Date with Caleb

For Caleb's birthday, Mommy took him on a special date to see a movie and eat dessert. We saw Madagascar 2 (disappointing) and ate cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory. We looked forward to it for weeks, and our time together did not disappoint. It was a lot of fun to just hang out with him. We had deep conversations talking about how gas gets to the gas station and how a gentlemen acts on a date...in our case, mostly silly.

Christmas Tree 2008

My friend Crystal talked us into getting a Christmas tree from the real forest with her family. For a $10 permit, any tree you can find (in a specified part of the Snoqualmie forest under 12') is yours.

It was a lot of fun, and we love our tree, even if it isn't symmetrical. Our ornaments are eclectic anyways, so it really fit our style.

However, note to self: Do not attempt again with a 4 year old with too much energy, a 2 year old who can't walk well in snow gear, or a screaming-her-lungs-out-baby in the baby carrier. Next time, send the hubby and make hot cocoa at home.

Thanksgiving

Well after throwing a rodeo party the weekend before Thanksgiving, we opted to have Thanksgiving at Salty's at Alki. Wonderful buffet, esp. seafood. Unending desserts. Chocolate fountain. NO DISHES.

Twenty family members...mostly Mike's family got our tryptophan high watching the Seattle skyline. We had a blast.

Cowboy Caleb's Fourth Rodeo

Caleb had his fourth birthday party rodeo style. We invited a few of his friends and had a blast decorating gingerbread men, panning for gold (rocks painted gold hidden in the living room), pinning the tail on the donkey, and hitting the pinata. Plus ate hot dogs and cupcakes.

We had a fabulous time, and Mike's family hung out all day. He got lots of toys that he adores, but funny enough, his favorite treasure was the front half of his horse pinata. He played with it for days...eventually, I snuck it away because it was shedding pinata bits all over for Kristina to find. Funny kid...

Mt. Rainier

The day started out as a trip to Wal*Mart, but we got sidetracked and decided to drive to Mt. Rainier.

Museum of Flight

My boys and their cousin, Colton, love airplanes. That, plus a pilot as a Grandpa and living in Seattle with Boeing and its fantastic flight museum. It's becoming the new thing to do on Saturday mornings.

This is the A-6 Intruder aircraft. My Dad piloted this while he flew in the Navy, specifically on tours to Vietnam (ironically the same airspace as Matthew's first flight). His roommate, Roger Lester, was killed and MIA for decades before they found his aircraft on a mountain in Ha Long Bay. This airplane at the Museum bears Roger's name.

This photo is especially poignant to me. It is Matthew, born in Vietnam, looking at the crash remains of Rog Lester's plane with the reflection of his grandfather in the glass. It has always amazed me how Vietnam has intertwined with my family's destiny beginning years before I was even born. And it continues to unfold with this new generation.

Using our minutes...

To win a cool prize, I'm entering what our family does for one minute. Every morning, we play a loud song, sometimes "You've got to move it!", or "Life is a highway", or a Veggietales groove, and we all crazy dance to get going in the morning. It gets our spirits up, our bodies awake, and does some bonding, too.

Chinatown Sundays

Mike's parent's have a jewelry store in the International District, more commonly referred to as Chinatown. Many Sundays, we go over after church and pay them a visit and have a delicious Vietnamese lunch.




Matthew tries to haggle a deal with Ba Noi. Actually, earlier he had pulled Mike aside, pointed to the diamond rings, and said "Buy Mommy!!" Hey, I love this kid.

Bathtime

Now normally baths aren't blogworthy, but I loved these photos...they even look like my boys like each other!