5 YEARS!

Earlier this month Bry and I celebrated our 5-year anniversary. On the day of our anniversary (Friday the 16th) we ate out at a local restaurant that we hadn't tried before.

The day after our anniversary we got a babysitter to watch Emma while we went to see Wonder Woman which was pretty great. 

This past Monday, the 26th, we went with my parents who are visiting to the Space Needle and had joint-anniversary lunch at Sky City Restaurant. I was the only one who had eaten there before (thanks, Becca!), although it had been 9 years for me so I didn't have a really clear memory of it. It was beautiful eating up there and Emma got to go up the Space Needle for the first time since I had gone up after we moved here (with Bry and then a couple months later with my family) but not gone back up since.

Smiling over at Papa and holding her cup of apple juice.

 Clam chowder. Crab melt, tomato salad and quinoa.

Emma liked being at the top of the Space Needle.

Memorial Day Weekend

On Saturday we mostly took it easy but did spend some time doing yard work since the weather was clear. Bry did a lot, I did a little, and Emma mostly insisted we actually go for a walk rather than stay in the front yard. Ha. Sunday we enjoyed our time at church and time together. Monday we got outside and went to Kanaskat-Palmer State Park which was beautiful. Emma loved going for a walk/almost-hike that went along near a river (which sounded like "biver" when she said it). So grateful for good weather - although I was fine it cooled back down within a couple days. Extremely grateful we could have an extra day together as a family and grateful for those who give up so many days with their families to serve the country. 

CA Trip - April 2017

This is much belated. I thought I had posted about my trip to California last month but evidently I did not. Behold a random assortment of photos.

Since I arrived the week of Easter the cousins did a belated Easter egg hunt together. Emma picked up what to do pretty quickly and was soon practically a pro at finding the eggs and just getting the green ones.

While I was there we made a trip to the Oakland Zoo. Here are the cute girl cousins petting a little goat.

I thought she'd be better on the carousel than the first time she went on... apparently not. She seemed to enjoy it even though she clung on to me the entire time. Note that I did not even put her on a moving animal.

Nap-time sometime while we were there. This isn't how she usually sleeps but I found it rather amusing how tangled up she was in blankets.

We enjoyed a visit to see Sean and Renata. I think this was after we had crossed a street; Uncle Sean held her hand to cross and then she didn't let go after getting to the sidewalk. =) So sweet.

Hanging out on the couch snacking because why not?

I was happy to see greenery returned to the area. 

Sophiiiiieee

"RUN-NING!" in Emma's words.

Funny kids

Visiting Emma's great-grandma is always nice. Aiden was being a dork for pictures but was also being helpful sitting there so Emma could join in pictures.

Thank you to Becca for letting Emma and I stay at your house and for taking many of the photos I posted above. =)

Zoo trip just Emma and mommy

Our membership to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium is going to expire soon so I decided to take Emma while I still can. Emma did a super great job for the car ride and while we were there. It helped that it wasn't too busy (otherwise she would have run into more people - at one point she walked right into a large man who noticed her just in time and thankfully didn't fall on her). She let me push her in the stroller for a while and did was thrilled when I let her walk. She loved seeing the zoo animals.

Red wolves are so cute and they were probably the most active animal we saw. Many of the animals were sleepy.

Arctic foxes might just be my favorite animal on the planet. They're SO FLUFFY. They were napping when we first went to them so we went back before leaving.

Beautiful tigers.

This cute little otter was rolling in the hay when I came upon the exhibit.

Three snuggly porcupines.

Jellyfiiiiiish.

They got up! Alternatively.

My Worst Valentine's Day

Seriously? I never posted about Emma's second birthday? I have completely failed to blog in 2017. It has been a tough year so far. Last month Emma got sick for a few days and then I got sick for a long, miserable week (looking back I believe it was the flu). Just as I was getting better Bry got sick and then accidentally broke his jaw on January 23rd, long story short. He has been living on liquids and will be the rest of this month. Emma and I are sick once again less than a month after being sick the last time; I almost certainly have the flu (no fever but it is significantly worse than a cold usually is) and it's hard to say what Emma has since I only know her visible symptoms (runny nose, sneezing, coughing - all of which I share). We're both pretty miserable and she fell asleep really late last night and then woke me up every 2 hours, one of which times I tried to take care of her for an hour and the last (fourth) time of which we finally got up for the day.

Between Emma and I being miserably sick and Bry having his teeth wired shut (so his jaw can heal) we are a pretty pitiful bunch. I hope this is the worst Valentine's Day of my life and that the rest aren't this awful.

Sorry for the pessimism. I really hope everyone I know is having a great day! And I really hope Emma and I can stay not-sick for the rest of the year. Wishful thinking? Yes. At least no more flu would be great.

Emma's last free flights

Emma and I flew down to California on Friday the 9th - two days after she turned 23-months-old. We had a great visit with family. Thanks to Becca and Isaac for letting us stay in their house again. :) Emma had a BLAST playing with her cousins and I certainly enjoyed [most of the time] her being distracted with them and their toys. I'm glad for the time I could spend with my mom and dad and Pat and Becca and her family.

On Wednesday my mom drove Emma and I to Fairfield to visit the Jelly Belly Factory which was really fun (even for a non-jelly-bean-eater such as myself). We met my friends, the Carlsons, who we met up in Washington but whom moved back down to Sacramento-area where their families are. Their son, Skyler, was Emma's best friend for the year we got to know them and she still talks about him often (as in says certain things are his - like the car seat and chair we have that he used a few times).

SO MANY Jelly Beans 

Emma was somewhat enthralled.

Their Santa was AWESOME - so nice.

Jelly Belly bacon guacamole burger. Yum.
(There were no beans in it.)

 Jelly Belly art

She was so worn out after our excursion she actually slept in the car.

Within a day of coming back I was missing the weather down there since the cold has certainly blown in here in Washington (temperatures in the 30s). While I was in California I could walk outside with just a sweater or light jacket depending on the day and time of day. It was nice.

As an aside, the Southwest crew let Emma help fly the plane. ;) Or, you know, sit in a pilot's seat after we landed. So cute.

I'm grateful for the valuable time and conversation I could have with family, for the delicious food, and for the blessing of good family relationships. Although it would have been nice to stay there through Christmas, Emma and I were happy to return home to Bry so we can spend the holidays together as a family.