Seattle

My sister and her family planned a trip to visit my parents in Seattle... so we tagged along.  The flight there wasn't too bad despite the fact that it was nap time and no one napped. We discovered a much shorter (secret) security line which if we had known about it last time (thanksgiving) we wouldn't have missed our flight. Autumn wanted to sit with Evan on the plane since last time I barfed on her.  My dad picked us up from the airport and Evan and I got ready to go to the temple.  It is much easier to go to the temple when it is only 25 minutes away versus 2 hours and you have capable willing babysitters.  After the Temple we went to dinner with some dear college friends who live in the area. 

Above: Editor's best friend and his wife.

Valentine's day!  The kiddos got new outfits.  They were suppose to be their Christmas outfits but there was a huge mix-up with shipping blah blah blah and I was suppose to get the stuff at Thanksgiving but it didn't arrive until mid-January.

My parents' were having a regional conference at their stake center which happens to be right by the Seattle temple.

Then the kids got crazy.  Heather and I had four kids with us and in a matter of seconds all four kids were running away from us.  We were pretty helpless and it is times like that I wonder how I am ever going to grocery shop with my four kids...ever

Grandma Pattie planned an art project after church...and by this time my brother and his family had arrived.

Then my cousin and his family came for dinner and more Valentine activities.

BINGO

We played lots of "Pretty Pretty Princess".  Autumn thought it was the greatest...

Even if I did beat her.

Monday we all went to the Pacific Science Center near the space needle.  Autumn really enjoyed the butterfly habitat.

We finally let the babes out of the stroller.

The giant bubble maker was cool too.

The girls and the space needle.

I was not willing to take the littles to the zoo in the rain.  So I stayed home with them while Evan took Autumn.

That night we went hired a couple babysitters and the adults went to an "escape room" (I should mention my brother's wife went home that morning.)  We did "escape".  Although at the very end I did get infected by the real live zombie actress, so it was a good thing we found the antidote. 

Dustin and Korey left Wednesday morning and the rest of us took a ferry ride to Bainbrige Island then drove to Poulsbo.

Autumn got a doughnut and Evan got some other sort of pastry.

Then we tried to cram everyone into a phone booth.

32.5 weeks

I would have been content to wander all the shops in Pousblo however they are mostly full of breakable things so we found a park with one swing...

Then we missed the ferry back to Seattle by about 4 minutes and had to wait well over an hour in the car for the next one to come.

Grandpa read lots of stories to the kids.

Thursday we went to Pike's Place Market. I didn't want to push the stroller in the crowded market and Evan was up for a "no adventure" day so he stayed home with the babes.

The pig that I have no idea why it is there...but you must take a picture with it.  This is before Autumn had a melt down because I told her it was Alice's turn to sit in the front.

In front of the flying fish.

Autumn was super pumped about the gum wall.  She chewed an entire pack of gum while we were walking around that day.

She painstakingly broke up her wad into little pieces and carefully put them on the wall.

Then the little girls "played" in Aunt Hannah's wedding dress and my wedding dress.

(My dress)

And Grandma's dress

Violet in my dress (she is wearing a long sleeve white shirt under)

My dad took Autumn along with Heather and her kids to a Children't museum that night.  I was so exhausted I couldn't keep up with Heather and all her activities so I didn't go.  I didn't go out the next day either, so my mom took Alice and Autumn to a bounce house.  I napped.  

Violet was so happy to just walk around in her cousins' shoes (Air jordans).  Henry not so pleased..

Last day..Goodbye (My cousin Elizabeth took this picture since she was in town for a funeral...We also got to see my aunt and uncle a different day when they had stopped by for the same funeral)

Weekends

I just don't know what to do with weekends.  When Evan was in medical he studied all day every Saturday, in residency often worked on Saturdays, or it would be a day of rest from a long stretch of working.  So now that he has almost every weekend off, I just don't know what to do.  I see friends post pictures of their weekend adventures and think "we should do that".  But most of the time we just loaf around and then Evan and I will get in a fight about something.  I'm just unsure how we are suppose to spend time as a family while at the same time let Evan have a break from the week...and have a break myself. 

 Anyhow last weekend I helped host a baby shower for a girl in my ward.  Their nursery is modern hunting so we did a hunting themed shower.  We played a shooting game with Nerf guns and had a hot apple cider bar and trail mix bar.

Evan likes to do "home owner" things.  Saturday he caulked the cracks on the driveway.

My new year's resolution is to have more date nights.  Saturday night we went to the Candlelight dinner theater and saw "Hello Dolly".  The food was good and so was the play.  Although I did fall asleep in the car on the way home.

Sunday was a tad warm.  So while Autumn was inside playing with her Lego stuff Violet, Maverick and I walked around the front yard, while Evan rearranged the snow.  Then he had the idea of pushing the kids on our sled.  Maverick wasn't huge fan, but Violet kept whining until it was her turn.

Autumn came out and joined us.  We had a great time!

Girls' Weekend

Most of my high school girl friends and I couldn't make it to our 10 year high school reunion...So we decided to get together...just us!  We met in Utah since 2 of the girls now live there. Also one of my friends' husbands has a hotel hook up.

Evan was so kind and requested a day off of work to watch the kids.  I drove all by myself the 6.5 hours.  I even stopped at Costa Vida on the way out there.  First stop was grandma and grandpa's house to say "hello".  Then I picked up Kristi and we met Noah at the new Provo City Center temple to go to the open house.

We met up with Daphni that night for dinner. Then we headed up to Salt Lake and picked Lauren up from the airport.  The next day Daphni came back up and we did an "escape room".  They tricked us by saying how important this puzzle was so Daph and Lauren spent almost the whole hour working on a very difficult jigsaw puzzle.  Kristi and I almost got one lock undone.  It was tough especially because we didn't know the other people in our room.  We were all a bit disappointed in our performance, but felt better after some In-N-Out.  Basically the rest of the day was spent chatting and eating.

After a late night snack at City Creek mall

Sunday we went to Music and the Spoken Word and toured the Beehive house.  It was so fun to see my best friends!  

 Monday on my drive home I talked to Autumn and she informed me, "Dad cut Violet's hair.  She didn't like it when dad used the vacuum to get all the hairs off her!"  Oh dear!  Alas Evan and the kids survived.  Violet's hair looks cute, the house was in good shape, and I think I may leave Evan with the kids again;)

Evan's Birthday

Autumn has been on a "tell me about the next holiday" kick at bed time instead of a story.  So in length we talked about Evan's birthday.  The plan was to make my tried and true banana muffins and a new recipe of zucchini muffins. The plan was to take them to dad and his friend's at work and to bring dad lunch too.  But then dad's lunch meeting got cancelled. Luckily he called to tell me that before we left (but not before everyone was buckled in the car.)  So we ended up with a ton of muffins.  Maverick was not disappointed.  He would almost do a whole pull-up to get to the muffins on the counter.

Evan picked up pizza on the way home from work and his parents and his brother joined us for a "party".

After Christmas I asked him to pick up some clearance wrapping paper...I forgot to tell him to get boy wrapping paper...So he got his gifts wrapped in Sophia the First paper.

The twins even enjoyed the first part of the party before bed time.

A level!  He is so excited about all his new tools.

This year in his birthday balloons I put clues to his "big" gift. 

A light bulb, a candle, a plate of food, a toy theater, Ranch seasoning, and a raffle ticket.  (Season tickets to the Candlelight dinner theater.)

I spiced up the birthday brownies this year by putting chocolate chip cookie dough at the bottom then a layer of Oreo cookies, then the brownies.  Last time I made these I over cooked them...this time they were well under cooked.  Autumn ended up waking up at 3 am and barfing!  Oops she was fine in the morning however.