Cheap Thrills at the Car Show

This past weekend was the first in a few that Jacob or I didn't have to work (well, Jacob did have to put in a few hours, but it didn't interfere with our day - hooray!) so we took advantage of the wonderful time we had to spend all together, just our little family

***

(and maybe 200,000 other people at the car show we perused

+ the six LDS missionaries we had over for dinner that night)

Our neighborhood hosted it's famous, annual Car Show, so we decided to check it out. Especially since there is a little boy in our midst who LOVES any and all kinds of wheels.

We had our own pancake breakfast and then decided to just "urban hike" to the event, since parking would likely be more than hard to come by, and the bus schedule/route was changed due to the road closure for the event. So we put on our kiddie backpacks, and the stroller per Sawyer's request, and started hiking the 30ish blocks to the Greenwood Car Show!

Aspen fell asleep during the walk (she/we had been up most of the night due to those darn molars - the last one is just about to pop through, finally!)

There were all kinds of crazy cool cars...

but Jacob and I agreed that our favorites were the Metropolitan.

We hadn't ever even heard of them, but wowza they were swanky.

We had fun running into several friends, and quite enjoyed some gyros and the most awesome hummus and pita for lunch.

Sawyer was in hog-heaven with all the shiny cars...but both kids were equally excited when the man from the Les Schwab booth let them pick their favorite balloon to carry around and take home.

Since we completely skipped over naptime with our outing, we let the kids have a little "quiet time" watching a video on the couch while we began fixing up some dinner for the missionaries. They couldn't even let go of the balloons for a moment. So funny! Here they are kind of zoned out after a long day of fun -

i heart saturdays with my family!

hope you had a good one, too!

Party Time!

Friends and Family came from far and near to get wet at

Sawyer & Forrest's Pool Party!

(the above photo is Sawyer with Aunt Tia, who came from Boston! I know, I know - she could almost pass as me, huh? I forget I'm a twin until we are hanging out together and we still get people staring and asking "are you twins?" although we both laughed when we were at the park and someone asked that and they were directing the question at Sawyer and Aspen...I still can't figure out why people always ask us if they're twins!)

This year, we kept things simple and rented the Mounger Pool for party time! Sawyer and his Buddy, Forrest, shared their first birthday party, and since they are life long friends and it's nicer to split the cost of renting the pool since we share so many of the same friends, that's just what we did! Pretty much all we had to do was show up and have fun!

I must admit, the morning of the party when it started raining I was a little worried. It had been gorgeous the day before - and then rain? Well, the nice thing is that the pool is kept at a bath-water-warm 96 degrees, so even if it was pouring, it would've felt nice in the pool! And there was a fun, steamy effect when we first arrived!

I think everyone was pleasantly surprised at the warm pool water - my sister who brought her cute family up from Tacoma didn't even hesitate taking her baby in...everyone had a blast!

Sawyer was super excited that his cousin, Alyssa, could come to the party. They love to play together and it melts my heart! Here she is, going down the little slide (she went down the big slide later, and loved it!)

I almost didn't bring the camera, just because I wanted to simply enjoy the party - but as we were pulling out the driveway I knew I would regret if I didn't at least get a few pictures of the party, with all the lovely friends and family gathered around our boys, celebrating coming into their third year.

I didn't take that many pictures, though, because I wanted to hop in the pool myself! I only wish I had a picture of me and Aspen going down the BIG corkscrew slide! It's like a mini-waterslide and she looooves it as much as I do!

Trophy Cupcakes. Courtesy of Cassandra (Forrest's amazing Mommy!) Mmmmmm.

I just loved the look on Sawyer's face when he opened Aunt Tia's gift: a puppet/plush dragon with 3 heads and wings. Priceless!

and plenty of new wheels...

Forrest being sweet with his Mommy!

I can hardly believe our boys are THREE now! But they surely are! May all of your birthday wishes come true, Sawyer and Forrest! We love you!

Thanks to everyone who came to help them celebrate!

We hope you had as much fun as we did!

Dinner in the Sky

A couple of weekends back, Jacob and I had a really really nice dinner date. It was part of the birthday project (if you remember my gift to Jacob this year: several pre-planned, pre-paid date nights out). Jacob has lived in Seattle for several years and never been to the top of the Space Needle...so it was time to go!

This date was actually planned for Valentine's, but I didn't realize you had to have reservations sometimes months in advance.

I think we actually liked eating dinner at SkyCity in the better weather, even more than had it been crowded with lovers on a cold, cloudy (and rainy) Valentine's Day. We had super blue, clear skies and sunshine and could see all the way to Mt. Rainier from our seats, as we rotated 360 degrees every half hour. There were lots of out-of-towners for sure, but we agreed it's better dining there as a local - we had so much fun pointing out Jacob's office, our first apartment on Lake Union, our new home north of Greenlake, and some of our favorite parts of this amazing city we call home.

We even got all dressed up - high heels, tie, and all.

We absolutely had to order the Lunar Orbiter for dessert - even if we were stuffed with fresh seafood. It's a Seattle Classic, served with some Seattle fog, even :)

After dinner, we walked out to the observation deck just below the restaurant to enjoy the sun beginning to move slowly down over the Puget Sound, alighting our city with a warm glow.

It was a fantastic date. It was fun to reminisce about where we began and speculate about new adventures and where they may take us.

Yesterday is history,

Tomorrow, a mystery.

Today, is a gift,

so we call it

The Present.

I hope, as we look to the future -whatever and wherever it may lead us, that we don't forget to appreciate RIGHT NOW, right HERE, right where we are. Thanks, Jacob, for being my Valentine any old weekend of the year!

*side note* Jacob's office is right by the Space Needle and I mentioned a while ago how we would be eating there - so every time we go to his office, Sawyer talks about how he wants to eat up really high in the Space Needle. So, as we were getting ready to go on our date - I told Sawyer where we were going. He looked at me with big eyes, choked back a couple of tears (I think he thought he was going to eat there with us), and said "maybe next time I can eat dinner really really high, too" Talk about breaking my heart! We have already made plans to take the lil guy up - he will never forget it, for sure!

3

Another year older

***

I can't believe my firstborn is three years old today!!!

we've been practicing the three fingers for a few days, now.

a little tricky...but coming along

We decided to keep his birthday fairly simple this year.

(there will be a joint little pool party with his friend next weekend - we decided to relax and let the pool staff do all the work this time!)

We will have a little family party this afternoon, with just our little family of four. There will be singing, there will be presents, and there will be cake & ice-cream, of course.

Since we decided to keep it simple, I thought the one thing I would do is make the boy a special cake. Months ago (I am a plan-ahead type of gal) I asked him what kind of a cake he wanted. At first, it was a Monster Truck cake. I kept wracking my brain how I would ever make a Monster Truck cake...but then he changed his mind, and he wanted a Race Car cake, instead. Last week I kept asking if he wanted chocolate or vanilla cake and he just kept saying: "a race car cake!" So...I decided to do chocolate with chocolate buttercream frosting - and fondant on top. It was my first time giving fondant a whirl, and a friend graciously let me borrow a car-shaped cake pan...which was WAY easier than me baking a cake and carving it into a race car (as I had envisioned) and wah-la (several hours of hard work later...)!

The cake:

Can't forget the candles!

I am excited to see his reaction to the sparkler candle!

Yep, he's 3 now.

*************

Dear three-year-old Sawyer,

We made it past the "terrible twos", whew!

(They weren't that terrible, thank goodness!)

Some of your favorite things to do right now include: anything outside - you love going to Nature School, you love going to parks and beaches, you love riding your balance bike, you have started singing songs out loud to your self and also "reading" (reciting books you know by heart and pretending to read them to yourself). You know how to sing your ABC's and you also know each of the letters and their phonetic sounds. You like counting. You LOVE reading books. You LOVE anything with wheels, but especially cars, trucks, and Monster Trucks, which makes me laugh sometimes. Monster trucks, really? You love family home evening, duck duck goose, and twister. You love daddy's guitar. You love Red Mill hamburgers and fries. You love your friends and their parents. You love your family (ah, shucks!) You love the color blue, and you are a true Seattleite, because when the sun comes out you say "I'm so HAPPY!" You also love wearing flip flops and hate wearing socks. Oh, and you also like dinosaurs, and especially DRAGONS.

You are as cute as a button. Oh, I mean handsome as can be. Strangers often comment on what a good-looking guy you are. You are small for your age, yet very well coordinated. I keep thinking you'll be quite the studly soccer guy (we will see!)

This past year has been a good one. In all honesty, it was a hard one, but a good one. Not that you were all that hard - but things were hard for me because I was sick for so long. I am sorry for that. I am not superwoman by any means. I put all of my best efforts into you, into our family. And in spite of our WORST moments, and amidst our weaknesses (yours and mine, both), I hope there is one thing you remember...

that during those moments, we both sink to the floor, and we sigh a big sigh and we hug big big hugs and we wipe away tears and we use our words and we say how we feel and we say we are sorry. And then we start whispering "secrets"

and you know it's really no secret

(but I whisper it anyway, because you like it)

I LOVE YOU.

Yes, I certainly do. And in our BEST moments, when we're laughing, and rolling on the floor or racing down the hallway, or dancing all silly...we still whisper secrets - the same ones. (Sometimes we shout them, too!) I'm sure one day you will be embarrassed at what a sappy ole' mama you have. And that's okay. Just as long as you always know that I love you more than anything.

I hope and pray that I am leading and guiding you in a way our Father in Heaven would be proud of. Often, I contemplate the task of guiding you through this life and I am utterly humbled. I see the world as beautiful, but I also know of some of the darkness and craziness and confusion that abounds here. All I want for you is pure and honest happiness and joy. I want you to be able to experience the deep and satisfying joy that comes from living virtuously and getting married in the temple. I want you to strengthen your spiritual muscles by serving a mission. I want you to study what you love, and then love the work you do during your life. I want you to know how to laugh off a bad day, and to know that's it's okay to cry now and then - even for a guy. I want you one day to come throw me over your shoulders and spin me around until I scream and yell stop, while laughing and being secretly pleased that my boy loves me enough to tease me. I know that the truest happiness comes at a price, and I hope you are willing to pay the price it takes through sacrifice and dedication, to always have peace, comfort, and happiness with you...during all the ups and downs and places you will journey as you navigate the course of your life each day.

I know there is a lot you can learn from me, but honestly, there is so much I learn from you everyday. Thank you for teaching me to be more patient - both with you, and with myself. Thank you for not holding any grudges against me when I tell you "no" to fruit snacks for the 25th time in one day. Thank you for calling me "mama". I really, really love it. (even when you shout it really really loud!) And the list could go on...

Lastly, thank you for being my son, and for letting me be your Mother. I have looked forward to it all of my life, and I am enjoying each moment. Sometimes the moments are all too fleeting - and selfishly, I wish you could stay my baby - or now, my little boy - forever. But we have a deal (don't you know it!) that I'll love you forever and like you for always, and that as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be. I love it when you sing your part to me, because somehow, I believe it has sunk in that I will always be your Mommy and you will always be my baby.

(even when you have a house across town)

Okay, I should sign off. There's so much more I could say, but I'll save it for another day.

I love watching you learn and grow - you are a smart one.

Here's a pinch to grow an inch!

Love always,

Your (34-year-old) Momma

Asleep

This is what happens when you wake up at 5:45am

(but you usually wake up at 8am)

...

You find yourself asleep in the middle of your room

at the time you should be waking up.

(and your Momma wishes she could be sleeping right along with you!)

Flashback!

I am finally getting around to working on Aspen's Book. For Sawyer, I made a "first year" book that was short, sweet, and simple - and less complicated than most baby books. (ie a couple of fave photos from each month with a thoughtful quote, his birth day story at the end with pics from the hospital and of his birthday cake -- his fave part! -- and then a list of milestones, some of the classics like first smiles and steps but then some of our own favorites like first hike, first dip in the pool, first concert, road trip, family vacation etc.)

Anyhoo...I wanted to do something similar for the girl.

As I was looking through the old archives, a few popped out at me.

I'm not sure we ever posted this one on the ole' blog, but here is just seconds after birth, the first time she looked at me and I looked at her...(insert sniffle and tiny tear right here) Isn't she sooo wrinkly? I just love the smell of newborns. She looks chubsters to me here, even though she was pretty average at 6lbs 12oz. - well, that was a whole pound bigger than her brother, so she looked huge in comparison! Side note: I really hope the trend is not going to be that each subsequent child will be a pound heavier and an inch longer than the previous!

Here, she was 2 days old. She was born on a Saturday, came home Sunday, and this was Sunday afternoon. Her hair was so dark!

This one cracks me up. She wouldn't hold still enough to do the hearing test at the hospital, so the test-person asked if she could try the binky. I was anti-binki with Sawyer and he never took one...but I said, sure, to see if it would help with the test. Well, she loved that darn binky! She still loves it to this day! What could I do?

This one is just sweet. I gather she was about a week old, here, as I snuck in a few photos while Jacob and Sawyer drove my mom to the airport after she came to visit and help out for a few days.

With the big bro. She doesn't seem very happy here. Maybe it's because she new I was placing her in the arms of a toddler who had pneumonia? Yes, I never will forget: the day after my mother went home from helping us out - we found out Sawyer had pneumonia. So I got to start of the two-kid-tango the next day when Jacob went back to work (and for some reason he had a huge deadline at work and was pulling 70+hours that week) with a tiny girl and a sick toddler. Honestly, it wasn't half bad!

Thanks for indulging me on my little walk down memory lane. That is surely one fun part of making baby books and family albums - so much to reminisce about!

As I look at how much my children have grown since the moment I met them, my heart is filled with sadness, joy, and pride as I watch them grow. But mostly, it is filled with a greater love than I could have ever imagined, a humbling kind of love in which I would do anything in the world so that my children can be safe and happy. I sure hope they know I love them so.