Our weekend at the lake

Last weekend, we went up to Turtle Lake to visit my dad and brother. It was a fun trip; lots of good food, nice weather, and just general relaxing. Kate went boating for the first time, and she loved it. Well, she loved it when we were going fast; if Fred dared slow down, oh boy! She let him know she did not approve. And of course, my dad and Austin loved seeing Kate; she's changed so much since they last saw her (especially since Austin saw her, since he hasn't seen her since Christmas).

We were able to spend Saturday with Fred, Kathryn, and Missy, since they came up for the day. It was so nice to see them, too, and Kate loved having a new audience.


She loved this little crocodile chair that belongs to Keira, Fred & Kathryn's granddaughter. She was so impressed that it even had a cupholder for her sippy cup!


Just chillin'


Other boaters better watch out!


Playing the organ with neighbor Cliff

A day for swimming!

I had Friday, July 1 off (our office was closed), and even though I work from home, it was so nice not to have to worry about constantly being available via email/phone, etc. Plus, since it was 85 degrees by 11 am, we decided to go swimming in our complex's pool. Kate absolutely loves the water; she has so much fun there!


I'm ready to go, Mom!




She looks so adorable in this hat!


In her new 4th of July outfit from Nana


Loving that banana


It only took 16 months, but Maxine is finally warming up to Kate and letting her pet her!

Kirsti's 16th Birthday Party

On Saturday, June 11, we went over to the Hines' to celebrate Kirsti's 16th birthday. I know it's so cliche to say this, but how time flies! I still remember when she was born, and how excited we all were! (My mom & I were doubly excited, because we were some of the only people, other than Tracy & Dan, to think it was a girl.) To think she's now 16... it's crazy! And it's so funny to see her & Dan work on chemistry or math together; when he met her, she was an adorable five-year-old, and now she's in high school needing his help on complicated subjects. I sometimes can't believe it!

To the party, Kate wore her cute birthday cupcake outfit that she wore to her own party, and when we celebrated Dan Hines' birthday in April. It's such a cute outfit, I figure she might as well wear it more than once!

Seattle--The Final Leg

On Saturday, the three of us went to downtown Seattle while Gail was working. It was an absolutely gorgeous day; sunny, but not too warm. We ate at Ivar's Fish Bar, which is an iconic fixture on the pier. The shrimp was very good (not surprising, considering Seattle has great seafood). We then just strolled around the area; downtown Seattle is so beautiful, that even if you're not going somewhere in particular, it's still entertaining. First we went to Pike's Place Market, which is fun, but so busy, especially on a Saturday. But, it was still nice to see it again. We then went to this place called The Fisherman's (or something like that) and had a drink; it's right on the pier, so the view of the water and the mountains was absolutely beautiful. Then Kate had fun riding the carousel at the nearby arcade; she loves doing stuff like that!

On Sunday, the three of us went downtown again. We first hit up the aquarium, which was a lot of fun. The best part was seeing the sea otters being fed; so cute! We then went on a harbor cruise, since that was the last thing included in our City Pass that we had not done. It was an hour-long, narrated ride about the history of Seattle. Very interesting, and beautiful, of course. After that, we met Kim (Austin's ex-girlfriend) and her boyfriend Nate for some coffee. It was nice to see her, and she really enjoyed meeting Kate.

Then that night, and all day Monday, we just kind of hung out with Gail at her house, since we had to leave insanely early on Tuesday morning. It was a lot of fun to just relax; we talked, watched some movies, and laughed at Kate's various antics. On Tuesday morning, we left the house at 3:45 am (yes, AM) and had an uneventful, if long, flight home. It was such a fun trip; can't wait to go back!


On the ferry ride over on Saturday. Can you tell it was windy?








Why so suspicious?


Trying to catch a glimpse of Daddy while she's on the carousel. And even though you can't see me, yes, I am right behind her.


A beautiful view from the ferry


In the beautiful new dress Grandma Gail bought her!


How do I measure up to a Sixgill shark? Not very well, apparently!


At the exhibit about the orcas




Finally tuckered out at the last bit of our aquarium visit.


Here she is on the harbor cruise; still sleeping!


The aquarium from the harbor


A cool cruise ship we saw during our harbor cruise


It's kind of hard to see the mountains in this picture, but it's beautiful!




Still fast asleep while we waited for Kim


Saying good-bye to Grandma at the airport


We had our layover in Chicago. They have this fun "kids' area" that thankfully kept Kate quite entertained!


In control of the cockpit!


Can I get you any refreshments from the plane fridge?



How cute; I would have LOVED this when I was a kid

Seattle--Day 7

On Friday, June 3, we went to Dan's aunt & uncle's house for the day to barbeque and hang out. It was fun to see them; I think the last time we saw them was the summer of 2007, when they came down for our wedding, and later for Nancy's. We saw some of Dan's cousins, too, and his little first cousins once removed. One of them, Peyton, looks so much like Dan it is CRAZY. He's 11 (I think?) and he looks just like pictures of Dan from when he was that age.

Then, that evening, Gail, Vicki, et. al watched Kate while Dan & I went on a murder mystery dinner cruise. That was seriously one of the highlights of my vacation; it was so much fun! The food was amazing; we had crab legs, beef tenderloin, Atlantic salmon, fruits, breads, and a delicious boysenberry cheesecake for dessert. And the actors were phenomenal; they were so witty that Dan & I were just laughing the whole time. The premise of the show was that a private investigator that this fashion designer had hired had been found dead, and we needed to figure out who killed him. Since the show revolved around fashion, etc. the woman playing the designer had some people come up to act as models. I was one of the ones she picked (and Dan wouldn't come up with me, no matter how much I tried to convince him), so that was kind of fun. Dan asked if I was nervous, and I truly wasn't, but that may be because I had a couple glasses of wine before going up there.

It was such a fun thing to do; I hope we'll be able to do that again sometime!


Before boarding








Such a great view!

Seattle--Days 5 & 6

On Wednesday, we just relaxed at Gail's house and spent some time together as a family, which was nice. Gail had to work, but since she works from home, it was nice to be able to chat with her during her breaks and when she didn't have to take a call. Then on Thursday, we went to the Seattle Art Museum, because the admission is free for the first Thursday of every month. You can't beat that! We had a great time looking at all of the exhibits. My favorite, of course, was the European art; we saw some great pieces, both religious and otherwise. None of us really cared much for the Modern art; some things, like a blank canvas--yes, BLANK--with a black border is something that any of us could do, no matter how artistically inclined we are or are not. Kate loved the kids' area the best, of course! We met two other couples who had children (both girls) who were almost the same age as Kate. One was only four days older than Kate is! So it was fun to see them interact.

That night, we went to Salty's on Alkai, which is a great seafood restaurant my mom had recommended. We went on a night they were having a fish fry special, and it was amazing. We all had the two-piece fish dinner, with one halibut and one salmon, although the salmon was way better. Their desserts were amazing, too; Gail & I shared the white chocolate mousse cake, and it was every bit as delicious as it sounds.

And, as a fun little twist, we got to take the Salty's limo back to the pier to catch the ferry. We had taken a cab to get to Salty's, but we were a little hesitant to use the cab again, since we felt like we had gotten taken advantage of. We asked the cab driver how much it would be to get to Salty's, and he said $20. I had mapquested it, and I knew it was only five miles away, so I thought he was just estimating. We noticed halfway through the ride that the meter wasn't running, and then when we got there, he said it was $20. Hmmm. Even though the posted rate was $2.50/mile, and we only went five miles, so shouldn't that be $12.50 or thereabouts? But, stupid me, I was too shy to say something, and Dan and Gail hadn't noticed, so we paid our $20 and went to dinner. But I definitely didn't want to take a cab back (at least not a cab from the same company!), so while I was in the restroom, Dan talked to the manager and asked if there was an alternative way to get back to the pier. The manager had been fawning over Kate all night (and really, can you blame her? haha) so she was incredibly helpful, and just offered us the use of their limo. How nice! And, as a kicker, the driver was from Lake Geneva and had family in Madison, as well as Buffalo Grove & Lake Zurich, IL. What a small world!


In the kids' area of the museum






Thrilled with her balloon from Salty's!




Mad that Daddy actually had the audacity to hold her, instead of just letting her roam free in a moving vehicle.

On the ferry ride home, she seriously entertained herself for most of the hour-long ride back by putting a piece of paper in this cup holder, then getting off the bench to fetch it from the floor, getting back up on the bench, and doing it all over.




My happy girl!


Can I just tell you how much I love this beautiful, sweet, precious girl? Isn't she adorable??