Christmas. Owen likes to wear the stethoscope and walk around and Colin likes to play pretend doctor. Here he is wearing the gear and making funny faces!

Happy New Year Mt. Rainier Style

We went to the end of the neighboring peninsula today to get a good look at the mountains on a clear day. We got a great view of Mt. Rainier and also of the Olympic Mountains. At the end of the peninsula where we were you could look east and see Mt. Rainier and turn around to see the Olympic Mountains. It was beautiful. Looking forward to many more amazing views in 2011!

Happy New Year!