My 3 Little Ducks

My favorite moments from christmas

2011-12-28T22:56:00.000-08:00

I can't believe this magical fun time of year is over.

These three little kiddos are at the perfect age for the magic.

Every morning I would have a wrapped Christmas book for each of them to open and a little treat or craft for them to enjoy while I made breakfast.

How could you not love December?

This was my favorite craft. They unwrapped the gingerbread house kit on the 22nd and where in pure sugar rush heaven all day.

I eventually had to put it up high and out of reach from the Queen of sugar, Molly.

This was the funnest craft to watch her do.

She really took an interest in those cute little snowman cutouts.

I tried making peppermint marshmallows this year.

They are surprisingly yummy.

Once again Colin and I where the only two people still awake on Christmas eve.

It has become our little secret tradition.

Its a nice quiet time for us to chat while he writes a super sweet note to Santa and we decide what things he should leave out for Santa to see.

Molly was more amazed by the magical footprints left behind then the presents he left behind.

Once everything was torn open it was time for eggs and cinnamon rolls.

Yummy!

Up late and early to rise makes for a very sleepy/bitter Molly.

She is still so cute.

Time to build.

Once we where done lounging at home we headed north to my sisters.

It was the perfect afternoon.

The kiddos spent most of the day outside riding their new bikes.

And sweet Emilie would sneak in every once in awhile to help me make noodles.

Molly's bike this year was a smoke-in fast stroller.

Emilie's gift from us was my favorite.

She got her very own Canon camera.

I love up-loading them at the end of the day to see what she sees.

Here are some of my favorites.

Emilie was the only one that took a picture of the advent calender that our amazing friend Samantha gave them.

She even captured the yummy, goodness of our cinnamon rolls.

Love this one so much.

Thank you Emilie!!

And this one of Colin and Grammy.

My Christmas cactus bloomed on Christmas day this year.

That is pretty damn special. It has never bloomed before Jan. 1st.

Thank you Christmas Cactus.

Colin's favorite gift.

It has been 3 days since Christmas and he is still playing with it non stop.

Emilie woke up this morning with the stomach flu so going to the store was out of the question which made this little helicopter pilot very happy.

That meant more air time for him.

And lots of games for all of us.

This LEGO game was a ton of fun.

But molly played my favorites with me.

Connect 4 and princess memory game.

Tomorrow is another day closer to the new year.

Time is going way too fast.

Happy birthday!

2011-12-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

This little cutie turned 7 this weekend.

(Pictures from Colin's 1st birthday)

I can't believe that he is 7.

I can't believe I have a 7 year old.

He is such an amazing, kind, funny, smart boy.

For the last 3 of his birthdays we have either been in Hawaii or Mexico.

When it came time to plan his big day his first question was "where are we going this year for my birthday?"

Sorry kiddo.

This year we are staying home.

But, you can have 4 friends over for a fun sleepover.

As his friends arrived he really wanted them to have a Lego t-shirt that they could make themselves.

He even made one for Molly.

Of all of the games we played, frogs in a cup was the funnest to watch.

The movie choice was made by Doug.

Thunderbirds are go!

It was a movie Doug use to watch as a kid and the boys got a huge kick out of it.

He really wanted a Lego cake.

The only thing I could think of was to make 4 small different colored cakes, cut them into little rectangles and then piece them all together into the shape of a seven and cover it all up with white frosting.

It actually turned out pretty good.

Those where the only candles I could find. Thankfully my kids are use to that sort of thing and just roll with.

They are awesome like that..

After cake for breakfast everyone headed out to the park for some nurf time.

One of my favorite things was the personalized Jone's soda we had made for him.

There was even room on the back for a message to him.

Love, love, love JONES soda!

We lucked out and had a groupon for buy one case get one free.

Once all of his friends went home he was able to start in on many days of Lego building.

His party with friends was a week before his actual big day.

His family party that was the night before his birthday and was at my sisters home.

Thank you Ann Marie for letting us take over your home!

You are an amazing Auntie and sister!

I love this picture.

I love how young he looks.

LEGO's, LEGO's and some more LEGO's

The first birthday that he doesn't want a LEGO set will be so sad for me.

What age do you think that will be?

I couldn't resit getting a picture of the girls with my sisters dog Louie.

Molly's hair always looks messed up.

I really need to deal with that....

Thank you G-mama!!

I'm sure LEGO's will be bought with this!

We love and miss you tons!!!

The next morning was finally the big day!

He was officially 7

And one more set of LEGO's

And one more day of building.

While Colin built Doug and Molly read us a fun story.

Pancakes shaped liked present for breakfast and one more happy birthday song.

His last surprise was a trip to the motorcycle show with dad.

Poor Doug had to pry the LEGO's out of Colin's hands to get him to go. Once Colin found out where they where going he was super excited!

That night the kiddo got to spend the night with my mom and Doug and I got to spend the night having a ton of fun at a holiday party.

Thank you Grammy!

Now its time to get ready for Christmas...

The sillies

2011-12-08T21:24:00.001-08:00

Tonight was ending like any other night.

Me vacuuming, wiping counters down, and picking up ~~crap~~ toys left behind.

The kiddo's where eating just one more food item before heading off to bed

When it happened...

They found something that made them laugh crazy hard!

Colin would pick a crayon and Emilie would cover her eyes and guess the color of the crayon he picked.

She thought that was the funniest thing ever.

She has the best laugh!

Together they make the cutest thing ever.

Gotta love the sleepy sillies

Moments...

2011-12-05T20:33:00.001-08:00

Goodbye November...Hello December!

Before I start in on December here are my two favorite photo's from thanksgiving weekend.

Emilie's Black Friday brunch

And Maxi dogs pre thanksgiving snack.

The flour on his face is from the cutting board that my noodles where resting on.

Time to head over to December.

There is some serious cuteness happening.

I love how we get our crafting on in December.

So many options and so few days.

One morning the kiddos and I spent 2 hours trying to make snowflakes.

Thanks to Pinterest we finally got it done.

I know.

We rock.

(hahahahah)

Even this little nugget is getting her crafting on.

I'm lucky enough to have a friend who teaches ceramics and invited us to join in.

Time to get moving.

In true My 3 little ducks fashion it was time to go, go, go.

All of this crafting has made this mama ready to get out and see the big city.

First stop, Seattle center.

Every year we try to visit the giant model train.

Every time we go to Seattle center we ooh and ahh over the giant fountain.

This year we added in the carousel and I even captured proof that I was there.

It wouldn't be a trip without the sea gulls stalking the kiddos and their popcorn.

Once home we scored and had front row seats to the Santa/firetruck show.

Sunday night we rounded out the weekend with a trip to Bellevue to see snowflake lane and the drummers show.

It was fantastic!

I'm loving all of this sister love that has been happening. {finally}

Everyday I look at Molly I'm reminded that everything about this time of year is new and amazing to her. The lights, sounds, energy and love that is all around her is fun to see through her beautiful blue eyes.

Her excitement for the season is fantastic!

The best part of snowflake lane is the snowflakes and watching the kiddos try to catch them.

Our last, very cold stop was at the botanical gardens.

Amazing

These stinkers are so use to having the camera in their face that they know when it is this dark out I probably can't see them thorough the lens.

Surprise!

Say hello to the flash!

{hahahahahaha}

Happy holidays!

cold...

2011-11-21T22:18:00.001-08:00

Our weekend started mellow.

Drawing, breakfast and some more drawing.

Emilie has come so far with her drawings.

She is finally proud of what she draws.

We have always been proud of her.

It's nice to see her proud of herself.

We then moved on to painting Colin's room.

I let the kiddos color on the walls while I taped and filled many, many holes.

The freedom of coloring on walls was a ton of fun.

Sunday morning we watched and cheered on Emilie as she sang with her preschool class in church.

It's amazing watching my little girl sing on a stage that Colin sang on just a few short years ago.

We finished the weekend with a very cold walk minus Molly.

Looking back at the pictures from this weekend little miss Molly is absent in all of them.

Poor girl has been trying to fight off a nasty cold by sleeping, sleeping and more sleeping.

While she napped the two older kiddos and I headed out for some much needed fresh air.

We have all been feeling very cooped up and needed to get out and reset.

The signs of winter are everywhere.

I love that my kiddos like to be in front of the camera.

And love to be together.

We then started the week with some more crafting.

I love how their crafts turned out.

And for Molly's....

We are still waiting on little miss.

Happy Monday!

Weekend...

2011-11-13T21:15:00.001-08:00

I know its coming....

Days filled with rain, wind and darkness.

Until then, I'm going to try to get every sunny day picture I can.

Little miss has become a pretty amazing photographer.

By Christmas she will have a much better camera.

Until then she is stuck with our original 3.5 mp camera.

I ~~think~~ I know the camera on my iPhone has more mp.

She took this photo of guys right before they left for their weekend trip to Port Townsend.

While the boys where away on their trip we played with play-dough...

Stayed the night at Aunties (my sister and Maxie dogs brother's) home.

And Emilie's favorite part, sweet little Louie.

The softest and sweetest dog.

Then the big surprise!

Emilie got her ears pierced!!

Before

She did so GREAT!!

I am so proud of her.

She sat so tall and brave. She only cried right after it was done because she said "the snapping sound scared her."

It was strange, amazing and emotional to be sitting in front of my first little girl watching her get her ears pierced.

Time is moving so fast.

After

She continues to amaze me everyday!

Happy Monday.

Day of pasta and music

2011-11-09T20:49:00.001-08:00

My youngest started Tuesday Morning at 5 AM.

That makes for a very long day for this mom.

She is so darn cute.

Even at 5 AM

Once we said our see ya's to Emilie and Colin we got moving on making noodles.

My plan was to make as many as I could.

After many detours we ended up getting only two batches done.

One regular and one spinach.

With many detours we finally got it done.

She at least tried to clean up her mess.

Between noodle batches we took a pause to dance.

Love on our babies

And play dress up.

A few hours later Emilie was back from school and we dance some more...

And played some tunes on the piano.

Molly was amazed by the awesomeness of the player piano.

I was amazed that she would sit and watch.

Even though it was a very long day we still found ways to have a good time.

Thankful

2011-11-07T20:18:00.000-08:00

The last few months I've learned a lot.

Mostly about myself.

In that time I've also realized how important it is to have people around who want to know me for me.

No matter how many ups and down I have.

For that I am very Thankful.

I am thankful for this little guy.

And thankful that he still loves that I volunteer in his class and say hi to him at recess.

He thinks this is a better picture.

He doesn't like that you can see his teeth in his school picture.

I think that is the best part!

I am thankful for my new favorite space in my home and its perfect view of outside.

I love that our loft is my office/sewing room.

No toys, no random storage.

All mine and no clutter.

Perfect!

I am thankful for daylight savings and the extra hour I got Sunday.

I just need this little nugget to figure it out.

She was up at 430 Monday morning and very bitter by 430 this afternoon.

Sleep came very early tonight for her.

And can't come fast enough for me.

Have a great Tuesday!

Bring on November...

2011-11-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

Soccer season is over!!!

It was fun, but now it's time to move on to warm and dry sports.

Colin loved soccer.

He loved hanging with this friends and was all smiles rain or shine.

Emilie loved soccer.

She was serious and focused on the ball at all times.

After Emilie's last soccer game for the season we hurried home to join in on the fun at the neighborhood Halloween party.

Halloween on Monday is hard!

Everyone starts celebrating on Friday has some more fun Saturday, drags it out Sunday and brings it home on Monday.

Phew!

I was done by 8:00 PM Monday. Decorations where pulled down, thrown into the green and orange tubs and candy bags where dropped into my lap by 9.

done....

Next Holiday please...

Since Halloween was 4 days this year Colin got to be as many things/people that he wanted.

One day Batman the next day a fireman.

This was also the first Halloween Molly "got it"

She like the pumpkin carving

Loved the dressing up like a princess

And went crazy over Trick-or-Treating

Who needs the sidewalk when you can cut through the yard.

We finished the night off with an amazing pirate ship/ haunted house combo.

Amazing!!

Doug made the perfect B.A. for Colin.

They where both very proud.

Emilie had her school party on Monday.

So cute!

Now that Halloween is over we are able to settle into fall and truly love the crisp sunny days and

Enjoy new found treasures in the house.

I found the perfect paint project for Molly.

The kind that already has paint on the page.

This little nugget still finds a way to make a mess even with just water but it is so much easier to clean up.

Emilie also loves it.

And our new way of keeping her hair out of her face.

So cute!

I'm loving the slow pace that everyone moves in this time of year.

Happy fall!!

Now I need to find a good fall picture I can make my November banner...

Was in need of some great quotes

2011-10-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

I needed a good quote session this evening. They always make me feel content.

"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning."

-J.B. Priestle

"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it our you can use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something you have left behind...let it be something good."

- Author Unknown

When you rise in the morning, form a resolution to make the day a happy one for a fellow creature."

- Sydney Smith

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."

- Carl Bard

"I have always felt that the moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the 24 hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there."

- Monica Baldwin

And this one.

I will force myself to read this one every morning until I can recite it perfectly to my children in the AM.
I will ~~probably~~ change the word henceforth. (I spit ~~a little~~, a lot when I say henceforth)

"I will greet this day with love in my heart. And how will I do this? Henceforth will I look on all things with love and will be born again. I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way: yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness as it enlarges my heart: yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge reward for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge."

- Og Mandino

Bring it!

Is it Thursday or Monday?

2011-10-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

September and October have flown by.

I thought having a kiddo in school all day would give me soooo much time.

Wrong!

My days are busier. How did this happen?

What crazy realm did I enter?

A year ago my days started mellow and slow.

Now they start full speed and I'm constantly saying "wait for me" to this little nugget.

While her brother and sister color and write amazing stories, Molly is usually bouncing, jumping, running, swinging, leaping around them.

Breakfast is pretty easy since I can still strap her in.

Then we are off again to the races...

Races being dropping Colin off at school.

Even though the bus stops right in front of my home I'm not ready to say goodbye to Colin for the day there. I love seeing him walk into is class. I love seeing his sweet smile one more time.

The same smile that I will miss all day until I see him at that same door at 3:40.

Then I turn around and see these cuties waiting for me in their best Pacific Northwest attire.

Smile...

then remember that they will run me rigid today, tomorrow and a week from now.

On this beautiful fall day I got to have this one all to myself. My best friend took my littlest for the morning so that I could hug this one with both of my arms.

Her favorite part of the pumpkin patch was the animals.

She LOVES animals.

Emilie has a very sensitive spirit. ~~I think~~...I know that the unconditional love that animals give is just what this little miss needs. I'm sure that's why her and Max (our dog) have become so close.

He gets her and she get him.

She tries everyday to be the very best Emilie.

Some days are just a little too hard.

We will always be here to remind her that we love every Emilie.

This is the only time of year that I make treats.

It's so much fun to make something "cute".

I can finally get away with my stuff not looking so great because it fits in with the season!

I've been trying to let Molly do more "crafting."

I'll let you know how it turns out tomorrow. It is still drying.

It might take more then 24 hours...

Then I look behind me and see the amazing creations that Colin made.

Sometimes I get overly focus on Molly's craziness and Emilie's sadness that I miss out on Colin and all that he has to offer.

Everyday his mind is growing by leaps and bounds and I want to see every leap and bound.

So amazing.

And so darn cute.

(I love his shaggy hair. I promise him we would get it cut Friday)

I know this post is little extra mushy for me but these last few months have really aged me.

I found out who my true friends are.

The kind of friends that you can call at 2 in the morning and they show up no matter what.

I found out who I am...

And I really like her.

I was reminded that my family is amazing and I am so lucky to have all of them (you) in my life.

I realized that I really do hate fall sports in the Northwest but this little miss doesn't.

She LOVES soccer and is amazing at it.

She is one tough little chick.

Which means this mom-ma needs to learn to love soccer too.

At least tolerate it.

And this little dude tolerates soccer.

But loves being outside with friends.

Even in the windy, cold Northwest rain.

~~I think.~~ I know I am back to blogging. It felt so good to get pictures up and words typed up.

This is really all of the pictures I've taken this month. Between the rain and the marathons that Molly likes us to join her on its been too hard to lug Nikon around. I need a cute little pocket camera to capture her mid race.

All in all it has been a great, hard, emotional roller coaster but fun month.

I'm back?

2011-10-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

Every day goes by so fast and by the end of the day all I want to do is sit down with my glass of wine and watch another new fantastic show that my DVR magically recorded.

Which is exactly what I am about to do.

Castle is calling my name with a side of Raising Hope.

Between TV shows I've been having way too much fun with friends.

Watching Emilie master her bicycle.

Thankful that Molly is finally loving to paint...on her paper.

And admire Colin's tower skills.

Since school has started I amazed at how busy we are.

but everyday is a ton of fun and loving every minute of it.

Time to go, Castle is starting!!

Have a fantastic Saturday!!

and......I'm back....

2011-09-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

This poor, little ole' blog has been lonely....

No worries...I'm back.

I spent the last week with these lovely ladies in Mexico.

No kids. No husbands.

Just great friends, family, conversations, drinks, sleep, sun and no place to be but poolside.

And releasing baby Tortuga's into the Pacific ocean.

Yes! It was amazing!

These little cuties are collected when they are still in their soft white shell and transferred to a safe location.

There they spend 45 days give or take a day.

The evening that we watched the above turtles hatch, we helped release 300 little Tortuga's to be free in the Pacific.

So cool!

Go, Go Go!

Don't laugh too hard...

I was super excited and the picture was taken with a iPhone.

Once home I had to figure out how to be a mom and a wife again.

It was hard...

For 5 days I always had somebody saying "Whatever you want."

Now I know what it is like to be one of my kiddos.

Thank God she she waited until the day I came home to do this.

She is such an amazing little 4 1/2 year old.

Tuesday she told us that she didn't want training wheels on her "princess bike."

By Wednesday she was riding around the skate park like an old pro.

Amazing...

I love my vacations but I love being home with my family even more.

Now off to bed...

first grade....

2011-09-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

This awesome kid started first grade today.

And there where tears...from me.

Colin was totally cool about the whole thing.

He was a little nervous.

The only way I could tell was that he was very quiet and picking at his thumb nail.

This year he {we} are lucky because this super cool dude is in his class with him.

{note the thumb picking. Totally my fault, I will admit it}

Off he went to his future of all day school, packed lunches and more time away from me then with me during the day.

{cue: sobbing}

Once at his desk he found a bag of treasures his super cool teacher had left for him.

Teachers are so awesome.

6 hours and 40 min. later his school day was over and with camera in hand I was the first mamma waiting outside the classroom door.

Phew...Only more then I can count days to go.

Next stop, our new tradition {thanks to Aunt Sally for the awesome idea}.

Chocolate cream pie. yum, yum, yummy!

We all made it through the day and are ready for tomorrow....

Maybe...

such a great kid

I linked this post up over at mama kats
and
JDaniel4's Mom's back to school link up
There should have been a cute picture here for their link ups but blogger wasn't cooperating

Perfect long weekend...

2011-09-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

Our weekend started out perfect.

Leftover donuts and tea{water}. yum.

Next stop was an amazing cruise around Lake Union and Lake Washington to Celebrate Doug's parents 50th Anniversary.

Molly came for pictures at the beginning and then went home with my sister.

The boat ride would have been way to hard with her.

Colin and Em did awesome.

Can anyone guess who's home this is.

Here is a hint...Microsoft...

One of the many great parts of the cruise.

Even Emilie's doll {Dora} got to drive the boat.

Can't beat the Seattle skyline.

{taken on my iPhone}

The next day Doug and I left the kiddos with my mom and headed home to get ready for a dinner party with 5 fantastic couples at the amazing B family's home.

It was such a great night!

Fantastic food, drinks and company.

Sunday we heading back up north to get the kiddos and head over to a fun BBQ with family.

We then spent Monday doing nothing but enjoying the sun.

I was also trying not to think about the fact that Colin is starting first grade Tuesday.

First grade....

At school all day...

There is going to be a lot of tears flowing for this Mamma tomorrow.

Before that happens Doug and the kiddos had some more backyard fun.

Hope everyone had a great Labor day weekend.

I know we did.

Weekend Juice deal!

2011-09-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

HELLO FRIDAY!!!

I am so happy you are finally here.

We have such a fun packed weekend about to happen and I can't wait to get it rolling.

Today's Juice in the City deal is fantastic!

I love home delivery service's, especially if I have a great deal to get them cheaper.

Thank you Juice!

Go grab this deal and have a fantastic weekend!!!

Seattle is just one of the many City's that Juice is in.

If you don't live in the Seattle area Check and see if they are in a city near you.

Don't forget to follow them on Facebook and/or twitter.

Disclaimer: The last part of this post is sponsored by Juice in the City and I’ll receive compensation as a thank you for posting about the Juice in the City daily deals. All statements and opinions are mine.

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keep calm...

2011-08-31T00:37:00.000-07:00

This morning was hard.

Lots of thoughts sprinted from one side of brain to the next.

While I was dealing with my thoughts and ignoring my children my youngest was dealing with her own issues her own way.

Covering them with bandages that have the perfect message.

Molly still has no idea how perfect her message was.

When I woke up this morning I had to decide if I was going to start a new business. Which I did.

And how to deal with a sick parakeet.

The parakeet (Birdie) I love, very much.

I wasn't sure how to put a price tag on her and take her to the vet $

I know that sounds awful but I am being honest.

WE love her.

She is very special to us and

she has brought a lot of joy to us.

I ended up taking her to the vet today and in the end found out our time with her is very limited.

that sucks...

Death sucks...

We love you Birdie

and I'm sorry we will have to say goodbye.

It was a haul...

2011-08-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of years Doug and I have celebrated our anniversary by going on a hike with our kiddos somewhere around Mount Rainier.

This year for our 8th anniversary we packed up the family and headed out to get a closer look at the giant Mountain we see everyday behind our home.

This years drive was 100 times easier then years past. One year I was pregnant with Molly and the next two years Molly would cry and cry in her car seat.

This year the whole trip was fun not just the hiking part.

To get to the mountain for us we drive up hwy. 410, then turn off onto the very beautiful hwy 123 which not only frames amazing views of the mountain

but also takes you threw some awesome tunnels.

Reflection lakes

And then finally Paradise.

On this small ridge you can start hiking and then visit the Paradise inn and the Henry M. Jackson Memorial visitor Center.

It was such a beautiful Pacific Northwest day and the temperature was a perfect 71 degrees up at 5400ft.

All Emilie wanted to do was play in the snow and honestly I thought this was as far as we would go.

I was wrong.

See the trail behind the girls.

We followed it as far as we could.

These stairs are amazing.

Can you imagine building this staircase?

That is some serious dedication to this park and the folks that visit it by the people who did.

Still going up...

For most of the hike Emilie would run ahead and we would have to tell her to wait for us.

At this point in the hike we where at about 6000 feet.

Little miss has some amazing lungs and legs.

It felt so amazing to be this high up and to be able to share it with my kids.

Even they where blown away by the beauty of the views and the land we where walking on.

At one point in the hike Colin turned around and thanked Doug and I for picking such an awesome place to live.

That's Mount Adams behind them

I tried the entire hike to get a good group shot.

This is as good as it gets...

We almost made it to Panorama point (the folks behind Colin) which is at 6800 feet but little toes and hands where starting to get cold.

We started at 5400 feet and almost went 6800 feet.

That is awesome for a 6, 4 and 2 year old!

Doug took this picture of me with his iPhone.

He thought my power stance was sooooo funny.

He's right I am really funny looking. I wish I had more of these kind of pictures.

Here is the picture I was trying to taking.

You can see the trail we hiked up.

Power hiker Emilie

Colin with Mount Adams in the back ground.

Molly got a free ride down the mountain.

I let her run free one last time before we finished the hike.

If you look real close you can see Colin and Emilie off to the right.

She mostly wanted to just run threw the puddles.

The snow was old news.

Emilie free to be...

The kiddos wanted to do one more short hike to Edith creek falls.

This is where we hiked to last time.

The park was doing a survey on tail use and for doing it they gave the kiddos stickers.

The stickers really summed the day up.

Living in Northwest can get pretty depressing at times with all of the rain, clouds and rain.

We start to forget the reasons we have for living here.

And just when you think you can't take anymore

the sun shows up and we remember why we live here.

trying to be better...

2011-08-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

The kiddos and I spent Monday and Tuesday at my sisters hanging with my niece {who is 18} Allie.

Tuesday morning the kiddos and I headed out to go spend some much need time in the sun until I realized that I forgot to bring shoes for Colin.

I know, I know!

How do I forget shoes for one of my kids. Its actually very easy to do. I've forgotten shoes at least once for each of my kids.

At home I park in the garage and my kids usually run out to the car barefoot. Because of that I usually have a spare pair in the car.

With all of the trips we have been on lately my car is taped dry of spare shoes.

Off to Target we went before we headed to the park.

And yes my son was at Target barefoot in a shopping cart.

And yes I am sure I wasn't at Walmart.

A special treat for Emilie and Molly was that all of the shoes where on sale.

Today I watched my girls drool over shoes and I quickly realized that they still love their SeeKaiRun shoes that they worked super hard for, but in the end you can't beat Dora and Belle {and two of her friends}

Colin picked out some fantastic Converse All Stars and we where on our way to St. Edwards park in Kirkland.

Years and years ago when I first moved to Washington I nannied for some amazing families. One of those families had two boys that loved this park. We would spend hours here and I always imagined spending hours here with my own kids.

Today I finally got to!!

Years and years ago is was free to play here. Now it is $10!

With that said the kiddos and I spent 3 1/2 hours here playing, biking and hiking.

I think. I know we go our moneys worth.

This amazing building is at the heart of the park

The second leg of our adventure was bikes and strollers.

Molly got a kick out of herself and her stroller pushing skills.

Third and the longest leg was the hike.

The kiddos did great.

Molly and her amazing talent with accessories looked great hiking with her pearls.

This would be my new favorite picture if Colin wasn't blurry. :-(

Even with my under prepared shoes the hike was perfect and my feet felt amazing.

Thank you Chaco's!!

What would have these kiddos so interested?

Spiders web? Maybe.

Can you see it?

No.

Can you see the tiny green worm moving down the stem?

That's what got them so excited.

After such an action packed afternoon we needed some very cold ice cream.

I love how my two little book ends just love their ice cream and how my sweet little middle child feels she needs to analyze hers.

The rest of the day was spent riding bikes with friends and fun baths in Auntie's giant bath tub.

Happy trails!

exit this way

2011-08-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Living in the Pacific Northwest we have adapted to the cloudy days, surprise rain showers and wind storms.

But...

When that amazing ball of warmth in the sky shows up we drop whatever we are doing and run to the nearest exit.

Hopefully with some friends in tow.

This weekends exit was to the cabin for two days with friends in tow!!!

The kiddos squeezed every ounce of the day out.

They also informed us that 7 PM is the perfect time for a little dip in the very cold ocean water.

And a walk with a good friend.

The best part for me was sitting next to my good friend as we watched our kiddos play and make memories together.

We {the kiddos} ended the evening with warm blankets, yummy popcorn and a fun movie

We {the parents} ended our evening with warm blankets, yummy wine and amazing views from the deck.

Once morning came and the tide headed out so did the little's with their imagination and swimsuits.

And of course trucks.

A day with out digging for Colin just isn't a day well done.

Molly learned the difference between ocean water and lake water.

She was not pleased with that life lesson.

Max earned his expert diving certificate this weekend.

Most of the time he would bring up barnacled covered rocks. But sometimes he would bring up a pretty oyster shell.

Rest and love was next on his to do list.

{Lots of love}

Even if it was from a distance.

hahahaha.

Anyone old enough to remember Kids in the Hall?

And then some more rest.

Once we squeezed out as much of the day as we could and {older and wiser} Molly was tan{ish} it was time to start packing up.

One more swim for the kids

The two older kiddos had to be bribed out of the water with the promise of a warm shower, yummy dinner and cozzy PJ's for the ride home.

As all of this was going down Emilie became a victim to the calming sound of the waves.

With all great trips it is always hard to say goodbye.

But nice knowing that we will be back many, many times to this amazing place.

And lots of memories will and are being made.

Happy Tuesday!

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

Last but not least

This beautiful, amazing women turned 18 this week.

{It makes me tear up just writing that.}

A few months ago she let me tag along with her and her mom{my sister} to check out some colleges.

And now she is an adult.

Time is slipping away way to fast.

We love you Allie,

Sooooooooooooooooo much!

Back to reality...and a Juicy deal

2011-08-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

The last few days in Montana where perfect.

Everyone did one more jump into the lake.

Little miss has the best little step in jump.

Max has us all beat.

That is some serious focus.

It wouldn't be a trip without a camp fire and smores.

I think ours was just a little too hot.

The next morning we went on a very peaceful breakfast cruise on the barge.

The lake is such a magical place.

Spending the early hours with my family on it made it 100 times better.

{I didn't even think that was possible}

And then to see this mamma with her three little ducks was the icing on the cake.

{yes mom, that is the side of the cabin and yes the chalk came off. :-) }

I was very thankful for the one more mountain bike ride I got in so I could eat up this few until next time.

The next day, with lots of dragging feet {mostly mine} we headed out on our 10 hour drive.

This time following Doug on his bike across two states and many mountain ranges.

Once home I was on a mission to start and finish a birthday present for my amazing friend Molly.

I still can't believe I was able to get it done.

She{Molly} was worth every stitch!

Happy birthday to my sweet, amazing, and kind friend.

Patiently my {little} Molly was lounging on the couch and loving being home.

Slowly we are getting back to normal but also counting down the days until we go back.

{160 days}

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

Now I have a Juicy deal for you!

$10 for $20 Worth of Pizza at Round Table Pizza

Redeemable at the following locations:

1. Isaaquah Location: 730 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah 98027
2. Woodinville Location: 17600 140th Ave NE, Woodinville 98072

I am always looking for a reason not to make dinner. Really any meal but mostly dinner.

Having a deal this great will get me and the kiddos out for sure this week.

Expires on August 19, 2012.
Referral credits are not earned on Juicy Deals.
Valid at the following 2 locations: Issaquah at 730 NW Gilman Blvd and Woodinville at 17600 140th Ave NE. Entire value must be used in one transaction. Excludes tax.

Click over to Juice ,get this amazing deal before it goes away and plan a time to go out and have some great pizza.

Seattle is just one of the many City's that Juice is in.

If you don't live in the Seattle area Check and see if they are in a city near you.

Don't forget to follow them on Facebook and/or twitter.

Have a Fantastic Weekend!!

Another great day!

2011-08-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

Good morning!

Mornings here are perfect.

Calm, quiet, peaceful.

Even when these three jokers break the morning silence.

Droopy drawers, Clown pants and princess.

The last couple of mornings I've been able to sneak out onto the dock without being spotted and have enjoyed some much needed quiet time.

I also like saying good morning to the huge trout that likes to sleep on our ladder.

He has been there every morning and is the perfect reminder of how amazing this lake is.

The girls added their own touch of magic to the cabin this year.

We ventured away from the cabin today and went to play on the Alpine slide up on The Big Mountain in Whitefish.

I love this mountain.

I learned how to ski on this mountain when I was Colin's age and grew up spending winters here with my family.

Seeing it in the summer with my little family was such a treat.

Emilie went first and was all smiles.

Molly was a little worried about her (or at least her dad).

Next went Colin.

All he wanted was to go super fast!

Emilie was very concerned about him

Last but not least.

Home-girl

She was in heaven!!

Don't tell her but Colin and Emilie got to go a second time.

We have been doing a ton of bike riding.

Mostly in the yard and on other kids stuff

Isn't that what vacations are all about.

Just doing whatever.

Hopefully this weekend will be filled with motorcycle rides with friends, mountain bike rides, and lots of turtle spotting.

And sink baths by a

home-girl that has realized that she hates showers.

With all the crazy things that she does throughout the day with her larger then life personality I love that she can still fit in a little sink.

After all she is my baby and she is really funny.

Even though you are not here with us you can still do something very fun this weekend if you live in the Seattle area.

Rays Boathouse is the Juice in the City's deal this weekend.

And I thought the aquarium deal was awesome.

This is fantastic!

Today's deal will get you $30 worth of food and drinks at Ray's Boathouse for a mere $15, so catch it quickly and enjoy a memorable meal out.

Fine Print

Expires on February 12, 2012.
Referral credits are not earned on Juicy Deals.
Only 200 available.
Entire value must be used in one transaction. Excludes tax and gratuity. Must present JITC Deal Code printout to redeem. Limit one per person.

Click over to Juice ,get this amazing deal before it goes away and plan a time to go out and have some amazing food.

Seattle is just one of the many City's that Juice is in.

If you don't live in the Seattle area Check and see if they are in a city near you.

Don't forget to follow them on Facebook and/or twitter.

Have a fantastic weekend!

I took this moment

2011-08-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

I decided to break away from doing the perfect amount of nothing to remind you of the amazing Company that Juice in the City is.

Juice in the City has been working incredibly hard these last two weeks to bring all of us in the Seattle area amazing deals.

If you have been missing them you can sign up for their deals.

Seattle is just one of the many City's that Juice is in.

Check and see if they are in a city near you.

And you can always follow them on Facebook and/or twitter.

I am so grateful that I have been able to be apart of their Seattle launch.

Today's deal is very cool!

My nephew is an amazing baseball player and this totally reminds me of something he would use.

My little guy is just starting out with baseball and this would be perfect for him too!

$14.00 for a half hour of batting practice and free soda

at Field of Champions in Preston

Fine Print

Expires on December 30, 2011.
Limit 4 per child; limit one per visit. Good for a 30-minute rental of retractable or automatic batting cage at Field of Champions facility and one soda. Entire value must be used in one transaction. Reservation required. Must present JITC Deal Code to redeem.

away we go...

2011-08-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

While I wondered around the house trying to remember things to pack for our Montana trip little home girl worked on her painting skills with her brother.

As I remembered something it would get thrown into one of the many piles.

-Kitchen

-medicine related stuff

-clothing

Eventually we made it out of the house, as we always do and only 30 minutes behind schedule.

Away we went making our way East to Montana.

With a fun ice cream pit stop 5 hours into our 10 hour drive to lift some spirits.

Mostly mine.

That is one lloonnggg drive.

But so worth it.

I love seeing their smiles while floating in crystal clear water

And the amazing mountains behind them.

And miles of smiles when they hang with Grammy.

Unless you are Molly.

She always has miles of smiles for us.

If you are back at home I have some awesome info for you!

Juice in the City's deal this Monday is amazing!!

Seattle Aquarium!!

Good for 1 adult and 1 child

Price is only $15.00 with a $31.00 value

This is such a fantastic deal.

We LOVE, LOVE the Seattle aquarium

And we are always looking for fun things to do in the city and this is for sure one of our favorites!

Even if you don't live in the Seattle area check and see if there is a Juice in your city!

You can sign up for Juice in the City's daily deals so you never miss a great deal. And of course you can follow them on Facebook and/or twitter.

Finally....

2011-08-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

It took me a week, but I finally got last weekends adventures up.

Between packing for our trip back to Montana for a few weeks and getting a nasty cold I couldn't get it together to hang out with my computer.

Plus...Little home girl some how turned off my wireless and I just got it back up and running this morning.

Last weekend we decided to to take a quick trip down to the Gig Harbor cabin.

And it never disappoints.

The tide was pretty low when we pulled up and Doug couldn't resist trying to find some crab.

Once the car was in park he ran down to the beach with his trusty sidekick Max.

Colin always finds the best sand on this very rough beach.

Emilie finally lets herself get sandy.

Molly and I found 2 spider crabs hiding in the sea weed.

We found a ton of hermit crabs on this visit and Emilie found this big (for us) one.

And the starfish!

Oh my goodness they were everywhere!!

Amazing!

In so many different colors and sizes.

This was the first time any of us had seen so many babies.

As always the B family amazed us with dinner.

What would we do without you guys?

It wouldn't be a day without bubbles and ice cream.

And friends who are always there for us.

Thank you B family for spending the day with us.

As always once the tide comes in it time to head home.

Recently two amazing gals told me about the Flat Iron Grill in Issaquah.

It is all of our lucky day!

Flat Iron Grill is today's deal!!

After last week I honestly didn't think the deals could get any better!

Price $20.00 for $40.00 worth of amazing steak and seafood with South American influences.

Fine Print

Expires on August 5, 2012.
Only 1000 available.
Limit one JITC Deal Code per visit. Cannot be combined with any other discounts, promotions or offers. Not valid on Happy Hour pricing. Not valid towards alcoholic beverages. Entire value must be used in one transaction. Excludes tax and gratuity.

Also!

Even if you don't live the Seattle area check and see if there is a Juice in your city!

You can sign up for Juice in the City's daily deals so you never miss a great deal. And of course you can follow them on Facebook and/or twitter.

Have a fantastic weekend!!

Enjoy the sun while you can...

2011-08-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

That's the motto for the summer of 2011.

One day the sun is shining and warming our soul.

Then the next day it's gone and left behind puddles and grey clouds.

Friday was one of our lucky sunny days

In the car we loaded and off we cruised to the Bellevue Art fair.

I've never been to the fair, mostly because I'm not very good at dealing with crowds.

I sucked it up this time and I'm really glad I did.

The kids and I had an amazing time.

Did I forget to mention we wrangled my mom into coming with us?

Thank goodness she was there.

If she hadn't been there Molly would never have been able to get out of the stroller.

The best part of the fair was the kids fair. There was a ton of hands on activities and smiles from my kiddos.

My mom hanging with us at the fair gave me perfect little alone moments with Emilie.

And Colin

Just when my kiddos thought their day couldn't get any better my mom took it to the next level.

The Disney store

And the Lego store

As with all great Fridays ours ended with great friends and yummy food.

Then little L man stole the show with his dance moves and his...

Binkie storage moves.

Nicely done little man.

Just in-case you needed a closer look...

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

Now I have a big surprise for you that will help make your Monday not so Monday.

Juice in the City's deal for today is tucked in across from Willows Lodge...

Drum roll please....

The Barking Frog in Woodinville.

The price is only $15.00 for $30.00 per person (not per table) at one of the most highly touted dining establishments in the entire Northwest.

There are only 200 available and 1 per person.

Hurry up,grab one and let your friends, family, any one visiting the Seattle area know.

Fine print: Limit one per person. Entire value must be used in one transaction. Excludes tax and gratuity. Must present JITC Deal Code printout to redeem.

Expires 6 months after the deal appears on the web site.

Don't forget to sign up for Juice in the City's daily deals so you never miss a great deal. And of course you can follow them on Facebook and/or twitter.

Have a fantastic Monday!!

My 3 Little Ducks

My favorite moments from christmas

Happy birthday!

The sillies

Moments...

cold...

Weekend...

Day of pasta and music

Thankful

Bring on November...

Was in need of some great quotes

Is it Thursday or Monday?

I'm back?

and......I'm back....

first grade....

Perfect long weekend...

Weekend Juice deal!

$18 for 1 Week Delivery of Organic Fruit & Vegetables

About This Deal

Questions?

keep calm...

It was a haul...

trying to be better...

exit this way

Back to reality...and a Juicy deal

$10 for $20 Worth of Pizza at Round Table Pizza

Another great day!

Fine Print

I took this moment

Fine Print

away we go...

Finally....

Fine Print

Enjoy the sun while you can...