First Day of Spring

It was a beautiful sunny day yesterday so we headed out to the lake to go for a walk and check out a few playgrounds. Oliver fell asleep right after the first stop...but Mike and I made the most of it by sitting next to the water and enjoying a donut and coffee while Oliver snoozed in the carrier. He had a second wind at the second playground. He LOVES picking up handfulls of sand or bark and piling them up, and sometimes putting them in his mouth.

Click here to view these pictures larger

Trip to Victoria

My mom moved into her new house in James Bay (within walking distance to the inner harbor) last week and my sister was coming down from Yellowknife, so we decided to go over to Victoria for the weekend. My other sister Also came down, so it was a pretty full house with all of us there. Oliver really loved all the ferry rides. And now that he is really walking, he wanted to explore everything on foot. He still needs a hand now and then, but he's getting pretty confident.


It was a gorgeous day for a ferry ride!

We all walked downtown to see the sights and stopped for lunch at the noodle box. Oliver had apples.

We did a little shopping with Aleah...there was even a few things that interested Oliver at American Apparel!

Oliver loved walking around the city streets and unlike his dad, he REALLY loved the street performers! He especially liked the accordian played - he would not take his eyes off her and got upset when we left...

Such a beautiful day. Oliver and his ladies.

A few last minutes of playing with auntie Aleah before she headed back home.

Surprise Birthday Trip to San Francisco

For Mike's 34th birthday, I surprised him with a weekend in San Francisco. My mom came from Victoria to watch Oliver while we spend a weekend in the big city. Mike was very surprised, but secretly hoped I was taking him to the Olympics in Vancouver...I didn't plan it THAT far in advance! We had to get up on Saturday at 4:30AM to get to the airport for our 6AM flight, but it was worth it to have the whole day once we got there. I told Mike that Josh was out of town, but he pulled up at the airport to get us. We were BOTH surprised when josh pulled over to pick up Derek! He had arranged for Derek and Dawn to fly down for the weekend too! We went to the hotel (right across from the Ferry Building) and got some lunch. Then I took a nap (so nice!) and Mike, Josh and Derek went for a run.

Then Dawn and Shanna met us and we all walked to the north shore to find the "hat shop" that Josh had been talking about for months. As Mike gets older, he is is more need of hats : ) And he wants to be like Josh....

We went back to the hotel and got all dressed up for dinner. Derek and Dawn snuck in a drink in th elobby before we left...

Dinner was great: long and leisurely. We don't get too many long and leisurely dinners these days, so it was a real treat. This is the night view from our room. So pretty.

Sunday it rained. And we are talking serious rain. So we decided to go to the MOMA. It was the perfect rainy day with no baby thing to do.

Who are those cool guys in those stylin hats?

The only glitch in an otherwise perfect weekend, was that Josh got a ticket for rolling through a stop sign while showing us around his old neighborhood. Poor Josh!

February 2010

Click here to view these pictures larger

I Can Walk!!!

Oliver gave us a very special gift for Valentine's day...He started walking! He had taken a few steps for the past week, but this was the first time he really walked. You might be wondering why he isn't wearing any pants...he really gets mad when you dress him, so sometimes it's easier to just let him run around half naked. I guess we have a little toddler on our hands!

First plane ride - to Arizona!

We packed up Oliver and all his crap to go visit Fernanda and Ian in Tucson. This was Oliver's first plane trip and our first time navigating security with a baby. We attempted to only bring carry-on bags for our 4 day trip and I have to say it was a bit tricky, but we pulled it off! Oliver did great on the plane and we were lucky to have people sitting nect to us that liked babies...

Our first outing was to the Dessert Museum. It was sunny and warm - the best day of the trip. This baby is not used to so much sun! He is my boy after all ; )

He had a great time riding on daddy's shoulders

And a tortoise



He really loved meeting Fernanda for the first time. They hit it right off.

Even saw some javellina's basking in the shade...they are supposedly more like deer than pigs (says Fernanda)...they sure look more like pigs to me!

Awesome dessert view

We were going to go for a swim at the pool, but it was too cold...went to the park instead. Oliver's first time on a teeter totter. It was a BIG hit!

And of course the swings...

We went out to a great dinner (well, except for Mike's well done pizza...). In case you can't tell, Oliver really liked Ian too : )

There are no pictures of the next day of the trip because it was spent inside watching a marathon of "jersey shore" because Oliver and I were barfing our guts out. Oliver's first time throwing up and he did not like it! Neigther did Mike who got the brunt of it...Luckily we were feeling better by the 3rd day, so we went hiking in this canyon.

Unfortunately, that night Ian got sick too and Fernanda was feeling bad on our last day there. She was a trooper though and took us out to see this beautiful mission.

Then it was back home to Seattle for us. Luckily Mike didn't get sick until we were back home...That was some crazy virus we all got. Very glad it was only for a few hours. Despite all the sickness, we had a really great time in Tucson, especially seeing Fernanda. I miss her already!

Some of Oliver's recent "firsts"

Christmas Part 2: Grandma Susan

A week after Christmas, my mom came to celebrate with us. She made Oliver this special stocking. He was very excited to see what was inside...

Auntie Wisty could be here, but she sent a very cool gift for Oliver. He had had his eye on this a couple of his friend's houses...
This was the best present I got this year ; )

Reading with grandma

Awww...he learned how to give kisses!

Second Christmas dinner! Still loving the sweet potatoes. I tried to get him to try the brussel sprouts, but no luck...

Grandma got him some sweet outfits - a bowtie and suspenders! Very fancy little boy.

Christmas Part 1: The McDonells

On Christmas eve, Katie, Andy and Savannah were here and we all got dressed up and went to church. My two boys looked so handsome in their suits!

Savannah looked so sweet in her Christmas dress

After church, we sat down for turkey dinner with the babes. The sweet potatoes were a big hit.

Visions of sugar plums danced in his head....

..and grandma's shortbread cookies!

Covetting the gift he gave Savannah...

The rest of the Mcdonells came over Christmas morning. The babies were both napping when they got here...that did NOT go over well with Laura and Jo Ann!

Books were a theme of the day...

and Savannah was happy just to play with her own shoe!