Fun with Food

Matt is teething (again - working on number 8)and wants to gnaw on everything. He pulled this apple out of my backpack yesterday and starting gnawing away. So I chopped some apple and put it his mesh teething do dad. Hated it. Oh well, I tried.

Tonight I made some carrots for him and he just couldn't wait to give them a try. He licked that spoon clean!

Does this hairdo make my cheeks look chubby?

A Visit with Grahama

My mom came up to visit for a way too short weekend. We had been planning to go to the tulip festival, but the tulips are not quite in bloom yet. Bummer. So instead we went to Port Townsend for a day of window shopping and strolling along the waterfront. Sunday we had a lazy morning before seeing the sights of Seattle - Pike's Market. Jackie's church, work, and apartment. Then we zipped over to the airport at the last possible minute (it's so much easier that way - less tears).

Matty had fun bonding with his Grahama. And I enjoyed the fact that I didn't have to get up all night to care of him. And best of all, the night she left, his 10 month birthday, he slept through the night! Finally!

We miss you already Mom! It was a lovely weekend visiting with you!

Why stop at Coke?

Coffee is so good on a cold morning!

Happy birthday Mom!

Dear Mom,
We were so glad to have you here for a visit, short though it was. Thanks for all of your encouragement and wisdom. Sorry the tulips weren't in bloom yet - guess you'll just have to come back again soon. :) We are looking forward to talking to you on the video phone! We hope this year brings God's richest blessings.
Love,
Joshua, Erin, and Matty

Unconventional Easter

This year we had a very unconventional Easter. We realized on Saturday that all of our family was out of town or had other plans and we had nothing to do. So, Joshua made reservations for brunch in Port Townsend. We made it to church only 15 minutes late and Matt was the only baby in the nursery. The wonderful volunteers were thrilled to have him. We came home to get ready for brunch, but then Jackie called and was getting off early, plus it was an icky rainy day, so we headed toward Seattle instead. On the way we tried calling several places to get a brunch reservations with no luck. Joshua suggested a stop at Ikea to kill some time before we picked up Jackie. I thought for sure that place would be deserted. Nope. Jam packed! We had a blast strolling through the aisles and trying out toys with Matty. We even stopped at the cafe for a snack.
Next we got to see Jackie's new store. We sat and had some coffee before making our way toward the waterfront for a quick dinner at a grill. Then we spent some time browsing books at Barnes and Noble before heading back home.
Strange, but a fun day nonetheless.

Eat your heart out Pepsi

When we bought our minivan it came with a year's supply of Coke. Since we rarely drink soda, we still have tons of it sitting around and our now mobile son discovered a box. He opened it up, pulled one out, and tried to take a sip. Where did he learn that? Anyway, Coke should use this picture as an ad. He's making me want a Coke cause he's so darn cute!

Fun at the Park

Since Spring has actually decided to show up around here, we have been able to take Matthew to the park and try out the swings. He loves them! The slide he could care less about. Oh well.
Isn't he cute in that hand made hat? :) Maybe I should start selling them ... anyone interested?

Why Matthew is no fun at restaurants

Miscellaneous Fun

Matthew has trouble falling asleep unless he is being cuddled in some way. Joshua put him to bed the other night and I thought he was back to his studies. When I went back to check on Matt, I found them both snuggled up fast asleep.

We were packing for our trip and I needed Matt to play by himself for a while. He is into everything these days and can't be left alone for a second, so I packed him up and got on with my work. :)

Restaurants have become more of a challenge as our little one likes to exercise his vocal cords. Generally not in a mad/sad way, but definitely loud. Plastic cups keep him entertained for quite a while, and they entertain us as well!

Who needs toys when there are kitchen things to play with? Matt loves banging things together and on the floor and enjoying the sounds they make. Notice his fancy trucks being ignored while he plays with a plastic lid and container.

A Much Needed Vacation

The three of us have been working hard, so a spring break vacation was a top priority. With a limited time frame (and budget) we decided to head north to the San Juan Islands. After a 2 hour drive and an hour and a half ferry ride, we made it to Friday Harbor. Our accommodations were at the lovely Lakedale resort where we "roughed it" in style with a 900 square foot cabin. It was just like Little House on the Prairie, but with running water and electricity. :)
Here is our "backyard". We were right on the lake and saw deer and ducks galore.

We ventured out to do some whale watching at Lime Kiln State Park. See the Orcas in the background? Ya, me neither despite four days of searching. But we did get a lovely view of Canada across the water and the Olympic Mountains.
Are these alpacas cute or what?! We got to visit their farm (my favorite spot on the island!)

Much of our time was spent enjoying doing nothing in the cabin. I did do at least one thing productive ... see the hat my cutie is wearing? I was inspired after meeting alpacas to make a hat from their wool. Plus, it was crazy windy and I needed to cover that baby's ears. Not bad for an afternoon of crocheting in the car without a pattern, eh?

Joshua and I had the luxury of a date night on Saturday when his parents came up for a short stay. we ate at this beautiful restaurant in Roche Harbor and enjoyed fresh seafood while watching the amazing sunset. The three of us took a nice walk on the docks the next day so Matt could enjoy the sights too.

It was such a lovely weekend, I wish it could have lasted longer. I still have a couple days off of work to enjoy, but Joshua is back at it - a new quarter at school and all the craziness of work. Wouldn't it be nice to retire at 32?