We had so much fun spending five days in Seattle with our families. Most of the time when we go up it's for a jam-packed short weekend and we end up running around like crazy. This time we still ran around like crazy but there was a lot of time to relax and do our favorite Seattle things!

We started off the weekend with a lovely birthday dinner date at Revel in Fremont. I've been wanting to eat here for months and we were not disappointed.




The next day was Valentine's day so we spent the day as a family running around Seattle. We visited Kyle's Mom at her office and looked down on the Seattle from high up, walked to Pike Place Market, had Beecher's Mac and Cheese for lunch, stopped by Cupcake Royale for a treat and finally enjoyed a Valentine's dinner with our friends.











It was a very fun Valentine's.

On Friday the weather was looking pretty grey and drizzly but we decided to take advantage of being in Seattle and go to the Woodland Park Zoo. By the time we loaded up, stopped at Honoré for lattés and treats, and go to the zoo it was beautiful out! Not a cloud in the sky! It also happened to be the day at the zoo they were debuting four baby lion cubs! We really lucked out and had a wonderful day. After the morning at the zoo we swung by Paseo to pick up food for lunch (yum!) We spent the evening in with Kyle's folks cooking up the fresh fish we bought at Pike Place.

Saturday we met up in the morning with my best friend and her family for coffee, then in the evening we went out for a birthday dinner with my twin brother, sister, her husband and their baby boy at Serious Pie!

Sunday we had a little birthday brunch with my family and our friends before heading home.

It was a truly wonderful weekend.

Continued from Birch Bay: Part One...

On Sunday morning we woke up early again, but this time I was ready. Ready for coooofffffffffeeeeeee!, for reading books on the couch, for walks on the beach. We were planning to head for home during Gwyneth's morning nap so we spent the morning caffeinating and packing up. Gigi is in love with Who Will Comfort Toffle? which was a gift. It's from Sweden and it's beautifully illustrated. She spent the morning in her cozies, finding and comforting Toffle with kisses.

We got dressed and headed down the waterfront to say goodbye to the great blue herons who flew by and the tiny little crab we discovered. When I was a kid I loved turning over "big" rocks to reveal scores of baby crabs living underneath. Despite my unshakeable fear of spiders, these eight legged creatures amuse me. I found this little guy living in a shell. Which, incidentally, is how Toffle's story ends too.

After draining our coffee, we saddled up and hit the road. We spent almost as much time in the car this weekend as we did in Birch Bay, but it was totally worth the trek. I love nothing more than spending time with my family.

Nothing more.

This weekend we escaped. Invited by our good friends, Jeremy and Tara, to their family's lovely vacation home in Birch Bay, we loaded up the car and headed North. After so much hustling around the past couple of months, it was hard to leave again. But the promise of R&R beconned so off we went.

We arrived in Birch Bay fairly late on Friday evening and got quickly settled in. I love the feeling when you walk into a new place and get to take it all in and say, "This is going to be my little home for the next 24 hours". After getting Gigi cuddled up in bed, we made dinner and played board games.

Our darling girl woke us up early on Saturday morning and I felt like I was in a swamp. The thick comfy matress and sleep deprivation from the last few weeks had an unexpected effect on me. I spent the whole morning rather, the whole day, in a haze of muddled half-sleep. I'm pretty sure I wasn't forming my sentences properly. Kyle, always the early riser, headed down the stairs to the beach with our on-the-go-girl, and I followed, bed-head and all. Is there anything more enticing than a wooden staircase leading to the water?




One of the best things about spending time with our friends is seeing how much they love Gigi. They embrace her, love her, snuggle her, and play with her. It makes both Kyle and I so grateful to have such amazing friends. "Aunt" Tara and "Uncle" J hold an extra special place with me because of their love for our daughter.




Since Gigi naps at 9am everyday, we were able to spend some time relaxing with our friends while she caught some zzzs. During her nap the clouds burned away and we were blessed with an outpouring of sunshine. When Gigi awoke we were all playing cornhole and relaxing in the sunshine. I loaded that girl up with sunscreen and proceeded to spend the next hour battling with her that she must keep her sunhat on! She just loves hats so, so much that she wants to hold them and present them to everyone around her. Jeremy had bought her some bubbles at the market and unwittingly, with the first blow of tiny bubbles, became the royal bubble master for the afternoon. Who can deny a sweet "more more more" from a child who adores you and thinks your bubble blowing skills are spectacular?



I could hardly wait for the tide to recede so we could take G out to explore the shore. When I was in L.A. with her she couldn't get enough of the water and the waves. In Birch Bay, the shoreline is quite shallow so when the tide goes out you can walk out one hundred or so yards. We took off her shoes, rolled up her over-alls and trundled down the stairs with four dogs in tow to see what we could see.






By the time we walked back up the stairs from our long explore Gigi was nodding off. We rinsed her feet, stripped her of her wet clothes, kissed her sunscreened head, and plunked her into bed. The sun was high in the sky and everyone was sipping beer that Kyle had provided. Since I'm not much of a beer drinker I eventually accepted a glass of red wine, kicked my feet up, picked up my book, and ignored the clock that said it was only 2:30 in the afternoon. I'm in the middle of reading Very Fond of Food by Sophie Dahl. I've lately found myself reading cookbooks instead of novels. I am obsessed with the stories behind the recipes, the photography, the ingredients. Cooking has really become my main passion in life... other than being a mom it's what I derive the most joy and satisfaction from.



By the time Gigi woke from her afternoon siesta it was pouring rain and we were all taking shelter inside. It rained on and off for the rest of the evening. There was a lot of cuddling, cooking and eating to be done so perhaps it's a good thing that the rain came down.



We stayed up late playing games and drinking wine and whiskey, oh my. The sun didn't set until nearly 10pm and when it did we were surprised with the most bizarre moonset! We tried to figure out why the moon might be setting, decided it may or may not be the apocalypse, bid each other goodnight/it's been lovely to know you, and headed for bed.




To be continued...

Friday...
This weekend was full of food and family time. Kyle's parents, Dave and Erika, came down for a nice visit. We met at for a beer and pizza when they pulled into town.

Then we headed home to play...


...and nap.


Gigi helped me open my birthday presents... Thanks Dave and Erika!


For dinner we had Lemony Roasted Chicken with Crispy Potatoes, and banana spits with homemade hot fudge and salted caramel for dessert. We played Scrabble, and then went to bed.

Saturday...

We spent the morning snuggling and reading, then we loaded up in the car and headed out to go wine tasting.


Our first stop was Syncline Winery. Every single one of their wines were original and delicious.


Then we headed to Maryhill Winery to take in the views and sample their wines.


We ran into Gigih's little friend, Waylon. They talked a lot about tannins.

After wine tasting we went back home for a little cuddling and a nap before heading out for my birthday dinner.


My Dad met us at the restaurant and we enjoyed some appetizers, like these Roasted Root Veggies with Dukkah, while we waited for our table.


I ordered the Duck Leg Confit from the specials menu and it was amazing! We didn't get home from dinner until about 9, and we were all exhausted from so much eating, laughing, and wine sipping.

Sunday...
In the morning my Mom and her boyfriend, Mike, drove out from Portland to have brunch with us.



I had the Polenta with eggs and a delicious Bloody Mary.

After brunch it was time to start on our weekend project of putting a backsplash in the kitchen, something we've been trying to get to ever since we did our remodel.



We tiled late into the evening and ordered Thai food for dinner. We watched a The Ides of March and went to bed.

Monday...
On Monday morning we went and grabbed a quick breakfast before Kyle had to go to work, and his folks headed for home.


I can't believe how much we ate this weekend! You can see all the restaurant/winery/brewery details here.

What did you all eat and drink over the holiday weekend?

For the past four years we have spent Thanksgiving at my Dad and Stepmom's house.  Our friends, Kurt and Scott, who just happen to be fantastic chef's at the Chateau Ste. Michele in Woodinville, WA come down and cook up the most fantastic Thanksgiving meals you can imagine!  Our good friend Bill always brings wonderful cheeses and wines and champagne!  This year there were sixteen of us, including my awesome brother and his roommate, Kevin.

These two wines were amazing!  The Columbia Crest Reserve 2008 was so delicious, well balanced and flavorful.  I'm a huge fan of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  This particular bottle was from 2000 and was really peppery and rich.  It's such a treat to get to share these incredible wines with people who know about wine!  Educational and delicious!


My Stepmom, Nance, is the most amazing hostess.  She always sets the table with uniquely made name tags and personalized gifts for each person who attends.  My Dad likes to put in his "teeth" whenever people are coming over.  G was not quite sure about Pops.  Later in the evening she took me aside and asked me if she was related to him.

Ham and blue cheese.

Triple Cream Brie.


My Dad.  All dressed up for Thanksgiving dinner.

Lots of beer brought by Kyle from Double Mountain Brewery.  My special place setting made by Nance.


Kurt and Scott wearing their place settings.  Nance's bug collection.

Stuffing made by me and Kyle.  It's so good.  It has fresh herbs, pine nuts and craisins.


Butter and silky mashed potatoes.  Technically they are riced potatoes since Bill used a ricer when preparing them.


Our heritage Turkey.  Kurt gets this bird from his friends that have a farm.  It was killed on Monday, picked up on Tuesday, brined on Wednesday and enjoyed on Thursday.  Doesn't get much fresher or more organic than this!


The chefs.


Scott's amazing caramelized carrots and the expertly carved turkey.


I made this Salted Caramel Cheesecake for dessert.  These are Nance's beautiful teacups for after dinner coffee. 

Once we were finished eating we played games.  Charades was... interesting.  There was a very explicit acting out of the book/film The Firm as well as some other odd interpretations of things.  We were in stitches throughout the game playing.  Most people headed home around 10:30 but we were persuaded into gambling with Kurt, Nance, Scott, Ryan and Kevin.  I've never gambled before and let me tell ya... I had way too much fun (even when I was losing).  We finally threw in the dice and headed for home.  We didn't get to bed until 1 in the morning! 

We spent the rest of the weekend digging up the yard for raised beds (Kyle) and sewing (me) and sleeping (Gigi).

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving and a wonderful weekend!

On Wednesday, late in the afternoon, my agent in Seattle called with an audition time for Thursday morning.  Normally these last minute audition calls usually stress me out a bit and I'm not usually able to make it all the way to Seattle.  But this time I was excited.  I needed a break.  Getting in the car and driving and driving sounded just great.  So I quickly packed up and in the morning we kissed Daddy goodbye and headed for Seattle.  

Thursday...

Awake and ready to go.

A quick stop for coffee and we were on the road.  Of course, the reality of driving and driving and driving with an infant is a bit different that rolling the windows down, blasting the music and relaxing.  It went a bit more like this... Gigi not sleeping, Gigi sleeping, Gigi crying, got pulled over for speeding (and let off with a warning), stopping to feed Gigi, Gigi not eating, Gigi crying and crying and crying.  But eventually we made it to the audition.

Gigi in the casting office.

Happy not to be in her carseat anymore!

After the audition we went over to visit Uncle Rob and Aunt Meghan!

I was starving and made a peanut butter and pickle sandwich!  I've never had one before and it's my new favorite thing!  Seriously... it was really good.

I tried putting G down for a nap on Meg and Rob's bed but she was just playing and squirming and making me nervous...

So... I moved her onto the floor.  She woke up with a big carpet mark on her face.... hmm.

After her nap we loaded up and headed to La Isla for mojitos and dinner.  I also got to see how it looks with all my photos up all their walls!

I LOVE my big sis.After dinner I headed to Kyle's folks house with G and we went straight to bed.

Friday...

On Friday morning I headed out to meet a friend, Justin, for coffee and then Erika and I went for end of summer pedicures!  It was much needed girlie time with my mother-in-law!

Gigi was very good during my pedicure.  She just played and made eyes at the ladies in the salon. (Thanks G).  After our pedi, Erika and I headed over to the Kate Quinn Organics shop to get a baby shower gift for Marion.  I have a couple of Kate Quinn jammies for G that she wears a lot (the pink ones with the elephants).  From the minute we walked into the shop I was in trouble... everything was so cute!

Erika got the Peter Pan Dress on the right for G.

After our shopping fun we headed over to Lumber Liquidators to look at laminate flooring for the house.  I have to admit I was not looking forward to looking at fake wood... I have a hard time visualizing laminate in the house.  It just looks so sad and fake on the panels next to the rich real wood.  But we went to check it out.  We were looking for laminate that was 10-12mm, wide panels, a rich, warm brown and varied in pattern.  Oh yeah, and we were hoping to only spend $2/foot.  The salesman basically informed me that that was not gonna happen.  But, then I found one I loved.  It's called Westminster Rosewood and it was perfect.  But, it was marked as $2.49/foot.  Hmmm.  

To be continued...

(Is the suspense killing you?) The salesman walked by again and said, "Oh, I forgot to put the sale sticker on that one.  We are discontinuing it.  You are going to be really happy in a minute!"  Turns out my dream flooring was only $1.49/foot!  We ordered it up right away and it's due to arrive this week! 

Gigi expressing my excitement for me! She knows Mommy's nine favorite words are "I forgot to put the sale sticker on that one".

After our awesome shopping we headed home, made a quick dinner and lounged outside.  Gigi figured out how to put a toy in her mouth and hold it there... like a puppy dog.

Saturday...

Saturday was a pretty relaxing day.  Dave and Erika were working hard on building a shed and I worked a bit while I tried to let G have a normal nap day.  Erika and I did go to finalize the flooring and look at appliances.

I WANT this stove but it's 36" and we can only do a 30".  It was normally $7,000 but on sale for $2,500 at the Sears in Redmond.  Someone, please go take this beautiful six burner home and love it for me.

Sun tea.

Me and my shadow.  Joined at the hip.

After a long afternoon nap we headed over to visit with Mom and Mike.

G fell asleep on the way home so I just put her outside in the shade to sleep.

When she woke up I put her in her new Kate Quinn bikini and she discovered the wonder of sumer grass.

With Great Nana.

Then it was bath and bed for the babe...

...and wine and Vogue for the Mom.

Kyle's hop plant in the sun.

Fresh lettuce from the garden for dinner.

Sunday...

On Sunday morning I packed up the car and we headed over to say bye to Meghan and Rob.

Then we zipped over to Marion's baby shower!

Ahhh, dinosaurs!  Just jokin'... they're only cranes.

With Nina!

With Lisa and Marion.

After the shower Gigi and I hit the road.  My plan was that she's sleep the whole way home.  But she didn't.  She mostly cried and cried and cried.  We stopped a few times and I tried to feed her under this lovely American flag. 

But, in the end I just listened to Funny Face (because I never got a chance to watch it) and she fussed and we drove.  Yes, I listened to a movie instead of music.  I know it's odd.  We got home around 11pm and we were happy to see Daddy and go to bed.  Hope you guys had a wonderful weekend too.

This weekend was SO MUCH FUN!  My mom and her boyfriend, Mike, came for a visit.  They've been traveling all summer so it was the first time in a while that we had seen them.  I was sad to see them leave this morning!  Here's a look at our wonderful weekend...

Friday...

Kyle and I started the weekend off with dinner downtown.  It had been such a busy week with the launch of the new site that I had hardly left the house!  It was such a treat to go out and have nice dinner with Kyle and G! 

Gazpacho!

Calamari.

Burger and fries.

Gigi and her Riffe Raffe.

Saturday...

 We spent Saturday morning reading in bed... 

 and picking up the house.  I went grocery shopping and drove by this awesome Hispanic wedding!

 I got these gorgeous flowers at the farm stand....

...and put together a nice little lunch. 

G took a little nap.  I'm not sure why she's sleeping like that! 

Mom and Mike arrived midday and we ate a bit before going on a nice, long walk into town. 

We got ice cream at Mike's.

Kyle gave our visitors a tour of the brewery.

It was a looong hot walk home.  By the time we sweated our way home we were ready to relax, eat dinner and play Apples to Apples on the patio. 

Grilled Tuna Burgers and salad (and grilled peaches in simple syrup for dessert).

Sunday...

We got all prepped for a little hike while Gigi took her morning nap.  When she woke up we headed out!

We spent the majority of the day on our little hike.  

G LOVED being in the backpack!

My view during the hike.  

Outdoor baby! 

Taking a nap in the pack. 

Back at the trailhead.  G has a big red mark on her face from sleeping in the pack. 

After our hike we drove a little ways to stop for some fantastic Mexican food. 

After our little lunch we came home for a siesta before... yup, heading out to eat again! 

 
After dinner we headed home to bed.

I wish my Mom and Mike could have stayed longer.  It was nice to take a mini-break from working.  Next weekend it's crunch time as we start to prep the house for the kitchen remodel!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!

Thank you all so much for your nice comments yesterday!  I really appreciated your feedback.  This past week with my trip and return home for our anniversary/weekend with friends was really busy but I'm feeling so grateful for our good friends and my family.  Here's a look at our wonderful weekend with Marion, Alfonso and Nina.

I spent the past week doing this...

Saturday...

It was so nice to wake up at home with Kyle and celebrate our anniversary with Marion, Alfonso and Nina.

Nina was so excited to see...

cuddle...

and accessorize Gigi.

We went for a nice long walk and got coffee.

Played Apples to Apples on the patio.

Darth Vader won.

Then, the two tired mamas in the house tried to take a little nap. 

The naps didn't go so well. So we just went and got icecream instead...

Marion & Co. headed out to a wedding where Alfonso's band, Picoso, was playing. Kyle and I took advantage of the alone time by relaxing together by watching Sports Center (him) and taking a nice bath (me).

Sunday...

Another gorgeous day!

The boys got up early and went golfin' while us ladies hung around the house and took pregnancy photos of Marion.

Doesn't she look beautiful?

When the boys got back from golfing we headed out for brunch.

I love my Marion.

They headed for home and so did we.  We spent the afternoon cleaning and unpacking and relaxing.  Then, we made ceprese (recipe coming soon) with the first tomatoes from our garden...

Devoured the gelato Marion had left behind. 

After Gigi's bath it was time for all of us to head to bed.

 I hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!

I posted about the first half of our long, fabulous weekend yesterday.  Here's a look at the second half...

Saturday...

After ruiniting with G, Kyle and I went to go pick up our ribs from Bill the Butcher which happens to be right next door to Victor's Celtic Coffee Company!

Man, we missed her!!!

Best coffee on the Eastside.

We spent the rest of the day on Saturday relaxing with the family, sipping beer and playing in the pool.  I had my camera on me most of the afternoon and took lots of photos...

Lounging with Grandpa!

Croquet was played.  Alligators were ridden.

It was a lovely afternoon.

After visiting with Grandpa it was off to meet up with Uncle Ryan for brunch at Pete's Eggnest on Greenwood.

G took a special liking to Uncle Ryan's shades.

We headed home to get the ribs started and to snap some family portraits of Dayne, Amber and the kids.

And, of course, more sipping of beer.

We had a wonderful dinner thanks to Kyle's rib smokin' skillz.  Then we headed over for s'mores at Ryan's house. 

It was a late night for the babe but it was so fun to hand out with Ryan and his friends and eat s'mores with Reese's pieces, sit around a little bonfire and catch up.  We had such a fun, wonderful weekend.  Hope you did too.

The End!

We took off for a long weekend and headed to Seattle late Wednesday night and we just got home a few hours ago!  It was so much fun to spend a longer-than-usual amount of time with our families.  Kyle brother, Dayne, his wife Amber and their two kids, Bailey and Chloe were visiting so we stayed extra long. (Note: I am pretty sure I didn't punctuate that sentence correctly... I never know how, many, commas, to, use).  Here is a look at our wonderful weekend... well the first half of it!

We got a blueberry tart, gruyere and caramelized onion magical croissant thing and a caramel and sea salt cake (I also got a salted caramel macaroon but ate it immediately).

Meghan, G and Rob.

Macaroooooons!

I have the best big sister in the whole world!

After pastries, it was time for...

Bill the Butcher is in Redmond, WA.  We've been wanting to check it out for ages.  All their meat is local, sustainably farmed and organic.  We placed an order for some spare ribs to grill later in the weekend.

We returned to Kyle's parent's house, cooked up Lemony Roasted Chicken and played scrabble.  Then we all went to bed...

Friday...

We got up bright and early to play with the kids.

Some of us weren't quite awake yet.  Then we packed up the whole gang and headed to the Woodland Park Zoo! 

Erika and Chloe ready to explore!

Our little monkey in the monkey house.

Gigi was taking notes so she could show us her foot in mouth skills...

Nice!

Bailey checking out the penguins.

Silly Dad.

Poppy and her family members.

After the zoo we headed to Red Mill Burgers for lunch.  I've always heard great things about their classic, all-american burgers.  We weren't disappointed!

Amber, Dayne, Bailey and Chloe.  Those kiddos were pretty exhausted from the long day at the zoo!

We spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing and playing outside.

Then... Kyle's parents sent us parents out for the night!  They booked as a room at The Heathman in downtown Kirkland and bought us dinner at Trellis!  We are so lucky!  It was such a special gift.  I was, of course, quite nervous about being away from G but everyone kept telling me, "it'll be good for you", and it was.  

Our room.

Amber and Dayne.

Me and Kyle.

Double date night!

Steak with pomme frites and bone marrow butter.

Lamb with a pomegranate glaze and kale.

Duck with watercress.

Thanks Dave and Erika for such a lovely, thoughtful gift.

I'll post Part 2 tomorrow!

We had such a fantastic weekend!  It was busy, sunny, productive and relaxing!  Kyle's parents (Dave and Erika) came down Friday afternoon and just left this morning.  They are truly the best in-laws (and I'm not just saying that because they read the blog)!  We've been looking forward to their visit for weeks.  It's the first time they've come to town during a big holiday weekend so we gave them the full tourist treatment.

Friday...

On Friday we headed into town for First Friday.  Our town does First Friday's all year round but in the summer it's a really big deal.  The city shuts down the main drag and all the shops open up, kids play in the street and everyone comes out of the woodwork to enjoy the arts, music, drinks, food and the local shops.

Out to dinner.

(I know this picture is blurry but they wouldn't stop goofing around!)

Visiting hours with my new favorite Frye boots.

We all headed home after and put G to bed before heading back out to celebrate the weekend  free babysitters with our friends down at the brewery.

Sparklers were handed out to all the intoxicated locals.

Saturday...

Saturday morning brought big things like....

Gigi's first solid food!

I had to zip off to shoot a wedding so Kyle and his parents spent the rest of the day Saturday planning and starting on a patio for our backyard.  When I got home we threw together a quick BBQ but we were too tired and scrubby for many good photos.

Sunday....

On Sunday I went for a walk downtown with Danelle.  She treated me to coffee and a cupcake.  Good friend!

The afternoon was spent patio building...

Coronas...

Lounging in the backyard...

Tuna Burgers from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook.  They were soooo freakin' good.  So far this cookbook is very impressive!

Monday the Fourth of July...

I slept with my camera next to the bed so I could capture some photos of G first thing in the morning.  We are planning to move her to her own room tonight but first I really wanted to get some photos of how she looks when she wakes up right next to me.  Waking up next to her has been one of the biggest joys of my life.  I love her so much I kind just wanna gobble her up and absorb her.  Is that weird?

Anyway.  I did not eat my baby.  Instead... I made a frittata. 

After breakfast we walked over to watch the parade. 

Once home from the parade, Kyle got down to the serious business of smokin' some ribs.

The boy, his beer and his BBQ = happy boy.

For some reason, G decided this was the first day ever that she was just not going to sleep... at all.  Little stinker!

After dinner we walked down to Mike's Ice Cream...

 ...and then headed down to the waterfront to enjoy the weather and watch the fireworks display.

G finally fell asleep just in time for the fireworks.  She did wake up right as the big ol' we love America grand finale started.  I think she was confused.  Silly baby.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  

My Aunt Sue is really wonderful.  She and I have always been very close.  Her two kids, Leah and Luke are also wonderful.  I've been looking forward to their visit for MONTHS!  I know they weren't really here to see me (G has officially become the bigger attraction) but I didn't care what the reason!  It was so great having them here!

Luke, Leah, Gigi and Aunt Sue.

We had a relaxing morning...

Then we headed into town. We wandered through the shops...

 Had lunch with Kyle at the brewery...

Got ice cream!

Coconut and French Crunch (French Roast ice cream with ground up chocolate covered espresso beans!)

We gave/got some free advice...

We checked out the kiteboarders down at the waterfront...

It was a truly great day!  

We spent the evening in, eating tacos and playing Apples to Apples.

Saturday...

G continued to get spoiled with love and attention by Leah and Luke.

Aunt Sue and I made a run to the gardening store so I could pick up herbs for my little porch herb garden!

Then we went to IKEA!

After IKEA we had a great late lunch at ¿Por Qué No?

Gigi had her photo taken so many times this weekend...

And she was kissed so many times...

After lunch, Sue, Leah and Luke had to head out to go visit other family.  We were so sad to see them go but we had a truly wonderful time with them.  

Sunday...

With our visitors gone on their way, Kyle and I spent all day Sunday playing with G and cleaning up this disaster zone...

That's what happens when you are given a UHaul full of things!  It actually was kind of fun to get it back in shape!

Kyle made this great BBQ chicken and Grilled Kale Caesar Salad for dinner while I read Vogue and took a bath!

Best.  Husband.  Ever.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!

We just got home from a really rainy fun weekend in Seattle!  We drove up early on Friday morning to spend time with our families and attend the Washington Brewer's Festival at St. Edward's State Park.  We go every year for this Father's Day beer festival, but this was Kyle's first year as a Dad so it was extra rainy fun! 

Saturday...

Cuddling with me...

with Daddy...

and Grandma!

Kyle and I decided to get really "Seattle-like" and head to Pike Place Market for coffee and doughnuts even though it was cold and rainy.

It was a seriously bad idea.  Poor Baby G missed her nap, was hungry and tired and cold and traffic SUCKED!

Then we headed to the beer festival so Kyle could participate in the keg toss.  Silly brewers. (He lost.)

With Kristen who works at the brewery.

We went to meet up with our friends, Jeremy and Tara, for dinner and a sleepover.

If you haven't eaten at Serious Pie you should!

Me and Tara waiting for our table.

Tara stayed home with G and we (Lindsey, Ben, Jeremy, Kyle and I) walked down the block to grab a pint.

When we got home from the bar, Gigi was awake (thanks to a big wet kiss from J&T's dog, Kingston.)  We got her back to sleep after I read her this verse I wrote (inspired by Go the F to Sleep)...

I'm sorry our friend's dog woke you

While you dreamed and slumbered so deep

But Mommy is home from the bar now

So please go the F back to sleep.

We definitely got an F grade as parents for Saturday!

Kyle is SUCH an amazing Dad.  When I see him with G it makes me feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

As you can tell G feels pretty lucky too.

It seems like this...

was just moments ago!

Makin' Father's Day breakfast.

Tara and her lap dog Kingston (the baby-waker).  He was totally obsessed with Gigi!  

Playing with Uncle J.

After lunch we geared up to head to the beer festival.  

With Ben and Lindsey.

Maybe a little too much fun... she's her father's daughter!

With Jeremy and Tara.

Helping Dad serve.

Happy Father's Day to two fabulous Dads.

As you can see we are happy to be home after such a rainy fun weekend in Seattle!

I also wanted to take a moment to wish my own Daddy a very happy Father's Day.  He's an awesome Dad (and Grandpa)!

This past weekend was absolutely crazy!  We had two birthday parties, a ballet recital and lots of little things in between.  Last week was pretty busy too and by the time Friday rolled around we were ready to get out of the house.

Poppy was looking right at me the whole time, waving and giving me thumbs up.  Such a little chumpy!

We forgot that we told Pops she could take a bath with G.  So G got two baths on Saturday which was actually probably great because it was pretty warm this weekend!

I think Kyle's a little confused about which bottle is his.

Hula hoops...

corn on the cob...

and watermelon!  It's officially summer around here!

Gigi (not sleeping).

(still not sleeping)

Outdoor towel time is G's new favorite thing!

It was so nice to enjoy the sun for a bit.

We left around 7 to get G in bed at a reasonable time and, as you can see behind Kyle, the muggy day was turning into a stormy night.  We live close so we walked home quickly.  It was starting to sprinkle just as we got inside.  Kyle zipped up to the store and while he was gone we got hit with the most intense thunder/lightning/rain/wind storm I've ever experienced.  The lighting was so close and loud that I actually screamed (only once) and our outlets popped. The thunder was so intense that I had to cover G's ears because it was hurting mine.  Within minutes our street was flooded with water geysering up from the manholes.  I've never seen anything like it!  It was totally strange end to our busy little weekend.  

This weekend was so much fun!  I spent the long weekend in Seattle with my family celebrating our Mom's birthday!  Poor Kyle had to stay behind to study and work again so it was just me and Gigi. 

Saturday:

 He helped us get on the road Saturday morning.  Bye Honey. We looooove you.

I was sitting in traffic for a long...

long...

long time.

Finally relaxing at Meghan and Rob's house!

Gigi woke up super early on Sunday.  

We went to Edmonds to take Danelle (who is also from Seattle and was there this weekend) out for a little coffee, fresh air and snuggle time because we love her!

Then, we went to visit Great Grandpa and had a nice long visit with him talking about our ancestry.  Grandpa is a wealth of knowledge about our families.  I love spending time with him... he always has hot cocoa and cookies.  

Meghan and I went to run a couple of errands with Baby G.  I dropped of a bunch of photo prints for my friend at his restaurant (La Isla) and we ran to the store.  As we were heading into the store we suddenly realized that Gigi had exceeded the capacity of her diaper.  Luckily, I always have a change of clothes with me!  Meghan (the best Aunt ever) helped me change her in the back of the car.  While we were standing there we got dive bombed by three mallards.  Yes, seriously.  We had to duck!  Get it!

After the diaper and the ducks we needed a lil' drink.  Rob whipped up these yummy grapefruit/vodka cocktails!

I rallied the troops first thing on Monday morning to go for a long walk to the Honore Artisan Bakery in Ballard.  Our brother loves it and I've been wanting to go forever.  We walked all the way there and...

They were closed.

I was really, really sad.

Rob was about to give up hope but we started walking in search of better things.  All we found was...

a lawnmower collection...

nobody home at Ryan's house...

and a shaved cat!!!  We admitted defeat and went home where Rob made us a yummy breakfast.  Then it was time to get ready for Mom's birthday party!!!  

Meghan braided my hair like she used to when we were little.  (Yes, I'm wearing Gigi's Baby Legs on my arms)

We made two rhubarb, strawberry, apple crisps...

while Gigi used Uncle Rob as a teething toy.

Lovely flowers from the garden.

Mom (the birthday girl) arrived early for some extra baby time.

Meghan made Mom a special drink with lime juice and Corona in salted glass that she had loved when she visited Megs in Mexico.

Everyone enjoyed the sun and the BBQ.

Look how BIG she's getting!

It was such a nice party.  Happy Birthday Mom!  We love you!

After everyone left, it was just us cuddled up on the couch...

Tuesday:

We got up this morning and scurried out the door.  We made a quick coffee stop and...

we were ready to hit the road. Gigi slept nearly the whole way back and didn't cry at all!  Phew.  The ride up was a bit rough so this was a huge relief.  

Happy to be home with Dad!

We had such a fun weekend in Seattle.  It was busy and went by really quickly! Gigi got to visit lots of family and friends and we had a great Mother's Day brunch before heading home.  Hope you all had a lovely weekend.  Here's a few photos from the weekend.

Saturday:  We spent the day on Saturday visiting with our families.  Gigi got some quality time in with the great grandparents!  She's one lucky baby.

Gigi visiting with Great Nana...

My brother, Grandpa and Dad.

My very first frittata.  SO EASY!  It's like making a quiche without having to make the crust!

So happy to be a Mama.

Me, my sis, my mom and my brother.

After the nice brunch we had to pack up and head out.  The ride home was long but G did pretty good.  It is nice to be home but we had a wonderful time up visiting our families.  Thanks for such a fun weekend!  I had a wonderful first Mother's Day.  

We had a wonderful, busy and super productive weekend.  We painted, continued to Spring Clean, visited with friends, went on our first date, and watched too much Mad Men.  

On Friday I started painted the closet doors for Gigi's room.  We used the Cherry Wine color that matches the accent wall in the nursery.  They turned out so beautifully.  The black and white door knobs were the perfect final touch.  Now the nursery is complete!

While the doors were drying, Gigi and I walked downtown.  I popped into Rite Aid to buy some inexpensive wine.  In case you all weren't aware, Rite Aid has super cheap wine.  So even if you're on a budget, you can still sip vino.

Then we continued on our walk.  The daffodils are out in force.

We bumped into Amy and Poppy and Poppy's Grandma having ice cream downtown.   I got a baby baby scoop of lemon yogurt.  Yum!  Gigi looks a bit like Uncle Fester in this picture.  She is one white baby!

We popped in to visit Kyle at work and have a small beer.

I decided Gigi needed to try on some new boots to cover up her silly crew socks.

We put Gigi in her new favorite pj's and headed over to our friends house for a margarita and a visit.

We spent Saturday Spring Cleaning the pantry and the garage. 

My Dad and Stepmom came over to babysit G so we could go out to dinner.  Not only did they babysit and buy us dinner but they also cut a heart out of a check I'd written them.  That was incredibly thoughtful and generous.  Thanks guys.

We spent Sunday doing more cleaning and organizing and decorating.  Calypso didn't offer to help.

How was your weekend?

We had a really fun, relaxing weekend.  Last Thursday, my friend (and Gigi's God-Mama), Marion came down for a weekend visit to meet her God-Daughter and keep me company because Kyle's back at work full time.  She actually drove down on Wednesday night, let herself in and went to bed so she could be there to have the full day with us on Thursday.  We didn't even hear her come in which is a bit concerning!  The only sound worth waking up for these days is the chirping of our baby bird.  We spent all day on Thursday in our sweats and Marion cuddled with Gigi.  At two I went to pick Poppy up while Marion stayed home with the babe and then she made dinner for me while I went to my Spanish class.  When I got home we ate and then curled up on the couch to watch Black Swan (blog on this Wednesday) which was relaxing exhilarating and intense!  

Gigi loves her as much as I do!

Friday we got a bit more active and walked into town with Gigi in her Bugaboo.  We had a great time downtown even though it was cold and rainy and I fell in love with these boots which are way out of my price range!  They're made in Spain for The Frye Company and they are beautiful!

Actually, I don't have a price range right now... unless they make boots that cost under $10?  It's not as romantic of a budget as it seems in Breakfast at Tiffany's...

PAUL: I'M GOING TO BUY YOU A PRESENT.  YOU BOUGHT ME A TYPEWRITER RIBBON, AND IT 

BROUGHT LUCK.
 
HOLLY: BUT TIFFANY'S CAN BE PRETTY EXPENSIVE.
 
PAUL: I'VE GOT MY CHECK AND $10.
 
HOLLY: I WOULDN'T LET YOU CASH YOUR CHECK, BUT A PRESENT FOR $10 OR UNDER, THAT 

I'LL ACCEPT. OF COURSE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'LL FIND HERE FOR $10.
 

Saturday morning came way to soon and it was time for Marion to head home.  We woke up to a gorgeous blue sky and enough sun to make you think it was Spring!  Kyle suggested that we head to the Maryhill Winery for a wine tasting with Marion since it was on her way home.  We popped Gigi in to her Moby wrap and sipped some yummy wine before kissing Marion goodbye and heading back home.

View from the tasting room.

We headed home on the Washington side of the Columbia so we could enjoy the gorgeous scenery.  

Sunday was football day (of course).  Kyle got up in the morning and left me to cuddle with Gigi while he cleaned up the whole house which was disgusting and cluttered (thanks honey)!  Then he and a co-worker watched football while I made cupcakes for Amy's (Poppy's Mom) birthday.  Then Kyle, Gigi and I headed over to spend a few hours with Poppy so her parents could go out to dinner.  

Gigi loves to nap in her Moby.  Marion made her that adorable hat!  What a little elf baby!   

After such a fun-filled weekend we are all a bit sleepy but getting a good start to the week.  My goal for this week is to get back in the swing of things.  Our little butterbean is three weeks old already(!) and I'm craving a little semblance of a routine.  We have been so lucky because she loves to sleep at night (almost as much as we do) and so we've been getting enough rest which leaves me alert enough to contemplate a routine.  It also helps that I am back to work this week (I only worked six hours last week so that doesn't count) and having Poppy set days and times helps me to establish a weekly schedule.  I'll let you know what I come up with and then we'll see how it goes... 

First off, I have to tell you all that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows was great!  The acting was good and the story was accurate and well told.  It completely lived up to/exceeded my expectations and, let me tell you, they were pretty high.  I made popcorn and got M&M's and we held hands and thoroughly enjoyed the film.  Now we can begin the countdown for Part 2.  What a strange concept that, when the final installment comes out, we will have to hire a babysitter take advantage of our parents in order to go see it.  

Warner Bros. Entertainment