Happy 7th Anniversary!

Today is one of the most wonderful days that I am going to remember; it is Conrad and my 7th anniversary. I don't know why this anniversary is so special to me, but it is. For some reason it just feels like we're making history together. We're raising a family, and building on a foundation that has real weight to it. I look at where we started, and I had no idea how beautiful our life would turn out together. I never knew what true love could be like; to have my best friend and lover by my side. Each day I love you more and more, Conrad. Thank you for always taking care of me and our family. You are an amazing husband and father. And, I know I put Shania Twain's "From this Moment" on the playlist for today to celebrate our marriage, but as I'm looking at you, maybe I should put on "Bringing Sexy Back!"

Re. the picture on the bottom. It is of Conrad's legs, and one of my legs resting on the same chair at our old house. Bronwen took it a few months ago. I love it because it shows how much we love to be right next to each other, even after all these years... :-D

The REAL Children's Museum

Since we've been out here I 've tried to make it a point to go on a big field trip every week with the girls. It gives us an excuse to get out of the house, and is a great way to learn our way around. Today we went to the more famous Children's Museum, which is located in Seattle Square. It's a stone's throw from the Space Needle!

Some of you may understand the significance of this trip. One of my phobias is driving in areas that I don't well. Case in point: I was so freaked out while driving on the six-lane highway (where lanes suddenly end and people fly by you, if I may add!), that when a stretch of pavement got really bumpy I became convinced that there was something wrong with one of my tires, and that I was about to veer out of control at any minute. I knew I was being crazy, so I fought the urge to pull over, and just stayed the course. My car was fine mind you. I only tell you this example so you can understand the ridiculous thoughts and "what ifs" that go through my head when I am driving to unknown locations!

Anyway, we made it and had a wonderful time. I definitely recommend this location to everyone (couples and families)! Within a quarter mile you have the museum, the Seattle Music Project (another museum), the Space Needle, amusement park-type rides, food, etc.. I can't wait to go back!

Haircut

It's amazing how a new do can make you feel better! For the last year I've been sporting the trendy wedge cut that almost everyone seems to have. I also found a stylist who I really loved in Albuquerque. So before we moved, I made sure to squeeze in one more appt. Murphy's Law, when I got there, I found out she wasn't in (she didn't realize she had an appt.). They asked if I wanted to wait an hour for her to drive over, but I said no because I needed to pick up the kids. Well, another stylist was in, and she said, "Hey, my 2 o'clock canceled, so I can do it." I was so happy, I said sure. All was fine until halfway through the process she said, "This is one of the most difficult cuts. It's been the hardest for me to learn." I was like, great, this doesn't sound good for me. It wasn't.

I don't know what she did, but the back looked like a weird mushroom, and front sloped in like a catfish. I was trying to be patient to let it grow out for a while (it's been two months), but today I couldn't take it anymore! Somehow I thought it would be a good idea for me to be Edward Scissorhands! It's not like I could have done more damage! ;-D

Anyway, the verdict is in -not too bad! Maybe this should be my career...

Bronwen and Ava go to the movies for the first time!

On Friday we got a call from Auntie Bianca to say that she was coming up for a visit. Bronwen and Ava were so excited. For the rest of the afternoon, almost all of the conversations between the girls and me were:

Bronwen/Ava: "What is going to happen after we wake up tomorrow?"

Me: "We'll eat breakfast."

Girls: "Then what momma?"

Me: "Oh, I don't know...chores?"

Girls: "No momma, tell us!"

Me: "Oh I know! Your Auntie Bianca is coming."

Girls: "Yeah! What time?"

Me: "Around 12."

Girls: "When is it 12?"...

It was obvious the anticipation was killing them. They couldn't wait!

Well Bianca pulled into the driveway right on schedule. Conrad made us lunch, we loaded up in the car to get a caffeine fix from Starbucks, then to the movies!

Conrad had been wanting to take the girls to see WALLE for about a month now. Some of his favorite memories with his dad were of them going to the theater, so he wanted to pass on the 'tradition". We all had a great time, and actually got to stay for the whole show! The best part for me was watching Bronwen with Ava. Even though they are only 16 months apart, Bronwen really is the world's best big sister. She would get popcorn and candy for herself, then look at Ava and say, "Here Sissy -open up," and pop a treat into Ava's mouth. It is so beautiful to see how caring they are to one another. On a funny note, one of the characters is named "Eve", but they pronounce it as "Eva." The whole time, Ava kept saying, "They said Ava!" She was very excited and rather loud about it too! ;-)

My missing husband

My sweet husband was looking at the blog, and said, "Where am I? I see my name, but I don't see my face!" So here he his. Ahh... :-D

Let's go to the beach!

The girls and I are loving WA! We live two miles away from an inlet on Lake Washington. The park is called Gene Coulon Memorial Beach, and it has everything to satisfy a water lover's taste! There are two large play areas, tennis and volley ball courts, fields (for Frisbee), grills, a duck-feeding area, and a beach. I've taken the girls to the play areas before, but today we decided to put on our swim-suits and dive into the water. We had a blast!

I have to admit, at first I was a little hesitant to venture out to the lake with two small children, but any qualms melted away as soon as I saw how shallow the beach area was. It was only to my knees 15 ft out! Bronwen and Ava practiced their swimming skills (i.e. crawling/paddling on their tummies in the water), and I got a bit of a tan. We stayed for about an hour (we met one of my new girlfriends there), then came home. Now we're just hanging out, eating popcorn and watching Beauty and the Beast. Life is good. :-)

Happy Fourth of July!

Sorry it's been a while since I last wrote. My family came out for Bronwen's birthday, and my mom accidentally packed up my camera (thinking it was my sister's), so I couldn't download any new pictures. Well, a lot has happened in the last few weeks!

I have the whole house furnished and decorated. It feels so nice to be in a home again! I did have to get rid of a lot of our Southwest decorations though. They didn't quite look right in our home! Now we're just daydreaming about home improvement activities. We're going to redo our kitchen and put wood floors on the bottom floor (which is what we did in our old house -de ja vu!). :-) That will probably happen next summer.

On the family front, what a blessing it is to be near my mom, dad and sisters! The car ride from Portland to Seattle is exactly three hours -the same amount of travel time via a plane, but without the addition of security, driving to the airport, etc.. It is wonderful! Like I mentioned earlier, my family came out for Bronwen's birthday (none of can believe that she is actually a little girl now!), and I just came back from a trip there this past Monday through Thursday. It is so nice to pack up the girls and leave on a whim. I love being in the NW!

I have really appreciated the time I've had to stay at home and spend time with the girls and get the house ready. I am ready to go back to work though. Working gives me such happiness, and makes me feel like I'm a better mom as a result (I was working part-time before we moved out here -a nice balance). I've had two phone interviews for a position at T-mobile, and I go in for a real-live one next week. Wish me luck! :-)

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful fourth of July holiday. I miss each of you, and look forward to hearing from you.

Love,

Michelle, Conrad, Bronwen and Ava