Snowed in Seattle

Every year we get just one week of snow. One crazy snowmageddon week of snow and then it's gone. It's just enough to have fun and we are so happy when it is gone. Well, it came this year and we had a balst, but now it's gone and we are glad to not have to deal with it. We took our sleds to the science center to see the TIV, the vehicle from Storm Chasers...and we love us some storm chaser. Isabel and I also had a blast sledding down the steets of Seattle in the late evening. We met so many people and we got great speed! It was a fun snowstorm!

Our New Home's Surroundings

Well, we made the move to the city. We are living right downtown in the Belltown Neighborhood. One of the thinks I live is being 2 blocks from the water. Just on the corner from us we have the Olympic Sculpture Park. It is a wonderful park wherw we can interact with art. The beach is just on the other side of that. I can't wait until it warms up so that we can really enjoy it!

Okay, I know this is a rocky "beach" but Asher does love throwing rocks

The big kids doing some rock climbing

An amazing mountain view

Building our own sculptures at the inside exhibit

Christmas 2011

We had such a wonderful and overly blessed Christmas. The kids got everything they wanted and more. It would be so hard to put all the pictures up, so I chose a few that really caught the moment. We love you all and thank you!

Isabel and the Giraffe Daddy had to get her the day before Christmas

Josiah and one of the many Playmobil Agent sets he had been asking for for months.

Asher jumping on his new trampoline! Perfect for the rainy Seattle days

Build A Bear

Thanks to gift cards from Great Grandma Sager, the kids were able to go to Build A Bear and have a blast making stuffed animals. They have dreamed of doing this for a long time, so they were thrilled. Josiah and Asher both picked out "army bears", one named Army Bear and one named Army. Isabel picked out a polar bear named Snowflake, Snowball, or Snowy, depending on the day. She likes variety. Half the fun was making the bears. Thanks Grandma!

Army

Snowy, Snowflake, or Snowball

Army Bear

Holiday Par-Tay

We had a Community Christmas party at our home this year. Since it was our last Christmas in our Rainier Valley home, we wanted to go out with a bang. We had great food and friends...and of course, a white elephant gift exchange. I think the best presents went to Isabel and Josiah (by chance) who ended up with amazing purple socks and a dinosaur puzzle) We are so thankful for our church family!

White elephant in full swing

Megan who is alive after her heart stopped earlier in the month! What a miracle!

Wouldn't be a party without a sword fight

Jen, Char, and Clara

Adam and "Adam's Family Tree"

Camels, Trains, and Wagons

It wouldn't be Christmas without a trip to Swanson's Nursery. The kids love riding in the red wagons, seeing the grand train display, and visiting with the camels and reindeer. There is also a wonderful koi pond and I think Isabel would jump in and swim if she could.

In a one horse open sleigh

The train is really amazing

How about a kiss camel?

2 out of 3 ain't bad

Okay, surrounded by breakable things...he's feeling better now

It's the begging of december and for the kids there is one thing on their mind...The Great Wolf Lodge. This was Asher's first year really being able to get out and about at the waterpark and he loved it! We even got the big kids to go down the high slides. Isabel would only go once, she really loves the wave pool and showing off her swimming skills in the middle pool. Josiah loved the big slides and went many times! I think for all of us though, we just love being at the lodge. It is so beautiful and brings out the kids in us all!

Asher catching the snow

The hugest smiles!

O Christmas Tree

For the first time, we went to a Christmas tree farm to get our tree. Jason surprised us one morning ans told us we weren't getting a Lowe's tree this year, we were going to the tree farm! We were all so excited. We packed the car and headed to the mountains...okay this only takes 30 minutes, but it's still so much fun. When we got there we explored the grounds and began the hunt for the perfect tree. We needed one that was the color green that Isabel wanted and just the right height because our ceiling is pretty low. We founf the most perfect tree out there and it looked so beautiful for the whole season! I hope this becomes a tradition too! (Isabel also wanted me to mention that she found bug eggs under a tree. Our camera battery died, but it was pretty amazing)

They had a train that went around the farm

Our just right tree

Josiah helped saw and carry the tree

Time to decorate!

The Start of the Season

You know that the Christmas season has begun in Seattle when it's time for the Macy's Parade. We love this tradition and this year we had about 15 people along, the most so far. Our friends were living in a building right on the parade route, so we got front row seats! The kids love the show, but they come for the candy canes!

Isabel getting her hug on

Santa making sure that we are all being nice

Our parade crew