A Visit with the Fam

I was going to post all about Thanksgiving, but realized that we must've been too busy visiting with the 25-ish people who were at Jacob's parents home for the event to snap any photos. This year we flew to Utah to eat the Big Bird and all the other dishes that go along with the longest-to-prepare meal of the year with Jacob's family. It was great to see them and spend time out in the country, where the goats were excited to see us and the smell of cows was far too aromatic for this preggo gal. The family was excited to see us, too, and all wonderful smells of Thanksgiving dinner made my mouth water in only the best of ways :) I have to say - wow- I have been surprised at my sense of smell since I became pregnant. I tell Jacob I am like a dog now. It's kinda bizarre and makes for some interesting moments...like during church when all of a sudden I smelled Coca-Cola Classic and couldn't wait to get my hands on a can on our plane ride back to Seattle...weird...anyway, the above picture is our departure from Seattle on Thanksgiving morning. We feel so lucky to live in the Pacific Northwest - just look at our gorgeous Mt. Rainier!!!

Jacob's family were kind enough to let us steal away for a day to visit with my family in Utah as well. I got to see an old, dear friend (Melissa!!!) and spend most of the day visiting with my 3 siblings that live in Utah and getting acquainted with my new nephew, Jackson, which was certainly a highlight for me!

Look at the cutie little Jack, giving smiles to his Aunt Tysha!!! (I also got the cutest pout, but didn't catch that one on camera!)

My brother Dan and his wife, Kristin, invited us into their warm and welcoming home for dinner that evening. We all gathered and bit our fingernails watching the ending of the BYU vs. Utah rivalry game (Cougars won!) Dan entertained us with his usual sense of humor and we all enjoyed good conversation. After dinner, the men headed downstairs for a ping-pong tournament, while the ladies gathered around to talk about pregnancy and childbirth (as 2 have gone through it and my sister Kaitlin and I are experiencing it right now - so exciting!) I asked Jacob later if maybe the guys chatted about how wonderful it is having a hormonal creature to live with for 9 months and he said "oh, we didn't talk about any of that. We just played ping-pong." I had to laugh!

Here is my cute niece, Kaylee. She just turned 3. Apparently, she is destined to be a pro golfer - although for now she seems to favor princess attire.

And I can't resist one more of precious Jackson. I have a new nickname for him: Do any of you remember a band from the 90s called Luscious Jackson? Well, they were fun - but mostly, the name fits this little guy - just look at his luscious lips and big blue eyes --- he is luscious and delectable!!! Yeah for cute babies and for fun with the fam, both Jacob's and mine, over the Thanksgiving holiday. We sure have a lot to be thankful for!

Special Friends Day

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go to Sam's kindergarten classroom and be welcomed as Sam's guest and special friend for "Grandparents and Special Friends Day". It was truly special! The kids welcomed us with huge grins, partly out of excitement, and partly out of nervousness. Then, they proceeded to sing us a few songs, including "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..." which was of course ADORABLE!

After the songs, Sam took me to his seat. Of course, being a kindergarten classroom, it was a very small seat, nonetheless, Sam invited me to sit down. Lately, he has been very concerned about me being pregnant, so it cracked me up when he said "Tysha, I'm going to let you sit in my seat, because you're pwegnant...and I'm not going to sit on your lap, because you're pwegnant." (Last week he informed me that when my belly grows too big and I can't fit into my clothes anymore I will need to get some returnity clothes...:) So, he stood and showed me some of his recent artwork, including something he made for me:

We visited and laughed and he served me (his "host") some refreshments. He sternly announced to his fellow little friend in line, "excuse me, but I was trying to serve my host first." I guess if I was the "host" I can say that not only was Sam a wonderful "guest" but he was also quite the pleasant gentleman. I am so proud to be his special friend and glad that he is also mine!

Happy Birthday Jacob!

This weekend, Jacob had his 30th Birthday. So, I made him his favorite cake - German Chocolate...mmm....

To celebrate, we had Thai food at one of our favorite downtown secret spots, and then walked over to the triple door to watch a show. We saw Ceu, who is a Brazilian singer who is heavy on the afrobeats and very much influenced by fusions of Samba, Electrojazz, Reggae, & HipHop. She was AMAZING!!! And the venue was quite hip.

We had "the triple split" which was a huge banana split, before the show started. It's definitely a place that draws a little bit older crowd - older as in our age! Bring on the virgin mojitos! Below, we have included a little bit of Ceu's show. We decided our blog is a good place to give free publicity to good music. Check this chica out, she will make you want to sway! Happy Happy Birthday to Jacob!

Coming This Summer...

Today we had our first glimpse of our little baby. He/She is swimming happily around inside Tysha. We also heard the little heart beat today which sounded very similar to our dish washer on speed cycle.

Our baby, who at the moment looks a little like a lima bean, should be arriving on or around June 11, 2008. Now if only we could just have a stork deliver it (I'm sure Tysha would be in favor of that)!

PS-Today when Tysha showed Sam, he just didn't know what to say as he kept looking for the familiar shape of a baby but nonetheless exclaimed "Oh, it is SO CUTE!" Gotta love kids!

Sam Sleeps Over

The day after Halloween we got a special treat: Sam came over for a sleepover! Sam is a great helper in the kitchen, so we both put on our aprons and got to work! We made homemade carrot soup and biscuits. A perfect autumn meal. It was fun to have everything ready and on the table when Jacob came home!

We decided (Sam's suggestion) to have dinner by candlelight. Candles make any event more memorable and fun. After dinner we showed Sam our PacMan game. He loved it! He played a few games and ate a few ghosts and then we read bedtime stories. What a fun kid to have around!

On Friday there was no school because of teacher conferences, and since Sam's parents and baby sister were out of town and his siblings were other places, we got to have what Sam likes to call "some Quality time together." So we went to Carkeek Park, otherwise known as "the Train Beach." It was chilly but sunny out and Sam perched himself above the train tracks and kept his eyes open and ears alert for the sound of train whistles.

The great thing about this beach/park is that the train goes right underneath you! It's a very cool experience. The conductors are keen to all the kids who come looking for trains and usually pull the whistle as it goes by...this one gave Sam a wave!

After watching about 4 trains go by and finishing up our picnic lunch, we did some other exploring. I noticed there were an extraordinary number of seagulls and crows on the beach that day so I tried sneaking up on a few...

It was only when I got closer that I realized why the birds were hovering. The Salmon have been spawning in the nearby creek, and some of them became a feast for the birds.

Sorry if it grosses anyone out, but I found it both disgusting and fascinating all at the same time. It is interesting how the salmon transform physically on their oh-so-long journey. I love going to the Hiram M. Chittenden (aka "Ballard") locks during the summer months and watching the fish fight upstream and jump up the fish ladder. This was the first time I have encountered them at the end of the journey.

Beyond that, we just enjoyed the crisp fall air and the colorful leaves. The sun this time of year has a majestic sort of glow to it, and anyone who doesn't see how perfect Seattle is, please raise your hand. We have it all. I feel so lucky to live here. This is a city that sparkles and glows!

And these are the kind of days I feel especially lucky to be a nanny. While others are working away at desks and cubicles, there are times when I am lucky enough to have the flexiblity to be outside enjoying the sun on my cheeks and breathing in some fresh autumn air.

It's also nice to get out and renew my perspective a bit. Sam has such a big personality, sometimes I forget he is really just 5 years old: he's a little guy. Just look at him, collecting shells and working on his sand castle. I think grown ups should have sleep overs with little friends more often! Or if you have kids, just take a weekend and pretend you have nothing else to do but be a kid with your kids. It will change your life! Your kids might call you crazy, but believe me, they'll say it with a smile!

The Man in the Moon

This is the pumpkin Jacob carved this year for Halloween. I was too tired to help. But he did an awesome job! Doesn't he look almost Simpson-esque?