Sunset

This pic is from father's day, on a walk after a fabulous dinner with Shalie's family. It is so beautiful here.

Going Mobile in Alaska

Ok, so Kelly isn't crawling yet, but he is getting up on all fours! He did it for the first time our first day here, and has been perfecting it every day since! So exciting for is to watch...

Alaska

We're currently in Ketchikan, AK, visiting my cousin Geoff and his wife, Shalie. I'll update periodically.

And yeah, it's as terrible as it looks.

Player

"Oh hey girl. Call me maybe."

Blizzard

We're ready for Alaska!

Lazy Hazy Days

K and I went to Matthew's Beach today to enjoy some sun. Our house is less than a mile from the park which makes it an ideal mini-getaway for some outdoor time. There were lots of other people with the same idea as us - kids on the playground, bikers, people swimming or tossing a frisbee. It was a parade of Seattleites coming out of our caves, and Kellen loved watching it all roll by our comfy spot under a tree.

What he loved more than people watching though was the swings. He had a great time swinging back and forth, me pushing him higher and higher, all the while smiling and giggling while checking out the view from the air. I couldn't stop taking pictures even though almost all of them were blurry. I just wanted to remember how dang happy he was to be suspended in mid-air, gliding back and forth. Don't worry, I did put the camera away so that I could actually, you know, spend time with my kid.

This is exactly the kind of day I spent my time daydreaming about when I was pregnant last summer. Aww.

(PS- When I exclaimed to Matt "Look at the adorable baby-muscle-tank I got!" and showed him the tank-top Kellen has on in these pics, he looked at the top, looked at me, said "Um, no. He's not wearing that." then went back to whatever he was doing. Apparently the man has no taste for badassness. We decided not to get him tickets to the gun show.)

Oh, not much really, just portion control and lots of water.

Watching the parade.

He actually looks kind of terrified in this shot.

Camping

On Saturday we went camping at Verlot, a beautiful little spot off the Old Mountain Loop Highway. So much fun. Kellen loves hiking and being outside, and being teased by his mama's friend, Lizzie.

Sydney

Today I got to spend some time at happy hour with some friends of mine (hi ladies!), and at one point we talked a bit about my time in labor. While I wrote a little about how it took 30 hours and ended in a c-section, I haven't actually written down my experience, or "birth story" if you will.

Don't worry, that's not what I'm about to do (although I think I probably will at some point. So look for that, woohoo!).

One thing that very much sticks out to me about that day though is quick and easy to share: the song that was stuck in my head THE WHOLE TIME I was in labor with Kellen. And here it is, a fabulous song by the fabulous Brett Dennen. I know there isn't a video really, just a pic of him, but there isn't a music video for this song yet - and if you're anything like me, it won't matter because you'll be dancing around the room anyway. Enjoy.

My Little Consumer

First time in a shopping cart. Lie. Second time, first time where he didn't scream. He alternated between looking elated and gripping the cart because he knew he was going to crash and die. Aw, so cute.

A Morning Welcome

Every morning that Kellen and I take a walk, we go past this house and I always have the urge to run. I tell myself "Don't look today, Julie! Just don't look!" But I always do, and I always start and shudder.

Here's a joke for you: 
What's creepier than life-size dolls staring at you through a hedge?

I don't know either.

The Sound of Joy

Kellen has discovered that dropping toys into a pot makes a satisfying CLANG! 

CLANG! 

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

That sound sure doesn't get old. Nope.

Heron

Kellen and I spent a good portion of our morning walk chatting with a kind elderly lady we met at the pond.
We were  watching this heron fish, and she told us all about the different herons that live at the pond and their fishing habits. We also heard about her 6 month old grandbaby that hates being on her belly and so "crawls" by scooting around on her butt.
I love being a stay at home mom.