Category Archives: us

Move to Bellingham

Jonathan has had his heart set on moving back to Bellingham for a while. I was very happy in Snoqualmie, but he finally found a house that piqued my interest – it had enough bedrooms for our family and lake access. I decided to take a leap of faith. One thing led to another, and by the end of June the moving truck arrived and we headed north.

The truck at our old house

I got pretty sentimental taking my last tour through the boys’ tree fort in the back yard

Look at all their cute little primitive tools and work stations

Ethan stopped by to say “see you later”.

So did Charlotte.

Meanwhile the big boys were at their last day of Camp Invention. They said goodbye to Timber Ridge Elementary.

Then they came home and we had pizza in the house on the empty floor
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Hayden, Brooklyn, & Jacqui stopped by with a gift for Avery

Matching photo collages of their memories together. These two!

We dropped by to see Louis, up the street

And his mom, Emily

Here’s Silas & Bode (who also moved about a month later)

And Caroline and I had an evening out together. Not gonna lie, the boys and I had a tough time saying goodbye to our friends. I see many visits in our future!

Here’s Kieron on his first night at the new house

And here’s Jonathan mowing the grass that had grown very tall before we became owners. More pics of the new house to come in future posts!

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Layla’s Party

Here are a few pictures from Layla’s first birthday party, which followed Grammy & Papa’s anniversary party.

She liked the cheesecake


She loved Ethan!

Some of the decor:

With her new pink kitchen

Admiring her friend, Clare’s, dress

With Uncle Brian

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Grammy & Papa’s Golden Anniversary

Grammy & Papa celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on June 11th. We threw a party at Sigillo Cellars in Snoqualmie and had a terrific time visiting with friends and family, catching up, and reminiscing.

What makes my parents 50th anniversary even more special (and I just have to brag for a minute here) is that they have the best marriage of anyone I know. Like any, it is not without it’s flaws, but my mom and dad always see the good in each other, are never too proud to say “I’m sorry”, have always showed respect for one another, and they just keep trying, everyday. They also both have a good sense of humor, and that goes a long way!

Happy Anniversary to my favorite couple. Love you so much, Mom and Dad!







Hayden





Playing The Not-so-Newlywed Game









Jacqui & Phil

Somphane

Sammamish neighbors, Ann & Craig O’Neil


With Uncle Brian

Nicole & Brooklyn

This couple has traveled the globe together. It took me quite a while to mark on a map all the places they’ve lived and visited as a couple.

Cousins

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Layla Turns One!

Our baby girl celebrated her first trip around the sun on June 10th. At one, Layla is very sweet, affectionate, easy-going, and social. She loves music, dancing, babies, animals, and her family.

After raising three boys, it’s so interesting to see how Layla is different from her brothers. For starters, she has a much higher pitched voice, is more emotional, and watches facial expressions/lips moving, people, and animals more. She is less interested in blocks and things with wheels, although she does like balls as much, if not more, than her brothers did.

Layla is such a joy. She has been an easy baby (thank goodness). She eats and sleeps well, and when she’s awake she is cheerful and pretty mild-mannered. She smiles often and likes meeting new people. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings. Layla Blythe, we love you! Happy Birthday!

Did I already mention that she loves music?



   



Time for the cake smash. She wasn’t that into having frosting between her fingers!







One-year photo shoot. You’ll notice she was really working the over-the-shoulder look.

The following day we celebrated Layla’s birthday with family and friends.

She really took to Ethan!

“This cake is better than yesterday’s.”

In her new kitchen

With Clare

With Uncle Brian

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Preschool Grad

We celebrated a graduation in June – a preschool graduation, that is. It’s hard to believe Silas is through with preschool, although he seems more than ready for kindergarten. The event was bittersweet. We loved his preschool and had been with them for a long time. Silas graduated from the same preschool Avery attended his last year (after we moved to Snoqualmie). Although he started at the Farm School Kieron attended, Silas switched back to Preschool Paradise for his remaining two years. That’s when his friendship with Charlotte began, and it has been such fun to watch evolve. Knowing a move is right around the corner made it even more bittersweet. But we couldn’t be prouder of our lil’ Si.


With Charlotte



The graduate

With Ms. Amber & Ms. Karen

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