Trick or Treat! Happy Halloween!

This Halloween with Haven was a ton of fun. She was our hot pink lady bug for the day. She literally wore her costume ALL day long starting with toddler gymnastics in the morning till the church Fall Festival at night. She learned to say her own version of "trick or treat"... sounded more like "tick ter teet"... but we all knew what she meant and even more, what she wanted - TREATS! And, she did bring back more yummy loot than we know what to do with. If anyone wants more candy, please let me know! =0)

It's Pumpkin Carving Time!

We decided to do it right this year for Halloween and carve our own pumpkins. Haven was curious and wanted to help daddy draw the outline for our Jack O' Lantern's face. She can say pumpkin very well and informs me each time she sees one. We have been working on "trick or treat" for tomorrow - Halloween! =0)

Weekend with Grandpa and GG

My parents took Haven this last weekend, so I could spend the weekend with Nate in South Beach - Miama, FL (he attended a medical conference; I relaxed and explored). Even though I did have a great time with my hubby in humid yet happenin' Miami, it looks like Haven had even more fun hanging out with her grandparents!

Hair gel

This is what happens when mama leaves me alone with yogurt and Chex cereal! I use it to style my hair. Hee... hee... hee...

Welcome Fall!

At the beginning of October, we spent a weekend with some good friends in Spokane, Washington to officially welcome the Fall. We traveled to a working fruit farm where we spent the day picking apples, walking the corn stalks, hanging out in the pumpkin patch, and drinking warm apple cider. It was the perfect opportunity to capture some great pictures among the golden hues of Fall.

Nate's Alaska Hunting Adventure

Really, I can't pass up an opportunity to showcase Nate's sportsmanship as he brought back some HUGE caribou antlers (that smelled really bad when they arrived). Thankfully, he has agreed that we won't be mounting them above our bed... maybe the garage? He had an amazing time up in the Alaska tundra and saw "National Geographic" wildlife up close and personal. What beautiful country!

Seeing Seattle

During the week, Haven and I made it over to Seattle to see the animals at the Woodland Park Zoo. We met up with Kelly (good college friend) and Bella. Haven actually knew the names of some animals and enjoyed pointing out the "hippo" and "giraffe"... as well as any "bee" that flew by. I also got to meet up with my high school friend, Pam, who drove out to meet me in Bellevue for some shopping and dinner. It was a fun week!

Chucky Cheeeeese!

On Labor day, we met up with my dad's side of the family and had some kid-friendly fun at Chucky-Cheese in Tacoma. Haven was ready to go on EVERY SINGLE motorized kiddie ride and just had to put all her tokens in by herself. Cousins, Soren and McKynnlie, were fun to play with and they all had the opportunity to see great grandma Doris.

The Eckharts

Over the Labor day weekend, we met up with some college friends - Marla and Mike Eckhart. They have a cute little guy - Gabe, "the Babe". Haven found a new friend who also likes books and balls. Then... she met their cat, Buddy - the most gracious feline I have ever seen, who allowed Haven to treat him like her new favorite stuffed animal.

A week in Washington...

After the two triathlons, I needed a break... so we spent Labor day weekend and the rest of the week at my parents' new house! It felt like we were at a five star lodge/hotel the whole time. Their house is beautiful. We even made it in time for the Roslyn traditional "Coal Miners Day" Parade. Dad even made a guest appearance, sang a few songs, and ushered in the crowning of Mr. King Coal. The former Queens of Roslyn are all in the front row - notice, you must be over 70 to be crowned Queen of the Parade - no joke.

Garden City Triathlon

On Sept, 1st, a week after the last triathlon, I competed in the Garden City Triathlon - which was an Olympic distance (1 mi swim, 40K [22mi] bike ride, 10K [6.2mi] run). This was a challenge since it was twice the distance of the last triathlon, and the swim was in open water (Frenchtown Pond). The race drew many serious athletes - a few professional. I finished in 2 hrs and 50 min, and was very proud of my time even though I had very low tires throughout my bike ride. I can see why people enjoy the competition of traithlons... it is addicting!