Happy New Year!

Our friends Dave, Abby, Julia and baby Ethan came over for dinner to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, along with Goggy! We had a really fun time and the kids really got into the spirit, especially enjoying the round challahs and apples and honey!

An Evening with Harold

We went to see a play version of Harold and the Purple Crayon at the Seattle Childrens' Theater. It was Amelia's second play, and Soren's first time attending. The play was a lot of fun and used some fantastic puppets, and both kids had a great time spotting the different animals that Harold drew. The only downside has been the kids' attempts to draw on the floors and walls of the house, since "Harold did it..."

Ready for Anything

Just as the weather got hot here in Seattle, Soren decided that rain boots are the footwear of choice. At least he also started borrowing Daddy's baseball cap to keep the sun off his face!

Hiking

This weekend, we went hiking in the Redmond Watershed Preserve. The kids quickly found walking sticks and, fortified by juice boxes and cheddar bunnies, they did a great job hiking, particularly Amelia, who led the way around the entire Trout Loop trail!

September Barbeque

With the amazing summer weather continuing into September, we invited our friends Dave & Abby and Keith & Denise over for a barbeque. Amelia and Soren had a great time playing lots of games with their friends Julia and Autumn, from kickball to restaurant to tag. The kids also enjoyed the food, particularly the hot dogs and dessert!

Blueberry Picking

After several years with just a handful of berries, one of our blueberry bushes finally came through with a bumper crop. Amelia and Soren had a great afternoon picking and eating them right off the bush...just like Little Sal, we only ended up with a couple of blueberries in our pail!

Bumpy Car

Soren's favorite ride at the fair was the bumpy cars. Just look at the smile on his face!

Evergreen Fair

On Labor Day weekend, we headed over to the Evergreen State Fair to check out the animals, the rides, and the famous fair scones. Amelia and Soren had a great time checking out the pigs (both regular and All-Alaskan Racing), cows, sheep, llamas, rabbits, pigeons and dogs. Soren insisted on trying everything in "Kidville," from pony rides to the carousel to a flying swing to a bouncy car. We topped the trip off with some chocolate milkshakes and then headed home after a great day. We'll definitely be back next year!